The PFDs referred to are the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, that all Alaskans receive every year. This year it was just a little over $1,300.00. I know several people that spent their dividend on guns, and ammo. BLOAT is an accronym used a lot up here, it stands for "
Buy
Lots
Of
Ammo
Today".
Here is the link for those interested. Rog
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/oct/19/obama-and-pfds-recipe-record-fairbanks-gun-show-tu/Obama and PFDs: A recipe for record Fairbanks gun show turnout
By Rebecca George
Published Monday, October 19, 2009
FAIRBANKS — More than 2,000 people walked through the UAF Patty Center doors this weekend for the annual Tanana Valley Sportsmen’s Association Fall Gun Show.
Buyers, sellers and spectators alike this weekend attributed the nationwide surge in gun and ammo sales to worries that the Obama administration and a Democratic-controlled Congress will make a move to restrict gun ownership.
Though this weekend wasn’t the first gun show since the presidential election, the record turnout was also boosted by the release of the Permanent Fund Dividend.
“I think it’s common to see sales go up a little when the PFD comes out, but I think there is a lot of fear out there that is fueling people to buy guns and ammo,” said William Galligan, a senior at UAF and member of the Alaska Nanooks rifle team.
“Smith and Wesson sales have gone through the roof since the election, not to mention the price and availability of ammo. You almost can’t find it anywhere and a lot of people have resorted to trying to make their own.”
According to his teammate, Cody Rutter, finding ammo in town has become a challenge, even at major retailers like Sportsman’s Warehouse.
“Folks have really wiped out this town, but I think it’s a trend all over the country right now,” Rutter said.
Grant Lewis, president of the Tanana Valley Sportsman’s Foundation, said he was certain the gun show had a record turnout on Saturday, with more than 1,500 people.
“The good weather we’re having doesn’t hurt us, either,” he said. Lewis has seen a fair share of gun shows since he first arrived in Fairbanks about 40 years ago. The Sportsman’s foundation has hosted spring and fall gun shows every year for decades.
Lewis stood under a large National Rifle Association banner at the show’s front doors and greeted people as they arrived. He seemed pleased with the high turnout.
“It’s fine that people are buying guns so long as they know how to use them safely,” Lewis said. “It’s important that we pass this enthusiasm along to younger generations so that it doesn’t die off.”
The array of toys and firearms in the gym ranged from 1860s antiques to the latest competition rifles adorned with pink metallic flair. But guns weren’t the only thing on display at the show. Members of the Interior Alaska Conservative Coalition had a large display advocating a petition to require minor consent for abortions in one corner, while competitive cowboy gunfighters sat in costumes that made them look like they’d stepped out of a spaghetti western.
A loud rumble of voices echoed off the walls as dealers and prospective buyers negotiated gun and ammo prices.
“There seem to be a lot of people stocking up, maybe because they’re concerned that the government will try to take our guns away,” Lewis said. “Ammunition costs have gone through the roof and having that could be as good as gold someday.”
Mason Filler passed by a table with a wide selection of bullets and was admiring an antique pistol on display. Filler said he was visiting from Provo, Utah, this weekend specifically to purchase ammunition from the gun show.
“It’s almost impossible to find ammo in the Pacific Northwest these days without paying a fortune,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s because the government is raising prices or because people are buying it all up.”
He sells guns in Utah and said his business hasn’t been so strong in years.
“It’s not the first time I’ve seen a big boom, though,” he said. “When we were all terrified of Y2K, I made a fortune Outside, but this past year I almost can’t find enough to sell.”
Filler wouldn’t speculate on why gun sales were up but said he had heard complaints of losing gun rights with the election of a Democrat as president on conservative talk radio.
“I’m sure a lot of people are worried about our gun rights, but so far the president hasn’t said much about them,” he said. “It’s not the first time we’ve had a Democrat in office, but things seem to be pretty heated right now in politics.”
Carol Holz of the Golden Heart Shootist Society said said she’s seen an increase in the number of people at local gun shows since the last election cycle.
“Just yesterday the lobby was completely full of people waiting to get in, and I’ve never seen that here before,” she said. The organization competes in single-action Cowboy Shooting, where members dress in costume and perform shooting feats on stages mimicking famous western films, like Sergio Leone’s 1966 “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” or the cult classic “High Noon.”
The shooting society wasn’t at the show to buy or sell guns but to advertise their club and offer advice on gun safety.
“Owning guns is a large part of the Alaska lifestyle, especially since carrying concealed weapons is legal,” she said. “Whether people own guns or not, everyone should know how to be safe around them,” she said.
Contact staff writer Rebecca George at 459-7504.
