| Calgary Herald by Dan Healing. Oil services company Baker Hughes Inc. will lay off about 7,000 workers — likely including hundreds in Canada — as it prepares for a downturn in orders because of the plunge in crude prices, the company said Tuesday. The layoffs represent about an 11 per cent cut to the 62,000-plus workers Baker Hughes says it employs worldwide. Company spokeswoman Melanie Kania said…. Read more. |
Is Governor Walker Creating An Uncertain Investment Climate?
US News by John Burnett. In recent weeks, the state’s newly elected governor, Bill Walker, has said and done things that have put him at odds with energy companies seeking to invest in Alaska, and thus prompted concerns among politicians, business leaders and ordinary Alaskans about his commitment to projects like the one in the North Slope.
Most notably, Walker raised strong objections to a newly enacted tax structure on oil production that was intended to encourage investment in the state. It was an abrupt – and alarming – shift on his part, as he pledged during his campaign last year that he would not undo the tax law that Alaskan voters upheld in a referendum this past summer.
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If that were not enough, Gov. Walker (NGP Photo) contradicted Candidate Walker on another matter that has implications for the Alaska project: a private lawsuit he filed against a deal the state reached with ExxonMobil that paved the way for construction of a natural gas facility at Point Thomson on the North Slope.
As a candidate, Walker pledged to drop that suit if elected. Now that he is governor, Walker has not only refused to drop the suit, but ….
Now is not the time to be creating any kind of uncertainty. Read more….
| Tomorrow, if you are in Anchorage, plan to attend the Alaska Support Industry Alliance breakfast briefing by the Alaska Deputy Commissioner of Revenue Marcia Davis. That will coincide with the Governor's legislative budget speech to the Legislature. If you are concerned about Alaska's economy but are looking for specific issues and facts upon which to base questions, you might want to review the last two days of commentary. -dh |
We will continue to add more photos, here, to our archives from the Alaska Support industry Alliance's Meet Alaska 2015 Conference earlier this month.
House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) last night issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:
“President Obama tonight spoke about expanding our economy and attaining energy security, but time and again, he has actively blocked the responsible development of our domestic energy resources. He reiterated his commitment to investing in education, yet failed to acknowledge that his administration’s restrictive land use policies are denying local communities the tax revenue that is necessary to make these investments.
“While the President’s rhetoric suggests that he is inclined to change course, his administration’s punitive regulatory agenda speaks with greater authority. Look no further than the 600 new rules and regulatory notices that have been issued by federal agencies since the start of the New Year. In the coming weeks and months, the House Natural Resources Committee will conduct thorough and aggressive oversight to hold the Obama Administration to account for its actions.”
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