An Anchorage Democrat, Rep. Mike Doogan, has pushed for more information about those meetings and, specifically, about an industry work group active in December.
In response, the administration compiled a list of meetings related to the Jan. 17 tax plan. The list cites frequent government-to-industry meetings and phone calls in late 2010, particularly following a mid-October presentation by Parnell to the industry-led nonprofit Resource Development Council where the governor announced plans to address oil taxes.
Parnell met later that day with Joe Balash, then his energy specialist and now a deputy commissioner in the Department of Natural Resources. In subsequent weeks, Balash met often with a work group associated with the Alaska Oil and Gas Association before reviewing legislation with other state officials Jan. 12, according to the list.
One week later Parnell, flanked by Balash and now-Revenue Commissioner Bryan Butcher, presented the bill publicly.
Doogan wrote Friday to Balash asking about the work group — who its members were, what notes or records of the meetings it took, who else attended its meetings and what recommendations it made. He also asked whether the group proposed specific legislation, although state officials have said the panel had no access to the state’s tax plan before the general public did.
Balash told the Daily News-Miner on Monday the state also tapped perspective from a consultant — Gaffney, Cline & Associates — as it mulled and developed the tax measure, House Bill 110. The list includes a handful of meetings between the governor’s office, state lawmakers and Cabinet members.
The Legislature, now in special session, adjourned earlier this month with the tax proposal unresolved. Top state officials had come under fire from state lawmakers who accused the administration of failing to analyze the plan’s implications before releasing the proposal.
The Parnell Consultant Gaffney Cline said The Parnell Plan was not reasonable- I mean Duh is Parnell Competent??? Sensible! http://metanoia2k.blogspot.com/2011/04/let-big-dog-out.html
Theft from social and health programs in the hundreds of billions to give to their corporate pimps results in the deaths of 50,000 Americans a year. Internationally. they profit off the pain, suffering and deaths of hundreds of thousands a year, how many hundreds of millions through the centuries. Resulting in the terrorist attacks against us.
They get to rake in profits that trickle down to their bought off politicians. We get to rake in the terrorist attacks against us from foreigners mad at our invasions and manipulations that cost trillions in order to score corporate profits to multi national conglomerates in the millions and billions.
Theft and murder from neo conservative parasites leeching off Americans.
Is it sweet justice or sickening, to have the resources and lands that the European immigrants stole from the Indigenous People, stolen from the thieves and murderers and the descendants of the thieves and murderers?
If America is too stupid or corrupt to do anything about the policies that steal from Americans or weaker countries, then they should wallow in the Chinese and Saudi takeover of American industries and lands, as well as the terrorist attacks against us.
169 drilling rigs targeting the
Bakken and Three Forks formation.
Compare that to June, 2009 when
there were only 36 rigs drilling (an
increase of 475% in less than 2
years).
Four years ago North Dakota was 9th
in the United States in oil production
at roughly 100,000 barrels a day.
Today North Dakota is the 4th largest
onshore oil producing state in the
nation.
Oil production - barrels per day:
1. Texas 1,205,000
2. Alaska 618,000
3. California 557,000
4. North Dakota 342,000
5. Louisiana 185,000
Source: U.S. Energy Info. Admin Oct. 2010
ALASKA IS ON THEY WAY OUT NO MATTER WHAT TAX BREAKS WE GIVE.....
This is about the integrity of our Government as much as VECO's conspiracies were about Government Corruption.
We saw this before in the Spring of 2001 when Vice (how appropriate) President Cheney set up the secret energy talks with the Oil Industry. Of course in hindsight everything went down hill from there. Except for Oil, Oil Prices, National Security and of course it culminated in the financial collapse 4 months before the end of the Bush Administration in 2008.
So what was it in the Parnell (secret) talks with big oil which caused him to flip-flop. Everyone knew his opponent had already stressed the need to re-configure oil taxes. BUT Parnell was so threatened his months of steadfast adherence to ACES flipped to the Parnell give away for nothing stance. Just what did Big Oil so threaten Parnell with to assure his terror!
My guess is they said they were going to close down the Alaska Pipeline and they just used the January pig fiasco as their play stage.
That was before the Arab Spring caused the demise of Oil. -BP got kicked out of Russia, Libya shut down, and the United Kingdom instituted their own ACES on North Sea Oil Windfalls.
It is all too convenient a mirror given our experience with the Alaska oil company behavior in the past 40 years.
THE FORMULA:
1. Crisis in oil -no financing, broken pipes, cold weather, Arabs, Venezuela etc
2. Have sympathetic Governor and oil partners in place -this time Native Corps and freighters.
3. Enlist Chambers of Commerce in Anchorage spill over to others in Barrow etc oh yes -Fairbanks
4. New impressive name- Alliance Allegiance Save somebody or rather with jobs, easter bunny etc.
5. Great Gobs and Gobs of full page news ads and day and night TV commercials about jobs and economy. Hacks writing op eds.
6. Weeks of Spin, Lobby, Weave and Whammy. Lobbiest on board and in conspiracy -Bill Allen types or former legislators work well.
7. Chicken Little threats and terror.
(Did we miss anything from the 80's, 90's 00's?)
RESULTS --1.PROFITS 2. Managers who laugh all the way to the Petroleum Club to brag and discuss hicks. 3. Media earnings 4.Re-Election contributions and future $ positions of "importance"
The larger question of course is whether any laws
were busted. Changing Parnell's mind isn't breaking a law, but even the threat to shut down a national oil field pipeline could be. Or how about saying you had abandoned Alaska for North Dakota? And using "fortuitous" events could be if they were contrived.
Go for it Representative.
And good work, Mr. Doogan.
Time to shed some light on those closed-door meetings our 'representatives' participate in with the opportunits from those poor, mistreated and maligned oil corporations.
Hey... FBI... Don't leave quite yet.. There might be some more investigative work for y'all, after all... Yes, it'll likely be primarily focused on Juneau again. Seems they can't take a hint or three.. Maybe this time VECO or some other lacky contract services outfit won't solely take the heat for the Big Three..
Rep. Doogan was one of the good guys in this battle along with key senators of both parties.
If the News-Miner was up to speed readers would read some coverage about why the oil company lobbyist- governor is afraid of accepting the offer to debate the corporate welfare scheme with Sen French.