Alaska stands poised and ready to provide critical relief to fellow Alaskans and to Americans during this time of great energy need. We are proud to say that we have come so far toward finally getting Alaska’s valuable natural gas resources to market in a way that protects the state’s interests and benefits all Alaskans.
The Alaska State Legislature is currently debating whether to approve TransCanada Alaska for the state license to build a natural gas pipeline. Legislators have listened to hundreds of hours of thoughtful discussion from consultants, experts and people all over Alaska who deeply care about the state’s future, and I want to thank them for conducting this review. And we commend the members of the State House of Representatives who provided a strong vote in favor of Alaska’s future and we will continue to help the State Senators make an educated decision on the merits of AGIA as well.
Over the course of a year, AGIA has proven to be exactly what the State of Alaska needs. For the first time ever, we now have a committed partner who is willing to provide exactly what Alaska demands for her citizens and with an enforceable timeline that exceeds our expectations.
This is an exciting time for Alaskans. And we look forward to moving together as a team, as Americans look north to the future for assistance.
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In an effort to better serve Alaskans, my administration made some positive changes to the summer 2008 schedule. I’m happy to report to you that those changes have resulted in increases in traffic by 6 percent overall this year from May 11 to July 13. In some communities the increases were substantial, like Sitka (27 percent increase for both passengers and vehicles), Petersburg (32 percent for passengers and 22 percent for vehicles) and Prince Rupert (25 percent for passengers and 37 percent for vehicles.) We’ve been receiving positive comments from many communities, and we’ll continue to work hard to meet the transportation needs of all Alaskans.
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We’re also excited about changes that have been made to one of our ferries, the Aurora. Before returning to service earlier this summer, the Aurora was outfitted with computerized, electronic power and speed control systems that will eventually add to fuel consumption savings. We are confident that we may save as much as $5 million yearly after these systems are installed on all the ferries. In fact, in preliminary reports, we found that the Aurora saved 16 percent (263 gallons) in one day with the new system in place!
And finally, to help residents and visitors book their upcoming travel plans sooner, the 2008-2009 fall, winter and spring sailing schedule is now available. This is the earliest schedule release in the AMHS’s history! To book your trip, just log on to www.ferryalaska.com.
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Adding a little bit of activity to each day is so important to our overall physical and mental health. Alaskans did just that when more than 2,800 of them signed up to compete in the National President’s Challenge, a program that required people to get 30 minutes of exercise for at least five days a week for a six-week period. I’m proud to tell you that Alaska had a first-place finish and in July, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt presented the National President’s Challenge Award to Alaska for having the highest participation rate in the nation based on population. We are definitely moving in the right direction, and that’s great news for our state.
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Alaska is strengthened by people with an entrepreneurial spirit, and small firm owners are making a major contribution to our state economy. That’s why I’m pleased to tell you that I was able to sign into law legislation my administration put forward to reduce business license fees. House Bill 111 decreases the fee for business licenses from $100 to $50 and will take effect October 1, 2009, when the sale of 2010 licenses begins.
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Back in April, I encouraged state employees to help our men and women in uniform by donating cell phones which could be shipped overseas via a program called Cell Phones for Soldiers. Now, several months later, the Department of Administration has collected 271 used state and personal cell phones. This will mean 271 hours of talk time for soldiers abroad, since each phone is recycled in exchange for a one-hour calling card. In July, the Department of Administration shipped two boxes (52 pounds) of cell phones out of Juneau. The department is also working with individual Alaskans who are interested in donating independently. For more information, contact Vern Jones, Director of the Division of General Services, at Vern.Jones@alaska.gov.
I am encouraged to share with you that tobacco use in Alaska has declined more than 20 percent overall, according to the state’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey for 2007. The reduction equals more than 27,000 fewer smokers since 1996.
There is also a significant reduction in Alaska Native high school smokers, from 62 percent in 1995 to 44 percent in 2003 to 32 percent in 2007 (Youth Risk Behavior Survey). Smoking is also down significantly among women – from 24.2 percent in 1996 to 18.9 percent in 2007 (national prevalence is 18.4 percent). The steepest decline is among adults age 40–59, from 28.7 percent in 1996 to 21.6 percent in 2007.
The drop can be attributed to a sustained comprehensive tobacco prevention program, including tax increases, clean indoor air policies, media, community programs and the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line.
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Alaskans enjoyed great music, food and community as my Cabinet and I served more than 11,000 of our wonderful citizens at the Governor’s Annual Picnics in Wasilla, Anchorage and Fairbanks in July. I truly enjoy these picnics and the opportunity to meet Alaskans in a fun and informal setting, and want to thank the many sponsors and volunteers who did such a great job ensuring they were a success.
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2008 Governor Annual Picnics
Until next time,
Governor Sarah Palin
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