Pregnant Solidiers, a violation of disipline?

Yes.
It is.
Women who want out of duty and a war zone have an out no man has. Pregnancy.

In order to stem this dereliction of duty, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III threatened courts martial for such breaches of discipline. And, yes, having sex with one's subordinates or fellow soldiers is a breach of discipline and a threat to unit moral, cohesiveness, and effectiveness. Lose enough troops to such, and one has a serious problem with completing one's mission.

The howl of the nags, as Limbaugh calls them, is incredible hypocrisy. Why, women getting pregnant is natural and should not be questioned. No joke. However, a combat zone and a military unit is not the corporate secretarial pool. Why according to these hypocrites, the female soldier is supposed to be able to use sex to cop out of their obligation to their fellow soldiers.

This ploy has been used effectively in the Navy to get out of protracted duty aboard ship. Hence, the rising number of single women who are parents in the military. Yet, they retain their rank and benefits. Same for their Army, Marine and USAF counterparts.

It has always been interesting to me that women can use sex and have no repercussions over responsibility for their actions, yet the male is held responsible for a pregnancy. I am 57 and I know who controls the sex between myself and my wife. I doubt that this situation is any different in the field with the female soldiers who are endangering the mission of their units by their promiscuity and selfishness in using pregnancy as a means to terminate their duty overseas, thereby leaving their male counterparts in the lurch.

Yes. a courts martial is appropriate for this conduct. It is cowardice and selfishness coupled with a lack of commitment to duty. These women swore an oath. Either do the job, or get the hell out of the military.

That the situation has deteriorated to the point that a unit commander has threatened courts martial to stem the tide of such behavior is incredible. It is also a demonstration that those who did not want females in combat units were correct after all. They do not belong on ships and they do not belong in a combat zone, except as nurses.

It is time that women bore the responsibility that their male counterparts bear. Or, that they admit that they want out and accept a discharge. That would certainly reduce the cost to the military for taking care of them and the product of their cowardice and lack of responsibility.

I believe that women should also bear 50% responsibility for any pregnancy with respect to the cost of bearing and rearing the child. The moron who acts in concert with a woman to achieve pregnancy, whether intended or not, should bear the other 50% of the cost of the child. The rest of us, should not bear any cost. The malarkey that the State should cover promiscuity in the face of free contraceptives is specious. Given this situation, the issue with women using pregnancy to get out of duty is not unexpected. The impact of the libs demanding no consequence for one's actions is now impacting the military negatively.

It is time we all took responsibility for our conduct. MG Cucolo III was correct in his holding the female accountable. Too bad he backed down.

Parnell catches up

These are interesting times for Alaska politics. Even though, we have a governor who is about as colorless as his snowman alter-ego. I named the snowman pictured here Gov. Sean Parnell as he is the same bland visage as the governor.

Gov. Parnell has been moving things forward a bit, to try to give his administration substance and an identity of its own in the aftermath of the Palin resignation.

Parnell has put forth a program to fund higher education scholarships for Alaska’s high school students who maintain a B average. Gov. Parnell has recognized that not all go to college, so the program will include technical or vocational school scholarships as well as collage scholarships. What was not made clear was whether or not the collage scholarships will be focused on the University of Alaska, or will allow a student to go to Outside institutions. The former head of U of A had a similar program. It looks like Parnell decided to expand upon it.

This is a good move on Parnell’s part, as it demonstrates a desire to provide a trained workforce and management potential for Alaska resource and business development. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that most of the students will probably not return to Alaska, once they graduate from an Outside institution. That aspect was not addressed in his education initiative. What was not made clear, was whether or not this program is part of a genuine Parnell agenda or something left over from the Palin administration, and Sean is just finishing Sarah’s desires.

The Governor’s recent commitment to address the State’s unfunded maintenance of buildings and transportation infrastructure is a welcome attempt to fix something that vexes a lot of Alaskans. Parnell wants $100,000,000 set aside for this purpose.

With the Prudhoe revenue largess over the years, the focus went from maintaining what the State was responsible for in terms of our schools, roads, harbors, and airports, to a “we can afford to let it go and completely replace” philosophy. This attitude was reflected in the requirements for a community to completely replace all fire engines every 5 years, which has now changed to every 10 years due to the costs. Schools maintenance went by the wayside, except what was required to keep the building functional. Roofs and other costly repair items were ignored, as the attitude was “we will just build a new school”. Yet, maintenance was included in the >$7,000 per student that the State funds every year. Those monies allocated for maintaining the schools were allowed to be spent for other than maintenance by the school districts.

For example, the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District turns back to the Borough every year $1,000,000-$1,500,000 in contingency funds appropriated every school year as part of the district’s budget. This is money that could go to the maintenance of the district’s schools, instead of letting a roof become a hazard requiring emergency funding from the State to fix. After all, the money that goes back to the borough came from the State appropriations for education to begin with.

Governor Parnell finally confirmed BG Thomas Katkus as the new Commissioner and Adjutant General of the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). Katkus was Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell’s pick for that post and his former no. 2. Katkus is a retired Anchorage Police Officer and a life-long resident of Wasilla. Given that DMVA is a rat’s nest of musical chairs for retired brigadier generals, hopefully the next administration will have the courage to conduct a thorough review of DMVA policies along with a legislative audit to bring to light how DMVA spends its money. I doubt Parnell will have the political courage to address DMVA anytime soon.

One of the interesting items is the recent resignation of Pipeline Czar Harry Noah. Noah has championed the idea of a bullet line from the North Slope to Pt. McKenzie on Cook Inlet, just north of Anchorage. This route was heavily favored by Valley legislators Sen. Charlie Huggins, Rep. Bill Stoltze, and Rep. Mark Neuman.

Now, another supporter of this route, Lt. Gov. hopeful Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks, is calling for an investigation by the Governor over Noah’s resignation. Ramras is a supporter of the Enstar bullet line that Noah championed.

The association of the aforementioned Valley legislators and Ramras in their favoring a monopoly by Enstar for any natural gas delivered to south central is something that should be questioned by the Parnell Administration.

The competing line to the North Slope Enstar bullet line was the ANGDA spur line off of any big pipe to be built under AGIA or another competing pipeline proposal.

Gov. Sean Parnell may be a lackluster guy, but he is finally doing something. Whether his “somethings” are an expression of his desires or Sarah’s have yet to be made clear to Alaskans.

As the coming year quickly approaches, will this governor distance himself from Sarah in time to meet the challenges from Republicans Rep. John Harris and Bill Walker for his job?

Who knows, only the raven knows for sure, and he/she (I did not look that closely) ain’t saying, er rather, squawking. . . .

Sarah Palin is a Trojan Horse

The book Sarah should have written--graphic by Larry Wood, all rights reserved.

Former Governor Sarah Palin says that she wants to be major player in national politics . . . if the people will have her. Given the mewling supplication on the part of Limbaugh, Hannity, even Dennis Prager, that support is definitely there amongst the national talk show pundits.

Sarah has been given a platform that she herself lauded in her gubernatorial campaign. A platform of family first, prolife, staunch fiscal conservative, and smaller government is better. All of which her record as governor denies. Sarah is also lauded as some sort of oil and gas expert, a standing AGIA has demonstrated is false.

The Republican Party has an opportunity to recoup congressional seats in the 2010 elections. The Republican Party may be able to reclaim power in Congress and the Presidency in 2012. However, the Republican Party will certainly fail in both opportunities if the pundits keep up the rant that Palin is the Joan of Arc of conservative politics. If they continue to sell this failed politician as something she is not: a conservative.

An intensely ambitious opportunist, yes . . . a conservative, no.

Palin is not Joan of Arc, heroic in her campaign to rid the nation of the socialist big government is best agenda. Palin is the Trojan Horse that will bring down conservatism. She is a false façade or the hollow woman. Tough and glitzy on the outside, but lacking substance on the inside.

There are those pundits and her biographers, such as Confetti, who will claim that a trip to Hong Kong to speak to a bunch of investment bankers give her gravitas and “foreign policy” experience. That this experience gives her authority in foreign affairs and makes her eligible for the Presidency.

Those who were in her government, who had to deal with her, disagree with the pundits. They have seen Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is everything she was criticized for during the gubernatorial campaign. She is merely a place holder, who contributes nothing to the conversation, and makes no decisions. She does not lead; she sits and lets others establish policy, and then rails against those who undermine her policies.

I horror to think of the soap opera this failed governor would bring the office of President of the United States, given the incredible silliness of her focus on absolutely specious ethics complaints. That she spent $500,000 defending herself from such specious partisan interdiction to her governance, and the incredible impact that such had upon her governance should be enough to remove Sarah Palin from anything other than a mouthpiece for the Republican Party.

Sarah had a mandate from the people of Alaska to make an Alaska government that was smaller, more efficient, more responsive, open and transparent, and conservative. She promised much, and did nothing towards those goals. She is a RINO, not a conservative.

