Alaska's Fiscal Crisis Archives - Page 3 of 22

11-12-19 Farewell Epilogue and Alaska’s Dangerous Oil Tax Increase By Voters Initiative

“BOTAX” Dave Harbour Glen Biegel Lawyer’s oil & gas tax scheme threatens Alaska’s economy (.PDF of this commentary here: Footnote Version & Clean Version like this w/o footnotes.) By Dave Harbour and Glen Biegel First, let’s get some ‘housekeeping’ out of the way on the proposed oil tax initiative. Then we’ll explain why all Alaskans should be concerned. Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer recently certified a voter’s initiative petition application entitled “An Act relating to the oil and gas production tax, tax payments, and tax credits.” Attorney [...]

By daveharbour|2019-11-12T04:12:32-09:00November 12th, 2019|ACES, Alaska Governor Bill Walker, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Arctic Policy, Columnists, Commentary, Enviro-Industrial-Governmental Cabal, Government Waste, History, LNG, Reader Comment, Sue & Settle, TAPS and North Slope Oil|4 Comments

11-2-19 Is Alaska’s Economy Finally On the Move!?

Third Quarter Alaska Employment Numbers Commentary: The good employment news below is all about a dynamic Alaska oil industry on the cutting edge of new technology. Longtime Alaskans know that oil not only supports industry jobs, but pays the lions share of government budgets that also fund education, public works, public safety and infrastructure for retail, tourism and commercial fishing industries and JOBS! We're even pleased to spot signs of a new LNG project for commercializing Alaska North Slope gas. But a lawyer is a major sponsor of a voters [...]

By daveharbour|2019-11-02T04:34:06-09:00November 2nd, 2019|Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Arctic Policy, Commentary, ConocoPhillips, Government Waste, What The Other Side Is Up To|8 Comments

7-15-19 A Tale of Two Teachers

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times... Alaska Budget Graph "...it was the age of wealth, it was the epoch of waste," we paraphrase with apologies to Charles Dickens. For over four decades Alaska's great Prudhoe Bay wealth elevated the sparsely populated, largest state in the U.S. to the biggest per capita spender. Its public officials knowingly created an unsustainable budget. They knew that North Slope production would decline but allowed their policies to create a state budget that was over 3/4 [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-07-15T13:29:43-09:00July 15th, 2019|Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Commentary, Government Waste|0 Comments

3-18-19 Lest We Forget: Alaska Once Had A Stable Investment Climate!

Correction: in our recent email alert we rightly associated Anchorage property taxpayers with proposed bonded indebtedness but inadvertently associated property taxpayers with a proposed liquor tax. -dh Lest We Forget: Alaska Once Created Two Decades Of Investment/Tax/Economic/Social Stability Commentary by Dave Harbour TRANS ALASKA PIPELINE SYSTEM (TAPS) Thirty-Eight years ago today, Alaska created what was to be two decades of "quasi"-fiscal stability. We say, "quasi" because even in the wake of "reform", politicians would continuously be seeking more revenue. But let us begin the story this way. [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-03-20T08:55:24-09:00March 18th, 2019|Alaska Governor Jay Hammond, Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, ANWR, Canadian Energy Policy, Commentary, Competition, ConocoPhillips, Control Government Spending, Fair Share Myth, Global Warming, LNG, Mackenzie Valley Oil & Gas Pipelines, NPR-A, Rule Of Law, SB 21, TAPS and North Slope Oil|1 Comment

2-11-19 Could this be one of the last ANWR hearings? Not likely, But This Is A Big One!

