For Alaska's Future – Opinion: Vote No on 1 August 19th

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10269436_510098939101879_7250131040971448395_nProduction Optimism

Is it possible there’s just too much information out there? That’s the way I felt when trying to put together this article on Proposition 1. There are so many numbers being thrown around in the articles and reports I’ve read on Oil Tax Reform in Alaska that most of us will have a hard time separating the wheat from the chaff. Ultimately, the word that defines the whole discussion is “production”, and is the real theme of the debate.

A number that shows how ACES, the oil tax system we’ve had for the last seven years, has failed us, is the average 6% decline in production that ACES was not able to halt. Last year the decline was over 8%. The latest report for this year shows a decline of only 0.13%. That is dramatic change caused by projects that were planned, but not economically feasible before tax reform, to get green-lighted after tax reform made them look better. It’s not about whether the oil companies can make money on a project, but whether they can make more money here than somewhere else. ConocoPhillips reported to their investors making $40/bbl from Lower 48 production, while in Alaska it’s around $34/bbl. Alaska is competing with the world for the limited resources they have to invest.

The old ACES system contained many credits unrelated to production. The More Alaska Production Act (MAPA/SB21) has removed most of those, instead focusing on credits for actually producing new oil. The smaller companies that have been using the exploration credits the last few years are now looking to produce, so it’s perfect timing for the independent producers. It’s important that more companies get involved in our oil industry, bringing competition and diversification.

Something else we need produced is jobs. An average number of 840 jobs were being created yearly before ACES. After ACES came into effect, the number of new jobs dropped in half. Currently under tax reform, jobs are booming on the North Slope.

For many years now, the North Slope producers have had to re-inject natural gas back into the fields to keep the pressure up. Enough time has passed that they are now able to siphon off more of the gas; this along with the new oncoming gas production in Point Thomson is finally going to allow us to have enough gas to fill a large pipeline. It’s critical to keep the oil fields producing so that we can also produce the 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day needed to supply the Alaska LNG project, which besides lowering all of our utility bills, will help fund the state.
To consider the principle behind Oil Tax Reform, pull out your last pay stub and look at what you paid in taxes. Now imagine that your company alone had a special tax that doubled what you had to pay out. How long would you keep working there? Every project that the oil companies do is evaluated based on cost and returns. If the tax system adds too much cost then they’ll just do one of the many other development projects they have lined up around the world. If you want some real proof of how taxes affect the oil business, take a look at how much activity is going on in the Cook Inlet where there are essentially no production taxes.

ACES came into being in 2007 in the midst of the VECO scandal. As Roger Marks, the petroleum economist points out, “The hysteria of the time gave us ACES: a fluke of history. Afterward, higher oil taxes remained as a misdirected punitive relic of that unfortunate time”. Oil Tax Reform came back on the table in 2010, as it was realized what we had lost with ACES. The Bipartisan Coalition controlled our legislature and so nothing happened, even though polls showed an overwhelming majority of Alaskans were in favor of reform. Even the anti-reform legislators admitted that ACES needed fixing. Oil Tax Reform was a hot issue in the 2012 elections, and the voters replaced a few members of the coalition based on it. The Governor and the legislators in 2014 were finally able to achieve the goal and pass MAPA to reverse our production decline.

In the end, the pivotal issue that Proposition 1 centers around is whether or not production can be increased. Many on the YES side are pessimistic and don’t believe that we can increase production even though we have some of the largest reserves in the world. Governor Parnell was an optimist, and along with our legislature believed that we could increase production, and strove to accomplish that. I will be an optimist on Tuesday, August 19th and vote NO on 1.

Lance Roberts is an engineer, born and raised in Fairbanks. He is a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. The views expressed here are his own and do not represent the assembly or borough administration.

To learn more visit the website and Facebook.

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Voting No on 1 means more job opportunities.

I’m voting NO on 1 but do understand the points made by those who’d vote yes. Here’s a simple argument for those conservatives who are undecided or thinking of voting yes on prop 1.

