Jay Hammond - Alaska Governor and Creator of the Permanent Fund

Former Governor of Alaska, Jay Hammond, died at age 83, peacefully at his home in Lake Clark, Alaska. He served Alaska as its Governor from 1974 to 1982, the years during which Alaska built an incredible oil pipeline, banked a large amount of the oil lease revenues, and created a dividend program that every resident of Alaska benefits from yearly.

Very few men are ever fortunate enough to be so productive during their public life. Not surprisingly, Jay Hammond was respected and admired by a huge population. He was the "quintessential Alaskan," as state senator Fred Dyson put it.

Jay Hammond came to Alaska following his service as a Marine fighter pilot during World War II. He bought an amphibious plane and worked as a bush pilot and trapper. Later he worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. He developed a keen eye for protecting and preserving the environment. Even as a developer of Alaska's natural resources, Hammond ensured that development did not proceed at the expense of environmental protection.

Hammond was elected to the state legislature in 1959 and served several terms. He then became mayor of the Bristol Bay Borough and served as a state senator. In 1974 he was elected Governor for the first of two terms.

During his tenure as Governor, Hammond oversaw the building and the opening of the Alaska Pipeline, the oil pipeline that runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. He preserved a large portion of the oil lease revenues in the form of a Permanent Fund. The Fund has been in existence now for over 25 years, a form of saving account for the state.

The Permanent Fund might have been spent any number of times, but Hammond inspired the State to create a Dividend program to provide incentive for keeping the Fund intact. The Dividend program provides a yearly payment to every resident of Alaska. The Permanent Fund is like a large pension fund that every Alaskan is proud of and benefits from. Thanks to Jay Hammond, the Fund enjoys protection and will remain in place for many years to come.

Jay Hammond and his wife, Bella, lived for the past many years at Lake Clark where they homesteaded originally 50 years ago. Lake Clark is an awesome and gorgeous large lake in the Aleutian chain of mountains not too far from Anchorage via float plane. Remember, it was the adventure of being a float plane pilot that brought Hammond to Alaska originally.

Hammond was a humble man and displayed a warm sense of humor. Once, during a re-election debate in 1978, he was asked if he believed he was the best choice to be Governor. Hammond replied, "No, there are plenty of other Alaskans who can do a much better job than I could. Unfortunately, none of them are running."

The consensus was that Jay Hammond was the best man for the job, and he will be remembered that way.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is a founding member of http://www.GoodPoliticsRadio.com and the owner of http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.

---

Uncle Sam Cracks Down Online!

In a move that rocked the online world and left... Read More

Freedom on the Internet

Throughout all recorded history on our lovely little planet, Earth's... Read More

Africa?s Prosperity Goals: A Cultural Perspective

Commission for Africa (CFA), one is made to understand is... Read More

Fundamentalist: Fascist or Common-Sense?

Is the only way to fight Fundamentalist Extremists becoming one... Read More

End Of History? Not Quite

A visitor to Moscow would be immediately struck by the... Read More

A Need to Review Abortion Laws In Belgium

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of writing this article is to encourage the... Read More

We Are Turning a Corner in Foreign Relations, Thanks GW Bush!

Kudos goes out to the George Walker Bush's Administration and... Read More

US Government Sore Losers in Not So Neighborly Dispute

I'm getting a little tired of being lectured by that... Read More

Great Melting Pot Indeed

An interesting conversation that I thought I must share with... Read More

Proven Risk Youth Vs At-Risk & High-Risk Youth

In the fields of juvenile justice policy and programming, there... Read More

How Small Business Benefits From Supporting Labor Unions

For a short time I worked as a union officer... Read More

TSA Missteps at Our Airports

The TSA seems to have completely missed the ball at... Read More

Mental Masturbation of FTC Franchise Rule Report

Please read through this quick thought and discussion as if... Read More

How Many Cases Will Elliot Spitzer Lose Now?

The devastating loss in case of Elliot Spitzer for NY... Read More

Was Pakistan a British Creation?

The furore in the BJP camp in India, triggered by... Read More

Death and Destruction and the Run Up to D Day

This is the third in a short series of four... Read More

A Component of Liberty is a Strong Social Contract with Governing Body

Recently I got to talking with a gentleman at a... Read More

The ?Manchurian Candidate?: Lee Harvey Oswald?

An American soldier is taken behind enemy lines and brainwashed... Read More

The Project For A New American Century

Let the reader be reminded, that this document we are... Read More

Tax Attorney in Oregon or Washington; Does Your Small Business Have One?

Tax Evasion has been used to criminalize many, Nixon did... Read More

Look! America Take a Look!

I heard on the news this week how America continues... Read More

The Second Coming in Albania

Blessed with Chinese GDP growth rates (7-8% annually in each... Read More

We Must Register AIDS Carriers and Homosexual Men

It is a law that we register deadly weapons with... Read More

The Ugly American Returns!

Originally published in 1958, "The Ugly American" (Lederer & Burdick)... Read More

Liquidity or Liquidation

Large parts of the world today suffer from a severe... Read More

Quality of Life and Freedom, Unilateral Discussion

City Governments is their quest for; "quality of life" often... Read More

Mexican Living: A Disabled Man Speaks for Terri

I am an incurably ill American male forced to leave... Read More

Transporting Troops in the Future

Currently when we transport troops we use large cargo planes... Read More

Is Reinstating The Draft Such a Bad Idea?

In his bid for the presidency, John Kerry pronounced a... Read More

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Was created on July 30th 2002, by... Read More

Count Rumford

Why did FDR say Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Count... Read More

A Look Ahead to 2008 (Part II)

Last week, I began my look ahead to the 2008... Read More

Using More Trees to Reduce Atmospheric CO2

As global warming continues to escalate the concerns of today's... Read More