Look at her record as Governor of Alaska, short as it was. It speaks for itself.

Sarah Palin is a quitter, nothing more, nothing less. A failed leader, who was only a leader in her own mind.

She does connect with people and she says all the right things. However, that is all that she does or will do for the Republican Party. She is not a leader.

If the Republican Party is to regain power, the party must find another Ronald Reagan that can play to her rhetoric, but who will do as he or she says. Reagan made us feel good about America, but he acted to make his words reality. Sarah Palin will only mouth the words, she will not do the deeds.

Yes, Sarah Palin is a Trojan Horse. She will bring down the Republican Party’s goals in these coming elections and condemn all of us to a new socialist America that will be but a vestige of what it was before Obama, Pelosi and Reid gained power.

We need conservative leaders who will do more than show a pretty face and mouth words. Let Sarah be a lightening rod to liberals, but understand that is all that she is, and keep her out of office. She will turn the elections into a circus of the absurd if she is allowed to be more than just a talking head.

Rights of our Children

Our children have rights.
They have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They have the right to be free to imagine, grow, play, learn, and to expect love, protection and compassion from adults.
Instead, we have abortion, we have NAMBLA, we have lesbian recruiting in our high schools and junior highs, we have NEA prosetlyzing the homosexual lifestyle openly in our schools, and we have an anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-American culture being promoted by our liberal politicians and liberal educators through federal edicts tied to federal funds at the very highest levels of government down to our schools.
We are silent when it comes to child sexual abuse.
We are silent when it comes to physical abuse of children—I mean physical abuse, I don’t mean a swat on the butt for being naughty!
We are silent when sex is promoted to our youngest children as being something that they should be engaging in at an early age.
We are silent when Madison Avenue promotes sex to our kids like candy.
We are silent when the clothes our children wear make them look like a $2 whore or gangbanger.
We are silent when a child speaks filth.
We are silent when a child disrespects an adult.
We are silent when our children kill one another, rape one another, and injure one another.
We are silent when we allow our children to be used by others for crime, to commit murder and mayhem.
What are we conservatives doing?
We are letting it happen.
The only battle line is abortion. The only outcry is for or against abortion.
Our pastors in the pulpits are cowards who mouth words, but fail to find out if their flock is healthy, or diseased, part of the problem, or a potential solution.
We let our politicians lie and steal, yet we say and do nothing.
We let our courts ignore the moral law and practice an unequal application of the secular law when it comes to justice for a child harmed by an adult or another child.
We are such cowards and so morally bankrupt that we cannot protect our children.
One nation under God, justice and liberty for all . . . except for our children.

Open and Transparent does not exist in Alaska's State Gov't

Alaska’s state government has been heavily criticized over the past few years from all sides for a lack of transparency. Criticisms have been made about meetings of the Legislature and the Executive branches held behind closed doors, along with the penchant for the judiciary to hide the crimes of their own.

It is one thing for a candidate to rail about the lack of transparency of the opposition’s administration, then to take office and repeat the same offenses. Sarah Palin railed against Murkowski’s closed door meetings with the oil companies. When she took office, she did the same, including closed door meetings with the Legislature. Sean Parnell’s Administration continues the practice.

What is hidden from we peons is a practice that is an affront to the idea of a constitutional government and the rule of law that is supposed to protect us all. Worse is the damage to the concept of openness in disclosing the machinations of a regime through public disclosure.

The State’s Freedom of Information Act has been compromised along with the disclosure of any document from any branch for any reason by a practice that is so cynical and so abhorrent in its intent so as to make a mockery of the words “open” and “transparent” when referring to an administration’s conduct.

What am I referring to? I am referring to the requirement of the Department of Law to review investigations and documents requested by FOIA under AS 40.25.100-120 and/or any document requested from a State agency for any reason.

The documents which can be refused are defined under AS 40.25.120. Certain aspects for the basis of refusal are a case of “duh” in terms of the obviousness of the need for discretion. However, the State has taken this need to protect its own to a new low.

Documents so reviewed are subject to being redacted, meaning information is changed at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General reviewing the documents in question. One has to wonder how that sets with the courts to received documents so redacted?

Further, why would it be necessary to send any documents not meeting the criterion under AS 40.25.120 to the DOL for review? Every agency in the State has a legal department that should be competent to review the documents in question without subjecting them to further review by then DOL. In imposing this added bar to open and transparent government, an administration can selectively filter anything that it does not want to disclose, and who is the wiser? How do we peons know that DOL actually conducted a review of the documents in question?

Even the courts can be circumvented by this malarkey.

How do I know about this impediment to open and transparent?

I have requested the results from two investigations by the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs into the conduct of a certain appointee of the last two administrations. I am also a subject of those reports and have never been privy to the contents thereof. Yet, DMVA has delayed the disclosure of those reports for months, and when I finally informed them that I wanted to review and then copy as provided for under AS 40.25.100, I was informed that the documents in question would be sent to the DOL for review with respect to AS 40.25.120. How long will this process take? Who knows? It has been months and months for DMVA to disclose the existence of documents that are one year and 4 years old respectively, and still no end in sight as my being able to review a copy of either document.

I had to provide the Director of Administration the author’s name of one of the reports, as this individual indicated that DMVA could not find it. Now, DMVA miraculously found it, and it, with the other report, is allegedly headed to DOL for review, even though DMVA has attorneys on staff.

I firmly believe, and it is a matter of standing precedent, that when one is appointed to a post in an administration by the governor, one is in the public eye. Further, one’s conduct and performance are a matter of public record, and that the results of any investigation are public record. That’s just part of the price for holding one of those well paying political appointee jobs.

In the present case, the subject of the reports was an appointee of both the Murkowski and Palin Administrations and was a good friend of the current Lt. Governor Craig Campbell.

It is too bad that Gov. Sean Parnell cannot see that open and transparent is not withholding lawfully requested documents from one of the subjects of those reports. It sets a dangerous precedent and definitely shows that the Parnell Administration is a mirror of the Palin hypocrisy.

I also discovered this policy also applies to reports made to such agencies as the Office of Children Services that one has made in defense of a minor. If you make a report to OCS in writing, then request a copy of that report at a later date for a court proceeding, you might receive a redacted copy.

CYA should not exist in State government. It is time that such self serving conduct ended. Better the AG’s time be spent on prosecuting the law, than hindering the disclosure of conduct on the part of a state official that might turn out to be embarrassing to an administration or two.

Veterans' Day--Give thanks to our heroes

I am certain that I join Gov. Sean Parnell in expressing the thanks of my family to those serving and those who have served this great country. They are the thin red line that keeps us free and the barbarians from the proverbial gates/

We have vets who have done four tours of one year each, with sailors, Marines and airmen who have done equal time doing six months tours in country. The toll on them and their families is incredible and little appreciated by all too many.

I have seen the scars and wounds some of these young men bear from IEDs and VBEDs. They are simply incredible in the strong, positive manner in which they carry on in the face of their challenge in this life.

We owe them all a debt of gratitude that those safe and warm, who have never really been inconvenienced by this war, or any war, cannot appreciate, because of our inability to fully relate to their sacrifice.

The heat, sand, dust, rain, cold, snow, the itching from sweat, being rubbed raw by straps and equipment, blisters, lack of sleep, aching muscles, stink of unwashed bodies, insects, putting up with equipment and gear that is war weary, that fear in the pit of your stomach, and the adrenaline surge of the fight that cannot be imagined by those safe and warm back in the world of the good old U.S.A.—except where the gangbangers play and induce fear. The horror and sense of loss of one of your own who has fallen.

These guys and gals fight for their own, their sense of honor and duty will not let them fail their buddies. They go back in harms way time and again for their friends and comrades, not to cop out, not to let them down; to be there for them.

Then, there are the families. Those who are now Gold Star families who lost their loved one. Their sacrifice ongoing. That pain will never diminish. And, those whose loved one is damaged physically beyond our current medical technology to fix, and those damaged mentally from what they’ve seen and done. The families of those who go again and again in harms way who live that not knowing every day and who worry, but who themselves soldier on for their loved one.

Then, there is the damage to the families, those who divorce for whatever reason; too long away, one day too many of not knowing, of feeling that the unit comes first over the family, on and on. We know that situation all too well.

The greatest generation is not dead. They are wearing the uniform of the Untied States military. The best and greatest military fielded by any nation at any time in any age.

Our children have heroes as role models. All they have to do is to look up at the aircraft protecting our skies and hauling needed supplies to the troops; the grey ships on the world’s seas, and the bright red and white Coasties in our coastal waters and around the world; to look as far their next door neighbor with the “high and tight” haircut who stands tall in uniform; to the young man or woman in the wheel chair or in a hospital bed in a VA hospital; or to just look as far as mommy and/or daddy, brother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, grandma and grandpa and great grandma and great grandpa.

