Unsustainable!-----Many Alaskans unhappy with amount of yearly dividend checks

Many Alaskans unhappy with amount of yearly dividend checks - SFGate:
"ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)
Yes, you could call it free money.
But that doesn't mean all Alaskans are happy about the $1,022 dividend checks nearly every resident will receive starting Thursday from the state's oil wealth fund.
Folks were looking at getting more than twice that amount.
...Each year, residents get the checks from the Alaska Permanent Fund, a reward of sorts for living here at least a full calendar year.
...The amount of the annual checks is based on a five-year average of the multibillion-dollar fund, and they took a hit when recession years were part of the formula, with $900 checks issued in 2013 before payouts rebounded again.
Last year, the amount for every person was a record $2,072.
..."Alaska lost over 80 percent of its income in just two years, and we are burning through $12 million of savings each day," Walker wrote.
"This is simply not sustainable."
...The fund was established in 1976 after the discovery of oil on Alaska's North Slope, with the first dividends distributed to residents in 1982.
..."I wish it were bigger, but you know, it's OK," she said. "Money's money.""