By Win Gruening
Historically, Alaskans have bristled at attempts by outsiders to control our state’s destiny to advance their own agenda.
We persevered as a territory while under the thumb of Seattle shipping and salmon canning special interests. We fought for equality for all Alaskans resulting in the first anti-discrimination act in the U.S. We were successful in our fight for statehood, adopting a unique and model state constitution that has served us well for 61 years.
Today, Alaskans are facing yet another challenge to our independence.
I’m referring to the two initiatives on Alaska’s November ballot — ballot measures 1 and 2. Proponents claim these complex changes to our voting system and how we tax oil companies are urgent and necessary.
No, they are not.
Indeed, they actually pose a threat to Alaskan values and our economic well-being. They are enthusiastically supported by outside interests that could care less about individual Alaskans.
Ballot Measure 1, mislabeled the “Fair Share Act,” proposes to increase the state oil production tax on North Slope legacy fields from 150-300%. Never mind that the oil industry has contributed an average of $3 billion annually in taxes and royalties to Alaska over the last 5 years while taking in about a third of that. Never mind that oil demand and prices have sunk to historic lows. Additionally, Alaska’s economy is in free-fall from a pandemic devastating the visitor industry and from a collapse of the fishing industry due to low salmon returns.
Why would we levy increased taxes on Alaska’s economic mainstay – when a 2020 study by the McDowell Group noted that oil companies created almost $5 billion in annual payroll, 77,000 jobs, and $4 billion in annual payments to Alaska businesses? This short-sighted tax increase may provide a small windfall in the near-term but would discourage exploration and investment, which is exactly what Alaska desperately needs over the long-term.
Equally as important, Alaskans should ask themselves who supports this effort and be aware that, recently, The Alaska Center endorsed and is encouraging support of this measure.
The Alaska Center is an environmental group funded largely by outside donors seeking to control Alaskan energy and environmental policy. Their interest is less in raising taxes than in preventing Alaskans from benefiting from our natural resources. If Ballot Measure 1 passes, this lines up nicely with their goal of leaving much of Alaska’s remaining oil in the ground forever.
Does that sound “fair” to Alaskans?
Ballot Measure 2, titled “Alaska’s Better Elections Initiative,” is another misnomer.
[Election reform measure goes beyond party lines]
It proposes to completely overhaul Alaskan election law by changing how we conduct our primaries and how our votes are counted in a general election. Its promise to simplify and “clean-up” our elections is contradicted by its nine separate objectives in a proposed bill which is 25 pages long.
Never mind that our state-level system of voting has worked — essentially unchanged — since statehood. Some special interests don’t like the results of our elections, so their objective is to change the system to accomplish what they couldn’t get done fairly at the ballot box. Never mind that this proposal is opposed by high profile Alaskans of both major parties — most notably former Gov. Sean Parnell and former Sen. Mark Begich.
So who are the special interests promoting this measure? Let’s follow the money.
In recent APOC reports, the group backing the measure, “Yes on 2 for Better Elections,” has received more than $5 million from three groups: the Action Now Initiative, Unite America and Represent.Us.
Those outside groups are funded mostly by a small number of out-of-state wealthy donors from who want to use Alaska as a laboratory experiment in electoral politics.
Does that sound “better” for Alaskans?
Regardless of intent, these two measures are misplaced.
The deliberative body most representative of actual Alaskans, and thus best suited to decide complex oil tax and election law, is the state Legislature.
There are plenty of reasons to vote down both measures. But, even without reading the fine print, Alaskans should be suspicious of outside interests claiming to know what’s best for us.
Exercise the independence Alaskans are known for and vote no on both ballot measures 1 and 2.
• Win Gruening retired as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in 2012. He was born and raised in Juneau and is active in community affairs as a 30-plus year member of Juneau Downtown Rotary Club and has been involved in various local and statewide organizations. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.
