Will Governor Walker remove the impediment of government?

Governor-elect Bill Walker’s transition team has much on its plate and little time in which to do its appointed task. What one wonders is just what will be considered and what will not? What will be the major issues discussed and what minutiae will be overlooked?

Walker promised in 2010, and again in 2014 to reduce the cost of state government. He talked about a 16 percent budgetary reduction, now down to 5 percent.

Resource development is a major issue and concern for most working Alaskans. Expanding our resource development policies and gaining access to our rightful mineral and timber resources promised under our Statehood Compact will eventually wean the state government off of the federal dole and an oil-only economy.

The natural gas pipeline issue was the steak and potato issue of Walker’s first run in 2010, and what put him on the political map. If Governor-elect Bill Walker holds true to his talk of defunding the Alaska Gas Development Authority, and kills that Frankenstein’s monster of Reps. Mike Chennault and Mike Hawker, Alaskans may actually see pipeline construction begin before the end of Walker’s first term. The only route that avoids the specter of litigation is the trans-Alaska pipeline system corridor to terminus in Valdez. Thus far, his selections for positions within his administration are encouraging.

Another major issue is opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development. However, that is unlikely before 2017, as the Obama Administration is still opposed to any such development. Walker needs to direct the Alaska congressional delegation, which should have another change for the better with the 2016 election, to begin in earnest work to garner support for opening ANWR as soon as a new President is elected in 2016.

Another resource development and transportation issue that will need congressional support is securing rights of way across Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Actlands to access the state’s and Alaska Native corporations’ resource lands and to access to multi-use federal lands for which access and development was promised under the Statehood Compact. This is another major issue that needs to be resolved by congressional action, if possible, rather than risk liberal courts. Governor-elect Walker needs to firmly direct Alaska’s congressional delegation to work to garner support to remove the impediments of ANILCA to rights of way blocking the creation of a rational surface transportation infrastructure, as is the right of any state, and to allow access to resources heretofore denied since the passage of ANILCA. Alaska should have the right to build roads wherever the state needs to do so, just as has been the right of every other state in this Union.

State sovereignty was one of Governor-elect Bill Walker’s hot button topics during the 2010 and the 2014 campaigns. Will Governor-elect Walker resurrect the Walter Hickel challenge to the federal government’s overreaching in Alaska? Governor Tony Knowles moved the court to dismiss with prejudice Governor Hickel’s lawsuit.

Will Governor-elect Walker restore the rule of law in Alaska?

How soon after being sworn in will Governor-elect Walker seek redress for the conduct of the leadership within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Alaska National Guard? Will he appoint a special prosecutor and task the Alaska State Troopers with the criminal investigation?

Will this Governor-elect redress the humiliation and rendering of ineffective of the Alaska State Defense Force? Will he do as Parnell did and allow leadership to continue that uses intimidation, threats and illegal discharges against those who disagree with that leadership?

Minutiae that has a large-dollar impact:

Will this Governor-elect consider raising the speed limit on the Glenn and Parks Highways to levels established by sound traffic engineering practices, rather than limited by a national political agenda? The speed limit on the Glenn across the Palmer Hay Flats was set at the 85^th percentile speed of 73 mph five days before the National Maximum Speed Limit went into effect under the Nixon Administration. Today, traffic studies confirm the 85^th percentile speed at 73 mph, the speed limit that should be in effect on the Glenn. To do so, would end the ticket mill into Anchorage, and reduce the burden on an overloaded court system.

This Governor-elect can either continue the expansion of the welfare-state that is Alaska, or work to create opportunity by removing the impediment of government.

Larry Wood is a 60-year Alaskan and businessman living on Lazy Mountain.