Interview with TransCanada on Keystone, Mackenzie and Alaska gas lines--their timeline isn't ours!!!!

Here is a LINK that EVERYONE should see regarding TransCanada's timeline. According to Hal Kvisle, Alaska will be the LAST PIPELINE COMPLETED--"THE LATER PART OF THE NEXT DECADE!"

Watch the interview...and send a link to your Senator.

Candidate Erick Cordero (pictured below on the right) who is running for Lyda Green's seat, has been talking about this all week:

Through email on Sunday, Cordero asked all members of the legislature to give full consideration to an All Alaskan Natural Gas Pipeline. Cordero mentioned some concerns regarding the TransCanada proposal, specifically related to a development timeline. TransCanada has stated that construction of the Mackenzie line project would take priority over the Alaskan gas pipeline.

In his letter to Alaskan legislators, Cordero stated: “…There are elements in the TransCanada proposal that cause real concern. First of all, TransCanada has stated that construction of the Mackenzie Line in Canada would be their first priority.”

During a recent interview by the Canadian Business News Network on July 16, President/CEO of TransCanada, Hal Kvisle, said that two other projects, the Keystone Pipeline and the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, would be built before any work can start with the Alaskan project. “The Alaska Project is a long way off,” Kvisle said, “We would expect to build the $5 billion dollar phase 1 of Keystone over the next couple of years, then move into this Keystone expansion that we announced today, then our plan would see us constructing the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline and only in the later part of the next decade would the Alaska pipeline be constructed” he added.

Erick Cordero, Senate candidate for District G in Mat Su, has joined with Governor Walter Hickel and the Backbone III project because his first priority is bringing Alaskan gas to market in the next ten years.

Eric has an office opening today as highlighted on Progressive Alaska. I'm heading out there this evening and I hope that folks from Anchorage AND the Valley do the same.

Pictures from the "Team Blue Oasis" Fundraiser...we made a profit thanks to all who continue to support us!

A very special thanks to my friends Rishi and Tesva for being there when we needed them most and my sisterfriend Rebecca for working so hard and sharing her decorative talents, and Steve (What Do I Know) for jumping in to help...thanks for putting up with the Diva and Divo!!! (not to mention the little Diva-in-training!!!)...





...to the wonderful Mat Su Democrats including candidate Erick Cordero for showing up (most of) the Anchorage-ites by coming out in the rain...






...a "we are not worthy" **bow** for all the hard work by the incredibly warm and generous Mungers and the use of their beautiful home...



...to Donovan for committing to come before he realized it was in Wasilla, then coming anyway...



...for Diane and Tony for booking out of Anchorage right after the debate and for Diane and Raven who gave us the rare and beautiful gift of spontaneously sharing their Tlingit culture with us through song.



Thank you to everyone for your help as we continue to work towards our goal!

An evening with the Mat Su Democrats

While the Palin Administration was digging itself into a hole down the road (Thanks, Todd Palin!) I was invited to speak about being a credentialed blogger at the Democratic National Convention to the July Mat Su Democrats meeting. I was impressed; there were over 50 friendly, enthusiastic folks there who gave all of us a warm reception. They didn't even let the influx of a bunch of loud bus tourists stop their meeting. We even stopped clapping because it was "annoying the customers." I would have liked to have asked the management to make the tourists stop their incredibly rude stares.

This is a really bad (but the only one I took) picture of my friend and fellow "blogger-in-arms" Phil Munger, whose excellent idea to have a poetry contest about Ted Stevens on national blog Firedoglake called "Ted-fest" also netted him a contributor slot...congratulations!!!! Phil spread his contageous energy addressing the Dems about letters to the editor and then (of course) veering off to his favorite subject, using the Intertoobz wisely and effectively for Progressive issues and campaigning. He also explained the true significance of the poetry contest (millions of non-Alaskans learning about Ted's "issues") and read several of the poems. Here's one by commenter darkblack in the tradition of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee":

There are odd things done in the midnight sun
By the men whom Oil has sold
Their fishy tales meet with hearty gales
from wise heads when they are told
The FBI’s knights have recited some rights
but the queerest they ever had read
was that night by the mouse of a Girdwood house
that belonged to Senator Ted.

Phil has also posted about this over at Progressive Alaska

Native Veteran and State Delegate Jay Cross with Erick Cordero, candidate for Lyda Green's seat--discussing the race while an audience watches from the wall. Erick spoke very eloquently about why he was running and impressed the crowd with his enthusiasm--especially since he just became a citizen in January.

Dennis Zaki and Shannyn Moore (pictured with Shannyn's boyfriend Kelly) along with me spoke about the Democratic Convention and Progressive media in general. Dennis's website, Alaska Report, is easily the most-read Progressive site in Alaska and possibly the most-read Alaska news site period


The irrepressible Katie Hurley, Chief Clerk to Alaska's Constitutional Convention, chats with her table. When she addressed the group, she reminded us that "Republicans don't know how to party." Woo Hoo!