June 11, 2009

Wally Hickel rips Sarah Palin for putting her presidential run ahead of Alaska's interests

From a statement by former Alaska governor Walter Hickel:

When Governor Sarah Palin was elected in 2006, we believed she would put Alaska first. But once elected, she put Sarah first.

Because of her national ambitions, she is promoting an agenda that will allow Outside corporations to dominate Alaska's resources, including our energy and the jobs it provides.

Over my objection, the Governor negotiated a contract last year with TransCanada under AGIA, supported by the legislature, that will now provide ExxonMobil Corporation with half of $500 million of state funds.

I have urged the Governor many times to lead our state in another direction. We should build and own a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez and ship Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to world markets.

She has taken another road.

Unless the people of Alaska rise up and oppose the TransCanada -ExxonMobil deal, we will revert to the situation in territorial days when Outside interests controlled our lives.

Alaska must not lose its way as an Owner State. We have created a state based on commonly-owned resources and lands. That model is alive and well in Alaska. It's an important concept for the world, and we mustn't lose what the founders of our state created 50 years ago.

Walter Hickel served as the 2nd and 8th Governor of Alaska and was the Secretary of the Interior under president Nixon.