“The total per diem for all 60 legislature members for a single day is $17,478.75,” reported Andrew Hawkins on Webcenter11.com on June 7.
The math: $17,478.75 / 60 = $291.31 a day per legislator.
Per the Alaska government pages: The first and second regular sessions are each 90 days long. Special sessions are 30 days (we’ve had one and are scheduled to have a second soon). So we’re paying legislators for 240 days.
240 x 291.31 = $69,914.40 total made in per diems for each legislator. That’s on top of a base pay. For Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, that is $50,400. So in actuality, he will have made $120,314.40 off of us. We have 60 legislators. Think about it.
Gov. Bill Walker seems to think that the residents of Alaska are the ones who should be paying for this do-nothing legislation by taking our PFD. Why can’t these legislators and our governor be the ones to “tighten the belt” for a change? Why must an already overtaxed and burdened citizenry always carry the weight of poor budgeting? Because they cannot relate to those of us struggling. I’ll share a personal example.
I ended up on a flight with both Walker and Micciche following the second failed session. Micciche sat next to me. I asked him about the PFD. He told me that people needed to learn, they can’t have it all. They can’t have welfare and a PFD. This annoyed me. I explained politely, that the PFD helps us not need welfare. We pay bills and buy essentials we need for our kids. Micciche had the audacity to explain how his family struggles financially too. If my numbers are correct, I find it very hard to believe there is any struggle for his family on $120,314.40 a year. This doesn’t count what he is paid by ConocoPhillips. So tell me again about your struggle Micciche and how you “understand” the hardship of those you and Walker wish to rip the PFD from to cover the gross overspending of this administration. I and all Alaskans are very interested. I’ll be taking a list of who not to vote for re-election. You can bet Walker and Micciche are at the top of that list.
Laurie Bell,
Juneau