By DAN SULLIVAN

In his May 15 opinion piece that argued in favor of repealing the Legislature’s recent reforms to Alaska’s current oil production tax, ACES, state Senator Hollis French never mentions the most critical issue facing Alaskans: the declining flow of oil through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Status quo decline jeopardizes every Alaskan’s future and the state’s long-term fiscal health.

This editorial first appeared in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:

President Obama made public his National Strategy for the Arctic Region on Friday. It’s a document that will be of high interest to Alaskans, evidenced by the president’s references to our state in his one-page preface.

“We in the lower forty-eight and Hawaii join Alaska’s residents in recognizing one simple truth that the Arctic is an amazing place.”

This editorial first appeared in the Anchorage Daily News:

Americans need to know their IRS inflicts pain fairly

Americans will never love the Internal Revenue Service. But we need to be able to trust the outfit to deal a straight hand to all players.

Clearly that wasn’t the case when some IRS officials decided that groups with “tea party” or “Patriot” in their names would get special scrutiny — and possibly the slow roll — when seeking tax-exempt status under the law.

A government agency goes after enemies of the president’s policies. Covert operations kill civilians abroad. Phone records are seized and reporters’ privacy at home and at work is invaded. We’re not talking about Watergate, Laos or Cambodia — this is about current events.