Sen. Cathy Giessel of Anchorage, once considered a pro-energy, pro-mining, small-government Republican, had some words for President Donald Trump’s after his executive order opening back up Alaska’s economic building blocks of energy, mining, and timber.
In response to a question from a reporter about the Trump announcement, Giessel didn’t have one good word to say:
“I think it’s important for us to think about the fact that we’re not a colony to be pillaged,” she said during a Senate Majority press availability on Tuesday.
“And by throwing open all of the regulations related to resource development, we could be jeopardizing our lands and waters,” she said. Giessel then advocated for state control, apparently forgetting that the federal government owns 61% of Alaska and still exerts regulatory control over the rest of it.
Her words were shocking in light of the fact she is the chair of Senate Natural Resources Committee, where energy legislation must pass.
Having grown up in Fairbanks, where mining is still part of the economy, Giessel was once strongly pro-mining. But her new alliance with the Democrats has changed her and neither she, nor any of the others in the Democrat-controlled majority press conference, would speak toward the promising future Alaska may have as Trump has put the emphasis on the Alaska LNG project, to energize the Railbelt and markets beyond.
Politics brings out the worst in some people, particularly those people who have no other core values than holding onto a political office. And so it is with Senator Giessel. For us voters, every election of public officials is mostly a Whack-A-Mole game, wherein we must do our very best to knock down the malfeasants, the incompetents, the forever-careerists, and the moronic ‘wokes’ who have popped up for reelection. We no sooner whack down one wretched politician when another one pops up. This is a maddening facet of our precious democracy, but we must get better at choosing candidates for public office. I worry that, for the most part, people will elect the sort of politicians that they deserve.
All President Trump has to do is declare it a matter of national security for the nation and all the socialists soros can buy won’t be able to do anything about it.
What a weasel she is, just another Dianne Feinstein with blonde hair! Alaskans flood her committee meetings with ” let’s just do it ” there is no excuses anymore. Development of OUR resources is a MUST NOW , period, Liberty Ed
She needs to be retired.
She sure is not for Alaskans.
Giessel and Murkowski…. two old hags that need to go retire. Oh wait they aren’t wanted at home either. Yikes.
I wonder exactly when she started getting money from George Soros? She started her hard Left turn several years ago when she was my State Representative in South Anchorage. I called her out then. She is obviously bought and paid for.
Senator Giessel needs mental health care. I base that on the above-reported information and reports from people I know that deal with her in Juneau. I cannot imagine the conflicts running through her mind.
Senator Cathy better get off the tracks, the Trump Train is coming, and it coming fast.
Resource extraction IS Alaska’s economy. Without it we are one of, if not the poorest state in the union. This is rich going from a politician who should and does know that. Who really treats Alaska as a colony. I contend a bunch of ignorant Democrat politicians in the south who hamstring our economy and autonomy with every action they take. Deb Haaland is the latest in a series.
Cathy knows about pillage, her rapacious leadership relative to the PFD proves that.
I swear, this woman must have an IQ off minus 40.
I knew the Giessels personally. Saw them every week. Our kids went to school with their kids. Went to the pool together. I have no idea what has happened to Cathy. She has lost her mind. I imagine the the conversations around her dinner table have to be glacial. I dare say that she’s become even more out there than The Lisa.
I’m surprised to see/read this from it would appear ‘a very questionable statement from our elected back to a political position that requires her constituents’ support. No one I’ve talked to sees her abrupt statement as representative of those who voted for her again.
Alaska’s Ruling Class feel threatened? Good! Old cow lost on the busy highway, gets run over, oh well, stuff happens… Figuratively speaking, of course.
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Would it be rude to request The Giessel stop talking, go back to what it does best, RINO’ing and Getting Money?
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The Giessel really cares if “pillaging” causes a torrent of money and power to rain on the Holy City of Juneau in general and The Giessel in particular?
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Waitaminnit! The Giessel’s “jeopardizing our lands and waters” doesn’t matter even a tiny bit when demolishing dams and building casinos, but “resource development”… suddenly a thing for The Giessel and its Democrat bunkmates, what’s that about?
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Okay… President Trump energizes Alaska –and Alaska’s GOP– literally and figuratively, maybe The Giessel feels threatened?
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Next thing you know, Alaska’s back into full-speed resource development, plus every wonderful thing else President Trump is making happen, bypassing our useless, corrupt, anachronistic, obsolete, parasitic state government if necessary, too fast for The Giessel to stop, some Outsider figures out what makes Alaska’s easily corruptible election system tick, and poof! just like that, The Giessel’s out of a job.
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Damn, Cathy, you need the number for 911?
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Newly energized Alaska GOP goes on RINO safari, now RINO’s an endangerd species? Couldn’t happen here, but what if it did, Cathy?
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So, Baba Yaga, just do what you do best, pass a law and a tax right away against resource development (plus casinos and dams) and thank your bloody lucky stars that Alaska’s easily corruptible election system insulates you from voters for whom the north end of your southbound self would be ever such a grand sight.