We support the Alaska Business Report Card project designed to save Alaska’s economy.  It will be interesting to see the result this year.  -dh

Comment: Can Alaskan legislators — presiding over a dying economy of their own making –.learn from others’ mistakes?  We think not, for "Experience is a dear teacher; fools will learn at no other" (B. Franklin),  If we are right, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemed to repeat it." (G. Santayana)  However, since "Hope Springs Eternal..." (A. Pope), we offer decision makers who are opposing tax reform and investment climate imporovement — but remain open minded — these links:

1.  Join former premier Gordon Campbell for a discussion about how he restored BC to economic prosperity and what other governments can learn from his efforts to reduce taxes and eliminate debt. Campbell will be introduced by former Ontario premier Mike Harris, who faced similar challenges in his efforts to rebuild Ontario’s economy. Register now.

2.Alaska: "Essentially a third world government." –Frasier Institute Global Petroleum Survey

4.  Calgary Herald by Dan Healing.  After a year of numerous royalty changes from governments in both Alberta and British Columbia, researchers at investment bank Peters & Co. felt the time was right to revisit, reassess and update.Their verdict is . . . B.C. still has the more attractive royalty regime on comparable Montney formation horizontal Dawson-type wells.  Alberta has brought in Band-Aides aplenty to help the oil and gas sector after its new royalty framework started at the worst possible time last January. There’s the optional transitional royalty program, a drilling incentive program that pays $200 per metre on qualifying wells until April 1, 2011, and a new well royalty reduction.

5.  12-09.   Is Alaska losing ground in the world competition for oil and gas investment?  Of course she is.  Poor, foolish Alaska…thinking everyone would always come to her court no matter how high her taxes, how burdensome her regulations, how remote and hard to access her resources from the markets.  See our earlier editorial.  Then, link to this stunning story reflecting the British Columbia-Alberta competition which Alaska has tried earnestly to ignore, until the last week or so.  -dh

6.  12-09.   Repeal the misnamed, confiscatory, predatory and suicidal "Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share" production tax; or, at least, remove the ‘progressive’ elements along with many of the 11th hour amendments that received insufficient analysis and hearing.  Or, do nothing during the 2010 Legislative Session and see Alaska’s 90%-oil-and-gas-dependent-economy deterioriate at an increasingly faster pace!  Correcting the onerous tax structure is the first step toward providing fiscal certainty for potential gas pipeline investors.  -dh  

5.  12-14-09.   Is Alaska losing ground in the world competition for oil and gas investment?  Of course she is.  Poor, foolish Alaska…thinking everyone would always come to her court no matter how high her taxes, how burdensome her regulations, how remote and hard to access her resources from the markets. link to this stunning story reflecting the British Columbia-Alberta competition which our government has virtually ignored, until recently.  -dh

7.  11-09, Common Sense Energy Policy: Short-term Needs, Long-term Solutions, David Holt, President, Consumer Energy Alliance Presentation Video   

 

-dh