Anchorage Native Students / Oil

I'd like to thank Stephen Haycox for publishing his article on racism. 69% of Anchorage non-natives graduate from High School in Anchorage. This is 1% below the national average. 32% of native students in Anchorage graduate from High School. Remember, this is in Anchorage. Statewide the number is 43%, which means Anchorage, after so much economic progress, is failing badly. Not just badly, it's screwed. Like Stephen Haycox says, "It's a scandal". In the article:

Everywhere the messages "You don't have what it takes" or "You can't cut it" or "There's no point, anyway" have a cumulative effect, studies report.

I would also like to thank Carol Comeau for giving some level of support, "we have to do better". Good, but being the Anchorage schools superintendent, this should be her top priority. Should there be little change in the future, I'd remember her as just another mouth, a failure. Sorry Carol, you have a lot of work to do, and I hope you are cut out to do it. Many parents are counting on you.

Alaskan oil: BP profits $2.6 billion. Conoco Philips profits $2.6 billion. Exxon Mobil profits "no comment". But Exxon did report worldwide profits of $36.1 billion.

I'm sure some politicians of past were thinking, "aren't we the owner state?". Statehood set us up for some equality, ANCSA set us up for some equality, oil companies set us up for... what did they set us up for? Oh, some jobs. We had a boom when the pipeline was built, but it's running dry and needs ANWR to fill it back up. But who benefits from ANWR? Who benefits from a gas pipeline? A majority of the benefits, I guarantee you, will go to oil company shareholders. Sure Alaska will benefit by jobs and some revenue to the State. We may or may not recieve some of the gas traveling to the lower 48. But generally, the oil companies are looking for maximum profits, just like any other corporation.

We need to return to being the owner state. Hold out on ANWR. Hold out on the gasline. Maybe we could build a gasline to Fairbanks and Anchorage and other places as needed/economical, and write-off the cost of construction, but charge for the cost of maintenance and transport. Turn some of the gas into propane, like Wally Hickel suggested and ship it to disadvantaged communities. This would mean ownership of the gas for Alaska for a lot longer than the lower 48, who would suck it dry as fast as the pipe would allow. It sure wouldn't take a very big/expensive pipe to support a half million plus people. I don't see why it hasn't been done already.

If ANWR were to be opened, the proceeds should go to rural Alaska. ANWR is the domain of caribou and those who hunt them. It is truly a place where, if exploited, controversy would follow. ANWR has the potential to fill the pipeline, but why fill it when only a wealthy few will truly benefit. I can only imagine the fat man/woman sitting poolside outside their mansion thinking "I need ANWR to build myself a castle!" Point well said... NOT. Agree or disagree, I hope that I have (in some way) either entertained you or inspired you to want more for Alaska.