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.
