Hickel draws fire from governor, legislators over proposed gas line advertisement
Published Monday, July 14, 2008
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Stumble It!JUNEAU — Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers are firing back at former Gov. Walter Hickel and others for what many describe as an inappropriate and threatening request on the gas pipeline.
On Friday, Hickel e-mailed lawmakers a mockup of an ad he said he planned to run in Alaska newspapers after an expected vote on the TransCanada natural gas pipeline proposal.
“Which column will your name be in?” he wrote. “The column of those who want Alaska to retain control of our natural gas? Or the column of those who are prepared to allow Canada to take control of this resource worth billions of dollars?”
In the two columns were lists of claimed supporters of an “all-Alaska” pipeline and a pipeline running through Canada, as TransCanada is proposing.
The ad was credited to Backbone III, a group coordinated by long-time Hickel aide Malcolm Roberts.
Palin and Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin both responded with sharp criticism Saturday.
“We have had our differences over the direction we are going with the natural gas pipeline,” Palin wrote in an e-mail to Roberts. “Now you have gone too far. The ad ... crosses the line. It is misleading, distorts the truth, and slanders our public servants and should NOT be published in ANY newspaper.”
In a separate e-mail, Irwin criticized Roberts and Hickel for listing individuals as supporters without first contacting them and for claiming the support of people “who are regretfully not alive to have participated in the AGIA discussion.”
Local lawmakers also described Hickel’s message as inappropriate.
Sen. Gary Wilken, a Fairbanks Republican, responded to Hickel by e-mail expressing his disappointment at the group’s “threat” and explaining why he intended to support issuing a license to TransCanada under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act.
Roberts responded that Backbone III had modified the ad so as not to associate TransCanada supporters with political corruption in Alaska, but added that the group stood behind its ad.
Rep. Jay Ramras, another Fairbanks Republican, said Hickel’s message and Palin and Irwin’s responses were all “irrational,” but he defended Hickel’s note as a “provocative display of freedom of speech.”
Hickel supported Palin during her campaign for governor in 2006 but has become a vocal opponent to her support of TransCanada’s gas line plan.
Lawmakers have until Aug. 2 to vote on the proposal.
Community Discussion
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Funny that Sarah would raise the issue of "misleading" people.
Wouldn't this ad have been unnecessary if she had followed through on her campaign promise of building an "Alaskan" gas line?
So now Fairbanks gets to wait until 2018 for this foreign corporation she is so hot to give this exclusive contract to decide to build a gas line?
Sarah had asked us to hold her accountable at her inauguration.
OK.
govpalin@alaska.gov
My family will tell her that we want what she promised during her campaign... none of us can wait for 15 years for affordable energy here.
Just can't do it.
The Port Authority backers are a scary bunch of folks who are obviously very desperate. It is interesting that the only legislative supporter is Ramras, the biggest screwball in Juneau (and that sayes a lot).
Let's take a quick look at the "All Alaska Gasline". This is a pipeline that's sole purpose is to send Alaskan gas to asia. This week it is backed by the Mitsubishi Corp. How exactly is that an "All Alaska Gasline"?
If we would have followed through on Wally's ideas we would be towing icebergs to California. Hickel has done some beneficial things for the State but he has also had some wacky ideas. The Port Authority is one of those wacky ideas.
I would really like to know if any money for these advertisements originated from FNSB funds.
WHITAKER - STOP SPENDING MY TAX DOLLARS ON THE PORT AUTHORITY'S PIPE DREAM.
It would be interesting to know what SamBam's connectsions to the Port Authority. Is this just another name that the Port Authority's treasurer uses?
Wally Hickel is what...a hundred years old? Who takes that guy seriously anymore. He belongs in a Museum.
Amazing what Hickel will do in order to make his money. Even Nixon fired Hickel. Hickel should run an ad stating he is going to be sure the permits, studies, etc he owned via Yukon Pacific will be given to the state to help, or no charge. BigMike and everyone who reads about oil development know darn well who SamBam is, and all the other names he writes under. Maybe it's time the FBI investigates the Port Authority, it's board members and Hickel.
http://community.adn.com/node/126957
I found the email from Scott Heyworth (who led the ballot propostition to creat the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Authority) particularily interesting.
I think this advertisement wwas the nail in the coffin for the Port Authority. Now..
STOP SPENDING MY TAX DOLLARS
A lot of our former politicians are hitting the papers supporting their versions of the gas line. They didn't get the job done! I am supporting this Governor and the Legislature that supports AGIA. I hope that they finally GET THE JOB DONE.
I took SamBam's advice and e-mailed the Governor and my Legislator telling them I want them to vote for AGIA.
