Alaska Gasline

Alaskans are being given a front row seat at Gov. Murkowski's attempts to have the Legislature endorse an oil tax revision that sets us up to give away governmental taxing authority for 30 years to get Big Oil to "consider" building a gas line from Prudhoe Bay to market. Considering that we absolutely gave away much of our taxes years ago under Big Oil threats during low oil prices, this would just reinforce that we will just roll over for Big Oil.

Bombarded by full color page spreads of BP and Conoco-Phillips, saying what good corporate citizens they are and how they provide so many Alaskan jobs, I think the cost for this expensive ad and lobbying campaign could be used in better ways. Yet our system will reward the one with the loudest voice and biggest pocketbook and I think Big Oil certainly has both.

I honestly don't know wha the Legislature will do. While they have voiced legitimate concerns, I've seen similar concerns loudly voiced, but at the end, capitulate.

A 1970's bumpersticker: "Oh, God, please grant us another pipeline. We promise not to piss it away this time." Well, we are at the starting gate. Personally, while natural gas would be better than burning oil or (shudder - we have so much of it) coal, I'm in no rush to bend over for Big Oil. You know what heavier lube is used for, no?