Begich in and still no pipeline

Mark Begich is going to ruin Gov. Bill Walker’s and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott’s entire year. Begich has declared for governor on the Democrat ticket. It is reported that his running mate may be Debra Call, an Anchorage resident and Alaska Native. This gives Begich a matching ticket to Walker/Mallott.

Edgar Blatchford has also declared for Lt. Gov. for the Democratic Primary.

Begich’s filing means the Democrats will have a split ticket in the General Election, which is a good thing for the opposition.

Begich’s entry into the governor’s race, and lack of any news regarding progress on the natural gas pipeline Joint Development Agreement must be giving Bill Walker and Byron Mallott some serious discomfort. Unless Walker has the proverbial rabbit to pull out of the hat, Begich will ensure the end of the Walker Administration.

Fortunately, there aren’t enough Democrats in Alaska to see Begich succeed in beating both Walker and a Republican challenger, unless Walker and Mallott withdraw.

At the candidates’ forum held at the AOGA trade show and convention in Anchorage this week, the declared candidates gave their presentations. In his opening remarks and closing remarks, Governor Walker did not speak at all about his pipeline deal with the People’s Republic of China. Not one word. This, given his recent trip to China. All that was announced previously in the press was an agreement for tourism to Fairbanks.

The State of Alaska’s and the Alaska Gas Development Authority’s Joint Development Agreement with the Chinese calls for certain tasks to be completed. Those tasks are under paragraph 5 in the agreement on pp 4-5.

5. The parties will use reasonable efforts to work on the following during the period between Effective Date and 31 May, 2018 (‘Framework Period”).

a. Determine the likely disposition in China of the seventy-five percent (75%) of Alaska LNG long term supply to markets.

b. Identify the ability for Sinopec to engage in aspects of engineering and construction.

c. Develop the general framework and indicative pricing for potential and customary strategic financing and international project financing for Alaska LNG.

d. Explore the feasibility for each Party to invest in Alaska LNG.

6. The Parties shall use reasonable efforts to conclude any definitive agreements based on the decisions reached during the Framework period by 31 December, 2018.”

The Framework period is from 9 November, 2017 until 31 May, 2018. Given that there is no public announcement by Governor Walker regarding progress, does that mean his “agreement” is now moot?

I challenge Governor Bill Walker to publicly state what has been accomplished to meet the requirements of paragraphs 5 and 6? I further challenge Governor Bill Walker to give a firm date as to when the State of Alaska will receive any funding from the Chinese?

Walker is aware that Begich’s entry may very well ensure the next governor will be a Republican.

Begich’s ego is large enough to believe that he will win, no matter what. After all, he is Mark Begich.

Without any discernible forward movement on the pipeline, Walker’s reason for remaining governor is now moot. What will his platform be for the next four years? How many businesses and how many people he will drive out of Alaska with his taxes and regulatory burden?

Maybe, in 2014, then candidate Bill Walker should have listened to his supporters who opposed his Faustian deal with the Democratic Party and stayed the course? Although, he has shown his true colors since, and certainly cannot be trusted.

In the 2010 Primary race, Bill Walker presented himself as a conservative Republican. In 2014, he presented himself as a “conservative Republican running as an Independent” to avoid the cost of a Primary. This time, there is no “conservative Republican” establishing his political identity, just “Independent”. His record says liberal. Why did he not run as a Democrat and stop pretending he is something other than a liberal?

Does Walker think he can fool us three times?