Representative Ramras's days in office are numbered and the more he talks the lower the numbers.
The port authority plan is projected to take (you fill in the number of years). No one knows because they don't have a plan beyond derailing the AGIA process. Is the port authority ready now after another 9 months of studying the economics to meet Alaska's seven requirements or is advertising all they can do effectively? Mr Hickle get a job. I hear that Trans Canada Alaska is looking for someone to help them advertise for jobs.
Read an interesting comment, what is the difference between what Hickel and his group are doing and what Bill Allen and Veco did in order to influence a vote of the legislator. One used brides the other is using intimidation and defaming individuals. If the voices of dead politicians are telling Hickel their opinions, I wonder how based in reality is Hickel.
Quote "Wally Hickel is what...a hundred years old? Who takes that guy seriously anymore. He belongs in a Museum."
I disagree ... he should be made to live in FT Yuk ...lol.
Hickel sold us out many years ago then returned only to be put back in power a second time. He is an idiot in my opinion and not worthy of much discussion.
Jay Ramus .... certainly has his share of the rumors. But like Hickel, he is still around.
SamBam has Gov. Sarah Palin figured out ... a pretty face and the quality stops right there.
I forgot, who paid for Ramra's trip to China with Hickel. Did that information ever come out. I think it would be interesting to see if Ramra's paid his own way or was it a gift, political contribution, etc. More political influencing on Hickel's part? Does anyone know?
I don't really care who builds the gas line, the one who has the most experience in such things should do it, and if that is TransCanada, then so be it.
What I don't get is why the State of Alaska is going to spend 550 million to pay for TransCanada's permit application. Why is the State subsidizing a private, foreign, company which will make billions and billions in profit over the lifetime of the pipeline.
If they want to build it, let them pay for it. Simple as that. If they don't want to pay for it, find someone who will.
It is amazing that Hickel, wants to go against the State leaders on their Special session and what comes out of it is for ALL Alaskans and he should not express it to the people, just because his Company is not getting that resources,that Our leaders are working on do benefit all Alaskans,He has impacted the state long enough and should get a one way ticket to the State of Retirement home.
Let's build all the pipelines. After all we don't want to put all our eggs in one basket. Here is a better option. The State can build a 48" pipeline from the North Slope to Delta. From there the Port Authority and their partners can finish it to Valdez and build their LNG plant. Trans-Canada can go from Delta to where ever and Enstar can build a line to Anchorage.
I think that this years budget surplus should cover the State's portion and get us started on construction.
It's possible the big steel pipeline will become a boondoggle..
it could become another WPPSS in WA-state.
With new technologies emerging daily, the N-Amerigone gas-market might go totally flat..
which is a good thing because a rising tide floats all boats, except for Al Gore's boat because too much combustion will run an overpoopulated planet out of OXYGEN!!!!
http://www.peswiki.com/index.php/Main_Pa...
=======
http://www.globalresourcecorp.com/Engine...
I think everybody is missing the boat about the potential impact of using klystrons and catalysts to manipulate hydrocarbons, this totally revolutionizes how man relates to hydrogen and carbon.
Deep-Drilling will become obsolete for a long time.
I think somebody got sold a rotten-fish when the idea of "the only way to get NS-gas to market is in a gazillion-dollar big steel pipe"
Why is ConocoPhillips NOT agressively marketing their Driscopipe product for use all over Alaska ???
www.fairbanksgas.com
...is it because BigOil doesn't want Alaska to become another Ogoniland?
I think most Alaskans have more college-smarts than most underprivelidged Nigerians...[but I could be wrong]
Wally Hickel and his pals are good people with great ideas, just because somebody accidentally walked through the governors house with dogpoop on their shoes doesn't mean the circus needs to leave town.
But while all this bickering is going on, the Asian Market might figure out how to supply it's own energy from a surprise source and the US-dollar will be mismanaged to death.
Firecracker sweatshops, the future for american schoolkids.
Don't buy gold, dig it in your own greenhouse.
Love made the world go around, until some nitwit invented money.
Don't be surprised when some kid in Boise shows the world how he made his grandmothers Rambler run on old Latex Paint for fuel.
Wally Hickel is still alive??
Guess I lost that office pool.
TIME CLOCK IS TICK'N. Winter is just around the corner. After August 2 vote for or against the AGIA TransCanada gasline is a moot point.
And this special session was called to address the energy disaster and find some solutions to help ALASKANS make it through the winter. Has anything been done? NO!!! But the Legislature are going to take a break, to pat themselves on the back, this week.
Fairbanksgas: Like your idea of getting all of the gasline proposals off the talking stage and North Slope gas headed down the haul road.
