Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Trans Canada Pipeline Takes Important Step Forward

by W. T. Howes

Governor Palin is back doing the bidding of the people of Alaska.  Last Friday, she formally signed the issued license to TransCanada Pipelines the license authorized by the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act of 2008 and earned by TransCanada.  The delivery of the license is an important step forward in the construction of a pipeline that will help move the nation toward energy independence.  The map to the left shows how the pipeline will connect to the North American distribution network upon completion.  (Source:  TransCanada.com)

At the top of the world, there exists a huge reserve of natural gas that will help make America more energy independent.  Making more natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope available to the Lower 48 was long a dream in Alaska, but one that never seemed to get action.  Never, that is, until the former Mayor of Wasilla assumed the governor’s seat.

The signature initiative of Sarah’s first term is the Trans Canda Pipeline.  This year, under Sarah’s leadership, the Alaska Legislature passed the Alaska Pipeline Inducement Act.  On December 5, Sarah signed the license granting to TransCanada Pipelines the right to build the pipeline.  The license carries with it a $500,000,000 grant from the Alaska Permanent Fund.

According to TransCanada’s website:

“Wholly owned subsidiaries of TransCanada Corporation are developing the Alaska Pipeline Project, which will move natural gas from Alaska to North American markets. The project will stretch approximately 1,715 miles (2,760 kms) from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska through the Yukon territory and northeastern British Columbia to the BC/Alberta border near Boundary Lake, and will include new build and certain existing infrastructure within Alberta. TransCanada Alaska Company, LLC is responsible for designing and constructing the portion located in Alaska, while Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd. is responsible for the project from the Alaska/Yukon border to market connections in Alberta.”

The pipeline is a worthy investment for Alaska.  It uses capital from the Permanent Fund to increase Alaska’s productive power, which in turn will enhance the state’s ability to produce revenue for the Permanent Fund.  It benefits the people of Alaska by producing more energy revenue.  It benefits the people of the United States by helping to stop the flow of oil and gas money to the Middle East. 

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Palin in Philly:  Obama’s “Catch-22”?

by W. T. Howes

The image of a very popular governor and possible 2012 rival hangs over the President-elect as he establishes a professional relationship with her.  BHO is in a Catch-22.  On one hand, he has an obligation to work with her on the natural gas pipeline project.  On the other, if he helps make it a success, does he hand a potential rival an accomplishment?

Back before he disappeared off the face of the political map, Joe Biden declared that Barack Obama was a “new type of intelligence”.  It is an article of faith among liberals that the President-elect is very, very intelligent.  People of all stripes agree that he is highly talented.  BHO will need all of his vaunted intellect to solve the political Catch-22 that is Sarah Palin.

Today, 40 of the nation’s governors and governors-elect will join BHO at Independence Hall in Philadelphia for an economic summit.  Many prominent governors will arrive in Philly with their hats in hand.  Many states have structural deficits as as the result of decades of overindulgence in Great Society programs.  Big government social programs have become unsustainable.  Instead of cutting their budgets and payrolls, some of these governors - like New Jersey’s Jon Corzine - are going to lobby the President-elect for their own bailout.

Governor Palin does not come to Philadelphia with an unsustainable budget.  With Alaska’s fiscal house in order, she is free to lobby for the pipeline.  The proposed pipeline would parallel the route of the existing trans-Alaska oil pipeline to a point south of Fairbanks. It would then follow the Alaska Highway, continuing through northern British Columbia to link with the Alberta Hub on TransCanada’s pipeline grid in northwestern Alberta. The Alaska section would be approximately 750 miles in length, with six compressor stations at start-up and at least five natural gas delivery points in Alaska. The Canadian section to Alberta would be approximately 965 miles, with ten compressor stations at start-up and eight intermediate delivery points in the Yukon. 

Sarah was the irresistable force in Alaska that moved the pipeline project through the legislature and through the bidding process.  The pipeline is a signature accomplishment for her.  If it continues to succeed, then it will be a signature accomplishment if she runs for president.  So whither Obama?

The pipeline will help the nation move toward energy independence in an environmentally responsible manner.  BHO has promised to move the nation toward energy independence.  BHO has promised a more perfect union in which he works across party lines to accomplish things for the American people.  Will he help?  If he does not, he breaks major campaign promises in a very palpable way, in which case he would be exposed on the 2012 campaign trail.  If he does help, he may be helping to create a resume for a 2012 rival.  If BHO is truly a new type of intelligence, he will figure it out.

For Governor Palin, it is a no-lose opportunity to use her new found fame to benefit her constituents, the people of Alaska.

Monday, December 1, 2008

My Fellow Conservatives:  You’re too Good to Undermine the Legitimacy of the Election

by W. T. Howes

Conservatives, embittered by the election debacle, are on the internet in force threatening jihad on BHO over the apparent defects in his citizenship.  For them, it is payback time.  For eight years, the American Left wrongfully undermined President Bush by arguing ad nauseum that he stole the 2000 election.  They hurt the party by doing so, and conservatives who undermine the legitimacy of BHO’s election will end up hurting the nation.

One of the articles of faith of the American Left is that George W. Bush and company stole the 2000 election.  Al Gore gave an Oscar-winning performance as the sore loser, and millions of moonbats followed his lead.  Gore’s resistance - with Clinton’s support - delayed the transition to a Bush White House, and endangered our national security in the bargain.  Despite the fact that every legitimate study performed on the 2000 election demonstrated that Bush and company legitimately won Florida’s electoral vote and the 2000 election, the Left continued to complain that he was never legitimately elected.

Many of my fellow conservatives have vowed to dig in and in effect use the issue of BHO’s citizenship as a weapon in the same way the Left used Palm Beach County 2000 as a weapon.  The legal issue is moot.  Our website took heat for arguing that the issue was moot, and some of the response was vile.  Conservatives should be better than that.  We should not endanger the nation by undermining the very legitimacy of BHO’s election.

If any conservative has a reason to complain it is Sarah Palin.  She campaigned like a trooper for ten weeks.  The Palin family gave conservatives everything that it had.  Sarah Palin has moved on.  She has indicated that she will put her personal and political feelings aside and work with BHO to the extent possible on projects that will benefit her constituents and the nation.  (The Trans-Canada Natural Gas Pipeline, for instance) Indeed, Governor Palin will meet with BHO tomorrow to discuss the project.

We need to get off of the citizenship issue.  The legal issue is moot.  There is no way on Earth that the Supreme Court will rule that he can not take office.

Harping on the citizenship issue does not re-build the grassroots network.  It does not achieve anything.  Whining about Palm Beach County did not do a thing for the Dems.  They didn’t succeed in 2002 or 2004. They only succeeded in 2006 and 2008 after they re-built their grass-roots and focused on fundamentals.