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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this commentary was published with the incorrect name and biographical information for its author. Due to an inadvertent error, the author was misidentified as David Jensen; the commentary was written by Daniel Jenkins, a Southcentral Alaska resident.
The recent commentary by Nick Begich III demonstrated a level of pandering dishonesty that is unsurprising for anyone in Alaska who watched the spectacle of his floundering campaign during 2022. What is surprising is how early Begich seems to be grasping at straws this time around. His statement that Trump’s was “the most pro-Alaska presidency in a generation” lacked any supporting statistics or references, so a quick review of the facts may help to remind him just how relatively “pro-Alaska” the past two administrations have been.
The Trump administration’s highly touted sale of leases within the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge yielded only 13 bids totaling $14 million, with the state of Alaska the primary bidder. The sale, which the head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association said reflected “brutal economic realities,” fell far short of expectations, reflecting the fact that major oil companies do not see the 1002 leasing area as a viable economic investment for a variety of reasons. Of course, the Trump administration’s failed lease sale on Jan. 6, 2021 was largely overshadowed by another Trump failure at the U.S. Capitol on that same day.
In contrast, fiscal year oil and gas revenue from Alaska state lands in 2022 and 2023 have surpassed revenue collected by the state during any year of the Trump administration. Furthermore, the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow project that was spearheaded by a bipartisan Alaska congressional delegation is expected to generate economic impacts in the realm of $5-6 billion in construction investment, up to 2,000 jobs and more than $10 billion in federal, state and North Slope Borough revenue. While Begich and Trump were whining about ranked choice voting and voter fraud, Rep. Mary Peltola was working across the aisle to achieve real results for Alaska.
Increased oil and gas revenue is not the only way that the federal government has become more Alaska-friendly since 2020. Since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed with bipartisan support in 2021, more than $6.39 billion has been invested in Alaska’s deteriorating infrastructure. This comes out to $8,700 per Alaskan, the highest per capita investment among all 50 states. This includes critical investments in roads, bridges, broadband, water and wastewater, energy, airports, the Alaska Marine Highway, and port investments. Furthermore, during the three years of the Biden administration Alaska has received $65.9 billion in investment through federal spending. In the entirety of the Trump administration, this investment totaled $36.2 billion. These recent investments reflect the belief of our government that Alaska is vitally important to the geopolitical and economic future of the country.
The reason many Alaskans are turned off to the idea of a second Trump term is not simply because he is a dangerous autocrat whose fraud, lies and disregard for the U.S. Constitution have already destroyed lives and undermined the bedrock of our republic. The real reason is the reality that Trump was an ineffective leader for this country and for this state, and no matter how often he or Begich might say otherwise, the numbers just don’t lie.
Daniel Jenkins is a Southcentral Alaska resident.
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