Blog: Dermot Cole
Disabled Alaskans may have chance to get appliance rebates
Published Tuesday, October 13, 2009
•The state has $658,000 available in federal money for the clunker appliance changeout program.
Details are expected to be announced Wednesday on a plan to limit the rebate program in Alaska to the disabled, which sounds reasonable. The rebates would be available to those who buy new appliances.
The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. needs approval from the U.S. Department of Energy before it can move ahead with the plan, said Larry Persily, an aide to the House Finance Committee. The tentative start date is December.
"AHFC and the administration decided to limit the program to disabled Alaskans to increase its effectiveness and target people most in need of assistance. Spreading out $658,000 in rebates statewide would have driven up administrative costs and diluted the individual checks so much that the program would have been less effective," Persily said.
"The program also will provide a larger rebate for rural residents, recognizing the higher cost of appliances in rural Alaska."
AHFC estimates there are 10,000 disabled Alaskans who could qualify for the program.
The rebates for buying new energy efficient refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers will range from $150 to $500 per appliance.
Refrigerator and freezer rebates will be $500 each for disabled Alaskans in rural areas and $300 for urban Alaskans, according to the proposal.
For washers and dryers the rebate will be $300 for disabled Alaskans in rural areas and $150 in urban areas.
•Student enrollment in the Fairbanks public schools is up by about 275 from a year ago.
With about two weeks left in the official count period, enrollment is more than 14,400.
There are about 75 more students that projected, said Mike Fisher, chief financial officer of the school district.
The final numbers won’t be known until the fourth Friday of the month. Enrollment statistics used by the state, which determine the amount of money the district receives, are based an average attendance on 20 school days.
•The federal office of the Director of National Intelligence and UAF are hosting a two-day conference on national intelligence issues Wednesday and Thursday at UAF.
The UAF announcement says there will be "discussion panels on navigation routes, resource development and other political issues in the Arctic; cybersecurity issues and UAF’s unique computing facilities; and Alaska Natives, diversity and UAF’s role in northern studies and national intelligence."
"According to conference organizers, another purpose of the conference is to evaluate UAF as a potential National Intelligence Center of Academic Excellence."
A reception, as well as a discussion on “Information Needs in a Changing Arctic,” will be Wednesday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Princess Hotel.
What? Rubbish!
Helping disabled people buy energy efficient appliances?
OBAMABOT SOCIALIST LIBERALIST COMMUNISM!
More school children this year compared to last year?
OBAMATRON LIBERALIST COMMUNIST SOCIALISM!
A conference at UAF?
OBAMANAUT COMMUNIST SOCIALIST LIBERALISM!
Did I get that right, Power of the O? Dermot wrote it, so it must be garbage, right?
Note to those with more than six brain cells: THIS IS SARCASM!
Disabled does not necessarily mean poor or needy. What an insult. Many disabled people are working in high paying jobs and have achieved considerable success. Why do they need a more efficient freezer than someone who is not disabled and works for minimum wage? I'm against all of this government handout stimulus crap, but this one is really despicable.
UAF as a potential National Intelligence Center of Academic Excellence
___________________________
That is a frightening thought
Yea, those only belong in Alabama Universities!
What about the others. Why are the disabled being singled out??? They got their dividend just like the rest of us and they got a raise on their disability at the beginnning of the year. Why not give them a job or have them volunteer some place to earn this??? Just entirely too many hand outs to the people up here. Why not do something for the working people who help pay for these disabled people????? Why not give something to the employer who hires this disabled person????
wife228 - I agree. Too many hand outs. Not enough support where it really needs to go.
Same with the whole Obama financial bailout. Would have benefitted the whole country to just divide the money equally between the population and send everyone a check. You KNOW that money would have gone right back into the economy.
Just stupidity!
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