POLITICAL MULTIPLICATION

By nature, the oil tax and the gas pipeline contract proposal is “political.” But the “last minute” insertion of Governor Murkowski and former Governor Knowles into the 2006 gubernatorial campaign mix has multiplied gas pipeline and oil tax politics in the order of magnitudes. The political fallout from "governor versus governor" situation is an addition to the political fallout from the other very strong candidates seeking the governorship. This is simply an observation, and not meant to cast stones at anybody.

It concerns me that now, whatever anyone of these candidates – or the legislative candidates for that matter – do or say on the proposed oil taxes and the gas pipeline proposal will be blamed on “politics” rather than issues. Not good.

I’m afraid that some folks may be attempting to deliberately delay culmination of the tax and pipeline issues until after we know who the next governor is going to be. I think that is totally irresponsible. We need to look at the oil tax and the gas contract on the merits – regardless of who the governor is, and regardless of who’s running for election or re-election. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.