Point of personal privilege:  We are grieved to note theArmy Kirschbaum, Armund, Musician, Anchorage Concert Association, Artist, Businessman, Anchorage, Photo by Dave Harbour passing over a month ago of our longtime friend, musician, artist, businessman, Armond "Army" Kirschbaum (NGP Photo), 89.  Army passed away on December 4, 2012 in Anchorage, AK.   Friends joined in a celebration of his life yesterday at the Blue-Holloman Gallery in Anchorage.

 

 

Ken Salazar, DOI, Interior Department, Secretary, Retire, Colorado, Ranch, OCS, Deepwater, Chukchi, ANWR, NPR-A, Photo by Dave Harbour

See our stories yesterday regarding Alaska’s relationship with Salazar’s Interior Department and former EPA Administrator Whitman’s counsel regarding "cooperation".

Salazar to Resign….Fox News (3 a.m.)  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (NGP Photo) will step down from his position in President Obama’s Cabinet to spend time with his family on his ranch in Colorado, Fox News confirms.  The former U.S. senator plans to announce his resignation Wednesday, and is expected to stay on with the administration until the end of March.

Part III Of The Alliance Report (Part I, Part II, Presentations)

by

Dave Harbour

Monday, we reported that Senator Lisa Murkowski had namedMark Hylan, Alliance, Beacon, Alaska, Alaska Support Industry, Photo by Dave Harbour Patrick McCormick as Chief Counsel for the Republicans serving on the Senate Energy Committee.  Last year’s Alliance president, Mark Hylen (NGP Photo-R), introduced McCormick  (NGP Photo_Lower R) , who had also provided legal counsel to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and government relations counsel to Potomac Electric Power Company earlier in his career.  

Clearly partisan but objectively so, McCormick observed that, "The country is divided in how to balance environmental and economic issues.   We’ve got to restore balance," he said.Patrick McCormick, Senate Energy Committee, Chief Counsel, Murkowski, Photo by Dave Harbour

He said the Energy Committee staff is focused on regulatory oversight and restoring ‘regular order’ to both the committee process and Congress in general.  Our understanding of ‘regular order’ is the orderly process whereby matters are calendared by the Senate and/or Energy Committee leadership, discussed, voted on and not ignored or suppressed by leadership.  To an agreeable audience, McCormick pointed out that energy and wealth creation depends upon those who take risks…not those who legislate and regulate.

McCormick said that soon Senator Murkowski will be releasing an ‘Energy Blueprint’ to the Senate, reflecting a policy of abundance, affordability, cleanliness, diversity and security.  "Alaska should be leading in the resurgence of energy production", he said.

McCormic reviewed Murkowski’s energy principles which included sharing of offshore oil and gas revenues with the State; support for rare earth, strategic and critical minerals exploration and hydroelectric legislation; and restraints against federal agencies that ‘overreach’ their jurisdiction.

Part IV, tomorrow….