The Nation - News from Oct. 2, 1988

Each Alaska resident will soon receive a check for $826.93, or $3,307.72 for a family of four, in the state’s annual cash giveaway designed to share its oil earnings, Gov. Steve Cowper announced. This year 529,446 people applied for the checks--11,000 fewer than last year, when the amount was $708.19, apparently because people are leaving Alaska and its faltering economy, said Ervin Jones, administrator of the program. The first checks go out the middle of this month and every Alaskan will have a check by Christmas, he said. The state expects to distribute about $437.8 million. To qualify, a person must have lived in Alaska for the prior six-month winter--from Oct. 1 through March 31--and submit an application with proof of residency. Each applicant also must declare an intent to remain a permanent resident of Alaska.