The Three Oil Stooges of the Kenai

I think it might be cheaper if we sent all of the legislatures out of state during the short 90 day session.

Especially the 3 that represent the north central Kenai Peninsula. The more they are away, the less damage they will do. 

Tom is in DC now, preaching to the Drill, Baby Drill crowd.  No new converts.

The few hundred thousand we spend sending these guys to far away places, means the fewer corporate giveaways these guys love to create. The republicans also spend like crazy too - the Port of Anchorage, the valley prison, the Knik Arm bridge and the Susitna dam are just a few of the projects with costs projected (or already spent) in the billions.  Go figure, there had have been cost over-runs and no oversight. How is this a good business for Alaska?  

Once again, there's a showdown over ACES. The senate, with a coalition of several old-school republicans and most all of the democrats, are reluctant to bend over for the bill the governor and house wants - the one that will give $2 Billion/year back to the oil companies with no promise of production. Well, aside from a vague pledge to invest $5 billion if we gave them $10 billion. Trying to make a wise decision, the senate is relying on figures from the AK Dep't of Revenue and by recommendations of independent oil tax specialists.

Read this expose about oil tax myths by the Ak Dispatch Here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Tom Wagoner has been sitting the fence - he didn't vote in favor of the Senate's proposal, which would have modestly decreased the profit tax in exchange for minimal rates if prices ever go down. But he's also on record saying he wouldn't vote for a 2 billion dollar giveaway that didn't come with significant development promises by the major players.

Mike and Kurt are tools of the industry of course.  Despite the sane and objective evidence that the current tax structure is not really a problem, they want to gift the industry.

Seriously, I think they should go to Nigeria and see what the reality of what they want really looks like: corruption, pollution and exploitation.

90 days might be the right amount of time. I'm sure there's a well-guarded golf course there.