Gassy & Oily Fellows in Juneau

Look at it, stretching out all those miles across another country. Makes a lot more sense than going straight down to the water where there's a huge shipping port... I guess?

A bit of background on the mythological Alaska Gas Pipeline: Alaska has a lot of natural gas on it's north slope, worth billions of dollars in new State Funds and oil company profits. The oil companies have thus far not brought any to market, but the State of Alaska is pushing hard to extract. Alaska's Governor, Frank Murkowski, has been in extended 'closed door' gas line contract talks with the big three oil producers in Alaska for longer than I can even remember. No oversight, no press, private shit. This is the man who bought himself a jet even after a vote of the people turned down the idea, and said that he wouldn't tell the press if he was going to run in the upcoming election but said that "If I do run I will win."

The people of Alaska want the gas line run to the port city Valdez to benefit Alaskans the way that the Trans-Alaska Pipeline does, but current plans pump the gas through Canada to lower 48 markets, and if the Governor's gas line deal is anything like the recent oil tax changes he's proposed, he's telling Alaska to 'do as it's told' in respect to the oil companies. The Governor is attempting to muscle the state senate and house, and hasn't received much more than light verbal resistance. The proposed plan could lock in financial terms for 30 years or more, and people are asking if that's even legal to do.

Much as Murkowski did when he bought the jet, he is turning a deaf ear on Alaska as he attempts to ram this deal through and lock it in before the end of his term. At that point people can sue the State of Alaska and the big 3 oil companies all they want, we all see how well that worked with Exxon last time.

Finally, after being sued in State Supreme Court to release the contract, and being demanded Friday to release the documents "immediately," there is a draft of the contract for public review on the Governor's website. It's 356 pages long.

Lucky for Alaska residents there's a 'comment period'. Did I mention there are no roads to the State Capitol, Juneau?