Who is in the Yes camp? Alaska State Democrat Party, State public employee unions, leading Anchorage liberal D legislators (French, Gara, Wielechowski, and the entire Anchorage Democrat delegation).

About 90% of the Yes side campaign money (nearly $300,000) comes from the Anchorage Gottstein family, a major donor (millions of dollars over the years) to liberal D’s both in Alaska and DC, and anti-resource development causes. The Gottsteins have been major Obama donors over the years and this year pumped in $250,000 to Mark Begich by supporting Democrat SuperPACS, including $150,000 to Harry Reid’s Senate Democrat Majority PAC. They’ve also given money to the Democrat Party to help Harry Reid in Nevada.

Strongly voting NO on 1 are the trade unions. The Teamsters, Operating Engineers, Laborers, and Plumbers/Pipefitters who have seen jobs coming from oil tax reform. The trade unions have come out in favor of resource development issues in Alaska frequently in the past; On the 2008 mining initiative and then against the coastal zone management program ballot measure in 2012. Nationally, for example, they are strong supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline,
so they do oppose the environmental lobbies.

Also solid NO on 1 votes are Alaska small business owners and chambers of commerce, and even some leading native corporations.

Some very good conservatives I know are considering voting yes because of their disdain for unions in general and for Public Unions specifically. They also feel as though ‘Big Oil’ companies are too greedy.

We must realize that unless we entirely exclude oil development by these multinational developers, voting yes or no still pays many of the same folks whether good or not so good. If you really think that Alaska producing less oil year after year is a good thing, then vote Yes by all means.

Voting yes or no will not exclude ‘Big Oil’ development in Alaska. So as long as we’re playing ball with them, voting NO means more job opportunities and a stronger economy for Alaska.

Greg Stoddard
Member ATP Aug 9 2014

The Great Alaskan Heist – Opinion: Vote Yes on Prop 1, August 19

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10494776_705786922791602_7942147960296469653_nThe Great Alaskan Heist

Rarely in modern American politics do we see a more blatant example of corruption than the passage of Alaska’s Senate Bill 21 (SB21). Through this oil tax law legislation, Governor Sean Parnell a former chief lobbyist for ConocoPhillips engineered a multi-million dollar transfer of wealth from the citizens of Alaska to his former employer and two other multi-national oil corporations, ExxonMobil and BP. Two state senators who had spoken in opposition to this raid were gerrymandered out of office. Sidestepping the obvious conflict of interest, two other state senators who are concurrently ConocoPhillips employees were allowed to vote on this bill that grants billions of dollars of tax benefits to their employer. The bill passed by one vote. And that, notwithstanding the recent jailing of several legislators for corruption, is how oil politics works in Alaska.

Had this new law been in effect for the last 7 years during which time Sarah Palin’s ACES tax was in place, the state treasury would have received approximately $8 billion less in taxes. The new law is a gift—with no strings attached—to the richest corporations in the history of the world.

Six Months of Saturation Ad Bombing

The multinational oil companies have tried their best to crush Alaska’s grassroots citizen opposition. They’ve spent over 13 million dollars already. Together all the grassroots groups have spent less than $400,000. The companies are outspending the citizen coalition by more than 40-to-1. Around the clock, TV, radio, newspaper, mailers, and the internet bombard the Alaskan public with the oil companies’ message. Even one TV ad is beyond the budget of the citizen groups. Never in history have Alaskans been the target of this much manipulation via the media. It is an avalanche of propaganda. Let’s not be buried by it.

Vote Yes on Ballot Measure 1, August 19.

To learn more visit the website and Facebook.

This opinion piece was written and submitted by the Vote Yes group, it does not necessarily reflect the views of Restoring Liberty or its publishers.

