"Alaska's Deadliest Sin" Published

Alaska’s “Deadliest Sin”


This “An Essay for Conservation” documents what to expect behind a “Drill Baby Drill” mentality – a.k.a. Alaska’s “Deadliest Sin”. The snap-shot above was taken by a thermal imaging camera during a “controlled” crude oil well test at one of the few “Near-Shore” oil development projects on-going today upon Alaska’s northern coastline by the Independents. For days, hydrocarbon saturated constituents went airborne, most likely condensing and falling out upon the plankton filled waters of Harrison Bay. An opportunity for an out-of-sight and out-of-control mindset fostering environmental corruption. Because it is not regulated, there is no protection afforded this type of atrocity upon the nearby ecosystem. This is not off-shore, but “Near-Shore” development that should have now placed upon it an unforgiving moratorium, in line with those of “Offshore” concerns.

Alaska’s “Deadliest Sin”, is HERE!

Caution: Scenes may be disturbing and should be interpreted with caution.

e-mail to http://www.storylineonline@gci.net for download exchange.

Big Bad Wolf

Wolves are not the only predators causing havoc these days here in Alaska. Believe it or not yes you should, an oil company fits the definition. Predatory: - adj, a prey, 1] of, living by, or characterized by plundering or robbing. Hear ye, hear ye, now comes the Webstonian facts: A few years ago, Pioneer Natural Resources spoon fed the state legislatures with glossy slide-screen shows along with friendship letters from local businesses, in efforts to get the go ahead green light to develop what is called the Oooguruk Unit, as far east as one can trespass on Alaska’s North Slope. It was an oil resource lease out in East Harrison Bay, of the Colville River Delta. For those unfortunate to not yet venture this far off the beaten track, it is part of the North American Serengeti - the greatest nest on earth! Through Alaska’s “Oil Exploration & Exploitation” history, this lease area has seen interest by ARCO, EXXON and Texaco. But even though oil was found, not in quantities that fit the corporate profit margin portfolio, so foolish from an economic standpoint. So many of the leases were abandoned, expired or sold off. Pioneer, a Texas based energy company, was the 1st Independent to brave this stubborn reservoir along with a logistics nightmare as stubborn as the “stuck oil” under the permafrost, problems galore inherent when producing oil off a man-made island. It all goes along with the new-age “Drill Baby Drill” mentality, which means the state went lenient in efforts to entice the ”Independents” into a market that had been controlled “off limits” for over 30-years by “Big Oil”. One of the concessions was a decrease in the “In-Value Royalty”. That in a nutshell is the money the state gets from giving away the resources, to supply and replenish your PFD! For the first time in Alaskan history, this “royalty” was dropped, to the lowest allowed by state statutes, from 16.5% to a low of 5%. If this were to happen to all oil leases on the North Slope, it would mean a drastic reduction in state revenue, wherein your PFD would be but a pittance of what it is today, probably whither away to nothing. Now this “relief” is something not even the major oil companies found success upon, including an attempt by BP on the Milne Point oil reserve. So armed with concessions, Pioneer set out and last year started producing oil, upwards 10,000 barrels per day. It has been a success story, so far. Costly, as it appears the planning was weak, so instead of a 450-million forecast, twice that by now. But poor planning is not this state’s responsibility or for that matter, our problem. And the state should not share the burden of such. Now what is coming up out of the ground for Pioneer at its Oooguruk production site, it is nothing in comparison to what the majors’ produce, but at $80 dollars a barrel, the math suggests that it is paying for itself handsomely. All the “OohRah” when the royalty relief pitch hit the legislatures like a curve ball, it was based on $44 dollar a barrel oil. Today, it is almost twice that! With that said, the likelihood of relief granted today would be but a waste of time and talent, to “OohRah” the governing bodies responsible for awarding or denying “royalty relief”. It wouldn’t happen! And even though the state allowed royalty relief with the caveat that it can renege on the relief when it is no longer needed, the formula for increasing is very complicated and there exists a time element of surprise. From the looks of things, I doubt if ever that figure increases to the extent favorable, wherein Alaskan’s are guaranteed getting their money’s worth. Through unchallengeable language in the State Constitution, the resources belong to the people of this state and shall benefit from extraction, thus comes the “Royalty” guarantee. It is a “Guaranteed”! Now it was sad that the state bent over, as it is not fair. Why? It is ours! And most recently, the few Pioneer “direct” workers engaged in the Alaska Operations were allowed a bonus, based on the Oooguruk Unit doing better then expected. The contractors on the project, some performing the same jobs as the “directs – a workforce 3 times that of the parent company – for their labors they do not enjoy that bonus. And the bonus was company wide, wherein people down Texas garnished a bonus, on our account! So it is time to fight back, to get the “Royalty” moving back up the money tree, for us, instead of sending it to others - many that live outside. It is our duty to take matters forward: If you feel like not getting ripped off, copy the below letter and send it to Department of Natural Resources asking for the Commissioner to revisit the “Royalty Relief” based on present day economics, the price of oil and statistical data that is pretty convincing that relief is no longer allowable, as bonuses negate a real need for relief and such giveaway programs do not serve the state in its “sworn” efforts to collect for resource development.

