Dear Alaskan:

The economic benefits of mining are integral to the quality of life in Alaska.  In a May 2018 report on the mining’s industry’s impacts in Southeast Alaska alone, t was reported to be responsible for 1,600 direct and indirect jobs, $121,000,000 in direct and indirect wages, $3,800,000 paid to local governments through property and sales taxes, and $246,000 in contributions to about 120 nonprofit organizations. This economic impact is vital to the wellbeing of our communities.

The statement above is taken from a letter to the DOWA Metals & Mining Company Board of Directors.  FTFAF wants the DOWA Board to know there are organizations in SE Alaska that support mining and their investment in the Palmer Project.

Sincerely yours,

Don Habeger

Executive Director

First Things First Alaska Foundation  (See link here)

Publisher’s Note:

We would assume (and hope) that the First Things First Alaska Foundation would, likewise, expose the fallacies accompanying Ballot Measure 1, scheduled to be voted on in the November election.

Further burdening the oil industry with an ad hoc and poorly written tax via a voters’ initiative is bad news for the economy and for Alaskan jobs.  For many of the reasons stated here, here and here it is not a “fair share” tax, but a punitive, outrageous over-taxation of the oil industry which already shoulders nearly 90% of Alaska’s entire tax burden and a third of the 49th State’s economy.

The Foundation appropriately prioritizes issues directly related to its Southeast Alaska constituency, for which we are appreciative!  We would likewise urge it to consider the major benefits of the natural resource industry indirectly affecting Southeast citizens.  The oil industry, as Alaska’s major economic and job driver, has generally asked nothing of Alaska’s people, but fair treatment in exchange for the massive billions of dollars of royalties and taxes paid to the state.  That flow of natural resource income from the oil and gas industry has built ports, roads, bridges, and airports and given massive support to other infrastructure while underwriting the lion’s share of state services, upon which all of the citizens of the state have depended.

(Please note that some of the entities featured on ads herein formerly supported this public service website,  While Northern Gas Pipelines recognizes long-time, legacy public service advertisers, we ceased accepting public service ad payments in 2019.  The website owners have no financial relationship with any natural resource industry and continue to provide Alaskans this public service archive at their own expense.  -dh)