Commentary.  As reported in the The Alaska Dispatch today by Patti Epler, Senator Mark Begich is proposing legislation creating a Federal Coordinator to expedite Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) exploration and development in federal waters (S.843).  The model for this is not new, first designed as a "Federal Inspector" position with passage of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976, then recreated as a "Federal Coordinator" position in the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004.   -dh 

When the concept first appeared we commented and, while we credit Senator Begich for trying, have found no reason to change our viewpoint that creation of another bureaucracy cannot overcome the potholes put in place by the one in charge of the bureaucracy:

Senator Mark Begich (NGP Photo) proposes Arctic Coordinator.  (Comment.  We credit the good senator for trying to clean up after the leader of his party.  However, if the Obama Administration were doing its job, a "coordinator of regulators" would be unnecessary.  Since the Administration is not doing its job, pretext is given to establish a new bureaucracy which may, but likely will not, create more competence within the Federal regulatory structure.  One guesses that the new position — like that of the gas pipeline Federal Coordinator — will be extremely sensitive to direction from the President, whose Administration has created such energy policy chaos in the first place.  In short, if Obama wanted to stimulate more domestic production he could easily do so without manufacturing another bureaucracy over which he exercises control.  In truth, Obama is the Federal Coordinator-in-Chief and no shuffling of people or creation of new positions will change that raw fact.  -dh)