Last July I made my campaign
visit to Alaska meeting with injured workers, citizen leaders
and the media. Alaskans well understand the stakes for them in
this Presidential race. As America defines its domestic and foreign
policies, the Great Land emerges as a centerpiece of each. Its
lands, waters and natural resources are the nation s treasure.
The policies each of you propose for management of our environment,
our national defense and our energy resources will directly impact
this state and its residents.
Alaska fought for statehood
to have a voice in its own destiny. As a law student I was proud
to have spent time in Washington lobbying for both Alaska and
Hawaii statehood. In my letter to you on August 6th, I found
many residents who take great offense because your multimillion-dollar
campaigns include not a single stop in their state. Alaskans
who do not have the means to visit Washington or who do not enjoy
special connections to the powerful want to be part of the national
dialogue that is an inevitable part of a Presidential campaign.
Perhaps you both will respond if I list a few issues which Alaskans
want addressed in this Presidential race:
Oil companies hold natural
gas resources hostage. They profit instead by exportation to
America from foreign inventories. Alaskans support an all-Alaska
natural gas pipeline and not a trans-Canada line preferred by
Big Oil. They want to make their case face-to-face. They expect
a fair share of profits from resources extracted from both state
and federal lands and authentic environmental protections enforced
on federal lands and waters. They demand settlement of the Exxon
Valdez litigation.
Alaska s wild salmon population
and Alaska s fishing communities are jeopardized by development
of poorly regulated fish farms elsewhere and the preferential
importation of farm fish into America s food market.
The so-called missile defense
boondoggle now based in interior Alaska and on Kodiak Island
poses threats to the TransAlaska Pipeline and to the communities
and natural resources in the Interior and around Kodiak Island
should disastrous accidents occur from rapid deployment of this
unworkable, according to many leading physicists, and hugely
wasteful experiment.
Visit their beautiful state.
Speak with the people. They deserve face-to-face involvement
in this Presidential race, not the turning of your back on them.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader for President 2004 General Election Committee
