Yesterday, Anchorage Hosts Huge Pro-Investment Climate Rally

Comment. Yesterday, a dozen non-profit organizations representing most of Alaska’s population gathered a thousand citizens to support the investment climate sentiment behind HB 110 that would modify the state’s onerous oil tax policy. State Chamber of Commerce President Rachael Petro (NGP Photo-L) introduced Senator Lesil McGuire (NGP Photo). McGuire was followed by Governor Sean Parnell (NGP Photo) who energized the audience with a compelling call to action. Skagway tourism Guru Steve Hites (NGP Photo-L) completed the formal presentations with an empassioned plea for Alaskans to become educated, work together and avoid the pain of a future economy not supported by the massive wealth generated by the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He urged a charged up audience to "…leave today with a shared sense of urgency." -dh

ADN/AP by Dan Joling. The governor took aim Wednesday at what he called "do-nothing senators" skeptical of his tax legislation that would dial back progressively higher taxes as oil prices increase. Petroleum company investment is at a standstill and the industry will continue to invest elsewhere, threatening the long-term life of the trans-Alaska pipeline, unless something is done, he said in remarks punctuated by applause. … State Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, voted for the measure but said at the rally she regrets doing so. "I’m sad that I voted for ACES," she said. "I apologize that I voted for ACES."

The Legislature, she said, in 2007 had replaced a fiscal regime with another one that was not working.

"ACES is the product of what I would call a 30-day race, a sprint, on the part of good people who truly care about this state who were given information in a tight, compressed circumstance," she said. "And most of those people, most of those people, if you ask them today, will tell you that they got it wrong. They went too far." (More Event Photos Below.)

(Note: your author is attending a Propane Conference today and will complete the story with photos later today. Note our earlier ANS propane story, here)

Sandy Parnell

Cameron Eggers

Erik Thede