Thomas E. Irwin/Commissioner
Department of Natural Resources
550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1400
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
c/o dnr.appeals@alaska.gov

Dear Commissioner Tom;

On or about December 16th, 2005, Pioneer Natural Resources was approved “Royalty Relief” for engaging in Exploration & Production on its Oooguruk Unit located in East Harrison Bay on Alaska’s North Slope. The royalty was decreased to the lowest allowed by state statutes, namely 5%. The Oooguruk project economics along with the royalty relief request scenario was based on oil prices much lower then what appears upon the commodities/energy market today. Furthermore, it is suspect that the 5% “minimum” may be flawed and in practice provide less then required by state statutes, after considering the “Processing Services Agreement” losses and risks computed on the net oil receipts produced by Pioneer, upon which the Oooguruk Unit is assessed for royalty and taxation. In the loss and risk category, sometimes the results are conveniently being generated by a “model” instead of an actual measurement, results that have not been witnessed by a 3rd party oversight. And since nobody in the state is privy to this “confidential” agreement, it is suspect that it may be inaccurate not on Pioneer’s behalf, thus the state loses out. Furthermore, Pioneer most recently awarded all its employees, Alaska and elsewhere, an incentive bonus ranging from 6% and higher computed off of base salaries. With that bonus showing the company doing well, possibly from profits forecast from the Oooguruk Unit development, it is time to revisit the “royalty relief” as such revisiting is allowed, justified and required to reassess whether or not the allowances given yesterday and in effect today find Alaska loosing out to what belongs to and is rightfully the citizens, in this case the developed resources’ value through royalty garnishment.

S. Pam MaGee/Concerned Alaska Citizen Kane

Mayor Sullivan Breaks Record

No it wasn’t a land speed record, it was the record on “How Fast Can You Spend $193,000” of somebody else’s money! Really, Dan says he can’t give it back, the check that didn’t bounce even though the city is broke because Mark Begich supposedly lied to the creditors so we have to spend money on idiot litigation when all the time it is a rare seen nowadays to see a snowplow in and around Anchorage proper. Talk about priorities gone south. And since when was it possible to steal and have such a lame excuse? Look, Dan knows it was stealing, he is a businessman. Maybe this is like how the Mafia got started. And since when does stealing from the public provide such immunity away from prosecution? Can you imagine if crooks, like Dan, start to use this as an excuse? “Sorry folks, the moneys been distributed”. It appears that the taxpayers have been screwed again on top of again trumped by once again and again. Like monkey see, monkey do, this is Sullivan’s home-grown “bail-out” program. Why is it that the taxpayers’ money is no longer safe? Isn’t the U.S. Treasury supposed to be a safe haven upon our income being taxed? I can see giving away the “keys to the city” to a sport’s team after a championship or bringing home a national title, but giving the U.S. Treasury “PIN” number to Wall Street, it isn’t right. I have an idea. Remember the last time you purchased a music CD, or an electronic contraption like a mouse or “thumb drive”? It takes almost dynamite to open up the packaging, as it must be so designed in efforts to thwart away crooks, as it gets frustrating, and if in a hurry to “distribute” it could prove to be detrimental to Sullivanomics 101, defined as “I’m a little runt, daddy their picking on me, so I will show them a thing or two.” I hope the leprechaun’s vomit and crap all over his club come this St. Patrick’s Day, as he is an embarrassment to the green. Anyway, maybe the Treasury along with this state’s money should be secured, just like the gimmicks. Wrapped to frustration, maybe with heat shrink, embedded with one of those security “shoplifting” gizmo’s that alarms aloud “He’s a crook” when trying to go through the front exit, whatever; just to show the crooks that it isn’t pawn star material and you must have an IQ greater then UNO to open it up. So Sullivan tops the scale when it comes to outrageousness. Hey, I have a memo that says this and that? Is it worth anything, not unless I can fool the people some of the time and cajole myself into office then use that position to acquire more personal wealth at the expense of the taxpayers, sounds just like a member of Congress! Maybe Dan is just practicing.