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Almost 90% of Alaska’s unrestricted revenue is from the taxes and royalties gained from the production by primarily BP, Exxon and ConocoPhillips of oil and gas on state owned and leased land. The stage is set – Alaska is beholden and dependent on a monopoly of 3 of the wealthiest corporations in the world. We fondly, or not so fondly, refer to them as the Big 3.

Right now, oil and gas funds our state and fuels our economy. We have other industries that provide jobs, but very little state revenue. No state income tax could ever be large enough to significantly replace oil revenue. It is imperative that we provide a business friendly environment to the oil and gas industry, while gaining the maximum value from the production of our finite fossil fuels, now and into the future. This weighty responsibility is entrusted to our elected officials. Elected officials who become susceptible to political influence and who generally lack the experience and knowledge base to steer clear of corporate obfuscation and manipulation. Depending on their positions relative to the oil industry, thanks to the Big 3 political candidates can enjoy massive corporate largess or, alternatively, face opponents with overwhelmingly outsized campaign coffers. It becomes very difficult for a politician to distinguish between his own best interest and the companies’ best interest and the state’s best interest. In short, our state is vulnerable to corruption.

Rarely in modern American politics do we see a more blatant example of corruption than the passage of our new oil tax law, the so called More Alaska Production Act. When Governor Sean Parnell first introduced the new oil tax law, the legislature failed to pass it. Enough legislators from both parties were unconvinced that it was appropriate tax reform and good for the state.

However, Governor Parnell reintroduced the tax reform during the next legislative session. Notably, this legislature was tainted by egregious gerrymandering determined to be illegal by the court but allowed to prevail for the election of this legislature, during which 2 state senators outspokenly against the tax reform bill were voted out of office. Furthermore, 2 senators who are ConocoPhillips employees voted on the bill even though their personal conflict of interest was clearly evident. The bill passed by one vote.

Governor Parnell, a former ConocoPhillips lobbyist, successfully shepherded through this new tax bill that offers the Big 3 (including his former employer) a multi-billion dollar tax break during a period when they were experiencing unparalleled profits. Had this new tax law been in effect for the last 7 years, our state treasury would have received approximately $8,000,000,000 less in taxes from the oil companies. Yes, that is $8 billion.

Now we are experiencing budget deficits and current projections reveal that we will be maintaining budget deficits for the foreseeable future and will burn through all our hard fought and guarded savings within the next 20 years or less. There is no backup plan.

This is how oil politics works in Alaska.

Democracy or Corporatocracy

Who is left to balance the message of the Big 3 and their corporate interests with the best interests of Alaskans and the future of this state? The voice of the people must be heard.

We are engaged in a battle to repeal this new tax law, also referred to as SB 21.

After passage of the oil tax law, enough citizens statewide were outraged that, within a few months time, some 50,000 petition signatures were collected to put a “repeal SB21” referendum on the ballot. Successfully accomplishing the required hurdles to get the repeal referendum on the ballot is in itself an amazingly laudable feat.

Those volunteers who worked tirelessly last year to collect the needed signatures, are again called upon to organize and run a referendum campaign across a state more than twice the size of Texas with a population less than 800,000 on a shoe string budget against some of the most powerful and organized corporations in the world.

The Big 3 have contributed over $11 million to combat this repeal effort and together with money from other industry related businesses and a handful of individuals, they have raised over $14 million. Hundreds and hundreds of Alaskans have contributed to support the repeal effort and have raised just under $500 thousand.

The Big 3 have come with tanks and Alaskans are fighting back with sling shots. Despite the overwhelming odds, the repeal effort refuses to be crushed. This is a democracy of the people and for the people of Alaska, not of and for the multi-national corporations.

Be a part of your democracy and vote YES on ballot measure 1, August 19.

Treadwell, Sullivan Silent on Pledge to End Foreign Aid for Countries that Encourage Illegal Immigration to the United States

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Memorial Day 13Today, Joe Miller sounded off about both his opponents’ rejection to make a pledge relating to the illegal immigration crisis.

