Unemployment insurance tax rates for employers plunge
December 3, 2007
The Associated Press
(Published: December 2, 2007) JUNEAU — Next year’s unemployment insurance tax rates will be the lowest Alaska employers have paid in the past 28 years.
Gov. Sarah Palin said the tax will decrease for an average employer by 23 percent from this year. She credits a number of factors, including more people working and an increase of $48 million in the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance.
An employer in the average rate class will pay about $114 less for each employee than in 2007.
The 2008 unemployment insurance tax rate notices will be mailed to employers next week.
The tax provides benefits as a partial replacement of wages to workers during temporary periods of unemployment.
ConocoPhillips to seek Alaska pipeline project
November 30, 2007
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Houston-based ConocoPhillips will be one of the companies to submit an application to build a $20 billion to $30 billion natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope, a project that many say will be the largest single construction project in U.S. history.
The company said today it has submitted a pipeline proposal to the state of Alaska, the same day applications are due under a pipeline construction process that Conoco and the other major North Slope producers, Exxon Mobil and BP, sharply criticized. Conoco says its proposal is being made outside that process.
“We desire to work directly and purposefully with the state of Alaska and the Legislature to advance this project as quickly as possible,” said Jim Mulva, chairman and chief executive officer of ConocoPhillips. “We also expect to approach other parties to explore ways through which their participation could add value to this effort.”
The three producers had negotiated a pipeline deal with former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski last year in private negotiations, but he was defeated in the November 2006 election.
Current Gov. Sarah Palin threw out that deal when she took office and created an open bidding process — the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act — which closes today.
The AGIA offers $500 million in financial backing to the project, a 10-year lock on gas-related taxes and other inducements. That would be on top of federal incentives for the project, including billions of dollars in loan guarantees.
Palin will announce all of the applicants tonight.
BP officials have said they are not submitting a bid because they believe the AGIA process won’t work for them.
“We want a successful project,” said spokesman Steve Rinehart. “It’s important for us, for Alaskans and the whole country. But our determination is AGIA would not produce a successful project.”
Exxon Mobil has declined to comment on the pipeline project.
The North Slope has proven gas reserves of 35 trillion cubic feet, or about 13 percent of the United States’ known reserves, but geologists say the potential for undiscovered gas is as high as 200 trillion cubic feet.
Source: Houston Chronicle
Conoco submits Alaska pipeline proposal - UPDATE 1-
November 30, 2007
(Recasts, adds details, updates sourcing)
NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips Inc (COP.N: Quote, Profile , Research) on Friday proposed to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48 U.S. states.
The company said it submitted a proposal to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to build a pipeline that would move about 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
It said it would make significant investments, without state matching funds, to advance the project.
Alaska’s North Slope contains 35 trillion cubic feet of known natural gas and is believed to hold many more times that in undiscovered reserves.
The company also said it plans to approach other parties to explore their participation in the project.
Chief Executive James Mulva told the Wall Street Journal he is willing to partner with a pipeline company and hopes to join with Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N: Quote, Profile , Research) and BP Plc (BP.L: Quote, Profile , Research) on transporting natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope region.
The three major producers have previously sought direct negotiations with the state to hammer out fiscal terms they say are needed to reduce the risks of such a massive project.
ConocoPhillips said Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals will provide Engineering and technical support for the early stage of the project. (Reporting by Michael Erman and Justin Grant; Editing by David Holmes and Dave Zimmerman)
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Reuters
Governor Palin Invites Public Input on Budget
November 22, 2007
November 21, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today urged Alaska residents to become involved in the state budget process by participating in a web survey. “Voices Across Alaska: State Budget Priorities” is an opportunity for Alaskans to provide their opinion on how the state’s projected budget surplus should be saved and invested.
“We all know oil prices will not remain at record levels forever, and planning ahead will help ensure that we really are kicking off a new era of tax stability,” said Governor Palin. “Under ACES, surplus revenue of approximately $1.6 billion could be realized this year. I hope Alaskans will take advantage of this opportunity to become part of the process.”
The Governor’s office will use the input to complete the FY2009 budget plan, which will be released to the public and the Legislature for consideration in mid-December. Surveys will be accepted through 5 p.m. on December 3, 2007.
The survey can be accessed at http://www.gov.state.ak.us
The End of Welfare as We Know It
June 19, 2007
Carl Pope, The Huffington Post
Posted June 19, 2007 | 03:48 PM (EST)
Anchorage, AK — America’s last welfare state is also its last frontier — Alaska — a state where, thanks to some progressive planning in the years when oil had been discovered but did not yet own the state, most of the royalty revenues from the North Slope have been kept in a Permanent Fund which, each year, pays every man, women and child resident in the state a welfare payment which this year runs about $1000 — down about 50% from only a few years ago.
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