Corporate Condom

So some “Greenies” went arrested for letting aloft a giant balloon down at the Hart Building in D.C., the U.S. Senate hangout. This is where the representative body plays hooky when not engaged in gainful legislative matters, which is most of the time nowadays, this dereliction upon their sworn duties to up-hold the People’s Constitution. The life, liberty and pursuit of happiness clause has been left to rot, trumped an immaterial bother by corporate criminals – a.k.a. lobotomized lobbyists defined as ex-representatives that couldn’t make it on a $175,000 dollars a year salary along with free medical & dental health care, all courtesy the American Taxpayers, so resigned that low paying job to become a “lobbyist”, after tweaking the rules to favor their new position. See, this elitist body thinks they can dine on steak while the rest of America can no longer afford even baloney and must beg for soup bones. Answer me this. If a corporation is indeed a “person”, how come that “person” has more say-so power then my say-so power? I bet there exists still today secret underground passageways from the Hart Building to “K” Street. Also known as “KY Jelly” Street, where all those “slick” stick it to America deals took place. Tom Delay was the “Madam”, as representatives became whores, their clientele corporate America. I bet Ted and Don had their very own high speed shuttle to the brothel, to satisfy their hunger to enjoy back-door rape upon the Constitution. It was at this once secret location where the criminals planned to sell away our future. It appears that success is closing in. They win, we loose. “We” herein the middle class hard working salt of the earth genuine human beings that have made such a difference for this country, and we are being chastised for such endeavors. See, it wasn’t upon “greed” that we based our goals, just a fair share for a hard day’s work. Look, nobody is worth a 3-million salary! Anyway, the “Greenies” balloon advertised MoanaLisa MurCowski’s mug-shot, so dear, take ownership were ownership is due! The way I see it, this balloon was a symbol of her staying power. Like a giant condom used for safe sex NOT, but when applied properly as protection for the corporate giants that keep her unemployed, yes unemployed! As she does nothing for the good of the middle class and makes a handsome bribe while advocating the other side of the fence. And it is a well-lubricated condom and exercised repeatedly, by the EXXONs and the Chevrons providing the stroke. She learned well her dad’s strengths, to treat the citizens as second rate and prioritize above everything else taking that dereliction further as a stand against the American working class for self inflicted interests in favor of the corporate culture. The Mafia has hit men, so does corporate America, our representative body! I bet MoanaLisa still gets advise and advice from Frank, as she has done nothing all her years in Congress, just like her predecessor. Name one thing that Frank accomplished while a U.S. Senator? And Frank despised the EPA, he despised the “GreenPeace” movement. He despised a whole lot of common sense ideologies. Abe Lincoln realized the detriment corporate America would play upon this country, and warned upon it. It has come true. Look at the Iditarod dog sled race as an example. OH look how it has changed, OH so bad. I used to enjoy the race, not anymore, as it has become a challenging sport fan addiction. Let’s face it front and center without cover-up, there isn’t any other professional sport followings worth following here in Alaska. So I guess for “one” day every year Anchoragites can fake it. But those that enjoyed the race of old, hey we stay home and don’t even venture down to fake celebrity row. I believe it should no longer be called