Elise, you say that they pay to play in the lower 48 and we don't. Like roads for instance you say they pay taxes because they live in the area and want good roads. I will have you know that every one locally pay taxes to live in their perspective city and borough Here is the list from my Property tax page, Education, school bond, library bond, SWCD (Garbage collection from transfer site and tipping fees etc),  NAWP_ECODEV (economic development), NAWP-EM(Emergency manag. emergency med. serv.), FSA (fire service area taxes), Other taxing authorities:( Road service taxes for repair and maintenance, Special district taxes, (area lighting, sewer and water for other areas outside service areas). 
That is straight from my yearly LOCAL property taxes living outside the city of Fairbanks or North Pole. Now if your in one of those cities the taxes are split but additional taxes are added for services provided that non city dwellers aren't provided.

For you to say we don't pay taxes is so wrong