While I'm not a fan of most of what I've seen to date of Gov. Palin, I must admit that I am very impressed with what I know of her move to collect a larger share of the oil revenue for common purposes, including running state government without a state income tax or a state sales tax, and treating Alaska's natural resources as Alaska's common property. (See PBS NOW transcript for 8/1/08.) Alaska would do even better if, along with collecting more of the economic rent associated with natural resources, they collected, via a modified property tax, the economic rent on the state's land value. 2/3 of their population lives in urban areas, and the infrastructure that is associated with urban areas adds value to sites. (Location, location, location!) So do transportation systems, many of which are being paid for by the federal tax payer. Alaska need not let the value created by that federal spending accumulate in private pockets; they can follow the lead of Harrisburg and other PA towns and cities and treat more of it as a public revenue source. If they collect more than they need to fund public spending, well, it makes sense to turn more back to individuals in the form of a dividend, just as the Alaska Permanent Fund and this year's Alaska Resource Rebate do. Don't let that value accumulate in a few private or corporate pockets -- Alaskan or otherwise -- ... treat it as if we really believed what we hold to be self evident.