the “Last Great Race”, but how about the “Exxon Classic – we ruined the Sound and people still love us”. Having corporate America sponsor this race is pathetic. Look, if it were indeed important as it is historical, the state could pay for it all! We have a Constitutional Budget Reserve that could be tapped into, for the race, it would be worth it - instead of whoring the state out to misfit corporations bent on using the opportunity for “greed”, trust us like “mission accomplished”. And why is Dee Dee letting SHELL ruin her image? Look, SHELL wants to drill and explore in a place not even the Eskimo is willing to relinquish away their concerns. But I guess if you have no concern about letting dogs shit all over the place, my as well let “Big Oil” shit upon pristine oceans. And all these “Iditarod” fake artists that come north to enjoy what was at one time our own enjoyment, it reeks in imposterism - as bad as political nepotism. Another MurCowski family trait. It is a thing of the past, the Iditarod. I did venture down to the Goose Lake observation post, to watch a few teams come up over Northern Lights. But the first team had a dog loose on a harness and lost consciousness when rounding a corner, as a big birch tree just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – whack.. Poor dog! So that was it for me. It is all for the money nowadays. And corporate America knows how to dish it out, but there is always a catch. See, with all this stuff, when it comes time for the EXXON CEOs to testify upon outrageous motor fuel pricing and not under oath because Ted Stevens is an idiot and should be in jail along with Bill Allen, maybe as a swell-mate, we get not the truth. We get more of the same false advertising. And this is what Abe was eluding upon, this takeover. And why not, as it starts at the top, and if big energy can make a bundle, so what if the heath care insurance companies play the same game and try to catch-up to unreasonable profit gouging. We are being strangled, by greed. It is not “terrorism” that is taking this country down a “Dead End” street of no return, it is “home grown” greed. But that is what Abe saw a long, long time ago and tried to get the point across, but a bullet found him quiet time. And that silence has cost us. But he tried, a whole lot more then what the entire cast of misfit representatives set out to accomplish. So in honor of Abe, “I cannot tell a lie”, his famous speech; “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country…Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudice of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” So NO, I do not laugh when the Jesse Ventura type wrestling characters break into political office, or when the Al Franken type comedians prove the same, as the political theater has become but a stage of wrath. My vote for the World Wrestling Federation’s McMahon name making in-roads into the political scene, as this “mentality” sees it as a way to continue its reality kingdom of making believers out of all of us, that it is not fake at all, no different then what Congress tries to pull over us. And maybe when bipartisan bickering continues to drown away any semblance of unity, the referee can call a timeout and move that bickering to another arena, where we can all be entertained by a grudge match extravaganza – “Big Time” wrestling style. And wouldn’t it be a hoot to see MoanaLisa in a mud wrestling match, with say Pelosi? Now there is a sport where I would not mind seeing Corporate Sponsorship! As it is already a given money maker. Just maybe a way for us to get our money’s worth, with a good laugh for a change. As laughter is still the best medicine and when Congress gets finished with “Health Care Reform”, laughter will be all that’s left for us, just like soup bones.