That old man who shuffles along with bent back might have been a young Marine witness to Tarawa’s and Saipan’s horrors, a young Ranger or Paratrooper who survived D-Day when too many of their comrades did not, did the attack to the rear from the frozen Chosin; the old woman who might have been a nurse or a mechanic, or a pilot flying aircraft to the war theaters all over the world; or the grandma who was a nurse when the VC breached the wire and got as far as the field hospital. You don’t know until you ask.

Thank a vet and those in uniform for their service and sacrifice. Remember not to forget to tell them to thank their families on your behalf for their sacrifice, too.

May God bless our service men and women and our vets and protect those in harms way in far off lands.

The petition for the rights of the unborn

A national movement has finally hit Alaska. This movement seeks to extend Constitution protection to the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to the unborn. Given former Governor Sarah Palin’s avowed pro-life stance, one wonders if Governor Sean Parnell will add his voice in support of this initiative?

Thus far, Parnell has stood firm on Palin’s policies and even moved forward with a few of his own. Parnell has strongly advocated support for education by promoting an educational policy that would give those with a B average a choice of college or a technical vocational school. He has supported increasing the Village Public Safety Officer program, encouraging increased recruitment to fill vacancies in the program. He also called for increasing the Alaska State Trooper presence to an additional 2 troopers in Bethel, a regional hub, an additional 2 troopers in Nome and one in Nome. At the AFN convention, he also called for increased education along with increased enforcement to curb the endemic of violence and sexual abuse in the villages. Parnell has also called for increasing tax credits to the tourism industry to try to stimulate that sector of the economy. Unlike Sarah Palin, his predecessor, Parnell has yet to speak out on the issue of whether or not the State should be in the business of killing babies in the womb.

The impact of this initiative would raise the awareness that sex has consequences. At present, the female under U.S. law may abort a pregnancy, even if her spouse or male partner disagrees with that decision. Statutory rape in many cases of minor pregnancies goes unreported, as Planned Parenthood, which opposes this initiative, has time and again ignored the law in such matters, counseling always to abort the unborn in such cases. Never once, counseling to prosecute for the abuse and victimization of the minor female.

Statistically, it is rare for a 13 year old girl to be impregnated by having sex with a minor male. The male’s age in such cases seems to run from 18 to 42, with the average age of those males victimizing young girls being in the 20s to early 30s. Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, that icon of the ACLU, has advocated that the age of consent for females be lowered to 12.

This victimization of the underaged female, and the failure of society to remark or to react with condemnation point to the success of the goal of the liberals who want to use our children for sex toys. This success is marked by the revealing clothes young girls wear, MTV, the ever younger indoctrination of our young in public schools about sex and alternative lifestyles, and the advertizing and music that they are inundated with. The exploitation and current depravity of Britney Spears is heralded as a role model for young girls. In schools, girls display colored bands to denote what they are willing to do or what they have done sexually.

Abortion is part of the desensitization of society to the taboos associated with how we view and treat our young, subject to our individual and societal moral compass. Which compass is usually a product of exposure to religion at some point or another. After all, we term our system of religion and law Judeo-Christian.

The homosexual agenda shares in the goal of the liberal establishment that seeks to breakdown morality and the family to accomplish recruitment for casual sex at ever younger ages. One of the most notable examples is the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), supported by Kevin Jennings, President Obama's director of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS).

Another byproduct of abortion is the current illegal migrant worker situation. These are foreign nationals that are in the U.S. illegally, who are taking jobs, benefits and resources that are rightfully the purview of the naturalized U.S. citizen and their children. Abortion has created the demand for labor by terminating approximately 45 million Americans before birth, too many in the last trimester of the reproductive process. We have killed those before they are born who would otherwise be there to replace an aging and diminishing U.S. workforce.

Abortion has created paradoxes in our law that has resulted in the paradox of those who kill the unborn being hailed by the liberal establishment as heroes. On the other hand, the unborn who is considered viable, but killed in a car wreck caused by a drunk driver becomes a victim and subject to the protection of the law as a count of manslaughter or second degree murder.

Our governor could define his moral compass to the Alaska public by speaking in support of this initiative. Let us hope that he does so in the near future.

Alaska's Congressional Delegation Votes with the libs

The “hate crimes” rider to the defense appropriations bill just passed had the votes of Alaska’s entire congressional delegation.

Yes, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, two staunch, conservative Republicans voted with the pack, rather than voice their disapproval of this dirty trick by the Reid Senate and the Pelosi House. Of course, Sen. Mark Begich voted with his party to further establish homosexuals as a “protected” class under a system of law that was supposed to be based upon the fact that none stand above any other.

Granted, the defense appropriations bill was important, even though it was cut $2.6 billion by Pelosi and Reid to build monuments to Teddy Kennedy and to payback the party faithful in ear marks. That $2.6 billion was pretty important to our troops. For that reason alone, the bill should have been rejected.

That money was out of the budget for ammunition, weapons, training, and equipment for the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. Money taken from our troops and put in the pockets of cronies. Money needed for spares and more helicopters, especially CH-47 Chinooks that can operate above 14,000ft, the current ceiling limitation of the H60 Blackhawks used by the Army and Hueys of the USMC.

Meanwhile, in our Congress, the priority is keep pedophiles and homosexuals from being offended by heterosexuals. Once again the liberal congress and Alaska’s congressional delegation said to Hell with our troops and their needs. Why, the egos of this evolutionary dead end faction of our society takes precedent over the welfare of our troops in harms way.

I cannot express my contempt.

Politicians disgust me. They are such cowards. And, liberals have such strange, and perverse priorities.

Another Gold Star Family
Today, Alaska has another Gold Star family. An Alaskan was killed in service to his country yesterday. CPL Gregory M. W. Fleury died when a UH-1N and a AH1W Sea Cobra collided in mid air yesterday in Helmand Province Afghanistan while supporting a DEA drug interdiction mission. CPL Fleury, USMC, was a 2005 graduate of Service High School in Anchorage, Alaska.

Another Marine is on duty in Heaven.

Please pray for this young man’s family.

The Stimulus and Alaska jobs

It was recently reported in the ADN that approximately 287 jobs had been saved by the Stimulus Funds received by the State . . . Alaska has about 135,000 employed. That works out to .2% of Alaska's workforce.

In September of last year, there were 2,000 more Alaskans working than in September of this year.

What happened between last year and this year that could have contributed to this decline in jobs?

Obama and a democrat majority in the House and Senate.

America, figure it out next election or we will be greeting each other with the honorific "comrade!".

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

On 18 August, 2008, near Sarobi, Afghanistan, 10 French soldiers were killed. They had recently taken over security for the area from the Italian contingent to NATO for OEF.

The London Times is reporting a disturbing discovery. The Times alleges that the Italians were bribing the Taleban to keep them from attacking Italian construction crews and Italian troops in the area. This is an outrageous conduct on the part of one of NATO’s longest standing members.

The allegations claim that the French had no idea of the bribery to keep Italian troops safe before taking over security duties for the area. When the French troops took over, they were hit hard. The French troops thought they had inherited a relatively quiet area from the Italian’s experience there.

This is a very serious situation. NATO cannot have each contributing country making separate deals with the enemy to keep them from attacking their troops. That is simply traitorous in its scope and intent. Such conduct frees up the Taleban resources in that area for use against the rest of NATO’s forces fighting in their areas to rid Afghanistan of the Taleban’s insanity.

Surely the Italians realized that the monies paid would be used to buy arms and IED components to use against their brothers in arms?

An investigation needs to be undertaken at the highest levels of government. If Italy had a policy to bribe the enemy, then Italy should be forced to pay reparations for all NATO troops killed and wounded during the period their troops were protected by bribes to the enemy. Further, whomever authorized this policy should face trial as a traitor, and be imprisoned for life. Any Italian military who were aware of this policy should face courts martial, and imprisoned for their dishonorable conduct. One cannot fight a war in which one’s trusted allies are buying off the enemy.

Worse to me, as reported in the Washington Times, is the fact that our government has taken $2,600,000,000 ($2.6B) from our military budget that was to be used to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, it was reappropriated to feel good projects, such as a Teddy Kennedy Educational Institute for $20,000,000. How much ammunition, equipment, medical supplies, helicopters and spares parts for helicopters could this money have purchased?

On the one hand, we have the Italians bribing the big bad Taleban to leave their troops unharmed. On the other, we have the Obama Administration and its socialist Congress stealing from the defense budget to pay off special interests.

Anyone with a loved one in the military should contact their congressman and the Obama Administration and demand they restore the soldiers’ funding. Cutting the military’s ability to support our troops is simply insane. In that vein, the Italians’ duplicity and the Obama Administration’s failure to support our troops serve the same purpose. This conduct degrades NATO’s ability to wage a war and gives the enemy comfort and solace in the knowledge that the Western governments lack the will to see the conflict through.

