November 02, 2018
Friday AM

Please be advised that funding for Ballot Measure 1 is designed to be hidden from public view and comes from large outside environmental groups on the East Coast, the same groups that fought successfully for years to block any development in ANWAR among other things.

Among these groups is the D.C. based Venture Fund which pays the salary and expenses of Stand for Salmon’s campaign director Ryan Schryver. The Venture Funds primary objective is to block resource development, existing mainly to shape state and local policies through local groups and ballot initiatives. Another large contributor is the Hewlett Fund known for extreme activism such as curbing carbon output by promoting population control. The Anchorage based Alaska Conservation Foundation is listed as an in-state sponsor but much if it’s funding came from the Rockefeller and Pew Foundations, both East Coast sponsors as well.

There is a danger to settling complex issues through ballot initiatives that cast aside the reasoned thorough legislative process by allowing a simple “yes” or “no” to complicated questions. A famous columnist once wrote: “Initiatives have given the United States something that seems unthinkable – not a government of laws but laws without government."

In our case, development in Alaska in almost any form would be blocked by endless public reviews, the requirement of performance bonds, and endless red tape. The final up or down approval on any project would be totalitarian in nature, granted solely by the commissioner of fish and game. Even the maintenance required to keep our oil pipeline running safely would be threatened.

Ballot measure 1 is not supported by United Fisherman of Alaska, the Seafood Processors Association or most of the 12 Alaska Native Regional Corporations.

For the sake of our states future vote No on Ballot Measure 1.

Andy Rauwolf
Ketchikan, Alaska

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

Received October 27, 2018 - Published November 02, 2018

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