Miller volunteers delivered the pledge on Wednesday night, but neither Mead Treadwell, nor Dan Sullivan has yet responded. The pledge called for an end to foreign aid for countries that encourage their citizens to immigrate to the United States in violation of our laws.

“I think this is a common sense step that we should be able to agree on,” said Miller. “I’m baffled that this is a hard decision for my opponents. Any country that is receiving foreign aid from the United States should, at the very least, return that good faith with basic respect for our laws and institutions.”

Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan previously rejected pledges to oppose amnesty and end federal benefits for illegal aliens.

Anchorage Tea Party Endorses Joe Miller for U.S. Senate

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Photo Credit: National Review

Photo Credit: National Review

Today Joe Miller announced that the Anchorage Tea Party has endorsed his candidacy for United States Senate. The group’s endorsement reads in full:

“Although all three Republican candidates are saying things we want to hear, ATP believes that Joe Miller is the only one who can be trusted to take action consistent with his promises.”

“While all of the three Republican candidates will be more attuned to ATP values and principles than is the incumbent, ATP is not convinced that their values and principles will not “evolve” over time. Mr. Miller, in all respects, has consistently demonstrated that he will not accede to globalist and corporate pressure to go along to get along.”

“ATP sincerely believes that Mr. Miller is the best person to represent the State of Alaska in the United States Senate. ATP is convinced that Joe Miller is one of us, the People, who will take his oath of office to defend and support the Constitution very seriously and bear true faith and allegiance to the same to remove the yoke of an overreaching elitist government from the People it was intended to serve.”

“I am honored by the Anchorage Tea Party’s endorsement of my candidacy and their trust in me to stay true to the principles I espouse,” said Miller. “I am committed to going to Washington and joining those reformers in the Senate and the House, who want to restore our nation to its constitutional foundation, and with that, the liberty and opportunity which have been the birthright of all Americans.”

Miller Endorsed by Alaska Veterans Party

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4694373479_d6cfc7e727_zToday Joe Miller announced that the Veterans Party of Alaska has endorsed his candidacy for United States Senate.

Chairman Steve Harrison said, “The Veterans Party of Alaska wishes to recognize Joe Miller as our candidate of choice for the United States Senate . . . Joe understands that the fastest way to remove bureaucrats from being in between Veterans and quality healthcare is to give the Veterans the option to opt out of the VA system, by having the VBA pay the insurance premium [for] a carrier of the Veteran’s choice.”

Harrison also noted that Miller was the only candidate for US Senate who immediately opposed the budget deal last year that cut veterans benefits, concluding, “Alaska does not need another politician. Alaska needs a leader, therefore, the Veterans Party of Alaska is proud to endorse Joe Miller for the United States Senate.”

“I am both honored and humbled by the Veterans Party’s trust in me,” said Miller. “I look forward to working with Mr. Harrison and their membership to secure the highest quality healthcare for all our veterans, in addition to addressing other pressing issues facing our fellow vets.”

Miller has also been endorsed by Combat Veterans for Congress, General William “Jerry” Boykin, National Association for Gun Rights, Gun Owners of America, and more.

Miller Highlights Treadwell's Election Year Changing Views

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safe_image (2)Joe Miller drew contrast with fellow U.S. Senate candidate Mead Treadwell during the last statewide, televised debate before the Republican Primary Election on Tuesday. A third candidate, Dan Sullivan, declined to attend the Alaska Public Media sponsored event.

Miller is the only U.S. Senate candidate to call for Barack Obama’s impeachment. He was questioned concerning what he saw as impeachable offenses. “I think any time you have a president who stands before the nation, as he did in the State of the Union and says, ‘That if Congress does not act, I will'” that is a clear sign of abuse of power by the President. Miller also pointed out the Chief Executive threatened the same regarding amnesty. Miller further noted Obama’s numerous changes to the Obamacare law without congressional authorization, and his refusal to enforce duly enacted laws of Congress, such as the Defense of Marriage Act. The President puts himself “above the rule of law, above the Constitution, and that is impeachable,” said Miller.

