Palin Matchmakes For a Gasline; A Deal With The Devil

Governor Sarah Palin is sleeping with the enemy of many Alaskans. Her trip to Houston, Texas to discuss a merged project with TransCanada and Exxon Mobil betrays Alaskans still reeling from last year's devastating Supreme Court verdict. It flies in the face of anyone with a memory of 20 years let alone last June. Exxon promised to "make Alaskans whole" and they never did; just another broken promise piled on top of all the others.

Last year, Palin's AGIA (Alaska Gasline Inducement Act) passed into law, awarding TransCanada $500 million in state funds to build the 1,700 mile pipeline. Through the support of the Democrats she was able to pass the law, earning her the title of "socialist" from her Republican critics. The same Democratic lawmakers were thrown under the "Hate Talk Express" during the election. I support a gasline, and supported AGIA when it was Exxon-free. It was the only way to have a chance for an All-Alaska gasline; built along the existing corridor of the Trans-Alaska pipeline. The existing route would prevent years of litigation over Canadian tribal lands and minimize additional environmental impact and border security issues.

TransCanada doesn't hold any leases of gas or oil on the North Slope. Conoco Phillips and BP, an unlikely couple, birthed the "Denali" project. They want to build a gasline without the $500 million in state funds. The whole point of the producers not owning the pipeline was to allow the state more control over being double billed; Alaska is, after all, a resource owner state.

A huge reversal in the administration's stance with Exxon came in January of this year. Let's just call it foreplay. Exxon and its partners had been locked out after state regulators withdrew their leases on state land. They pulled them because Exxon sat on the 106,201-acre Point Thomson for over three decades. Basically, you snooze, you lose.

Exxon came back and said they really would develop it this time and start producing by 2014. Scout's honor. Promise. Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin said "thanks, but no thanks", saying he couldn't trust Exxon to do what they promised. Well, the administration and Exxon had a Dr. Phil sort of make up session and flipped, allowing Exxon to keep their leases.

It boggled the mind. Where was the new found trust with the company who strung Alaskans along with 20 years of litigation after the Exxon Valdez disaster? When the governor was quizzed by Katie Couric about what US Supreme Court decisions she hadn't agreed with other than Roe v Wade, she blanked. I was stunned. Baker v Exxon! June 25, 2008! THREE MONTHS EARLIER! You know, the verdict the conservative "activist judges" on the Supreme Court set precedent and forever capped negligent corporation's punitive damages?! WHAT?! Their initial $5 billion dollar judgment had been reduced to $500 million. A whopping ten cents on the dollar. By the way, the herring run in Prince William Sound never did come back. Exxon extinguished it. Now we are paying them?

With the announcement of Exxon climbing into bed with TransCanada for the $500 million inducement to build the gasline, the Palin Administration's January roll over makes more sense.

As someone who helped clean up the negligent, massive, environmental catastrophe known as the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and fished her whole life, take it from me: Doing business with Exxon is like letting the guy who date raped your daughter rent your basement. But, hey, at least we have a tenant.

This picture was taken of remaining oil in the sound the day after the Supreme Court ruling last June. Nineteen years after the spill...it's still there.

Follow Shannyn Moore on Twitter: www.twitter.com/shannynmoore

Comments

[Rhetticent]

We could become energy independent if we started converting autos, buses, trucks to compressed natural gas. CNG won't pollute the beaches, burns much cleaner. That would do more for the environment by itself than all the cap and trade nonsense currently being debated. But you people want to oppose that, and thereby gaurantee that we'll be floating tankers full of crude oil into the United state for decades. Even the strongest proponents of alternative fuels admit we can only get to a point where alternatives provide 25% by 2020: what do you think will make up the 75%? Environmentalists who truly believe that the earth is in crisis should be SCREAMING for more natural gas use.

[13champlain]

XOM is a solid Company with a disciplined, conservative leadership team. They will make this project happen....without Obama giving them a blank check bucket of bailout money. At the same time they will provide tens of thousands of jobs and provide clean burning natural gas to the US.

