You have about as much time in Free Republic as you have in Alaska. I suggest you get educated about Alaska,Before you try to tell ALASKANS how to run their state. I will abstain from telling you how I feel, till you go do some intelligent reading on the matter.
America and Alaska BOTH need ANWR drilled! It's economical, environmentally safe, and a requirement for national security. Wonder when the Chinese hired Dashole....bout the same time they hired Hill and Bill??? Quick education for those not familiar with Alaska - seeings I was born in the territory of Alaska and have over 40 years there.
Alaska was purchased from the Russians in 1876. Other than a couple of gold rushes and furring, not much changed the place.
First oil exploration was by Cordova, and the Kenai Penninsula between the 1930's and 50's.
World war II saw Japanese land, and ocuppy Shemya and Attu. Canada and U.S.A. built the Alcan highway to Alaska - basically overnight (no idiotic environazi's in those days)This also made Alaska accessable for the first time to the rest of the world.
Alaska slowly grew as a Military outpost for the most part and mining and furring was still good. In 1959 Alaska became a state.
In 1969(this is from memory so it may not be exact) Arco drilled discovery well #1. The beginning of the biggest oil boom in modern day. A pipeline was built for 8 billion dollars between 1974 and 1977(that's 3 years total). and the rest(including well over 13 billion barrels of oil to date) is history.
With government, over time(50 years) the government was supposed to divvy up the country, in regard to properties and ownerships, and Alaska's contract with America called for 90% of all revenue to go to Alaska - Not the FED. Today as you read this, over 86% of the land is held by the Fed's. There is more private ownership of property in Russia than in Alaska!
In 1986, thanks to an everexpanding environazi movement, we lost our 250 claims to an expansion of a park(WITHOUT REDRESS!)to the government. The property is now offically a U.N. biospere. This could be a great opportuity for private enterprise (and citizens) to help gain back some of it's losses (land-wise in other activities in the state) because of the green machine. With over 7 years in the oilpatch industry in Alaska, let's be among the many screaming to....
Your demand that I get educated on this issue is too late. I've already done extensive research on the facts of this issue. Maybe it is you who needs to do some reading. One suggestion I have for you is Amory Lovins Fools Gold. Lovins is a well-known and respected numbers cruncher who concludes, based only on the factual numbers of this issue, that drilling in ANWR does not make economic sense.
After reading that you are welcome to make suggestions of what you think I should read. And if you have any specific points you'd like to discuss I'm all for it. My goal is for everyone to reach a conclusion based on facts and logic, not emotion.