Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 2, 2006 0:08:37 GMT -5
Editorial-Seattle Times
seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Alaska cuts off its nose to save its oil
Alaska state Rep. Kurt Olson has introduced a resolution in his state's Legislature to cut off ferry service to the state of Washington. His casus belli is that our delegation in Congress, particularly Sen. Maria Cantwell, thwarts the Alaskan dream of discovering a massive new oil field in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
We congratulate Rep. Olson on his moderation, noting that his belligerency against our state stops at economic sanctions only. We offer Olson the friendly suggestion that he examine his proposal in a state with more daylight in the month of March. His proposal looks to us more like a way for Alaska to impose economic sanctions on itself. In terms of economics, the Alaska Marine Highway System is a fairly small thing. It carries fewer than half the passengers, and less than a third of the vehicles, of the Washington State Ferries' smallest route, the one from Sidney, B.C., to Anacortes.
Dear Alaskans: We appreciate the ferry you provide — and subsidize with your state tax dollars — and are happy to provide a terminal for it. But it is you who rely on it most.
We note that Rep. Olson is elected by the citizens of Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula, far from the route of the ferry he proposes to stop. When this industrious Republican rustles up some co-sponsors from Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Skagway, we'll take him more seriously.
As for his frustration at the greenness of Washington voters, we shall try to understand his state if he will try to understand ours. The Alaskans point out that drilling would provide jobs and income for people here. That is undoubtedly so, and yet it does not carry the day.
Most people here oppose drilling in the refuge. Some oppose it on principle and some, like this page, oppose it for now, because they are not convinced a good case has been made for it. We guess that if there were no ferry, they would still oppose it.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Alaska cuts off its nose to save its oil
Alaska state Rep. Kurt Olson has introduced a resolution in his state's Legislature to cut off ferry service to the state of Washington. His casus belli is that our delegation in Congress, particularly Sen. Maria Cantwell, thwarts the Alaskan dream of discovering a massive new oil field in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
We congratulate Rep. Olson on his moderation, noting that his belligerency against our state stops at economic sanctions only. We offer Olson the friendly suggestion that he examine his proposal in a state with more daylight in the month of March. His proposal looks to us more like a way for Alaska to impose economic sanctions on itself. In terms of economics, the Alaska Marine Highway System is a fairly small thing. It carries fewer than half the passengers, and less than a third of the vehicles, of the Washington State Ferries' smallest route, the one from Sidney, B.C., to Anacortes.
Dear Alaskans: We appreciate the ferry you provide — and subsidize with your state tax dollars — and are happy to provide a terminal for it. But it is you who rely on it most.
We note that Rep. Olson is elected by the citizens of Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula, far from the route of the ferry he proposes to stop. When this industrious Republican rustles up some co-sponsors from Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Skagway, we'll take him more seriously.
As for his frustration at the greenness of Washington voters, we shall try to understand his state if he will try to understand ours. The Alaskans point out that drilling would provide jobs and income for people here. That is undoubtedly so, and yet it does not carry the day.
Most people here oppose drilling in the refuge. Some oppose it on principle and some, like this page, oppose it for now, because they are not convinced a good case has been made for it. We guess that if there were no ferry, they would still oppose it.