How long before the radical Muslim element gets lucky and we are hit again, as on 9-11? Not as if they are not trying, given the recent revelations about CAIR and its association with HAMAS, and the conspiracies broken up by the FBI.

Yet, Obama/Pelosi/Reid et al are going hell bent for leather to establish the U.S. as a socialist state while short sheeting our troops in the field. It can be said that the Italians were just trying to mitigate casualties and avoid controversy at home. By cutting money out of the budget intended for necessary supplies and training, Obama et al have acted with open eyes to endanger our troops in a time of war.

Trying to cheat ATG vets

UPDATE: The U.S. Senate passed a new military appropriations bill including a provision that will allow ATG service to be counted towards the 20 year total federal military service pension requirements. Of the 600 former ATG soldiers still alive, only 26 were eligible. The 26 had enough regular military and reserve time for their ATG time to count towards the 20 years.

The Obama Administration is now showing the liberal contempt for those who served.
In WWII, Alaska was the only U.S. territory occupied by a foreign power.

In the early days of the war, a group of volunteers were organized into the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) to patrol, protect and serve Alaska. The ATG comprised 6,600 men from 1942 to 1947, the year it was disbanded. The ATG patch is still worn today by the Alaska State Defense Force.

Alaska at the time was a territory, not a State. A distinction seemingly not understood by the Obama Administration.

Under COL Muktuk Marston, these men patrolled Alaska's coasts, broke trails, and did construction work for the U.S. war effort, and served to protect Alaska.

The pension issue arrises over the recognition by the federal goverment that the time served in the ATG counts as military time towards one's 20 year service requirement to collect a pension. For the remaining 26 men, now 25, as one died while this was being prepared, this recognition was bittersweet victory after so many years of not being recognized.

The DOD agreed that these men would receive military pensions starting this year, with the State of Alaska picking up the initial few months until the federal payments began. The Palin Administration went to bat for these veterans and achieved recognition by DOD for their service. Unfortunately, Pres. Obama's Administration reversed its decision and renegged on the earlier decision.

Like the Statehood Compact, ANILCA, and so many other examples of the federal government going back on its word or simply ignoring its promises to Alaskans, once again, Alaskans get the short end of the stick.

Those on active duty with the United States military need to pay heed to what happened to Alaska's ATG veterans.

What part of will of the people do not our elected officials understand ?

The election of 2002 saw the creation by the will of the people of an entity that is unique among the State’s agencies, boards and authorities. Something since ignored by former Governor Frank Murkowski, former Governor Sarah Palin, and now Governor Sean Parnell and the members of those legislators holding office from 2002 to the present. That something was the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority (ANGDA).

Let me remind you what we created. I have excerpted the relevant parts that remind us just exactly what we created this authority to accomplish and why it was created. Note the references to the looming Cook Inlet crisis.

You can find the following at http://www.elections.alaska.gov/petitions/01gsln.htm

“Petition ID: 01GSLN: The All-Alaskan Gasline Initiative:An Act establishing the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, to maximize revenues for Alaska and jobs and gas for Alaskans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:“. . . FINDINGS AND INTENT.
(a) The people find that
1. The Phillips-Marathon liquefaction facility at Nikiski has been supplying Cook Inlet natural gas to Japan and Southcentral Alaska at great profit and without interruption since 1969;
Cook Inlet gas supplies are dwindling rapidly with shortfalls anticipated as early as the winter of 2003;
2. Alaska's North Slope contains vast proven reserves of natural gas that have been known for at least 25 years but have never been developed;
3. these gas resources have never been offered for sale, because there has been no way to transport them to market;
4. multiple markets in North America and Asia have recently expressed an interest in receiving a proposal from Alaska for the purchase of Alaska gas;
5. if developed, these natural gas resources could represent substantial economic benefits to Alaskans in jobs, state revenue, and gas for Alaska citizens and businesses;
the major North slope leaseholders have competing gas reserves in other parts of the world vying for the same markets, creating a conflict of interest for them in advancing the sales of Alaska gas;
6. the North slope Producers agreed in 1991 to strand North Slope gas until at least 2005;
given the producer's conflicts of interest and their historic refusal to make North Slope natural gas available it may be necessary to take the gas back;
the permits necessary for an Alaskan gasline project have been pledged to the Alaska Natural 7. Gas Development Authority, operating as a port authority, to facilitate the development of the project;
8. there is sufficient gas for an all-Alaskan gasline project;
9. the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority offers substantial tax benefits that improve the economics of a gasline project;
10. state ownership of the pipeline and associated facilities has the potential to provide substantial revenues to the state and the Alaska Permanent Fund; and
11. Alaska's constitution requires that Alaska's resources are developed, utilized, and conserved for the maximum benefit of Alaska's people.
12. an all-Alaskan gasline maximizes jobs for Alaskans, revenues for the Alaskan treasury, and access to gas for Alaskans.
(b) It is the intent of this Act to create the All-Alaskan Natural Gas Development Authority for the purpose of developing, constructing, managing, and operating a gas pipeline from the North Slope of Alaska and a spur line to the Southcentral Alaska natural gas distribution grid.”

What was the anticipated completion date of ANGDA’s project?

”1. The goal of the authority is to have the Alaskan gas line in full production by 2007.”

Had ANGDA’s mission been executed upon, Alaska and Alaskans would be enjoying revenues from 2 bcf per day of gas exported to Asia at $10 mmbtus, with the jobs, infrastructure and industry from the pipeline, LNG trains, Valdez port improvements and the gas liquids to further enhance and buffer Alaska’s economy from the stupidity in Washington, D.C. Instead, we face rolling blackouts this winter, and a slowing economy.

Remember this disrespect shown our will by our elected officials in Juneau.

SARAH PALIN, SEAN PARNELL, AND FRANK MURKOWSKI:

WHAT PART OF THE FOLLOWING WERE YOU UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND? WHY HAS THIS PIPELINE NOT BEEN BUILT!!!!!

http://www.elections.alaska.gov/petitions/01gsln.htm

INITIATIVE PETITION BILL LANGUAGE

by Petition Sponsors

Petition ID: 01GSLN

The All-Alaskan Gasline Initiative:An Act establishing the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority,to maximize revenues for Alaska and jobs and gas for AlaskansPosted 9/20/01

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The people find that
1. The Phillips-Marathon liquefaction facility at Nikiski has been supplying Cook Inlet natural gas to Japan and Southcentral Alaska at great profit and without interruption since 1969;
2. Cook Inlet gas supplies are dwindling rapidly with shortfalls anticipated as early as the winter of 2003;
3. Alaska's North Slope contains vast proven reserves of natural gas that have been known for at least 25 years but have never been developed;
4. these gas resources have never been offered for sale, because there has been no way to transport them to market;
5. multiple markets in North America and Asia have recently expressed an interest in receiving a proposal from Alaska for the purchase of Alaska gas;
6. if developed, these natural gas resources could represent substantial economic benefits to Alaskans in jobs, state revenue, and gas for Alaska citizens and businesses;
7. the major North slope leaseholders have competing gas reserves in other parts of the world vying for the same markets, creating a conflict of interest for them in advancing the sales of Alaska gas;
8. the North slope Producers agreed in 1991 to strand North Slope gas until at least 2005;
9. given the producer's conflicts of interest and their historic refusal to make North Slope natural gas available it may be necessary to take the gas back;
10. the permits necessary for an Alaskan gasline project have been pledged to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, operating as a port authority, to facilitate the development of the project;
11. there is sufficient gas for an all-Alaskan gasline project;
12. the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority offers substantial tax benefits that improve the economics of a gasline project;
13. state ownership of the pipeline and associated facilities has the potential to provide substantial revenues to the state and the Alaska Permanent Fund; and
14. Alaska's constitution requires that Alaska's resources are developed, utilized, and conserved for the maximum benefit of Alaska's people.
15. an all-Alaskan gasline maximizes jobs for Alaskans, revenues for the Alaskan treasury, and access to gas for Alaskans.

(b) It is the intent of this Act to create the All-Alaskan Natural Gas Development Authority for the purpose of developing, constructing, managing, and operating a gas pipeline from the North Slope of Alaska and a spur line to the Southcentral Alaska natural gas distribution grid.

*Sec. 2. AS 41 is amended by adding a new chapter to read:

Chapter 41. Alaskan Natural Gas Development Authority.Article 1. Establishment of the Authority.

Sec. 41.41.010. Establishment of the authority. (a) There is established the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, the purpose of which is to provide one or more of the following services and functions in order to bring natural gas from the North Slope to market, including
1. the acquisition and conditioning of North Slope natural gas;
2. the design and construction of the pipeline system;
3. the operation and maintenance of the pipeline system;
4. the design, construction, operation, of other facilities necessary for delivering the gas to market and to Southcentral Alaska; and
5. the acquisition of natural gas market share sufficient to ensure the long-term feasibility of the pipeline system project.

