Thank you to the nine senators who voted against SB21. I'm still trying to comprehend $4.6 billion.
Alaskans should be proud that a record was set in 2013 giving $2.4 million to our favorite non-profits through Pick.Click.Give. At that rate, it will take us 1,917 years to give as much to those worthy organizations as we are giving to ConocoPhilips, ExxonMobil, and BP over the next five years.
Coincidentally, scientists estimate that our earth and our solar system are 4.6 billion years old, so there are a lot of websites that attempt to visually describe the number 4.6 billion — like enough pennies laid edge-to-edge to cover a football field — 68 times. Multiply those pennies by 100 and you get our 4.6 billion dollars.
It's not hard to do some math and see how many new schools, miles of road, meals for the homeless, etc. $4.6 billion would buy. What is hard is figuring out what we are getting for our $4.6 billion. Where do I sign the referendum?
— Ted Heuer
Homer