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This is a real smelly deal. Here are some excerpts from the story:
- the first section is at least six years away, and many contend that it will never be built at all. As one Alaskan state legislator grumbled at the license signing, "This AGIA license is not a commitment to do anything other than process a whole lot of paper."
- Palin rigged the bidding process for the pipeline so that it favored TransCanada and so that the Big Three were effectively shut out of the bidding process. In the end, of the five bids that were submitted, four were disqualified, leaving only one bidder in line to get the contract, you guessed it, TransCanada.
- TransCanada has strong political and economic links to Palin's administration. Palin's AGIA negotiation team was headed up by Marty Rutherford, an oil industry lobbyist who had previously done lobbying work for TransCanada, through its subsidiary Foothills Pipe Line. Rutherford was paid $40,200 as recently as 2003 for legislative work in Juneau on behalf of TransCanada.
- Palin's own phone logs indicate that she had direct contact with TransCanada during the bidding process, contrary to the guidelines established by her own administration. To make the whole arrangement even slimier, Palin offered TransCanada a $500 million subsidy.
All that said, I like the idea of getting natural gas from AK and using it down here for cars or electrical power generation. But why let a Canadian firm build it when our own oil companies and pipeliners could do the job just as well.
This past Friday, Governor Sarah Palin made her way to Fairbanks, in the subarctic interior of Alaska, where she participated in a glorified photo-op at which the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) license was signed by Alaska state officials. "This is a significant step as we march forward toward Alaska's next economic lifeline," Palin declared, stringing together as many political catch phrases as she could. "It's our next economic engine."
The governor's AGIA coordinator -- Mark Myers -- says shale gas is not a threat but an opportunity. That's because it would spur the country to use natural gas to fuel everything from cars to power generation, Myers said, and that would in turn create a market for Alaska's gas
"I'm a big fan of shale gas," Myers said.
"We are doing the right thing," said Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin. "We are more confident than ever that what we're doing with AGIA is driving the process forward, and again you got a look at the facts."
But why let a Canadian firm build it when our own oil companies and pipeliners could do the job just as well.
They already are. BP and Conoco-Philips have already formed a separate, privately owned company - Denali - to build a gas pipeline. The big difference is that these companies (along with Exxon-Mobil) own the leases and actually produce the oil and gas up here on the north slope. Trans-Canada does not own ANY gas and would need to get commitments from those same companies to ship their gas in the Trans-Canada line. However, Denali is already spending their own money to do the preliminary work, their new office opened up just down the street from mine a few months ago, whereas palin's AGIA plan calls for giving away half a Billion of our state money to TC just to have them do the same thing. And the dumbest part is - even if Denali ulimately ends up building the line, TC still gets the $500 million. And if the state tries to block the payment, TC can come back for treble damages.
Of course it could be argued that BP isn't an "American" company either, but these days what is, though "BP Alaska" has been in operation up here for three decades so for all intents and purposes IS a local company given the revenues it provides the state.
The governor's AGIA coordinator -- Mark Myers -- says shale gas is not a threat but an opportunity. That's because it would spur the country to use natural gas to fuel everything from cars to power generation, Myers said, and that would in turn create a market for Alaska's gas
"I'm a big fan of shale gas," Myers said.
"We are doing the right thing," said Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin. "We are more confident than ever that what we're doing with AGIA is driving the process forward, and again you got a look at the facts."
Tom Irwin is a Liberal, anti-big-business fool. He was fired by the previous Governor for being and obstructionist. Palin foolishly brought this goof back to head Alaska's Dept of Natural resources. He and Palin have spent the better part of this last winter trying to block Exxon-Mobil from developing the Point Thompson gas field (which they have legal contract to develop) by denying them a permit to build an Ice Road. Without Point Thompson there won't be enough gas to make the pipiline economically viable - by anybody. Interestingly, Palin and Irwin backed down a few weeks ago and granted the permit (a little late in the season obviously) because it was becoming increasingly clear that their little stunt to block a legal lease holder from developing their leases would lose in court.
Mark Meyers previously worked for the state and quit in protest when Irwin got canned. After that he went off to head up the USGS under Bush. After he finished F'ing that up, Palin brought him back to top off her SHIP OF FOOLS. Combined, they are simply following Palin's POPULIST (not conservative) agenda that got her elected in the first place, that being old anti-business liberal line: "lets stick it to those evil BIG OIL comapnies" even if it means destroying our state's economic future in the process. In this she's doing a pretty good job.
Tom Irwin is a Liberal, anti-big-business fool. He was fired by the previous Governor for being and obstructionist. Palin foolishly brought this goof back to head Alaska's Dept of Natural resources. He and Palin have spent the better part of this last winter trying to block Exxon-Mobil from developing the Point Thompson gas field (which they have legal contract to develop) by denying them a permit to build an Ice Road. Without Point Thompson there won't be enough gas to make the pipiline economically viable - by anybody. Interestingly, Palin and Irwin backed down a few weeks ago and granted the permit (a little late in the season obviously) because it was becoming increasingly clear that their little stunt to block a legal lease holder from developing their leases would lose in court.
Mark Meyers previously worked for the state and quit in protest when Irwin got canned. After that he went off to head up the USGS under Bush. After he finished F'ing that up, Palin brought him back to top off her SHIP OF FOOLS. Combined, they are simply following Palin's POPULIST (not conservative) agenda that got her elected in the first place, that being old anti-business liberal line: "lets stick it to those evil BIG OIL comapnies" even if it means destroying our state's economic future in the process. In this she's doing a pretty good job.
Hmm, maybe I should take a stab at running for governor when I get up there.
I also admire leaders who stand unwaveringly for their beliefs. Too bad Palin isn't one of them. She is like desert sand, shifting whichever way the wind happens to be blowing at the moment. For example: She conducted campaign activities using government resources as mayor of Wasilla. Then she blasted Ruedrich for doing the same thing, saying how unethical he was, but now she's pallin' around with him again. She said she wanted an open and transparent government and to be held accountable, and would cooperate with the Troopergate investigation, but then she and her staff purposefully conducted state business on private email accounts and refused to cooperate with the investigator. She said she wanted Stevens to resign for the good of the state, now she's had him over for lunch and thinks Begich should resign. There are plenty of other examples, but hopefully you have the idea by now.
I'm sure they didn't actually LIVE together. He probably just spent the night a lot. That's not the same, so Sarah knows she can get away with saying things like, "over my dead body." She's splitting hairs, that's all. The party of "family values" really should practice what they preach. By the way, what right does she have to pass judgment on the motivation of the Johnston family? She's one to talk! Or, maybe it takes one to know one. It just provides for some of the best entertainment. Can you imagine those SNL Skits?
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Palin legal defense fund (Updated)