Another ANWR Hearing...TODAY? Don't Get Public Hearing Testimony Fatigue. Every Hearing Produces A Record. Decisions That Benefit or Hurt Our Families Are Partly Based On That Record! by Dave Harbour Today in Anchorage the Interior Department will hold what is, hopefully, one of the last hearings dealing with the environmental impact statement preceding the leasing of a small section of the huge Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil & gas exploration and perhaps, eventually, development. See the point? Dulles Airport area, within 1.5 million area, within 19.6 million [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-02-11T07:51:33-09:00February 11th, 2019|Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, ANWR, Arctic Policy, BP, Canadian Energy Policy, Commentary, ConocoPhillips, Enviro-Industrial-Governmental Cabal|2 Comments

1-17-19

Alaskanomics What does the future hold for the Alaska economy? By Mouhcine Guettabi, The U.S. economy is convincingly in an expansionary phase, and is nearing peak growth rates for the current business cycle. Job creation has been consistently strong for an extended period, and unemployment rates have now returned to pre-recession levels. Recent stock market volatility has .... MORE HERE Alaska AGDC audit recommends minor changes, additional report forthcoming Alaskajournal.com. The misstep occurred when seven invoices from the Bureau of Land Management were charged to the corporation's Alaska LNG Project [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-01-17T14:24:15-09:00January 17th, 2019|AGDC, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Canadian Energy Policy|0 Comments

1-7-19 FLNG Comment – and – Changing World Fiscal Systems

NGI by Charlie Passut. Alaska and three Chinese companies have agreed to a six-month extension to negotiate and conclude definitive agreements for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the state, despite an ongoing U.S.-Sino trade war. The Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC), China's state-owned Sinopec Group, the Bank of China and CIC Capital, a subsidiary of China Investment Corp., agreed to extend the deadline for an agreement until June 30. The four parties (See Footnote) signed a joint development agreement (JDA) in November 2017 to develop the Alaska LNG project, which is [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-01-07T16:36:14-09:00January 7th, 2019|AGDC, Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Commentary, LNG, Pedro van Meurs, You Read It Here First|0 Comments

1-3-19 Shell Leads Big Canadian LNG Project

Comment: Alaskan investors have have been trying to engineer an economically feasible, North Slope LNG export project for over 40 years. British Columbia, also has LNG fever. It struggles with a half dozen economically feasible export schemes -- occasionally confounded by Aboriginal claims, environmental activist obstruction and now, low LNG prices flowing from depressed world economies and a plethora of competitive LNG projects (See CBC review below). Unlike Alaska, the overwhelming majority of worldwide LNG export projects do not carry the burden of having to finance an 800 mile [...]

By wpnorthern|2019-01-04T09:52:38-09:00January 3rd, 2019|AGDC, Alaska Taxes, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, ANWR, Arctic Policy, Commentary, Competition, Control Government Spending, History, LNG, NPR-A, Ocean Policy, TAPS and North Slope Oil|0 Comments

12-21-18 Use These Important References to Develop Your Alaska Gasline/LNG THINKING POINTS!

A Readers' Guide to Developing Alaska Gasline/LNG Thinking Points and Policy Conclusions We believe that in fewer than a dozen pages, our critically thinking readers can come to thoughtful logical conclusions re: continuing government ownership and operation of Ak-LNG. Merry Christmas! -dh Last Friday's (12-14-18) Summary provides a current view of Ak-LNG ownership risks. https://tinyurl.com/y8k5xps5 This 11-5-15 review of an Alaska special session dealing with gasline/LNG matters and increased oil taxes provides a good deal of rationale against state ownership, including important reference to unintended results. (https://tinyurl.com/y9samzdt) [...]

By wpnorthern|2018-12-21T13:06:02-09:00December 21st, 2018|AGDC, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company|0 Comments

12-20-18 More Ak-LNG and Canadian Pipeline Unrest

Be Sure To Flag Last Friday's Omnibus Gas/LNG Review! FERC denies state request for cooperating status in EIS By: Larry Persily For the Journal Post date: Wed, 12/19/2018 - 10:42am Larry Persily. Northern Gas Pipelines photo by Dave Harbour The law doesn’t allow the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to participate as a cooperating agency in the federal environmental impact statement for the state-led Alaska LNG project, U.S. regulators said. The department had promised not to share any information with the project developer, [...]