(b) The authority is a public corporation and an instrumentality of the state within the Department of Revenue.

(c) The authority has a legal existence independent of and separate from the state.

(d) The acquisition of natural gas from the North Slope and its delivery to tidewater for shipment to market by the authority is an essential government function of the state.

(e) The authority may not be terminated as long as it has bonds, notes, or other obligations outstanding.

Sec. 41.41.020. Authority governing body.

(a) The authority shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of seven members from the general public appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature.

(b) The board shall annually elect a chair, and may elect other officers, from among its members.

Sec. 41.41.030. Term of office.

(a) The members of the board shall be appointed for terms of three years, and they may be reappointed.

(b) The terms of the members shall be staggered.

Sec. 41.41.040. Removal and vacancies.

(a) The governor may remove a member of the board from office. A removal must be in writing and must state the reason for the removal. A member who is removed may not participate in board business and may not be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum after the member receives written notice of removal. A member who is removed is not entitled to honoraria, per diem, or travel expenses authorized under AS 41.41.060 for work performed after the member receives the written notice of removal.

(b) The governor shall promptly fill a vacancy on the board by appointment. An appointee to a vacancy shall hold office for the balance of the term for which the appointee's predecessor on the board was appointed.

(c) A vacancy on the board does not impair the authority of a quorum of the board to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of the board.

Sec. 41.41.050. Quorum and voting. Four members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the exercise of the powers and duties of the board. Action may be taken only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the board.

Sec. 41.41.060. Compensation of board members;

per diem and travel expenses. Members of the board are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180.

Sec. 41.41.070. Authority staff.

(a) The board may employ and determine the salary of a chief executive officer.

(b) The chief executive officer may, with the approval of the board, select and employ additional staff as necessary.

(c) An employee of the authority, including the chief executive officer, may not be a member of the board. The chief executive officer and the other employees of the board are in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110.

(d) In addition to its employees, the authority may contract for and engage the services of bond counsel, consultants, experts, and financial advisors the corporation considers necessary for the purpose of developing information, furnishing advice, or conducting studies, investigations, hearings, or other proceedings.

Sec. 41.41.080. Legal counsel. The attorney general
1. is the legal counsel for the authority;
2. shall advise the authority in legal matters; and
3. shall represent the authority in legal actions.Sec. 41.41.090. Conflicts of interest.

(a) Members of the board and the chief executive officer of the authority are subject to the provisions of AS 39.50.

(b) If a member of the board or an employee of the authority acquires, owns, or controls an interest, direct of indirect, in an entity or project in which assets of the authority are invested, the member shall immediately disclose the interest to the board. The disclosure is a matter of public record and shall be included in the minutes of the first board meeting following the disclosure.

Sec. 41.41.100. Budget.

The revenue earned by operations of the authority must be identified as the source of the operating budget of the authority in the state's operating budget under AS 37.07 (Executive Budget Act).

Sec. 41.41.110. Audits.

The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee may provide for an annual post audit and annual operational and performance evaluations of the authority's operations and budget.

Sec. 41.41.120. Reports and publications.

(a) By September 30 of each year, the board shall publish a report of the authority for distribution to the governor and the public. The board shall notify the legislature that the report is available.

(b) The report must include financial statements audited by independent outside auditors and a statement of the amount of money received by the authority from its operations during the period covered.

Sec. 41.41.130. Tax exemption.

The security instruments issued by the authority, the transfer of the security instruments, and the income on the security instruments are exempt from all taxes and assessments in the state.

Sec. 41.41.140. Political activities.

The resources of the authority may not be used to finance or influence political activities.

Sec 41.41.150. Public access to information.

(a) Information in the possession of the authority is a public record, except that information that discloses the particulars of the business or affairs of a private enterprise or investor is confidential and is not a public record for purposes of AS 40.25.110 - 40.25.140. Confidential information may be disclosed only for the purposes of an official law enforcement investigation or when its production is required in a court proceeding.

(b) The restrictions of (a) of this section do not prohibit the publication of statistics presented in a manner that prevents the identification of particular reports, items, persons, or enterprises.
Article 2. Powers of the Authority.

Sec. 41.41.200. Powers of the authority.

In furtherance of its corporate purposes, in addition to its other powers, the authority may
1. sue and be sued;
2. adopt a seal;
3. adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws and regulations;
4. make and execute contracts and other instruments;
5. in its own name acquire property, lease, rent, convey, or acquire real and personal property; a project site or part of a project site may be acquired by eminent domain;
6. acquire natural gas supplies;
7. issue bonds and otherwise incur indebtedness in accordance with AS 41.41.300 - 41.41.410 in order to pay the cost of a project;
8. accept gifts, grants, or loans from and enter into contracts or other transactions regarding gifts, grants, or loans with a federal agency or an agency or instrumentality of the state, a municipality, private organization, or other source;
9. enter into contracts or agreements with a federal agency, agency or instrumentality of the state, municipality, or public or private individual or entity, with respect to the exercise of its powers;
10. charge fees or other forms of remuneration for the use of authority properties and facilities;
11. defend and indemnify a current or former member of the board or an employee or agent of the authority against the costs, expenses, judgments, and liabilities as a result of actions taken in good faith on behalf of the authority; and
12. purchase insurance to protect its assets, services, and employees against liabilities that may arise from authority operations and activities.

Article 3. Revenue Bonds and Notes.

Sec. 41.41.300. Bonds and notes of the authority.

(a) The authority, by resolution, may issue revenue bonds and bond anticipation notes in order to provide funds to carry out the purposes set out in AS 41.41.010(a).

(b) The principal and interest on the revenue bonds or notes authorized and issued under (a) of this section are payable from authority funds. Bond anticipation notes may be payable from the proceeds of the sale of bonds or from the proceeds of the sale of other bond anticipation notes or, in the event bond or bond anticipation note proceeds are not available, the notes may be paid from other funds or assets of the authority.

(c) Bonds or notes may be additionally secured by a pledge of a grant or contribution from the federal government, or a corporation, association, institution, or person, or a pledge of money, income, or revenues of the authority from any source.

(d) Bonds or bond anticipation notes of the authority may be issued in one or more series and shall be dated, bear interest at the rate or rates per year or within the maximum rate, be in the denomination, be in the form, either coupon or registered, carry the conversion or registration provisions, have the rank or priority, be executed in the manner and form, be payable at the times, from the sources, and in the medium of payment and place or places within or outside the state, be subject to authentication by a trustee or fiscal agent, and be subject to the terms of redemption with or without premium, as the resolution of the authority may provide. Bond anticipation notes shall mature at the time or times that are determined by the authority. Bonds shall mature at a time not exceeding a number of years from their date that is determined by the authority. Before the preparation of definitive bonds or bond anticipation notes, the authority may issue interim receipts or temporary bonds or bond anticipation notes, with or without coupons, exchangeable for bonds or bond anticipation notes when these definitive bonds or bond anticipation notes have been executed and are available for delivery.

(e) Bonds or bond anticipation notes may be sold in the manner and on the terms the authority determines.

(f) If an officer whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature appears on a bond, note, or coupon attached to them ceases to be an officer before the delivery of the bond, note, or coupon, the signature or facsimile is valid to the same extent as if the officer had remained in office until delivery.

Sec. 41.41.310. Covenants.

