Please Put This Event On Your Calendar If You Will Be In Anchorage Next Wednesday!  (Note: this informative presentation follows a recent oil tax debate sponsored by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.  -dh) 

“ The Taxes of Our Future”
 
Wednesday, March 20th
.
UAA Consortium Library 307 6-8PM
 
Program Introduction – Dave Harbour
 
Andrew Halcro, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Oil TaxesPanel Introduction and Moderator- Andrew Halcro (NGP Photo)
Speakers:
 
Local and State Taxes– Dr. Scott Goldsmith (NGP Photo-R)
1. Income Oil and Gas Productivity
2. Oil and Gas Income

3. Oil and Gas Royalty
4. Oil and Gas Production (ACES)
 
 
The Oil tax Issues – Roger Marks (NGP Photo-Below)
1. The Oil tax issue
2. Perspectives from the State Roger Marks, Alaska oil taxes, ACES, Photo by Dave HarbourLegislature
 
Federal Taxes– Dr. Forest Nabors
1. Basic federal ax structure
2. Progressive tax vs. Flat tax
 
Summary: Andrew Halcro
 Q&A
 
Coordinated by Portia Watson (NGP Photo below, of College Republicans following Candidate Forum, 9-20-12; Watson upper right in red)
 
Sponsored by Alaska College Republicans
 

 

Juneau Empire: How the States Tax Oil

Comment: While the net profit production tax listed is impressive enough, it doesn’t represent the whole story.  Alaska also takes a 15% royalty as a product of Prudhoe Bay lease sale agreements, a discriminatory statewide property tax paid by no other industry in addition to a significant corporate income tax.  If lawmakers truly want to make Alaska’s oil tax regime compeititve, they should modify taxes and further discount them based on Alaska’s uniquely high costs that include labor, logistics, climate, transportation and geological risks.  -dh

Fairbanks News Miner.  A bill to allow a major natural gas pipeline cross the eastern end of Denali National Park and Preserve passed the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday.  The Denali Park Improvement Act, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also would allow construction of a small hydroelectric dam near Wonder Lake. The dam would be built by Doyon, Limited, Interior Alaska’s regional nonprofit Native corporation, to provide power to the Kantishna Roadhouse.

 

CBC News.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a final Northwest Territories devolution deal at the territory’s legislature in Yellowknife Monday.  …The final agreement, as it stands, gives the Nellie Cournoyea, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, NWT, Yukon, Inuvik, DevolutionNorthwest Territories more control over its natural resources — it stands to get half the money collected from oil, minerals and diamonds. Based on last year’s numbers, that would have added about $69 million to the territory’s budget.  Five of the territory’s seven aboriginal groups signed a consensus document, including Nellie Cournoyea (NGP Photo), a former N.W.T. premier and the current chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

Yesterday U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo) said in response to the Department of the Interior’s assessment of Shell’s 2012 Arctic exploration program, “There’s a history of safe drilling in Alaska’s Arctic waters going back to the 1970s. While Shell’s exploratory drilling program maintained that record of safety, they did experience problems with transportation and in other areas that need to be addressed before Shell proceeds. However, I want to review the full report to ensure that stricter oversight is not code for prohibiting access to our resources. 

“Alaska’s offshore resources represent one of our greatest opportunities to improve America’s energy security," she said.  "It will generate badly needed revenue without raising taxes, keep the trans-Alaska oil pipeline operational, and show the way for Arctic exploration around the world.”

The Beaufort and Chukchi seas are estimated to contain 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. 

Alaska College Republicans following Candidate Forum, 9-20-12.