Treadwell acknowledged that the President is acting in a lawless fashion regarding Obamacare, but was not willing to say he would support impeachment. Sullivan, in a previous debate, declined to support impeachment at this time.

Miller also drew contrast in the areas of climate change and the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty (“LOST”). Both Treadwell and Sullivan have spoken in support of government action to address global warming in the past, and both have backed ratification of LOST. Miller has consistently opposed the climate change agenda (given the current inconclusiveness of the science) and adoption of LOST. Treadwell stated tonight he no longer supports government action in the area of climate change that involves new taxes, and no longer supports LOST with regards to its taxing and regulating authority.

“It has been fascinating to watch Mead Treadwell’s election year transformation, from being for the climate change agenda, to being against it; from being for the Law of the Sea Treaty, to opposing ratification; from supporting moderate and even liberal politicians, to claiming to be a bastion of conservatism,” said Miller campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto. “Beware of Establishment Republicans’ election year policy changes. Joe Miller is the only consistent conservative in this race, whose views are based on time-tested principles, not changing political winds.”

It's Miller Time!

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10478214_10152532997885396_3986236391737124826_n (1)I’m not talking about Bill O’Reilly’s weekly television guest, Dennis Miller, or the famous beer slogan.

I’m talking constitutional conservative Republican and Alaskan Joe Miller making a strong bid for the U.S. Senate (Aug. 19 primary) with the support of conservative leaders and groups such as Alaska Right to Life, Alaska Republican Assembly, Gun Owners of America, National Association of Gun Rights, Conservative Campaign Committee, Rep. Thomas Massie, Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin (ret.), Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Conservative Patriots Group and others. Miller faces opposition from Republican challengers Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell.

Miller, the Republican nominee in 2010, made headlines when he was defeated by a write-in campaign by RINO Lisa Murkowski. Both the GOP and Democratic establishment teamed up against Miller, and he suffered a loss. (Treadwell actually admitted to writing in Murkowski on the ballot. For shame.)

But Miller’s back with a vengeance and poised to pull off another upset in the Republican primary, a fact that has even been realized by Alaska Democratic Party Communications Director Zach Fields: “For folks on the ground in Alaska, Miller is actually running a lot better campaign than last time. … And I would say, based on what we know of the unreliable polling in Alaska, he has a very clear chance to win.”

And winning he is! David Cantanese, a columnist for U.S. News and World Report tweeted, “@JoeWMiller is still pretty d–n smooth in a debate.” From the outburst of applause and cheering at the mention of his name from the audience (and their inability to contain their applause throughout the debate) to his uncanny finesse to debate while expertly calling out both the Obama administration and his opponents on a myriad of issues important to American stability, safety and solvency, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Miller Time!

Miller is spot on in his policy: 100 percent pro-life, supports gun rights, opposes all forms of amnesty for illegal immigrants, calls for Obama’s impeachment, supports a full repeal on Obamacare, supports balancing the budget and cutting federal spending, and supports traditional marriage. He is the only candidate in this race to receive endorsements from Alaska Right to Life, Gun Owners of America, and the National Association of Gun Rights. That speaks volumes…

If ever it were Miller Time, it’s the next seven days.

Read more from this story HERE.

Rove Influence Set to Lose Alaska Senate Seat

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Photo Credit: Facebook / Dan Sullivan

Photo Credit: Facebook / Dan Sullivan

By Dan Riehl.

The Tea party-aligned candidate in Alaska’s Republican Senate primary Joe Miller invoked the “R” word, as in Karl Rove, in attacking his two opponents over their stance on illegal immigration. Given the way the immigration issue is now playing nationally, any perceived weakness among the two could cost them an edge in the general election, were one of them to gain the nomination, instead of Miller.

