Alaska is in a unique situation, leading the nation in economic stability, reserves and low taxation. Alaska doesn’t have a recession nor an economic crisis. We don’t have a foreclosure crisis. Our Alaskan economy is doing fine, creating over two thousand more jobs in 2009 than in 2008. So, we shouldn’t just increase state government spending by $1.5 billion Obama dollars.

It used to be that Republicans and conservatives held the line and Democrats and liberals bulked up on spending government money. But in the Alaska Legislature, the rules have apparently changed. Republican Mike Hawker, formerly a budget hawk, is now spouting dove wings and singing Cum By Ya with the Democrats, demanding the State of Alaska receive and spend every last dime of federal stimulus funds. Since when did Republicans become the cheerleaders of growing more government?

Seeing Hawker castigate the Governor for not spending all of the $1.5 billion Obama-dollars sent by the President and his partisan Democratic allies in the U. S. House and Senate makes no sense. His desertion of conservative values doesn’t bode well for Republicans and certainly not for Hawker’s conservative Anchorage constituency. I hope voters are paying attention. We all need to realize that Obama-dollars from Washington are not free. We will pay it back with interest through higher taxes or our children will.

Frankly, I would have liked to see a bit more of the money and the strings attached left on the table. After all, Governor Palin and her Administration accepted 98.07% of the money. Wasn’t that enough? Some may recall the U. S. Constitution, which makes a rather substantial and specific point about the federal government’s role being restricted to defense and diplomacy. All other rights and responsibilities were reserved to the states. The politically correct may find that quaint but really, how far are we going to go to hand over our lives to the feds? They already control education, housing and banking among others. Can’t say they’re doing a real fine job on those state responsibilities they now regulate. So we should cede them energy policy too?

In the Alaska Legislature, wouldn’t we all like to see more folks, Republicans and Democrats, working with the Administration to economize, not build bigger and more expensive state bureaucracy? Alaska’s government is already awash with excess cash and the price of oil is coming back strongly. Our Alaskan economy is stable and growing.

Shouldn’t we be targeting and timing our funding on priorities? Shouldn’t we be at least starting the hard work of government reorganization to streamline and pace our spending so that it is sustainable? Denying this controversial renewable energy appropriation is a tiny protest but a good one. Expanding renewable energy is a worthy goal we can all agree on. Governor Palin announced a 50% goal for renewable energy in the future. Three cheers for that. The Legislature has already set aside over $165 million to meet that goal. Perhaps we should see some solar panels actually installed and towns funding their match on the Alaska Energy Authority grants, before we commit nearly $30 million more. Let’s turn some dirt first prior to committing even more money.

If the rejected federal renewable energy grant required that every school in Alaska funded by state dollars convert to 50% solar energy within the Obama required two years stimulus period, I’d encourage support. We might see construction and make some real progress. I’d even support an appropriation if only Rural schools (with skyrocketing energy costs) got the money, if they had to convert to solar in the next two years to get it. Rural schools could and should reduce their power cost 30% through solar or other renewable means just as Lime Village did with the help of BP Solar.

The Legislature could and should put some accountability into funding these supposedly “shovel ready” projects to meet state goals. Now we seem to just write another list of worthy energy projects and wonder why they don’t get done. In real estate development, we put up the money first then get reimbursed by the lender based upon our progress. Let’s jump-start an action renewable energy plan by rewarding construction progress. The difference in funding and accomplishing renewable energy goals is leadership.