10-10-16 Did Alaska's Senators Jump The Gun Trashing Trump?

10-10-16 Did Alaska’s Senators Jump The Gun Trashing Trump?

Our take on this headline: Alaska Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski call on Donald Trump to drop out of presidential race

After the disgusting Trump “hot mike” comments from 11 years ago, we collected our thoughts and offered them to Tim Pawlenty last Saturday. Today, we wish we had similarly counselled Alaska’s Senators to not, “jump the gun”. After all the outrage and dust settles, the reality is that a Clinton administration would 1) put the nail in Alaska’s natural resource coffin, and 2) coordinate with the liberal Canadian Prime Minister on energy/climate-change issues, and 3) continue a US Arctic policy of acquiescence in the face of Russian expansionism, and 4) this is not even to mention the specter of a lawbreaking couple taking over the White House and furthering the breakdown of “the rule of law” in America as we have reported here for years. In particular, remember that though State Department evaluations supported permitting of the international Keystone XL pipeline, Secretary Clinton finally joined the president in making a political decision opposing it.

(We also note this similar headline:
Millett calls for Alaskans to stand against Trump, but few colleagues will stand with her)

Below is the advice we offered Tim Pawlenty last Saturday:

Premature action can sometimes produce misfires

Tim:

Best keep one’s powder dry and wait for the emotion and smoke to clear before firing.

After the debate, reconsider and decide if our first reaction should result in putting a law breaker vs. a crude patriot in the White House.

Let wisdom and critical thinking dominate emotion.

Agree?

SCROLL DOWN FOR MUCH MORE TODAY!

WE INVITE OUR READERS TO EXPRESS OPINIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THESE PAGE POSTS!

TODAY’S USEFUL LINKS:

Walker administration looks to sell billions in bonds to pay for pensions Standard & Poor’s announced Friday it expects to lower Alaska’s credit ratings if the state government sells bonds to pay for public-worker pensions.

S & P warns it could drop Alaska credit rating again if state borrows money for pension shortfall The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s said Friday it will likely drop Alaska’s credit rating if Gov. Bill Walker’s administration moves ahead with a plan to borrow money…

Alaska Gov. Walker’s popularity dives sharply following PFD veto, new survey shows Alaska Gov. Bill Walker’s honeymoon with voters has come to an abrupt end.

Company behind big oil discovery jittery about future of tax credits The tantalizing news from Caelus Energy of a big oil discovery in Alaska arrived Tuesday as the powerful oil industry girded for another fight in the upcoming legislative session…

(We mentioned this column when ABM recently published it. As it now reappears on the Alaskanomics page we again draw attention to it. This wise counsel — even if ignored by certain spendthrift, elected and appointed officials — should be remembered and repeated by our dedicated readers when circumstances permit. -dh)

For Alaska to Survive and Thrive, Our Fiscal Policy Needs an Overhaul

As seen in Alaska Business Monthly.

By Joe Schierhorn (L) & Joe Beedle

Joe Schierhorn-L and Joe Beedle

Brexit is an abbreviation for “British exit,” referring to the June 23, 2016, referendum whereby British citizens voted to exit the European Union. We would argue that Alaska’s exit or avoidance to deal with fiscal discipline amounts to Alaska’s exit from economic and fiscal reality, a dysfunctional end to prosperity, an “AK-IT” scenario. We need legislative action to reform our fiscal discipline so that we stabilize our fiscal and economic future and attract investment capital and viable business to the state.

More….

Richard Peterson. Northern Gas Pipelines file photo by Dave Harbour

See this recent comment on one of our Alaska Gas Pipeline/LNG project editorials by Alaska energy expert, Richard Peterson.

We also note with appreciation these recent comments provided by readers Katherine Hicks and Bunny and Al Chong.

Energy Issue Commentary

Rebecca Logan, Northern Gas Pipelines file photo, by Dave Harbour

Our longtime, faithful readers know we are “energy issues focused” not “political agenda focused”: we strive to support wise decision making on energy issues. Today, we offer this comment from a letter we received this morning from our friend and energy expert, Rebecca Logan. It deals with good energy decision making provided by the current Chairman of the Alaska State Senate Resources Committee. In the letter, she said:

Sen. Cathy Giessel has demonstrated uncommon leadership in the natural resources arena that our state depends on, plus a wide range of other issues benefiting every Alaskan in her district. Now, with our state facing a financial crisis unlike any we’ve ever seen, it is critical that we re-elect Sen. Giessel to help lead us forward.

Because of her effectiveness, she’s the only legislator to earn an A+ from the Alaska Business Report Card ….

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.