Words are important to politicians. They use them to guide perceptions of voters and the media. After all, without specific actions or measurable results, words from our elected leaders are often our only way to measure progress. The Bush Administration was remarkably adept at coining words or turning a phrase that cast many of its failures in a positive or patriotic light. As voters we should consider carefully the words Alaska leaders use to mark their progress and to describe their actions.
It is clear today there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Saddam Hussein had no connection to the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. It should by now be equally clear that Gov. Sarah Palin was all for open accountability in government until it included her being clear and transparent during and after the so called Troopergate investigation. As Alaskans we need to put our "skeptical listening hats" on when it comes to what the Administration is telling us about their progress toward construction of a gas pipeline and about their future initiatives.
When the Alaska Gasline Incentive Act (AGIA) was passed the governor told Alaskans that we were "well on our way" to a gas pipeline. During Palin's vice presidential bid she told Americans she was "building that $40 billion pipeline" and in her recent State of the State speech she said AGIA created competition leading to a pipeline. Two words: "Spin drift".
I must confess as I listened to the governor move through her State of the State speech I found myself nodding as she spoke words and phrases about things I cared about. There was something in there for everyone. Last week I had the opportunity to watch her address the Alaska Municipal League in Juneau with a very similar speech. But as I listened to many points for the second time, those words and phrases was all there was.
As Alaskans we need to be critical listeners to what the governor is saying to us. She wants to build roads to Umiat and Nome. Frankly, I think Alaska could use a few more roads, but it takes a lot of effort and commitment to build even a 6 mile road to King Cove. Is the Governor, amidst her trips to the Lower 48 to maintain her national visibility, really going to devote the time and effort it will take to build a new road in Alaska?
She has proposed to form a joint utility commission to de-Balkanize the Railbelt utilities; this alone will take a super human amount of time and effort. While this idea has been brewing over the course of at least three Administrations, these utilities do not play well with each other and it will take the Governor's personal political capital and every diplomatic resource available to bring this idea to reality.
Generating 50 per cent of Alaska's electricity from renewables is a great sound bite, but by when, and how?
Palin points to the ACES legislation as the reason so many new oil companies have come looking for reserves in Alaska, but then offers $268.6 million in budget cuts this week that come largely from unused incentives provided by that law. The more likely scenario is many oil companies are exploring Alaska because the price of oil was so high and they are betting it is likely to be high in the future.
Perhaps, most impressively, she announced in her State of the State address she soon would be issuing an executive order creating the Alaska Legacy Plan to scope out Alaska's economy for the next 50 years. Wow, that's the kind of free market thinking that would have my economics professors turning over in their graves. This from a governor who paid only passing mention to Alaska's thriving international air cargo operations, didn't even mention the enormous impact Alaska Native Corporations are having, seems unaware of the importance international trade and tourism have to Alaska and who viewed the gas pipeline as Alaska's next economic lifeline. Thankfully, there is a lot more to Alaska's economy than perhaps the governor understands.
When this governor says, in her unique vernacular, she wants to build a planned economy for the next 50 years. Create an energy plan for Alaska. Or unite Railbelt utilities. All under that great Northern Star with those musk ox circling around us and the mama grizzly protecting her cubs... then we better listen to her words very, very carefully.
Bob Poe (bobpoe.com) is a Democratic candidate for governor in 2010.