Repeat after me: Corporations do not exist to provide jobs

Ohmagawd! BP is cutting jobs after successfully convincing enough voters that Propostion 1 would result in fewer jobs for Alaskans.  How dare they! 

I mean, how much clearer could the "Vote No On 1" campaign have been? Because I am now a middle-aged person, I went back to the website to remind myself, hadn't they been very clear that JOBS were at stake? "Join our coalition to ensure jobs, a strong economy and to secure Alaska's future."  Wasn't the connection between tax breaks and jobs made explicit? Weren't they making a promise?

No, Virginia, they weren't.

Despite the oil industries and assorted cronies convincing enough Alaskans to vote against our own best interest, they made no promises. BP and other corporations do not hire people because they care for our welfare, and want us to live a warm, secure, wilderburbian lifestyle. Nor are they philanthropic organizations. They exist for one reason only: to make money.

If they can make money with fewer people, they will do so. If they, or any corporation for that matter, can automate part of their production and lower costs by using fewer people, they will do so. If they can increase profits by cutting costs for workplace safety and environmental protection, they will do so ... to the extent that they can do so and not poison the Gulf of Mexico.

Whoops, okay, maybe they failed a bit on that one.

 I voted for Prop 1 because I don't think that corporations are people. We as residents of Alaska do not have a personal relationship with BP, or any Hilcorp, or any other company. We have things that they want: gold, coal, fish, oil, natural gas. They needs these commodities in order to make a profit. That is a business relationship, and we need to start acting like we are in one.

As if it needed to be said, "VOTE."

The robocalls have been numerous in the last few days, although they generally don't kick over to the answering machine.  (Yes, I am enough of a Luddite that I still have a landline... which has totally proven useful when someone *had* to find me... but I am enough of a realist to carry the damned smartphone.) The only one of note was from Elizabeth Stevens, yes, daughter of the late Uncle Ted. Not surprisingly, she was against Prop. 1.

I don't expect this to sway anyone, as likely, anyone stumbling across this wee little bit of blogging is likely a flaming liberal as well. But remember folks:

Corporations are not people, no matter how many television ads are produced that attempt to anthropomorphize them and assign them human values or motivations.

They do not exist to create jobs. They exist to make a profit for their shareholders.

If a corporation can make more money by employing less  people, they will do so.

Sheriff Arpaio called, and he wants me to vote for Joe Miller

Sheriff Joe, famous for tent cities, abuses of power, and racial profiling down in AZ, was kind enough to provide an endorsement of Alaska candidate for U.S. Senate, Joe Miller.  Here is what AZ Joe had to say about AK Joe in the message left on my answering machine:

 "(This is the Joe Miller campaign with an important message.) Hello, this is Sheriff Joe Arpaio. You know our borders are busted and Washington does nothing. But Joe Miller will stop the nonsense. Joe Miller is the only candidate for U.S. Senate with a plan to stop the invasion. Joe will end taxpayer benefits to illegals and foreign aid to nations encouraging illegal immigration and finish the border fence. This Sheriff Joe Arpaio endorsing Joe Miller because he is Alaska's best choice for U.S. Senate.

I would have been surprised for the phone call (a robocall) except for the fact that at least one website  had already caught wind of a Joe Miller campaign flyer sent to Anchorage voters with some... questionable overtones (pictures of scary tattoed brown people juxtaposed with a picture of Joe Miller smiling while holding a gun) and went off.

Three things:

• I must say, I was a little hurt that I didn't rate a glossy, racist flyer. But given where the Repubs are heading in this campaign, I'll bet there will be all kinds of goodies in the mailbox.
• Perhaps Joe Miller is confused. Perhaps he wants to be Sheriff Joe, not Senator Joe.  
• Once again, media Outside are paying better attention to what our whackadoodle crop of candidates are doing than our own media.

Winter, interrupted

It's 35 degrees here in the Goldstream Valley this morning.

But it's January.

Rising temperatures yesterday brought fog to the College Road area.

Yesterday, morning, freezing rain started to coat the world in a fine patina of ice. In the afternoon, Fairbanks Police were advising that certain roads were closed; the rumors had Ballaine Hill impassable and Ballaine itself marginally driveable.

I took the long way around to get home, via the University, Sheep Creek Road and Goldstream.  It was slow going in a line of vehicles (not led by a Subaru, usually the cliche) about 25-30 mph.

This a.m., state offices are delaying opening, a sled dog race is cancelled, and the kiddies have another "ice day" off from school.