Yep, its time to hammer them with lefty blatherings.

[Shannyn Moore - Huffpost Blogger]

Did you get the part about $500 million from the state. If you call it an inducement or bail-out it still results in public money (government) going to a corporation.
Alaska's gas will stop in Canada to aid in the tar sands development. More than half of line will be in Canada...ever tried to get a job in Canada?

[CityGardner]

Your faith in the leadership of XOM is touching, and your slamming the President for no particular reason... not so much. But adults use facts to make long-term plans in the real world, not faith.

Two important facts: there will continue to be far-reaching changes in how energy is supplied and transmitted. Those changes is already well under way.

The other fact is that energy sellers are positioning themselves to profit from those changes. We need to remember the simple fact that for-profit public utilities corporations buy the right to a specific part of the American public, in part by agreeing to pay taxes for access to that group of customers.

In these negotiations - essentially, which corporations will be guaranteed an unbroken profit stream for the foreseeable future - Palin is an uninformed figurehead. (That is not intended to be a gratuitous insult. It is simply another fact which must be dealt with. Palin's candidacy clearly demonstrated the exact level of her intelligence.) It is clear that she does not originate Alaska's responses to corporations, and well-founded doubt whether she understands anything about the negotiations. Palin is there to sign the papers and smile at the camera.

[Aimee LoPresti]

What seems to be the problem here is a court system that protects corporations like Exxon over the people, and a Governor of the state who thinks that's ok. At the base of this is the "rights of the corporation". Those should not exist, or at the very least, they should not have more rights than an individual, or a state or local gov't that represents those individuals. But it's on the books and the judicial system has to enforce those rules the legislature has enacted. I love how Palin talks about how government is evil and takes away the will of the people....what an amazing bit of hypocrisy that NO ONE seems to call her on. She IS the evil gov't taking away the will of the people, unless you think corporations like Exxon are the people...How can that be??? To get away with polluting her own state, and then to give them even more power in that state, it's absolutely mindboggling. Thank you Shannon for your continued reporting to let us know in the lower 48 how it is and sharing your perspective.

Now, how about all those ethics complaints against Palin, any have any teeth or has she been busy changing all the laws to make all she does somehow legal?

[SimJack]

Taking all things about her behavior over the past few months into account, she's done with governing and is now merely out to use her power and celebrity to her own personal financial gain. She probably knows in her heart that the GOP won't back her in a presidential bid. If the pipeline project is approved she will no doubt see significant kickbacks. She's a media hog who is using any opportunity to cheerlead and remain in the spotlight because she's a firebrand for her lunatic fringe base. This is a useful and necessary pro-active marketing tactic to sell her book when it hits the shelves and it gives her plenty of air time experience. Basically, she's done and she knows it so she's playing towards a different end game; face time and money. She's abdicated her responsibility as governor and is now abusing the office and the people of Alaska for her own benefit which, in my mind, is a hallmark of corruption and probably illegal.

[bighat]

This is about money not grudges. Exxon has it. Alaska needs it and all of the US will benefit from our cleanest burning fuel.

Your article is just another way to slander Palin. I had a ford pickup breakdown. Should I never buy from Ford again.

This deal Palin is pushing will benefit the entire US or at least wherever the pipelines are built. Canada is quite happy about it as well.

I do not know where the 26 billion will come from but it will be the best money spent in 2009

[Oldchef]

There's a glut of natural gas in the lower 48. We don't need this boondoggle of a pipeline.

[DIdaho]

I haven't been able to figure out - where is the 26 Billion to build the pipeline coming from?

[aznurse]

the gasoline price here has gone up about 75cents a gallon in the past few weeks.

[13champlain]

Corprate financing, without gov bailouts. Ooops, we are supposed to be bashing these guys.

[j mcdouglas]

Palin is a puppet for her softspoken husband who works for British Petroleum.

