Monday, Noon: Gara To Tell Anchorage Chamber Guv’s Oil Giveaway Must Give Way To Better Plan That Will Work.
January 6, 2012
On Monday Rep. Les Gara will present to an audience that hasn’t heard the other side of the story on Governor Parnell’s oil tax bill: That it gives away billions, with no tangible benefit to Alaskans. The presentation at the Chamber’s Make it Monday forum will be at noon at the Dena’ina Convention Center in Anchorage.
“Last time we lowered taxes on oil companies, we had declining production, companies took their profits out of state, and we had 40% less investment and 40% percent fewer jobs. The Governor’s plan is more of the same corporate welfare. Rather than tell companies they can take his $1.8 billion in tax reductions out of state, which his plan allows, we should allow tax credits only if companies spend in Alaska on new exploration and new production,” said Gara, whose HB 231 includes those provisions.
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Gara Calls For Proof that Chuitna River’s Salmon Can Be Fully Restored; No Response Yet
November 18, 2011
“Destroying a wild salmon stream to sell coal to China is about the worst idea in Alaska’s proud history of salmon protection. We’ve always promoted responsible mines. But this one is irresponsible,” said Representative Les Gara, of state plans allowing dredging of eleven miles of the Chuitna River’s tributaries to keep moving forward.
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Note from Rep. Les Gara: Guv Fear-Mongers On Your PFD: Why He’s Wrong. Very Wrong.
September 22, 2011
It seems that no matter what the issue, the Governor’s solution is to roll back oil taxes. Tuesday he did just that in announcing the Permanent Fund Dividend. He warned - very inaccurately - that “Alaskans can face diminishing dividends based upon the current dividend calculation because, in part, poor performance of the stock market, and then additionally over time because of declining oil production there will be fewer and less royalties going into the Permanent Fund unless we turn that around.”
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[video] Rep. Gara: We Can Do Better Than The Guv’s $8 Billion Oil Company Giveaway
September 8, 2011
Click to view the embedded video
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Note from Rep. Gara: Special Edition: Goods and Bads of Yesterday’s Budget Vetoes
June 30, 2011
I hate writing letters two days in a row. But important things have happened two days in a row.
I thought you’d like a rundown of the Governor’s veto decisions. First, let me say that I saw unjustified pork in some of the projects, and thought the budget was too big, so I voted against it. I voted against a $3.2 billion budget, because we have priority services and a need for savings. On the other hand, I can’t fault many of those who voted for the budget. It included some important energy projects to reduce energy costs – projects I defended publicly. It included home energy efficiency upgrade funds (which I voted for as an amendment), and some other priorities I helped get in the budget. So I’d say this: The budget, in my mind, was too big. I agree with the Governor there. But I would have chosen different projects to veto.
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