Op-ed piece informative

Thank you for publishing "'Faces of Aces' or 'Fleecing of Alaska'?" by Ray Metcalfe (Clarion, March 4). The information on the details of BP, Exxon, and Conoco-Phillips deals with Iraq is clear evidence to me that the oil companies are getting a great deal on our Alaskan oil. Previous news and international reports have suggested this was true. The actual dollar comparisons of oil company profits on Iraqi oil and Alaskan oil convince me that the oil tax, ACES, assessed by Alaska is more than fair to the oil companies.

Now that the oil tax scandal involving Veco and at least 11 Alaskan legislators is moving into the past, the recent moves by Mike Chenault, John Harris and other Republican legislators to revisit the fairness of ACES seemed like a big red flag to me. The push to reduce the oil tax then grew by the advertising by the Alaska Support Industry Alliance and its Faces of Aces ads.

My point is we, Alaskans, need to quit assuming that major oil companies and our Alaskan government have our interests at heart. We need to learn just what is really going on in Juneau and to demand better representation by electing representatives that truly represent our interests rather than those of big industries. Otherwise I suspect we will experience more corruption in our government.

My plans are to attend the debate with Ray Metcalfe should the sponsors of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance choose to accept Ray Metcalfe's challenge.

Hugh R. Hays

Soldotna