SitNews - Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska

Viewpoints: Letters / Opinions

Stop Cash Payments to Oil Companies

By Dan Ortiz

 

March 27, 2017
Monday PM


It’s time to roll back the high cashable credits we pay to oil companies. House Bill 111 is a bill which amends the current oil and natural gas tax structure to remove or edit pieces of the current oil tax system that do not benefit Alaskans.

The current system is overly generous, without economic cause, to outside oil companies. We are the only oil regime in the world who pays cash to oil companies, and that structure has not served Alaskans. House Bill 111 will make adjustments that ensure the system works more fairly for Alaskans. We will maintain a competitive oil tax regime that is comparably better than many of our competitors; Alaska is attractive to oil companies, and this legislation will not dissuade any companies, from small independents to the major names in oil and natural gas, from being part of the Alaskan resource economy.

The Alaska State Legislature has a duty owed to the people of Alaska to maximize our natural resources for the maximum benefit of the Alaskan people; The State of Alaska Constitution states, “The legislature shall provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the State… for the maximum benefit of its people.”

HB 111 will stop cash payments to oil companies, and ensure Alaskans are getting a fair price for our oil. I’m continuing to work with my colleagues in House Finance Committee to tweak House Bill 111 and identify innovative ways to benefit Alaskans, but I can confidently state that House Bill 111 is already shaping up to serve the best interests of Alaskans.

For more information on House Bill 111, you can call my office at 247-4672 or email me at rep.dan.ortiz@akleg.gov

Rep Dan Ortiz
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received March 24, 2017 - Published March 27, 2017

Related: HB 111
http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/30?Root=HB%20111

 

 

Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:

Webmail Your Opinion Letter to the Editor

 

Representations of fact and opinions in letters are solely those of the author.
The opinions of the author do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

E-mail your letters & opinions to editor@sitnews.us
Your full name, city and state are required for letter publication.

Published letters become the property of SitNews.

SitNews ©2016
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.

E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us

Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.