Both former Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Lt. Gov Mead Treadwell refused to sign a pledge offered by to oppose all efforts at “amnesty” for people here illegally if elected to the U.S. Senate, with Treadwell chastising Miller for sending out a mailer on immigration featuring menacing Hispanic gang members. Miller, in turn, noted that several of Sullivan’s backers, like GOP strategist Karl Rove, favor allowing many of the 11 million immigrants in the country to eventually become citizens.

Republican Senate candidates from Maine to Arkansas are now attacking Democrats for their positions on immigration reform. If either Treadwell, or Sullivan emerge victorious in the primary but are seen as more aligned with the establishment GOP, often linked to Rove, on immigration, it could prove difficult for them to then pivot and attack Begich on immigration in the general.

The candidates also clashed over the economic stimulus, gun rights and campaign spending. Sullivan has raised almost four times as much money as Treadwell and has a super PAC backing him, enabling him to bombard the airwaves with advertising.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: GOP the Daily Dose

Photo Credit: GOP the Daily Dose

Two Pro Amnesty Candidates Refuse To Sign No-Amnesty Pledge – They Can’t Hide Now

By Rick Wells.

Alaska is a long way from the Mexican border but the open borders problem visits and inhabits every state. Wasted Federal tax dollars as well as increased employment competition, both from foreigners as well as economically displaced Americans impacts us all.

Two Republican Senate candidates seeking to unseat Democrat Mark Begich failed a litmus test during a debate this past Sunday. One of the three participants, conservative Joe Miller, asked his opponents to join him in signing a pledge against illegal alien amnesty.

The document read, “I will oppose any attempt by Congress or the President to grant amnesty (any pathway to citizenship) for illegal aliens.”

It’s a straightforward declaration and a refusal to sign it is a fairly clear indication of a support for some sort of amnesty as well as potential ownership by the deep-pocketed donors and puppet masters who finance their campaigns.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: Fox News

Photo Credit: Fox News

Why the hottest senate race in the country might just be in Alaska

By Edward Rollins.

One of the closet and most significant Senate races in the country this year is Alaska’s election for the junior Senate slot presently held by Democrat Mark Begich.

Alaska, the forty ninth state admitted to the Union, is our largest state in land mass but the third smallest in population. It’s also the least dense state and only state that was once part of Russia.

In this election cycle, the coldest state may turn out to have the hottest Senate race in the country — the race that ultimately decides the critical fifty-first seat for who controls the majority.

Now that he is running for reelection in one of the reddest of red states, Begich is trying to put as much distant as possible between himself and the unpopular president who leads his party.

Read more from this story HERE.

Two Alaska GOP Senate Candidates Refuse to Sign Anti-Amnesty Pledge

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Photo Credit: Reuters

Photo Credit: Reuters

Two Republican Senate candidates in Alaska refused to sign an anti-amnesty pledge during a Sunday debate.

Conservative candidate Joe Miller asked his two opponents to sign a pledge that reads, “I will oppose any attempt by Congress or the President to grant amnesty (any pathway to citizenship) for illegal aliens.”

Former Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan, who is supported by Karl Rove and other pro-amnesty Republicans, and Lt. Gov Mead Treadwell, who has said he supported a pathway to citizenship, refused to sign it…

Read more from this story HERE.

Conservative Campaign Committee Endorses Joe Miller for U.S. Senate

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joe-millerThe Joe Miller campaign announced the endorsement of the Conservative Campaign Committee today.

The Political Action Committee’s President Ryan Gill stated, “Joe Miller is working hard on behalf of the conservative principles we share. We look forward to working along side him as the Republican nominee and Alaska’s next United States Senator.”

In making its announcement, the group noted that Miller is a “constitutional conservative” in the mold of Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul, who is running against “two establishment candidates.”

Miller responded, “I am honored by the endorsement of the Conservative Campaign Committee. Their support comes at a critical juncture in the race, when the momentum, according to what we’re seeing on the ground, as well as public and internal polling, has shifted in our direction. With the help of liberty-loving Americans, we are going to win this race on August 19th and defeat Mark Begich in November.”