It is time to put Alaska first

To the editor:

I attended a meet and greet for Bill Walker and Craig Fleener, the two independent gubernatorial candidates. The comments by these men were refreshing. Been a long time since I’ve heard candidates who were specific, regarding their actions once in office.

The skill set is unique, in that Walker is known for his gas pipeline expertise and support of a gas pipeline to Valdez, which he campaigned on in 2010. This is the gas line option that Alaska voters chose when we passed Prop 3 in 2002, creating the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority. Bill actually talked about the State of Alaska being proactive in challenging the federal government on sovereignty issues, rather than letting the feds dictate our future.

Craig Fleener, the lieutenant governor candidate with Walker, is a man who has a background in wildlife management, and is currently a serving officer in the Alaska Air National Guard, and a U.S. Marine Corps vet. Fleener brings his Gwich’in heritage and his life experience to the team.

I am tired of RINOs, and governors who won’t lead. We need leaders, and Walker and Fleener will provide that leadership — a solid conservative leadership that will work to reduce Alaska’s deficit spending, the size of state government, and get a pipeline built. Walker ran against Parnell in 2010, and lost in the primary. Parnell’s strategy then seemed to be to refuse any debates, except two that I attended just before the primary. It looks like he is doing the same rope-a-dope silence routine, excepting the Anchorage Chamber’s debate April 28.

The course set by the Legislature and this governor is one of continued deficit spending and a plan for a gas pipeline that will not happen. Just more studies. Too many conflicts of interest on the parts of TransCanada, Exxon et al to want Alaska gas on the world market.

We’ve had six years of Gov. Sean Parnell and deficit spending. When the price of oil drops, which it may very well do, as Exxon and Shell are in Russia helping to develop the Barynov shale play with an estimated 384 billion barrels of usable reserves, Alaska will be in deep trouble financially. It is time to put Alaska first and elect a governor and lieutenant governor who will work to enhance our economy, protect our sovereignty, and reduce the impact of government, and not give Outside interests any priority.

Larry Wood

Palmer