Questions of conscience

for Alaska

by

Dave Harbour

1.  Why should a state in fiscal crisis spend time and money on socializing a gas export/LNG project that private industry believes is infeasible at this time?
2. Why would independent citizens of the famed “Pioneering State” put their vast but remote natural gas reserves in the control of a coven of temporarily elected and appointed politicians and bureaucrats?
3. Even if Alaska’s big government administration got out of the way and supported a private industry effort to expedite a gas export project, why would investors make the plunge when Alaska’s rogue taxing policies loom as a threat to any return on or even of their investment?
4. Why don’t the good citizens of Alaska focus on developing a fiscal regime that respects investment, provides tax and regulatory stability and supports natural resource development?  (Answer: because in the past Republicans traded favors with Democrats as government entitlements grew.  Secondly, the state is now controlled by labor unions and their entitlement-driven democrat allies who two years ago voted in favor of making socialist Bernie Sanders president.)
5. Do you think that for a successful gas export project, for a vibrant and sustainable economy, for controlled government growth and for the good of Alaska’s kids and future generations ALASKA SHOULD BECOME A PLACE WHERE A DEAL IS  DEAL?

Conclusion:  Sadly, Alaska is now sinking into a socialist morass.  The majority of citizens remaining in the state (i.e. following the recent and continuing exodus of thousands of jobless, private sector workers) depend on federal and state entitlement programs and are logically inclined to vote for politicians who will sustain those programs.  The good news is that oil and mining sectors are showing new signs of life while tourism and ocean industries are thriving.  The supportive Trump administration could even cause the resurgence of Alaska’s world class, SUSTAINABLE, timber industry, suffocated by Carter/Clinton/Obama laws/regulations.  A resurgence of private sector employees could support more prudent state and local government policies.  Could…. 

But those who currently control Alaska’s socialist-leaning state and local governments could mobilize national socialist and environmental armies to come to the rescue as reinforcements to destroy that economic resurgence.  For strong international coalitions are intent on killing capitalism in the name of economic and environmental “justice”. 

(What say you?  Comment below.)