The world is short on energy, AND Alaska has surplus, BUT the only energy the Legislature seams to be using is the one they use to run their mouths.
TIME CLOCK IS TICK'N.
Forget Juneau...
a totally independent gasline project is perfectly legal..
if Denali-The Big Whopper can do it too.
It's time for somebody who's really speedy about writing webpages to contact us at www.fairbanksgas.com..
or here-->
http://newsminer.com/users/DistantThunde...
1. set up a project dedicated webpage to begin the Gas-CoOp
2. collect a list of pledges [totally legal]
3. hire a poor local CPA and poor local Lawyer [probably some who'll volunteer]
4. collect $1000 membership fees from club members
5. start a membership drive to get 10,000 members
6. start buying the pipe,etc.
.....K.I.S.S. ...simple
Unfortunately, DT, I think the permitting and licensing alone would cost more than your budget.
DT - While i appreciate your can do attitude, your plan is more how you organize a spaggetti feed, not a gas line.
There are three facial problems with your "simple" plan.
1)Source: As the AGPA has found out, a gas plan without a firm source of product is a little tough to sell.
2)Money: You are proposing holding onto $10M of other people's money. Setting aside the fact that these "membership fees" will likely be considered securities, management of this type of investment capital can subject the co-op managers to significant liability. Claims of breach of fiduciary trust would be made if any of it wasn't spent prudently.
3) Staff/professionals. As enticing as a plan staffed by broke, out of work, CPAs and attorneys is, this is foolhardy. They are broke because no one will trust them with their affairs (or they can't manage money). This is the brain trust you want to hire? No one reputable will take on this project pro bono because they would be blessing it with their E&O insurance. The bonding alone would be enormous on this project.
Your initial 10M investment would either be squandered or represent a low percentage of the cost to organize, plan, and build even the smallest project. Keep dreaming but don't plan on seeing my check anytime soon.
Unfortunately, DT, I think the permitting and licensing alone would cost more than your budget.
======================
Can you send me an itemized list of the costs for permitting & licensing?
Excessive state P&L fees are considered "restraint of trade".
If you want to help pass some gas to some frozen Alaskans who need it more than overheated Texans who already have plenty of their own gas 3000miles away...
please use your considerable knowledge to help finish filling in the picture about the actual State P&L Fees..
otherwise I'll continue to do the project with my existing fee-chart.
This is just a silly little plumbing project compared to everybody else's grandiose boondoggles.
..no different than running a gasline from Pt.Lay to Umiat
[I'll buy the permit for that at the same time, so I can see they pull the paperwork out of the same drawer in Juneau.]
ThankYou very kindly...DT
This is a free country (at least that is what they tell me) if the former Gov what to run the ad let him. The elected officials better vote the way the people they represent or they can find a different job come election time. They should fear their names being under how they voted. The State of Alaska should NOT be paying for any of the permit the Company building the pipeline should be doing that. No one pays for my permits when I what to build a house, why should this be any different. I for one would want several plans to choose from before voting on anything. To choose the best plan for ALL ALASKANS not just a few. All I know is we need to get off our butts and start the project so ALL ALASKANS can enjoy the benefits of the gas pipeline.
Alaskaman100...
I have my suspicions about AGPA
http://www.allalaskagasline.com/pages/at...
I Think they might be playing Marlon Brando.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0waNRaz6...
...I won't have any serious problem getting a 4"plastic pipe filled with propane, even if the gas I'm given is raw field gas.
If this project doesn't fit within the purview of ANGDA I'll have to go spend more time in dismal Anchorage than I want, rather be in my creek panning.
Money? My spaghetti feeds usually have some interesting people show up, some can let their wife write me a check for $100mil.
The CoOp membership pledges just show public commitment.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/craig...
Staff/Professionals??
OK, I'll let you help vet this livestock....(;-P)
I was thinking about doing this whole project on Live-Webcast so this whole peanut-gallery of circus lovers can do armchair participation.
www.fairbanksgas.com
....splash/bubble
The AGIA vote in the house is set for July 22 and then on to the Senate.Per the ADN there are enough votes in both house and Senate to pass AGIA.
It's about time they were supposed to vote in April.
Wally gets in trouble for putting words in the mouths of dead people? What's so bad about about that? Jesus has been dead for two thousand years, and people are still claiming to know what he would think. Wally's just following an ignoble tradition.
We all need to ask ourselves, WWJD? What Would Jay Do? (Jay Hammond, that is.)
What would Joe Vogler do ??
...Joe would be pouring me coffee in my moho while we're laying plastic-pipes.
www.fairbanksgas.com
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/kk209...
....splash/bubble
What Would Jay Ramras Do?
No, wait...let's not go there.
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