Just like W, her real constituency is the oil industry, not citizens.

[jakiew]

that was so true. remember drill baby drill. scary people

[jlarue]

Awesome post!! I was pregnant with my daughter when the spill happened...she is 20 years old now.It is despicable what Exxon did and to see your guv in bed with them must suck!

[Akat1973]

I am horrified that these soil samples are STILL SO CONTAMINATED AFTER 20 YEARS! ANYONE ELSE? I know it has had some lasting effects on some of the animal population,and has even driven some animals that used to thrive in Alaska into extinction.How sad it is Palin welcomes death and what about the polution of Alaska,or the humans-consumption- fishing from the waters-where the river sediment is also full of oil from 20 years ago. Seems she has made many deals with the devil.

[WellTickleMeWillie]

How can Palin make a deal with herself? Just asking...

[hrholmes]

It can't be the devil, her witch doctor took care of that! lol

[Hammerofthor]

Sarah Palin is brilliant, strong, revolutionary, insightful. She is the powerful woman we need to instill confidence and admiration for leadership. She is the only "change in which we can believe".

[Akat1973]

she is the change that will never ever happen

[moAb]

Hammerofthor...from the land of trolls

[in4success]

PUT THE PIPE DOWN AND BACK AWAY!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

[j mcdouglas]

Ha ha.

"Step away from the drugs. I repeat, step away from the drugs."

[CitizenJ]

You forgot to click your heels three times.

[Hizzysgal]

And I suppose you were told the moon is made of cheese and you believed that too!

[Fein]

A far-right Repug in bed with Big Oil - what's new?

Alaskans should've known a right winger would exploit their resources on behalf of the Oil industry that
works so hard to keep right winger in office.

Now they're paying the price.

[bighat]

Are you under the impression that the natural gas that will come from Alaska will be free?

Natural gas is our cleanest buring fuel. someone is looking ahead. We will need the gas for everything from electricity to heat. Not to mention it is a whole lot better for the environment than coal and oil

[floridafun]

thanks as always shannyn for explaining this mess. the best thing that came out of palins catwalk into national politics has been the fine education we in the lower 48 have gotten from you and from themudflats. also!

[ImJustSaying007]

You betcha....­.......... wink......­.......... wink

[grooveygrover]

Everyone needs to stop buying gas from Exxon, I stopped after the spill when Exxon said they couldn't lower gas prices because of the cost of the clean up
another lie
there are so many other suppliers out there, consumers hold all the power, take their money (at least part of it) away, its the only thing they understand

[JBVT]

As a long time Exxon shareholder (Dad started way back in Esso times) all I care about is me, me, me.

Screw you America and keep those checks a rolling in!

[blueken]

And that's why our economy is in the tank. Me, me, me. No thought of the common wealth. Screw enough people, long enough and society crumbles, just look at the French Empire, Rome, etc. China etc. etc.

[scooperss]

Oh dear. Poor you. I don't and won't buy exxon products.

Any company that refuses to help the poor and elderly in the winter is unpatriotic especially when said company gets it's profits from price gouging and the product they produce comes from land owned by we, the people.

[johnie2xs]

Tell me, Shannyn. Does Alaska have some kind of recall process?

Short of impeachment (or maybe, even), is there not some way to make Palin feel some sting?

Can she not be charged with some sort of dereliction of duty; actions irrespective of the concerns of the state; I mean there has got to be something you guys up there can do to reign her in. Or is there?

Please find a way to get her off our front pages and on to yours. I suppose with the state of media today that that's impossible, but I think you understand what I mean.

We're REALLY tired of her. REALLY!!!

[kev1000]

Well, you know, for what it's worth, the Alaskan State Gov. is giving her the cheese about the stimulus. I mean, when the people who lead the state you're governing go over your head - ouch, know what I mean?

Until she screws up so badly that she can't come back (although, in all honesty, I can't see how anybody'd be able to tell), there's always the Alaskan government snub.