If Alaskans speak up for oil now, legislators will take heed

VALENE CYSEWSKI

April 04, 2008 at 9:26AM AKST

 

For Alaska Newspapers

Alaska’s Oil for Alaskans Now was a grassroots movement conceived in the early 1980s.

The movement began when Chuck Rees’ wife encountered the rising cost of gasoline one day as she tried to fill her tank with only $20 in her wallet.

Imagine her surprise and chagrin when the amount owed was quite a bit more than she had expected.

This got Chuck Rees to thinking. How did John Q. Citizen manage to feed the family and pay for housing with this increase in one of the basics of life here in Alaska’s Interior?

So Rees did some checking around and decided to see if John Q. would get behind a movement to lower the overall cost of fuel oil, gas and diesel.

They secured a meeting room at the Travelers, now the Westmark, Hotel and spread the word about this meeting.

Rees made a bet that only a few people would show up. He lost the bet when close to a full room arrived.

This was the start of "Alaska’s Oil for Alaskans Now – 61 for 66."

The impetus for this movement was to reduce the cost of fuel oil and gasoline 66 cents a gallon.

The state would sell a portion of its royalty oil to the refinery for a 66 cents a gallon reduction for statewide distribution only.

Accordingly, the refinery would pass the savings, dollar for dollar, on to the distributor who would pass it thru to their vendors and the vendors to the consumer.

The group secured thousands of voter signatures, and Pappy Moss, the senator from Delta, took heed of their endeavor and introduced a bill.

It was unfortunate that the movement "61 for 66" was begun in the spring, and the legislative session ended without any significant action on this bill.

Now just think about this. Reduced fuel oil, diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel would be available to all within the state. The only stipulation on vendors that provide airline passage, freight shipping, etc., would be that the savings are passed along to their consumer.

Airline fares would be reduced for any flight in state or any leg of a flight begun in Alaska, for example, Fairbanks to Seattle but not Seattle to Fairbanks.

Freight charges would be reduced for any load originating in Alaska. Can you see the widespread benefit? Tourism would boom.

The tour bus companies would be able to offer less costly fares since the fuel costs would be greatly reduced the minute they crossed the border into Alaska.

This would encourage additional stops along the route or additional side trips.

Tourists would have more dollars to spend locally and goods and services would be more reasonable.

Airline passengers would pay less for their tickets because the return leg of their flight would be reduced.

The cost of doing business in Alaska would be less. Consider the small business owner. The benefit of lower energy costs could mean the difference between staying in business and closing.

In Fairbanks, the cost of electricity would be reduced because the cost to generate the electricity would be less.

Fuel companies would realize a twofold savings.

One, their cost to purchase oil for distribution is less and the gas for the trucks to deliver the fuel would be less.

The only condition for the airlines and freight companies to be allowed to gas up at our pumps would be that if they want to take advantage of the fuel savings, they must agree to pass the savings on dollar for dollar.

At the current rate for oil, Alaska will continue to receive a massive influx of oil dollars, and the Permanent Fund would not suffer for lack of funds.

This would also encourage new business to look to Alaska because the cost of doing business would become economically feasible and viable. Manufacturing would view Alaska more favorably than in the past.

Villages and their people would never again be in the position of accepting charity from a Third World dictator who has continually vilified America, the president and the American way of life.

The 100 gallons of fuel given by this despot was a huge price to pay for these people who philosophically opposed all that this man represents. But they were in the unenviable position of accepting it as a means to stretch the already overburdened family finances.

Alternative fuels are definitely a measure towards reduction in energy costs; however, the realization of these fuels en masse is years away. Oil is now.

Natural gas is another contender in the fight for reasonable energy, but it too is years away from reality. Oil is now.

Once again I am bringing this to the attention of John Q. Citizen.

Our legislators will have to pay heed if enough Alaskans raise their voice in support.

Maybe, just maybe, 20 years later, Chuck Rees’ idea will come to fruition for the good of Alaska and all Alaskans.

Valene Cysewski has been a resident of Fairbanks since 1949 and operated a business since 1973.