As your $845 permanent fund dividend checks start arriving in the mail, please note three things.

First, if you read the permanent fund check stub, you will see the Legislature's appropriations to each permanent fund dividend are greater than the amount constitutionally dedicated to the fund. Far from ever being "raiders" of the fund, the Legislature has been a generous supporter.

Second, consider the following "what if" scenario. According to information prepared by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., www.apfc.org, if the full Legislature and the people had adopted the percent of market value (POMV) constitutional amendment in 2004, the state would have $1.3 billion to appropriate this year.

Third, under a POMV bill (HB 298) the House majority passed in 2004, not only would your dividend this year be $1,012, revenue sharing to cities would have been $63 million, and $569 million would have been paid to public education. Or, we would have had $632 million for the state's portion of a gas line.

This was all done when we anticipated a $750 million deficit. Ask your legislator why they support or oppose POMV.

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