11-10-10 WHERE WERE THE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS; DON'T THEY CARE ABOUT ALASKA'S FUTURE?

About Tuesday Night’s Federal OCS Hearing In Alaska

(Written on the road: Atlanta, Ga. – See our photos below and the Alaska Journal of Commerce Story.)

Commentary: NGP Readers know this webpage is non-partisan. We encouraged all democrat and republican elected officials by personal email to weigh in at the BOEM hearing Tuesday (Scroll down for details). Alaska news media publicized the event. As if explanation were needed, we repeated in these pages and in our emails the reasons why approval of OCS exploration of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas can be safely done and must be done to save Alaska’s economy. We made a point that with an Obama administration determining much of Alaska’s future it is especially important for elected officials of his party in Alaska to defend Alaska’s interests to him.

The bad news is that we didn’t see any republican or democrat member of Alaska’s Congressional Delegation at the hearing. We saw only one Mayor from Alaska represented and no other local elected officials–though Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Birch has a near-perfect federal hearing attendance record. We saw few elected officials of the state and NO democrats were among them.

The good news was very good. The room was crowded. Most were pro-OCS. We think most were NGP readers. Most of the testimony favored expedited OCS exploration. Governor Sean Parnell has been stalwart in defending Alaska against federal overreach and sent his Oil and Gas Director, Kevin Banks. Mayor Dan Sullivan attended a required Assembly meeting but sent his Governmnet Relations Director, Stacy Schubert. Anchorage’s Republican Representative Craig Johnson delivered a stirring, extemporaneous argument justifying expedited federal approval of OCS activity, as did Representative Bill Stoltze of Eagle River. Senator-elect Cathy Giessel attended and provided written testimony (below). The AFL-CIO, Teamsters, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Alaska Trucking Association, several Alaska Natives, private citizens, scientists, media representatives and economists appeared along with the Resource Development Council for Alaska. Citizen Rick Braun offered the only testimony of the evening to elicit an expemporaneous, thundering ovation from the crowd.

We still think elected officials who are democrats might care enough to comment and herewith invite, beg, plea, emplore them to join with republicans who did not weigh in and submit written comments to the BOEM now. Send a copy to us and we will post it here.

From: Cathy Giessel < cathy@giessel.org>

Date: November 10, 2010 4:48:45 PM AKST

To: boemreakpubliccommen@boemre.gov

Subject: attn: Chukchi Sea Draft SEIS

Dear Sirs, My name is Cathy Giessel, Alaska State Senator-elect, but, more importantly, a lifelong Alaskan. I was born in the Territory of Alaska and there are four generations of my family living in our state today.

I have watched our economy change over the years from before statehood until now. The vibrant economy we currently enjoy is based on the development of our vast natural resources.

I am advocating that the OCS lease sale 193 be affirmed as held in 2008. Rescinding those leases would destroy Alaska’s economy and Alaskans’ future in this wonderful state.

I enjoyed hearing the testimony from my fellow Alaskans of native ancestry. I have spent several years working for the North Slope Borough School District and I am concerned about the future for the young people of our rural communities.

Presently the schools of the North Slope Borough (Point Hope, Point Lay, Wainwright, Barrow, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik, Atqasuk and Anaktuvuk) are wonderful facilities. The schools are well-staffed and supplied. All the schools have wireless internet in the buildings, with high school students issued new laptop computers. In fact, I can walk into any North Slope school, open my laptop, and in minutes I am connected to the internet. The schools are community centers for evening activities for the whole community, in the gym and library. Several of the schools even have swimming pools.

All of this educational opportunity is funded by petroleum tax revenues to the North Slope Borough.

After graduation, these rural students have the opportunity to pursue jobs in resource development close to home on the North Slope. These are good paying jobs, in a place where jobs are limited. The income brought home from resource development jobs benefit the entire community by injecting revenue into their economy.

Alaskans, present and future, need these valuable jobs.

I strongly support affirmation of the OCS Lease Sale 193.

Respectfully,

Cathy

Cathy Giessel, MS, ANP, FAANP

Senator-elect, Alaska Senate District P

12701 Ridgewood Rd

Anchorage, AK 99516

Event Photos: (More Coming)

Jeff Jones