In a resolution of the authority authorizing or relating to the issuance of bonds or bond anticipation notes, the authority has power by provisions in the resolution that will constitute covenants of the authority and contracts with the holders of the bonds or bond anticipation notes to

1. pledge to a payment or purpose all or a part of its revenues to which its right then exists or may thereafter come into existence, and the money derived from the revenues, and the proceeds of bonds or notes;
2. covenant as to the use and disposition of payments of principal or interest received by the authority on loans or other investments held by the authority;
3. covenant as to establishment of reserves or sinking funds and the making of provision for and the regulation and disposition of the reserves or sinking funds;
4. covenant with respect to or against limitations on a right to sell or otherwise dispose of property of any kind;
5. covenant as to bonds and notes to be issued, and their limitations, terms, and conditions, and as to the custody, application, and disposition of the proceeds of the bonds and notes;
6. covenant as to the issuance of additional bonds or notes, or as to limitations on the issuance of additional bonds or notes and the incurring of other debts;
7. covenant as to the payment of the principal of or interest on the bonds or notes, as to the sources and methods of the payment, as to the rank or priority of the bonds or notes with respect to a lien or security, or as to the acceleration of the maturity of the bonds or notes;
8. for the replacement of lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated bonds or notes;
9. covenant as to the redemption of bonds or notes and privileges of their exchange for other bonds or notes of the authority;
10. covenant to create or authorize the creation of special funds of money to be held in pledge or otherwise for operating expenses, payment or redemption of bonds or notes, reserves, or other purposes;
11. establish the procedure, if any, by which the terms of a contract or covenant with or for the benefit of the holders of bonds or notes may be amended or abrogated, the amount of bonds or notes the holders of which must consent to amendment or abrogation, and the manner in which the consent may be given;
12. covenant as to the custody of property or investments, their safekeeping and insurance, and the use and disposition of insurance money;
13. agree with a corporate trustee that may be a trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or outside the state as to the pledging or assigning of revenue or funds to which or in which the authority has rights or an interest; the agreement may further provide for other rights and remedies exercisable by the trustee as may be proper for the protection of the holders of a bond or note of the authority and not otherwise in violation of law and may provide for the restriction of the rights of an individual holder of bonds or notes of the authority;
14. appoint and provide for the duties and obligations of a paying agent or paying agents or other fiduciaries as the resolution may provide within or outside the state;
15. limit the rights of the holders of a bond or note to enforce a pledge or covenant securing the bonds or notes;
16. make covenants other than and in addition to the covenants expressly authorized in this section of like or different character, and to make covenants to do or refrain from doing acts and things as may be necessary or convenient and desirable in order to better secure bonds or notes or that, in the absolute discretion of the authority, will tend to make bonds or notes more marketable, notwithstanding that the covenants, acts, or things may not be enumerated in this section.

Sec. 41.41.320. Limitations of issuance of bonds.

(a) The authority may not issue bonds in an amount that exceeds the amount of bonds authorized to be issued by the legislature.

(b) This section does not apply to the issuance by the authority of refunding bonds or to the issuance by the authority of bonds the proceeds of which are intended to be used to refinance the loans held by the authority.

Sec. 41.41.330. Independent financial advisor.

In negotiating the private sale of bonds or bond anticipation notes to an underwriter, the authority may retain a financial advisor. A financial advisor retained under this section must be independent from the underwriter.

Sec. 41.41.340. Validity of pledge.

(a) The pledge of assets or revenue of the authority to the payment of the principal or interest on an obligation of the authority is valid and binding from the time the pledge is made, and the assets or revenue become immediately subject to the lien of the pledge without physical delivery or further act. The lien of a pledge is valid and binding against all parties having claims in tort, contract, or otherwise against the authority, irrespective of whether those parties have notice of the lien of the pledge.

(b) This section does not prohibit the authority from selling assets subject to a pledge, except that a sale may be restricted by the trust agreement or resolution providing for the issuance of the obligations.

Sec. 41.41.350. Capital reserve funds.

(a) For the purpose of securing one or more issues of its obligations, the authority may establish one or more special funds, called "capital reserve funds," and shall pay into those capital reserve funds

(1) money appropriated and made available by the state for the purpose of those funds,

(2) proceeds of the sale of its obligations, to the extent provided in the resolution or resolutions of the authority authorizing their issuance, and

(3) other money that may be made available to the authority for the purpose of those funds from another source. All money held in a capital reserve fund, except as provided in this section, shall, subject to appropriation, be used as required solely for the payment of the principal of obligations or of the sinking fund payments with respect to those obligations; the purchase or redemption of obligations; the payment of interest on obligations; or the payment of a redemption premium required to be paid when those obligations are redeemed before maturity. However, money in a fund may not be withdrawn from that fund at any time in an amount that would reduce the amount of that fund to less than the capital reserve requirement set out in (b) of this section, except for the purpose of making, with respect to those obligations, payment, when due, of principal, interest, redemption premiums, and the sinking fund payments for the payment of which other money of the authority is not available. Income or interest earned by, or increment to, a capital reserve fund due to the investment of the fund or other amounts in it may be transferred by the authority to other funds or accounts of the authority to the extent that the transfer does not reduce the amount of the capital reserve fund below the capital reserve fund requirement.

(b) If the authority decides to issue obligations secured by a capital reserve fund, the obligations may not be issued if the amount in the capital reserve fund is less than a percent, not exceeding 10 percent, of the principal amount of all of those obligations secured by that capital reserve fund then to be issued and then outstanding in accordance with their terms, as may be established by resolution of the authority, called the "capital reserve fund requirement," unless the authority, at the time of issuance of the obligations, deposits in the capital reserve fund from the proceeds of the obligations to be issued or from other sources an amount that, together with the amount then in the fund, will not be less than the capital reserve fund requirement.

(c) In computing the amount of a capital reserve fund for the purpose of this section, securities in which all or a portion of the funds are invested shall be valued at par or, if purchased at less than par, at amortized costs as the term is defined by resolution of the authority authorizing the issue of the obligations or by some other reasonable method established by the authority by resolution. Valuation on a particular date must include the amount of interest earned or accrued to that date.

(d) To assure the continued operation and solvency of the authority for the carrying out of its corporate purposes, provision is made in (a) of this section for the accumulation in capital reserve funds of an amount equal to their capital reserve fund requirement.

(e) The chair of the authority shall annually, not later than January 2, make and deliver to the governor and chairs of the house and senate finance committees a certificate stating the sum, if any, required to restore a capital reserve fund to the capital reserve fund requirement. The legislature may appropriate that sum, and all sums appropriated during the current fiscal year by the legislature for the restoration shall be deposited by the authority in the appropriate capital reserve fund.

(f) This section does not create a debt or liability of the state.

Sec. 41.41.360. Remedies.

A holder of obligations or coupons attached to them issued under the provisions of this chapter, and a trustee under a trust agreement or resolution authorizing the issuance of the obligations, except as restricted by a trust agreement or resolution, either at law or in equity, may enforce all rights granted hereunder or under the trust agreement or resolution, or under another contract executed by the authority under this chapter, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this chapter or by the trust agreement or resolution to be performed by the authority or by an officer of it.

Sec. 41.41.370. Negotiable instruments.

All obligations and interest coupons attached to them are negotiable instruments under the laws of this state, subject only to applicable provisions for registration.

Sec. 41.41.380. Obligations eligible for investment.

Obligations issued under the provisions of this chapter are securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the state and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies, trust companies, banking associations, investment companies, executors, administrators, trustees, and other fiduciaries may properly and legally invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them. These obligations may be deposited with a state or municipal officer of an agency or political subdivision of the state for a purpose for which the deposit of bonds, notes, or obligations of the state is authorized by law.

Sec. 41.41.390. Refunding bonds.

(a) The authority may provide for the issuance of refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding an obligation then outstanding that has been issued under the provisions of this chapter, including the payment of redemption premium on them and interest accrued or to accrue to the date of redemption of the obligations. The issuance of the bonds, the maturities and other details of them, the rights of the holders of them, and the rights, duties, and obligations of the authority in respect of them are governed by the provisions of this chapter that relate to the issuance of obligations insofar as those provisions may be appropriate.

(b) Refunding bonds may be sold or exchanged for outstanding bonds issued under this chapter, and, if sold, the proceeds may be applied, subject to appropriation and in addition to another authorized purpose, to the purchase, redemption, or payment of the outstanding obligations. Pending the application of the proceeds of refunding bonds, with any other available funds, to the payment of the principal, accrued interest, and redemption premium on the obligations being refunded, and, if so provided or permitted in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the refunding bonds or in the trust agreement securing them, to the payment of any interest on the refunding bonds and expenses in connection with the refunding, the proceeds may be invested in direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and the interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States that mature or that will be subject to redemption, at the option of the holders of them, not later than the respective dates when the proceeds, together with the interest accruing on them, will be required for the purposes intended.

Sec. 41.41.400. Credit of state not pledged.

(a) Obligations issued under the provisions of this chapter do not constitute a debt, liability, or obligation of the state or of a political subdivision of the state or a pledge of the faith and credit of the state or of a political subdivision of the state but are payable solely from the revenue or assets of the authority. Each obligation issued under this chapter must contain on its face a statement that the authority is not obligated to pay it or the interest on it except from the revenue or assets of the authority and that neither the faith and credit not the taxing power of the state or of a political subdivision of the state is pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on the obligation.

(b) Expenses incurred by the authority in carrying out the provisions of this chapter are payable from funds provided under this chapter, and liability may not be incurred by the authority in excess of these funds.

Sec. 41.41.410. Officers not liable.

A member or other officer of the authority is not subject to personal liability or accountability by reason of having executed or issued an obligation.

Article 4. Property of the Authority.

Sec. 41.41.450. Property of the authority.

The authority may acquire, by purchase, lease, or gift, upon terms that it considers proper, land, structures, real or personal property rights, rights-of-way, franchises, easements, and other interests in land it considers necessary or convenient for the financing of the project or a part of the project.

Article 5. Project Construction.

