To: The Alaska State House and The Alaska State Senate
Keep Alaska's Fair Share for Alaskan Projects
We petition the Alaska Legislature to maintain and support the Alaska Clear and Equitable Share Act.
Why is this important?
This petition is addressed to the Alaska Legislature to ask them not to undo the Alaska Clear and Equitable Share act (ACES) which greatly benefits Alaska. ACES has provided much extra revenue for many necessary and beneficial projects in Alaska, and the jobs to build them. There will be a loss of jobs and project revenue and benefit to Alaska if it is overturned.
When Alaska became a State, we didn't model our constitution after run-of -the-mill constitutions, but after the best at the time. This was the case with the creation of ACES, which was long overdue in it's creation, and a miracle it actually happened under a Republican administration. It provides strong incentives for exploration and development our oil resource, but still gives Alaska a fair share. If anyone should profit from the price of oil skyrocketing worldwide, Alaskan projects are as worthy to benefit, if not more so, as anyone standing to profit incidentally may be.
The Petroleum Industry is financing a full-scale campaign to persuade us to fatten their profit margins. Not that it is hurting in this state. It is profiting, significantly. But they want even more wealth, which would probably not remain in Alaska. The facts belie many of the industry's arguments. Petroleum Industry employment and projects on the north slope have not gone down since the creation of ACES. And the spending on Alaskan infrastructure development has been able to go up. It is probably a good bet that the oil development will expand in Alaska in the near future no matter what, given the huge resource and profit incentive. And if it didn't happen immediately, it would be there for our children.
Norway shares the diverse latitudes and climate of Alaska, and also an oil industry; yet it has over $500 Billion of oil resource wealth in its permanent fund, after paying for benefits for a population six times larger than our state. Norway's petroleum royalty is the only to exceed that of Alaska, at current rates, and yet and the oil industry is in no hurry to leave Norway. They are doing fine.
When it comes to this current big push to overturn ACES, we should not be so dense as to not consider the source at this time - Governor Sean Parnell. It is often overlooked that he has been a long-time lobbyist for ConocoPhillips, who is financing much of the current campaign to overturn ACES, and who would stand to make billions in return for their media campaign investment in this regard. Let's not get caught up in the emotional propaganda generated by the "undo ACES" campaign, and keep a very sound policy for Alaska. It is something to be proud of, without apology!
When Alaska became a State, we didn't model our constitution after run-of -the-mill constitutions, but after the best at the time. This was the case with the creation of ACES, which was long overdue in it's creation, and a miracle it actually happened under a Republican administration. It provides strong incentives for exploration and development our oil resource, but still gives Alaska a fair share. If anyone should profit from the price of oil skyrocketing worldwide, Alaskan projects are as worthy to benefit, if not more so, as anyone standing to profit incidentally may be.
The Petroleum Industry is financing a full-scale campaign to persuade us to fatten their profit margins. Not that it is hurting in this state. It is profiting, significantly. But they want even more wealth, which would probably not remain in Alaska. The facts belie many of the industry's arguments. Petroleum Industry employment and projects on the north slope have not gone down since the creation of ACES. And the spending on Alaskan infrastructure development has been able to go up. It is probably a good bet that the oil development will expand in Alaska in the near future no matter what, given the huge resource and profit incentive. And if it didn't happen immediately, it would be there for our children.
Norway shares the diverse latitudes and climate of Alaska, and also an oil industry; yet it has over $500 Billion of oil resource wealth in its permanent fund, after paying for benefits for a population six times larger than our state. Norway's petroleum royalty is the only to exceed that of Alaska, at current rates, and yet and the oil industry is in no hurry to leave Norway. They are doing fine.
When it comes to this current big push to overturn ACES, we should not be so dense as to not consider the source at this time - Governor Sean Parnell. It is often overlooked that he has been a long-time lobbyist for ConocoPhillips, who is financing much of the current campaign to overturn ACES, and who would stand to make billions in return for their media campaign investment in this regard. Let's not get caught up in the emotional propaganda generated by the "undo ACES" campaign, and keep a very sound policy for Alaska. It is something to be proud of, without apology!