Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Oil tax

Jan. 12, 2008

To the editor:

This is in response to your editorial of Dec. 29 where you questioned the wisdom of the new oil tax legislation. You lead off with, “Are we still to believe that the oil companies are bluffing?” And ended with, “… How much time will be let pass before people begin to see that Gov. Palin’s oil tax is in need of change?”

My goodness, who got to you? Of course the oil companies are going to spread the word that the taxes will have “significant” impact on their development decisions. What else do you expect them to say? There is so much money at stake for them that they can easily justify devoting lots of time and money to getting the taxes changed.

Taking newspeople, legislators, business people and anyone else who will listen to them out to lunch and bleeding into their ears is a minuscule expense. In fact, as you well know they have very nice employees who do that full time. As for a friendly article in the London Times, what else do you expect the Times to do for British Petroleum? The more money they can take from the colonies, the better.

Oil in the ground will very likely become more valuable over time and as technologies improve, more of our oil will become recoverable. The longer our oil lasts, the longer we have to develop a post-oil economy. I would rather have a high tax on a slightly lower rate of production than a lower tax on a higher rate of production. Our total return would be greater in the first instance than the second. And remember, when that stuff is gone, it’s gone. And the nice oil people and their free lunches will be gone too — in a flash.

We’re involved in a high-stakes poker game here with the oil companies. They’ll bluff, cheat (VECO) and do anything else they can to win. All our cards are face up on the table. We never see theirs.

Bill Stringer

Fairbanks

Sam remembered

Jan. 13, 2008

To the editor:

I just opened my mail this weekend to find one of the Christmas cards I’d sent marked “deceased.” It had been sent to my good friend, Timothy Sam of Arctic Village. I searched the News-Miner archives, only to find that it was indeed true, he had passed on in October. Living here on the East Coast, it is difficult to stay in touch at times. Sadly, no full obituary was ever published.

I can not fill that void now, but I do wish to tell you a little about him. I only knew Timothy since 1999, the first time I went up to Arctic Village as a very green researcher. I lived with him for a month, and learned more from him than I could have from reading 100 books about the Gwich’in. He was a kind and patient “teacher-professor,” (what he used to call me), though yes, we did have a run-in or two.

As a Vietnam War vet in the Special Forces, he was a survivalist with a brilliant mind and a quirky sense of humor. He was a spiritual man too, and we talked religion often; that first summer, I helped him rebuild the floor of the Episcopal church in the village. Years later, his carpentry talents proved crucial as I led the project to reconstruct the Bishop Rowe Chapel, a National Historic Site in the village.

Whenever my children and wife came up to join me in my work there, he always treated them with love. He was the “Gwich’in uncle” they never had. Penina, Ari, Maya and I will miss you, Timothy. Thank you — for everything.

Steven C. Dinero, Ph.D.

Associate professor, human geography,

School of Liberal Arts, Philadelphia University

Philadelphia

Fair trial impossible

Jan. 13, 2008

To the editor:

I have been reading articles in your newspaper for a year or more concerning former Mayor Jim Hayes and his pending trial, and the plea bargain accepted by his wife, Murilda Hayes. I don’t see how it is possible for Mr. Hayes to ever receive a fair trial in Fairbanks with all the publicity this case has received. There must be a sensible reason for the defense lawyers agreeing to have the trial in Fairbanks, but it seems completely illogical.

The article in your paper on Jan. 12, 2008, “Both sides prepare to battle in Hayes trial later this month,” seems especially damaging to Mr. Hayes. When I read the article, I immediately thought, so, Mr. Hayes has put all the blame on his wife since he didn’t sign any of the financial instruments involved in the case. I also thought if Murilda Hayes doesn’t divorce Jim Hayes over this mess, it will be a miracle.

I would just like to say to Mr. Hayes and his lawyers, please consider moving the location of this trial, possibly to Anchorage. There have been too many details about this case in the news, and Mr. Hayes is a well-known public figure in Fairbanks.

I would also like to say to Mr. Hayes that I am truly sorry for the publicity this case has received, and how humiliating this must be for he and his family. He probably doesn’t remember me, but he helped me with a problem when he was mayor, as I’m sure he helped many others. He was polite, professional, and made sure a fair settlement was made by the city. If I could be sure his jury would be filled with other citizens who have the same high regard for him as I do, I would be more inclined to think his trial should stay in Fairbanks. However, I guess even that would not be fair.

Joyce Whipple

North Pole