Ogan remains unclear on issue of conflict

Frontiersman editorial board

"This will be my legacy," Scott Ogan said of the coal-bed methane issue. "Ten years from now, this is what people will remember about Scott Ogan." Famous final words? Time will tell. No one can question that Ogan believes those words, though. Ogan is passionate about the notion of resource development in the Valley, and he's firm in his belief that his role in opening the door for CBM development is the best thing to happen in the Mat-Su in a long time.

What Ogan continues to miss, however, is the reasons behind the rising wave of dissatisfaction his constituents are expressing toward him. Ogan resigned this week from his position as a consultant for Evergreen Resources, so far the only major CBM developer showing interest in the Valley. In a press release, Ogan stated the resignation came because people he's known and respected for years believed there was an "irreconcilable conflict of interest."

Ogan, however, seems to be a little more confused on the issue than his trusted friends. In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Ogan began by affirming his belief that there was never a conflict between his role as senator and his role as Evergreen consultant. He said he'd recused himself from every committee vote pertaining to Evergreen or CBM development. Ogan was not only a senator and an Evergreen employee, but he was also the chairman of the Senate Resources Committee. When asked if the need to recuse himself from votes pertaining to his own committee wasn't a clear sign of conflict, Ogan simply said, "No."

Later in the interview, Ogan changed directions a bit. He said everyone in the Senate has conflicts of interest, and that those conflicts are actually the whole point of a citizen legislature. He said the state's real estate laws were rewritten by a politician who also practices real estate, and that the construction laws were rewritten by a contractor who also happens to be an elected official. All to the good, Ogan said. Why shouldn't the experts write the laws regulating their businesses? Still, Ogan maintained that it was his friends, not him, who felt there was a conflict with his dual roles.

Later in the interview, however, Ogan said the last straw in his decision to resign from Evergreen was that he felt he couldn't attend a public meeting pertaining to the CBM issue. "I can't go there as Senator Ogan," he said. "People will see me as an Evergreen representative." When asked if that wasn't the very essence of conflict Ogan said, "It was a conflict in my heart." It was as far as he was willing to go.

Though he's left Evergreen, Ogan remains passionate about bringing CBM development to the Valley, seemingly at any cost. When asked if HB 69 opened the door to other companies that could practice irresponsible development, Ogan simply said, "Yes. That's a work in progress." He also defended the notion that private sector businesses should be allowed to take an active role drafting their own regulation legislation, as Evergreen apparently did with HB 69.

Ogan was right to make the decision to end the conflict that was apparent to everyone but him. The only question that remains to be answered is, did he quit the right job?