Sec. 41.41.500. Contract terms relating to use of Alaska resources.

(a) The authority shall enter into one or more prehire project term agreements with labor organizations that

(1) contain no-strike clauses; and

(2) secure timely completion of the project and maximum employment opportunities for state residents.

(b) To maximize the economic benefits of the project to Alaskan businesses, the authority shall use Alaska contractors and suppliers to the maximum extent possible to take advantage of the Alaska experience in Arctic engineering and construction.

Article 6. General Provisions.

Sec. 41.41.900. Tax exemption. All obligations issued under this chapter are declared to be issued by a body corporate and public of the state and for an essential public and governmental purpose, and the obligations, and the interest and income on and from the obligations, and all fees, charges, funds, revenues, income, and other money pledged or available to pay or secure the payment of the obligations, or interest on the obligations, are exempt from state taxation except for transfer, inheritance, and estate taxes.

Sec. 41.41.990. Definitions. In this chapter,
1. "authority" means the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority;
2. "board" means the board of directors of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority;
3. "project" means the gas transmission pipeline, together with all related property and facilities, to extend from the Prudhoe Bay area on the North Slope of Alaska to tidewater at a point on Prince William Sound and the spur line from Glennallen to the Southcentral gas distribution grid, and includes planning, design, and construction of the pipeline and facilities as described in AS 41.41.010(a)(1) - (5).

*Sec. 3. AS 39.25.110(11) is amended by adding a new subparagraph to read:
(G) Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority;

*Sec. 4. AS 39.50.200(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:
(57) the board of directors and chief executive officer of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority (AS 41.41.020).

*Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:
DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT PLAN. Not later than one year after the first meeting of the board of directors of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, the board shall produce a development plan. The development plan must include
1. estimates of construction costs and timelines;
2. gas procurement prices;
3. use of the state's royalty gas;
4. estimates of revenue to the general fund and the Alaska permanent fund;
5. a revenue sharing plan with municipal governments;
6. a plan for delivery and pricing of natural gas to communities along the pipeline route and to Southcentral Alaska through a spur line;
7. a plan for delivery and pricing of LNG to Yukon River and coastal communities;
8. a payment schedule to companies providing permits or other valuable assets;
9. a marketing plan to approach potential buyers;
10. a plan to maximize Alaskan hire, including project labor agreements; and
11. a plan to ensure meeting the highest environmental and safety standards, including a citizens advisory council.
12. The goal of the authority is to have the Alaskan gas line in full production by 2007.

*Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:
INITIAL APPOINTMENTS OF MEMBERS OF ALASKA NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Of the members first appointed under AS 41.41.020(a), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act,
1. three members shall be appointed to three-year terms;
2. two members shall be appointed to two-year terms; and
3. two members shall be appointed to one-year terms.

Parnell is having fun as Gov

(One has to wonder why Todd is laughing during Parnell's swearing in ceremony. Could it be that it is because Sarah is off the hook and into the money?)

Gov. Sean Parnell is having more fun as governor than the proverbial fly on fly paper.

First, Parnell’s Gas Pipeline Czar, Harry Noah—see, Obama’s not the only one with Czars, but then this was Sarah’s appointment, Parnell just went with what was there—decreed that the cheapest construction for a natural gas bullet line to south central was down the Parks Highway. What was not disclosed was the cost of the gas at the delivery end. 500 mcf per day stand alone will carry a hefty price tag by the time it gets to Anchorage. The portent in this is what? An admission that any construction on any big pipe project will not come soon enough, or not at all?

Parnell went to D.C. to lobby for off shore drilling. This effort failed in the face of Obama’s BLM Secretary, Salazar, deciding, nah, we don’t need no stinkin’ offshore drilling! Screw any rational energy policy! Let them ride bicycles! No fault of Parnell’s. At least he tried. Loss to Alaska, around $100,000,000 in services and labor to the effort by Shell and others. Shell had previously abandoned its offshore plans in the face of a hostile resource development federal administration.

Parnell is also lobbying Congress against a bill that would bar aerial predator control. A stupid, shortsighted bill on the part of politicians who do not understand Alaska and the needs of her people.

Try paying $11 for a quart of milk, sometime. That’s the Bush cost because Alaska cannot build roads to connect our communities. ANILCA. Gee thanks, Pres. Carter.

I wonder if the feds want Alaska back? I mean, thus far, they have taken away our management of all lands and offshore as granted in the Statehood Compact, imposed new land use restrictions under ANILCA and now the offshore drilling restrictions, and refusing to allow drilling onshore or offshore of ANWR.

Congress recognized that providing Alaska the infrastructure that the rest of the State’s enjoyed in 1958 would break any future federal treasury several times over. That’s why the Congress gave Alaska a 90% royalty off of all mineral and hydrocarbon development. Oh, wait, Congress reneged on that with the Petroleum Reserve 4 lease sale in the late 1990s. What Statehood Compact?

Palin is now a foreign policy expert . . .

In a speech in Hong Kong on 23 September, former Governor Sarah Palin railed against the Obama Administration's policies. CBS news on KFQD this morning reported that Palin now has her foreign policy credentials!
Gee, someone at CBS either has a sense of humor, or a very low expectation of what comprises “foreign policy” credentials . . . well, then again, these guys backed Obama. . . .

Sarah’s Sovereignty Sound Bite

In a World Net Daily article, Bob Unruh gave Sarah Palin a lot of credit that is undeserved where any defense of the 10th Amendment is concerned. Sarah's sound bite that HJR 27 is so much hot air.

Alaska HJR 27:

“Be it resolved that the Alaska State Legislature hereby claims sovereignty for the state under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.
Be it further resolved that this resolution serves as Notice and Demand to the federal government to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.”
Last year, and after her selection as the Republican Vice President candidate, Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin signed HJR 27. HJR 27 is a good start, but drops the round short of actually giving the federal government notice by law. A resolution does not carry the weight of law. It is merely a showing of intent. Nice PR ploy, but specious, except as a Palin sound bite.
Alaska has law on the books that give the federal government notice of who does what and who manages what on Alaska lands. Alaska’s Statehood Compact is our law, and we also have that law expressed under statute long before Sarah Palin came upon the State political radar.
AS 38.05.500
“The people of the State of Alaska determine that:
(1) the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States was to guarantee to each of the states sovereignty over all matters within its boundaries except for those powers specifically granted to the United States as agent of the states;
(2) the attempted imposition upon the State of Alaska by the Congress of the United States of a requirement in the Statehood Act that the State of Alaska and its people "disclaim all right and title to any land or other property not granted or confirmed to the state or its political subdivisions by or under the authority of this Act, the right or title to which is held by the United States or is subject to disposition by the United States," as a condition precedent to acceptance of Alaska into the Union, was an act beyond the power of the Congress of the United States and is thus void;
(3) the purported right of ownership and control of the public land in the State of Alaska by the United States is without foundation and violates the clear intent of the Constitution of the United States; and
(4) the exercise of that dominion and control of the public land in the State of Alaska by the United States works a severe, continuous and debilitating hardship upon the people of the State of Alaska.”
With AS 38.05.500-505 on the books as statutes, not resolutions, why has no governor since Wally Hickel bothered to enforce the State’s rights and act to limit federal imposition and the breech of our Statehood Compact that is ANILCA and the federal management of fish and game on federal lands?
AS 38.05.501:
“(a) The state has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of AS 38.05.500 - 38.05.505.
(b) An individual may institute a civil action to recover damages for injury or loss sustained as the result of a violation of the provisions of AS 38.05.500 - 38.05.505 or for the failure of the state to enforce its trust responsibilities to the people of the state.”
With ANICLA, the federal government under Pres. Carter effectively demonstrated contempt for Alaska’s Statehood Compact.
The reality is, that Alaska has not challenged the federal management in court since the last term of Governor Hickel, something Sara Palin was supposed to do and did not. She left a lot hanging that she promised.
Sarah campaigned as the governor to challenge the feds and to pursue restoration of Alaska’s rights under the Statehood Compact. Her record as governor is one of mediocrity.
Sarah has a nice sound bite for her money machine in HJR 27.
Sarah Palin promised to challenge the feds over Alaska’s rights to manage Alaska lands granted by Congress under the Statehood Compact, including ANILCA provisions barring the State from executing rights of way across ANILCA lands.
Where is the substance in our former Governor’s performance as governor of Alaska? What did she do that OUTSIDERS, who have no real idea of her performance, rant and howl in rage over any legitimate criticism of this woman?
What is it? That Sarah is a pretty face? That she has a nice ass? Looks good in red? Speaks the right words? What?
Sarah is a sound bite, not a leader, and she is raking in the bucks off your backs, when the money needs to go to real Republican candidates in congressional races all over the U.S. Not to RINOs like Sarah.
Yes, I still like to listen to Sarah speak out. She says all the right things to push our buttons. That and her resignation from the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission is what sold me on her and gave me reason to hope for Alaska. Unfortunately, the reality of Sarah Palin is something else.
Look at her record. Look at who she appointed as her commissioners. Look at what she said versus what was done. The record speaks for itself. Sarah abandoned the ship, and Parnell is the guy who will be tried at the polls in 2010 for running the State’s economy aground.

