Regarding Hal Ingalls' July 29 "Point-Counterpoint: SB 21 promises Prosperous Future for Alaska Small Businesses":
His opening statement is, "When oil is flowing through the pipeline, more jobs, dollars and services are being exchanged throughout the state."
Um … I'm sorry, but that's not true. I was here in 1988, when over 2 million barrels of North Slope crude per day were flowing through the pipeline. Much of it from Kuparuk, where Arco was taking it away, almost free gratis. That was the very peak of North Slope production. And the oil industry spent very little in Alaska. In fact, at that very time of peak production, Alaska was in a near depression.
So please don't pretend to tell me that "more oil in the pipeline" is the be-all and end-all for the good of Alaska. Because I know first-hand that it's simply false.
— Peter Blanas
Anchorage