Nearly 20 candidates seeking election to the state Legislature and a seat in Congress came together Tuesday evening at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks for a series of question-and-answer sessions dealing mainly with energy – and especially, what can be done about high fuel costs and the dwindling flow of oil through the TransAlaska Pipeline.
Almost all Republicans support Gov. Sean Parnell’s solution, which is to cut taxes on oil companies by some $2 billion a year. Democrats demand that any such tax cut must come with a guarantee that the oil companies will boost production, or hiring, or both.
The dispute was on display again in Tuesday’s event, as in this exchange between Fairbanks Democrat Bob Miller and North Pole Republican Tammy Wilson
“Our governor is insisting that we need to give away $2 billion a year, for at least the next 10 years, to the three largest, most profitable companies on the planet,” Miller said. “How many of you think that we might be able to use $20 billion here in Alaska to do something for ourselves. Anybody?”
Wilson responded that the tax cut is needed now or else oil production will continue to decline – and with it, the state’s economy.
“If we keep doing what we’re doing right now, we won’t need a pipeline for the oil because there won’t be anything coming down it,” Wilson said. “North Dakota and Texas are doing exactly what we’re saying to do, and guess what their oil production is going up. They’re more competitive than we are.”
The two incumbent lawmakers are facing each other for the House District 2 seat in the Nov. 6th general election due to redistricting.
The local chapter of the AARP hosted Tuesday’s cattle call of candidates for eight seats in the state House and Senate representing districts lying within the Interior, as well as a couple of hopefuls for Alaska’s lone seat in Congress.
