Alaska Oil| Maybe the tide starts turning here ...

As we have made clear elsewhere on these pages ("The most important slide in this election ..."), given the spending spree Alaska's legislature has been on the past few years oil reform has to start with fiscal reform first. Achieving fiscal reform requires a change in legislative approach, if not in individual legislators. In summarizing some key legislative races going into the final weekend, the Alaska Dispatch suggests that the tide may be turning ...

Senate District K: Fiscal fur flies

If there were ever an election in which 27-year old upstart Jeff Landfield could rattle fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Lesil McGuire, one of the most powerful and visible state senators in Alaska, this would be it. Moderate Republicans are under fire in this state, and McGuire hasn’t helped herself by spending lavishly on travel, and shepherding through what appear to be pet projects. And worse, she can come across as if she’s entitled to her seat. Landfield, who is a Ron Paul supporter, is smart enough and has worked hard enough to pry an opening there. His attacks have focused squarely on McGuire’s spending, her vote on former Gov. Sarah Palin’s huge oil tax increase, and that she along with other five Republican senators, joined the bipartisan Senate coalition.

The money, however, is still on McGuire, who’s a great debater and an articulate defender of her stances. Too, she’s much better at the fundraising game. His roughly $12,000 pales in comparison to McGuire’s more than $66,000, much of which comes from some of Alaska’s largest businesses and business titans.

Landfield, however, is counting on good old-fashioned door-knocking ....