Alaska Governor Introduces Health Care Transparency Act
January 28, 2008
Governor Sarah Palin has introduced the Alaska Health Care Transparency Act which will provide more effective tools to help Alaskans access affordable health care, and to ensure the health care system is responsive to changing demographics and market conditions.The Act includes some recommendations from the Health Care Strategies Planning Council and the Health and Social Services Certificate of Need Negotiated Rule Making Committee.
“I thank the members of these two committees,” Governor Palin said. “They worked diligently to evaluate the broad spectrum of the health care system in our state. After reviewing their work, I am establishing the Alaska Health Care Commission to further health care planning from a statewide perspective, by building on the work they have done.”
The bill would establish an Alaska health care information office to give consumers factual information on quality, cost and other important matters to help them make better-informed decisions about health care in the state. Recognizing that health care must be market-and business-driven, rather than restricted by government, Palin is proposing a repeal of the Certificate of Need program (CON).
CON is a regulatory process that requires certain health care providers to obtain state approval before offering certain new or expanded services.
Health and Social Services Commissioner Karleen Jackson concluded that the CON program does not benefit the citizens of Alaska, given the litigious environment surrounding it.
The reports from the two committees are available online at: http://www.hss.state.ak.us/commissioner/legislature/
Source: Government Technology
Governor Sarah Palin Stands by AGIA Process
January 26, 2008
Alaska governor Sarah Palin released a statement Saturday expressing her belief that AGIA is on track and that she has spoken to Conoco about their alternate (and unqualified) proposal - despite president Jim Bowles’ inference that she hasn’t.
Jim Bowles has been a controversial figure in Alaska's oil politics.
Bowles' name came up on June 6, 2006 during the Pete Kott corruption trial. With the state House of Representatives on the verge of adopting a new 23.5-percent tax on oil production, convicted oil company bagman Bill Allen placed a phone call to Bowles. The FBI recorded every word.
From governor Palin's press release: Governor Sarah Palin today responded to claims made by ConocoPhillips regarding the State's rejection of the company's natural gas pipeline proposal, which was submitted outside the AGIA process."AGIA sets forth a vehicle that delivers North Slope gas to market with certification and construction benchmarks, expansion provisions, tariff terms, and other protections the state, and the nation, need. It is unfortunate that ConocoPhillips elected not to participate in this sensible competitive process as did other fine companies."The Governor also clarified that the state has never refused to work with ConocoPhillips on a mutually beneficial plan to get the producers' gas into a pipeline to market.
Governor Palin on Wednesday spoke with ConocoPhillips president Jim Bowles about this issue.
"While the ConocoPhillips' alternative obviously falls outside of AGIA's terms, we have long sought a way for ConocoPhillips to work with the state and the AGIA licensee toward a mutual goal of getting ConocoPhillips' gas into a line to market. We have had several discussions along these lines, and will continue to do so. Statements to the contrary are simply untrue, and only serve to confuse Alaskans."
Source: The Alaska Report
January 26, 2008
Conoco responds to Palin
January 26, 2008
Source: KTUU
Conoco Phillips has fired back a letter to Gov. Sarah Palin in response to her rejection of their gas line proposal.
In the letter the company said it is surprised and disappointed by Palin’s negative response.
It goes on to say that Conoco Phillips feels the governor has an apparent misunderstanding of what it really takes to economically support a pipeline - and asserts its proposal, though outside the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act is the best option.
In the letter, Conoco Phillips Alaska President Jim Bowles urges Palin and her administration to meet with his company to discuss the options. Including new fiscal terms the company feels would work well.
“We’ll remind Alaskans that we’ve met many, many, many times,” Palin said. “I’ve met with Jim Bowles. Our gas line team has met many, many times. We’ll continue to do so, so that aspect of the letter kind of caught us off guard.”
Conoco Phillips’ letter to the governor is available here.
Forest Service opens 3.4 million acres of Tongass Forest to logging
January 25, 2008
More than 3 million acres in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest would be opened to logging and road building under a Bush administration decision that supporters believe will revive Alaska’s timber industry but environmentalists fear will devastate the forest. Read more
Conoco says Palin doesn’t understand pipeline
January 25, 2008
Conoco Phillips, whose gas pipeline bid was bluntly rejected by Gov. Sarah Palin, has fired back with a letter saying she has “an apparent misunderstanding” of what it takes to complete the multibillion-dollar project. The letter urges Palin to keep the Conoco proposal in the game as a “viable alternative.” And it says Conoco has drafted a plan for dealing with a key sticking point - how the state should tax the gas that would go into the pipe. The letter challenges Palin to pull together a group of administration officials and legislators to talk about the plan.
Read the full story at the ADN
Source: Anchorage Daily News
