Thursday, June 16, 2016

GCI's Ron Duncan; the new Bill Allen?



Ron Duncan, GCI President and CEO sure does have his shorts in a twist all in the name of ‘doing what is best for Alaska.’  Seriously?   What Ron Duncan cares about is keeping his corporate welfare.  GCI received $5.1M in corporate welfare from the state of Alaska in 2015.  The $5.1M was obtained from the State of Alaska’s online checkbook, and does not include GCI’s Terra project dollars which requires a state match (so I hear).  Ask your lawmakers about the Terra project.  Talk to your lawmakers about GCI, and the AFL-CIO camped outside their offices.   OMG, what is GCI going to do with themselves if Ron Duncan is unsuccessful in bullying lawmakers to take your PFD?  You got it.  GCI will be holding the unmatched bag.  Alaskans didn’t take the money, GCI did, and now GCI’s financial woes have now become ours.

In addition, Arctic Fiber has rekindled their project of bringing broadband to rural Alaska. In May, Arctic Fiber was aquired by Quintillion Networks.  Why should you care about Arctic Fiber, and Quintillion Networks?   Um, Quintillion Networks is imposing in on GCI’s rural bread and butter. The Arctic Fiber project will bring broadband from Japan over the top through Prudhoe Bay, down to Fairbanks, and then down into Southcentral.  Gotta love competition.  It means lower broadband costs for the state of Alaska, school districts, and Alaskans. Especially, for our friends in the bush beginning in 2017.

Therefore, it is understandable that Ron Duncan would hire lobbyists, and bully, and threaten lawmakers to submit, or GCI will unseat them.   The pressure is on to abolish the PFD to keep the corporate welfare flowing right into special interests' pockets that includes GCI, and Ron Duncan is leading the charge.

Are you interested in taking the D out of PFD by tying your permanent fund check to an oil commodity?  Are you confident in an oil commodity that is volatile that requires the Trans Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) be the sole revenue generator for your PFD?  Especially, when TAPS is on the decline and increasing oil production is not a priority?

What Alaska needs is a Governor who will lead, and a Governor and legislature who will cut the budget to live within our means.  Not a Governor, or legislature advocating to reduce your PFD, and abolishing the PFD program as we know it.

Today is the day that will change Alaska forever, and it won't be about moving Alaska forward.

Call your House Representative.  


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GCI posts $8.9M loss in 4th quarter of 2015
http://www.adn.com/business/article/gci-posts-loss-grows-revenue-fourth-quarter-2015/2016/03/03/

Quintillion plans to deliver fiber optic cable and high-speed Interent by early 2017 http://www.ktva.com/quintillion-plans-to-deliver-fiber-optic-cable-and-high-speed-internet-by-early-2017-890/