The March On Washington

God bless those who took place on the march on D.C. Saturday.
Maybe, the point was taken, maybe not.
People are tired of the unbridled growth of government at every level, not just at the federal level.
This was a demonstration of American constraint.
Unlike a demonstration for homosexual "rights"--ne we want to be another protected class so that we can get even with those who offend us--there was no nudity, or affronts to sensibility, morality, Christianity or the American family.
Unlike lib demonstrations, there was no screaming epitaphs against the opposition, no hate speech, and no physical confrontations.
I am hoping that these people will remember why they went to Washington, D.C. and that those of us who could not remember why those who went did so, and vote accordingly.
Vote the bums out, all of them.
It is time, Congress was refreshed with new minds who understand that the Constitution is the law, not an inconvenient set of rules made to be broken.
Same for the Whitehouse in 2012.
UP THE REPUBLIC!

Palin got out while the getting was good and left Parnell holding the bag

The most recent issue of the Petroleum News had a dismal fact to convey: 2019 is the earliest any construction on any big pipe project for Alaska Natural gas could begin. Construction would begin even later if the Open Season next year for AGIA is a bust.

The interesting thing here is this is getting into the 2025 time frame Exxon was promoting during the Murkowski Administration.

Worse, the Alaska Journal of Commerce is now reporting that the earliest date projected for a start of construction for any bullet natural gas line from the North Slope or for any spur line off either of the big pipe projects (AGIA or Denali) is estimated at 2018-2020.

Alaska is so screwed. South central will be out of natural gas sometime from 2012-2014.

As previously reported by moi (Miss Piggy speech), south central Alaska will probably suffer rolling blackouts this coming winter during the coldest months due to a shortage of natural gas supplies from Cook Inlet fields.

Now we know why Sarah Palin got out of the Governor’s hot seat and chose to go for the money. Sarah could see the handwriting on the wall. While she is off making 6 figure speaking fees, we Alaskans will be sitting in the cold and dark during rolling blackouts this coming winter from a lack of natural gas and storage for that gas in south central Alaska.

Sarah, of course, from her tropical local for latest speech at the time, will commiserate with we poor Alaskans and say “hang in there, Alaskans are tough and a little cold just builds character!”

Gov. Sean Parnell on the other hand is now left holding the bag. He will become the target of frustration and anger on the part those Alaskans whose character will be improved by the interruption of heat and lights during the coming rolling blackouts. Of course, Parnell can always have Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell fly him in the Gov’s King Air 350 to warmer climes for ‘conferences’ with Palin on energy issues.

Parnell is not helping one bit to find a timely solution to the impass with the oil companies regarding delivery of North Slope stranded natural gas to market. Parnell has decided that he will await a time when Exxon, Conoco-Phillips and British Petroleum Alaska can come together on a unified pipeline project before the State of Alaska will consider negotiating the fiscal certainty the producers on the North Slope have stated all along that was necessary to the financing of any major pipeline project. In the mean time, we face rolling blackouts.

The trees are already shedding their leaves where I live. This winter is going to be colder than last, as that has been the trend over the last several years. Meanwhile, Sean is holding tough against the big, bad oil companies, while I may be forced to read by candle light during the coldest part of this winter.

Golly.

Bet we see a bunch of taillights headed back Outside next Spring!

Alaska’s economy is going to tank, folks. Our Legislature and not less than the last three including latest, making it four governors have failed us.

Welcome to Alaska, where either Congress screws us with ANILCA, or our own governors and Legislatures allow the rape and run of our resources, and then dig in on negotiating a solution to our stranded North Slope gas.

Alaska where our leaders “hear no coming gas shortage, can’t see in a rolling blackout, and head south when it gets cold and the lights go out.”

We are so screwed.

Parnell and Alaska's Sovereignty

Maintaining the sovereignty of Alaska in the face of increasing federal encroachment upon State’s Rights is the paramount mission of the Governor. Any federal regulation, law, or edict needs to be strictly reviewed by Gov. Sean Parnell’s Administration with respect to the duties of the federal government under the Constitution of the United States and with respect to the 10th Amendment.

Alaska is not like the lower-48 States. We are isolated geographically from the United States. Unlike Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the other territories of the U.S., notably Guam and American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Alaska is not in a temperate climate. Alaska is also at the end of the logistics highway in priorities of any sort, other than locking up our land to please some moron Outside who believes that a lungful of mosquitoes or no-see-ums is preferable to the specter of Alaskans being able to drive to Nome.

Alaska’s lands are locked up. The last land transfer to the Feds was in their favor by over 1,900 acres so that a road could be built between the communities of Cold Bay and Kings Cove. A long standing and very expensive situation that could have been resolved many years ago, but the liberals would rather people die than have access overland by improving an existing trail that predated a federally mandated wildlife refuge. A solution that would have cost maybe a couple of hundred thousand dollars. The trail was passable by 2 wheel drive pickup in the summer and 4 wheeler year round. Instead, the feds built a $30,000,000 clinic in Kings Cove.

Unfortunately, that did not resolve the problem. Some folks just became too ill and had to be medivaced by air to Anchorage. The problem was that even the Untied States Coast Guard, with its HH60 Huskies, would not fly into Kings Cove. The weather made flying in with these state of the art rescue helicopters too dangerous. Nearby (14 miles) Cold Bay had an all weather runway that could accommodate jets. The only alternative was to move the patient to Cold Bay by boat.

After many years of bureaucratic haggling, tens of millions of dollars wasted, the federal government finally agreed to allow a corridor through the edge of the wildlife refuge using the existing trail. The cost to the State of Alaska for this was over 2,000 acres and tens of years of controversy and hardship for those in Kings Cove needing medical evacuation over 14 acres of incursion upon the wildlife refuge, as most of the trail is outside of the refuge.

Land transfers from the long ago Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act (ANSCA) take many years to accomplish, many of which have yet to be resolved. Affecting this seemingly never ending process is the Alaska National Interest Lands Act (ANILCA).

ANILCA lands were overlaid between ANSCA lands and nearby villages, making it impossible for the village corporations to exercise development of their lands. Costly land transfers had to be effected, some of which are still being worked on yet today. Usually, these land transfers are in the feds favor.

ANILCA lands also stand astride many passes in Alaska, making construction of overland roads impossible. Under ANILCA, motorized transport of any kind is prohibited, except for those Natives living on lands adjacent to ANILCA lands. Modifications to ANILCA allowed them to hunt using motorized vehicles.

ANILCA is so restrictive otherwise, that no rights of way for the State were provided for to build any roads through ANILCA lands to connect communities in the State. Even RS 2744 rights of way are meaningless if they cross ANILCA lands. Lose an engine on your airplane and be forced to put wheels down or floats down on ANILCA lands or waters, and you can lose the aircraft to the feds.

ANILCA, enacted during the Carter Administration, have constituted a major impediment to Alaska being able to do what other States have done in developing a rational surface transportation infrastructure. Alaska, because of ANILCA and the federal government taking over management of federal lands, contrary to the Alaska Statehood Compact, is not equal in the Union of States.

I thought our former Governor Sarah Palin would address this issue. She promised that she would fight the unfairness contained in ANILCA. Instead, she formed the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet now managed by a federal EPA employee. Something Gov. Sean Parnell has decided to continue.

Rep. Harry Crawford (D-Anchorage), who announced his intent to run for the U.S. Congress against Rep. Don Young (R), says that ANILCA is established law and precedent. Of course, Rep. Crawford is from Louisiana. Crawford came to Alaska for the Trans Alaska Pipeline construction in 1975. While he may think he is an Alaskan, he is far from it, given his views on ANILCA.

Rep. Young may have aspersions cast upon him from the Dems, he is still Alaska’s best voice and only voice in the congressional House.

The additional restrictions placed upon 190,000,000 acres of federal land by ANILCA are an affront to the sovereignty and dignity of the State of Alaska. ANILCA is a breach of our Statehood Compact.

It is time Alaska, given its recent resolution regarding sovereignty under the 10th Amendment, challenge the restrictions under ANILCA regarding rights of way and the impediments imposed to the development of the State.

Governor Parnell needs to take the bull in Washington by the horns and either gut the sucker, or throw it out of the way so that Alaska can get on with the business of connecting our communities overland, and accessing the resources Congress recognized were necessary to the development of the State in the Statehood Compact.
---CORRECTION MADE 9/14/2009 Cold Bay, not Icy Bay. As many times as I have harped on that situation, one would think that I would get it right.