There is an old adage, "Follow the money ... connect the dots." Common sense and simple finance tell you that whatever the gas tax, it will not eventually be paid by the oil companies.

Gov. Sarah Palin has proposed using $12 million in retirement trust money related to an investigation and litigation on behalf of those funds.

The gas tax and pipeline contract are the biggest Alaska public finance issue in the last three decades and now it all has to be done in a 30 days or so?

The Alaska Legislature has authorized the "big bet" to supposedly cope with retirement costs. The idea: Borrow money based on the projected unfunded liability, not yet due, and invest it in the stock and other markets; hopefully make some money.