Out of the Closet!

Finally, Sarah Palin has found her calling and exited the closet. Whoop-Ass time. And most of us knew it all along, a comedian! Now this is a show I would pay to see! As it has been a laugh all along her political career, no different then any other politician. So there is life after politics, comedian central, thank you Sarah as maybe this will allow politicians to show there true worth to society. Jokesters!

Hair Care Reform

What gives? Publishers Clearing House has taken control of my computer. I went on to the Anchorage Daily Stool’s web-site, to see if it was safe to go down to the Dimond Mall to get a pretzel, and the “Clearing House” snuck in through the “firewall” and invaded my security. Even the “Task Manager” has been hijacked useless. Hard reboot time? Too bad we couldn’t perform a “Hard Reboot” upon our Congress. I bet if it were “Hair Care” Reform instead of “Health Care” there would already be a bill on Obama’s desk. Look at Boehner, Pelosi, Cantor(Male or female?). I bet the House Senate barber can afford one hell of a health care plan. I’m confused. Do we really pay this representative body upwards $176,000 a month? Hey, with all the time off, for hometown constituency gatherings and one-day holidays lasting a week and four-day weekends the norm, it amounts to about a months worth of work. And I don’t know about you, but when they are supposed to be on home turf and mingling with the crowd, it still appears the lights are out here in Alaska. MoanaLisa who? And by the way, who authorized this giveaway program anyway, that salary that follows maximum wage rules when we struggle with minimum wage guarantees? Was it part of the bailout? Imagine having a job wherein you didn’t have to produce and still received a paycheck. And unions get a bad rap! Then we have Representative Wrangle, who decided to take a leave of absence because of an “ethics” investigation. So what, he still gets paid to play! Anyway, the Alaskan legislature is AWOL due some energy conference way far away in wa-wa land. To bad Sarah sold the jet, as it could be used in this instance, fuel filled only for a one-way trip! But like has been the test of time sad story, they will come back empty handed and a few pounds overweight. When all the time, genuine energy projects continue to fall by the wayside and slide away never to be resurrected, as time is of the essence. Take for debate the “Reduction Power Turbine” that was part of the original Trans-Alaska-Pipeline design. Sure enough, sitting at the bottom of Thompson’s Pass - a vertical drop unimaginable - there was envisioned a power turbine to slow down the oil wave coming over the pass. It was basically “free” energy. So to date, wasted has been the possibility of affordable electricity. And this site sits a few feet away from the Alaska Power grid! And why is it so that over 15-billion barrels of oil have rolled down the pipe and not produced one iota of a kilowatt? Because even though “free” energy for the taking, “Big Oil” wasn’t about to give it away for free. And this conglomerate called Alyeska wasn’t about to become a “utility”, as that would have allowed the regulators to “open” the secret books. So stalling behind an inept legislature that couldn’t come up with a game plan to see this project through from drawing board to completion, due fear of upsetting the oil money tree, such has allowed this loss to waste 30-years of “free” electricity. And when the TAPS oil terminal in Valdez realized that it had way to much steam, a few entrepreneurs envisioned buying that extra energy and transferring it over the fence to power more steam driven electrical turbines. The Alyeska operation required huge power boilers to generate “inert gas” to blanket safe the crude oil storage tanks. The boilers produced steam as a secondary by-product, for generating electricity. But the terminal electrical load was low due to a very efficient process, so there existed boatloads of extra steam that went wasted away in the atmosphere. It could have been put to good use. But once again, it was a lost cause, because nobody down in Juneau had the guts to produce legislation that would have allowed some semblance of utility rate schedules bargaining to get this project off the drawing board and making electricity, and once again, within a few feet of the Alaska Power grid that feeds the rail-belt, Anchorage, Fairbanks and everyplace in between. So, in 30 years time it means a loss of “zillions” of kilowatts “cheap” electricity gone to waste. Then there was the C-sep power generation project designed for Sheep Creek, once again never to generate even an interest, as our legislative body again failed to realize the potential of a home-grown “Green” projects. And those that envisioned utilizing this energy source, it would have catapulted Valdez into an economic wiz-kid city of envy – economically speaking. Cheap electricity would have promoted an interest in the “Foreign Trade Zone” that surrounded Valdez. It could have created an infrastructure of jobs and manufacturing that would be a show’n tell success story. By now, it is way too late. See, at the time, nobody was interested in a sustainable jobs infrastructure. Who cares about the future was the sentiment. Why? Because of oil bucks supplemented by the endless spigot of federal assistance called “earmarks” and “pork”. We went soft, as “bucks” from regurgitated over-taxation found freedom with corrupt senators and congressmen. Bottom line, Ted Stevens, Don Young with all their seniority, they were not good for this state, in efforts to fend for ourselves. When “freebies” continued to come this way as welfare camouflaged as “grants”, and used as a “vote me back in” vice, we didn’t produce a jobs sustainable infrastructure, So Alaska is the true definition “Welfare “ poster child. Welfare doesn’t work, as it makes people dependent on the hand that feeds, as it is so easy to just give in. Just like our representative body. Work for food? How about “Work for Nothing”, as that appears to be the modus operandi these days. So don’t expect anything to come back this way from a bunch of nit-wits attending an “Energy Conference”, as they have not the guts or intelligence to realize what is really good for this state, except spend, spend and spend some more. What an easy job! It amounts to giving away money, intelligence need not apply. And like is quoted by Ted Stevens with respect to the failed Bill “Nosebleed” Sheffield” train depot and paints it all together again why this state has failed, “It doesn’t have to pay for itself. It was a grant from the federal government.” And Bill’s comments over the depot failure, too embarrassing to post! A bad hair day? How about a good swear-word day?