By wpnorthern|2018-12-20T13:32:16-09:00December 20th, 2018|AGDC, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics|0 Comments

12-14-18 A Citizen’s View Of The Two Alaska Gasline-LNG Projects

AK-LNG & ASAP: A Citizen Considers the Risks of Continuing Government Ownership by Dave Harbour How would you cope with the smorgasbord of problems/challenges Mike Dunleavy, assumed upon being sworn in as Alaska's Governor in early December? Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy Some of the challenges blocking Alaska’s road to economic recovery -- and obscuring its natural beauty -- include: a fiscal crisis and annual budget deficits, billions in state employee unfunded pension liability, the highest unemployment rate in the nation, growing crime, an amazingly burdensome array of [...]

By wpnorthern|2018-12-18T06:52:59-09:00December 14th, 2018|AGDC, AIDEA, Alaska Governor Bill Walker, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Arctic Policy, China, Commentary, Federal Coordinator, FERC, Interior Energy Project (IEP), Interstate Gas, Intrastate Gas, Japan, Korea, LNG, Mackenzie Valley Oil & Gas Pipelines, NARUC, Reader Comment, Trump Administration Energy Initiatives|6 Comments

12-11-18 Alaska’s Russian Neighbor On The Other Side Of The Arctic Ocean Is Now Exporting LNG

All About Yamal, Alaska & Competitors Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy Our consistent opinion throughout these pages is that government undertakes a fool's errand when it shifts its focus from its basic safety & management functions to other shiny objects outside its Constitutional authority. A $40-60 billion Arctic gas/LNG project is challenge enough for several of the largest oil company risk takers in the world. But trying to own and control such a project -- as Alaska's previous governor tried to do -- is far, far beyond the [...]

By wpnorthern|2018-12-11T15:46:38-09:00December 11th, 2018|AGDC, AIDEA, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Arctic Policy, Commentary, ConocoPhillips, LNG, Russia|0 Comments

9-12-18 Special Commentary For Oil & Gas Decision Makers, Custodians of Shareholder Wealth

FERC approves Kenai Borough as intervenor in Alaska LNG By Larry Persily Sept. 12, 2018 All three Alaska municipalities vying for a multibillion-dollar natural gas liquefaction plant and marine terminal are now intervenors in the federal regulatory process, giving each the legal right to challenge Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decisions on the proposed Alaska LNG project. ... Scroll down for Persily's full story below (Larry Persily, Northern Gas Pipelines photo by Dave Harbour) Our comment: In Alaska only the oil & gas industry must pay a special, state-wide property [...]

8-6-18 Alaska LNG Project Hires A New External Affairs Executive

AK losing ANWR $ BY CRAIGMEDRED ...The 49th state’s share of anticipated revenues from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is on the verge of being slashed by what could be close to $1 billion, and the state’s top elected officials seem strangely quiet. ...last year’s GOP-led tax cut that included a 50-50 state split of future ANWR royalty revenues ...U.S. House Committee on Appropriations approved a fiscal year 2019 Interior and Environment Bill that cut Alaska’s share of ANWR royalty revenue to 47 percent. The other 3 percent is to be [...]

By wpnorthern|2018-09-11T09:12:02-09:00September 6th, 2018|AGDC, Alaska Governor Bill Walker, Alaska's Fiscal Crisis, Alaskanomics, Commentary, Competition, ConocoPhillips, Interstate Gas, LNG, Russia|2 Comments

9-5-18 Proper land management can protect the environment, economy and rule of law -dh

Our opinion: Nationwide--including Alaska and California--national forest and park lands and land monuments should be physically and scientifically managed in a way that best supports sustained yield management. Ironically, this scientific approach not only contributes to jobs and economic strength, but also best protects the environment when pursued in accordance with well established permitting regulations. It also protects against erosion of the rule of law. -dh The LA Times Inadvertently Admits Trump Is Right About What’s Causing California’s Massive Wildfires https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/02/la-times-trump-california-wildfires/ Adopting more active forest management policies such as [...]