License To Kill!

When is the last time you engaged yourself in reading the Alaska Road Rules handbook? Test time! OK, if you come across a school bus coming to a stop in the oncoming lane, and red lights are flashing, when is it a requirement to stop, or to progress forward to pass? If you don’t know, then why are you driving and talking on your cell phone? Lookout! OK, so I drive the new Elmore extension, not because I like it, but it is the worse case design for a road congestion compromise, so I drive it in efforts to hope that one day the designer is made to drive it every day, just to see what kind of crap design this pathetic road has become. Yes, discipline is required, as do we really pay people to perform like this? To make the responsible party drive this road every day during rush hour, hey it would be like that school detention thing of past, where you have to stay after-class and commence to write your memoirs a hundred times, on that chalkboard. I understand George Bush is doing that right now, for failing this country. The board has line after line of “This page intentionally left blank”. Anyway, I get pulled over by a cop, at the intersection of Elmore & Tudor where the cops exit to go on duty. OK, so I crossed the double line in efforts to get into the turn lane. See, this is a design problem, as the two exit lanes have very little entry ramp ownership, so I was just crossing the double line to make stalled traffic move. See, if I waited in the main lane until I could legally turn into the turn lane, it meant some 24 red light to green light exchanges, and in Anchorage that equates to 4-hours delayed, as the red light guys don’t have an iota of an idea what traffic coordination is all about. So the other day, stuck in the same lane and waiting until the double lane turns into a cut-throat as allowed in that Alaska Road Rules bible, I watch as a cop further back in line cuts lanes and crosses the double line lane? Of course, everybody else behind follows suit! And now law-abiding me-me is stuck in a lane that takes me in a wrong direction. Now so what that it was snowing out and the lane paint was covered with pounded down under winter fallout, as snowplows have been auctioned off, courtesy of Dan Sullivan trying to raise money to keep Jerry Prevo happy. Who else is behind that attack on Begich? Regardless, does that make it right that a cop can cross lanes? No, as the cop knows all too well that it is a double lane, as he comes this way everyday and usually abides. It is like that saying, “If a tree falls…” Or is it, “When a bear passes wind…” So the big question of the day is this. Did ElCopman break the law? I was contemplating doing a citizens arrest, but I am sure there exists some obscure rule that allows legislators to get away with breaking the laws, which has a trickle down theory. So maybe that is why this state buys the cheapest paint available and disappearing road lane demarcations make it a free-for-all when trying to maintain some semblance of decency upon the roads here in the bowl. But we may be loosing money by this proposition. But that doesn’t count as most likely cheap paint equates to continuance of jobs. It is how Alaska, in a nutshell keeps trucking along. Create jobs that waste money as long as the job is there year after year after year. Oil bucks have done some good, but this state has failed at attracting a bonafide sustainable jobs market. So cheap paint rules. Why not do things right for a change? Lets get off of this welfare crap routine. And when we finally start doing things right, like road lane painting that lasts at least a few years like is the normalcy elsewhere, then we can focus on doing other things right and maybe one day realize that we could have done it right all along. Imagine, roads that work! Did you ever notice that once a road construction project is supposed to be finished, it is immediately re-work central? Again, let’s not do it right the first time as that could affect the wallets! So when we finally start getting the basics right, like road construction bent on doing it right, then maybe we can progress to doing other things correct, like voting in a non-pathetic legislature that realizes oil bucks are drying up. And a gas line is but a joke wherein Juneau continues to spend it all away, for the real pipe dream. But like is the situation along with excuses worn out, we have not the time to do things right, as there is a Wild West show down at the Dimond Center, live rounds and all. Wow, at least the tourists will be excited!