Hello ladies and gentleman, My name is Laura Maketa , I am from the Valley, and I thank you for having me here today. As an inexperienced public speaker I would like to note there is a little bit of pressure having to follow after four great speakers and two of which are Governors! I have been quite sleepless for a week with adrenaline and anticipation of speaking in front of so many people, but our businesses, our children’s jobs, and Alaska’s prosperity is at stake. As a concerned Alaskan mother and business owner, I am compelled to be bold and speak to engage and inspire you today. I will talk from the heart…. and you will know that I am really fired up if my southern accent starts flaring!

Our story:

My husband and I began our entrepreneur ventures in 2003 by selling everything we owned, moved into a little camper through a very cold winter, with our two boys, and built our first duplex. Our businesses have grown into our family business , Mak 3 Construction, which focuses on commercial projects around Alaska, and my husband, with over 20 years of arctic experience , is also a contractor to an exceptional company that is focused OCS development ,Shell oil. At one point Mak3 was privileged to have 60 valley families relying on our ability to obtain and perform contracts throughout Alaska. With a decline of new infrastructure, major drilling projects, and low prospects for future wells, the support industries like ours feel as if they are all competing over the crumbs of maintenance, and remodels. To keep our guys busy and to continue a viable business, like many other Alaskan companies, we found work in North Dakota last year. We have only a handful of employees working in Alaska, and we will be looking to North Dakota for work again this spring.

Blessings of Oil:

With a reputation for safety, efficiency, and a job well done our Mak3 family and my husband have worked their fingers to the bone to build something worthwhile for our children and grandchildren, and employees, as all of you here today have done for your families and communities.

I love that I live in one of the most resource abundant, beautiful places in the world. I am proud to say that I have raised my boys on oil.

Today, because of Gods provision, my amazing husband and families hard work, and the blessing of oil and gas in Alaska; We have been able to build a business, we have a beautiful warm home, our cars are paid off, we were able to put me through nursing school, we donate and serve those in need in our community, and we can afford to send my son to a small private school that addresses his special learning challenges. I can thankfully say my son is now thriving.

Face of oil:

I am proud to be a business owner and part of the oil industry family. You see the face of oil is not an old sneering gray haired man, in a black cowboy hat, smoking a cigar and laughing at us small people. The face of oil is ordinary people like you and me, my husband, and our families. We live in Alaska, we have our children and grandchildren here, we go to church here, and our children go to Alaska schools. We hunt and fish here, we invest our hard earned money here, we donate and volunteer in our communities, we are both transplants and lifelong Alaskans, and we love our great state!

With 90% of Alaska’s economy dependent upon the oil and gas industry, I will add that Alaskans are the face of oil. I take the moral high ground back from any critic. We are invested in our community, we love Alaska and the oil and gas industry directly and indirectly creates family wage jobs that a man or woman can be proud to have, because they are bringing home the bacon and providing for their families and their future generations.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty:

The current tax structure under ACES is crushing business growth in Alaska. We are already behind the curve fixing this economic storm that will occur when TAPS gets to the magic number in which it is no longer viable. According to Baker Hughes rig count when North Dakota had 160 wells being drilled we only had one. TAPS is diminishing yearly and the current federal regulatory barriers and state tax structure is creating a doom and gloom atmosphere regarding future prospects in Alaska.

You have heard the analogy of strangling the golden goose. I will add that instead of a nice yard for the golden goose to flourish (like Alberta, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas are all cultivating), we are also spitting in its eyes, plucking out his feathers, kneeing it in the chest., all while threatening,” Lay all my golden eggs right now!” or “we’ll ease up on you when you lay more eggs.”!

There are multiple compelling studies, graphs, statistics and testimonies on the websites of AOGA RDC, DOR, and our own AK legislative website. They indicate a decline in production, exploration, industry growth, and morale. Regarding SB192, the AK legislative website has excellent presentations that convey it not effective with its current language and it needs much revision to enact meaningful reform. The bottom line is that whether you are selling soap, coffee, or oil- 76 to 92 % taxation is not a viable business option in a global market. Alaska must correct its high industry taxation, overregulation, and anti-business policies, or the reality of a fiscal crisis, indeed, will correct it for us.

Why Should you get involved?

As tenderhearted as I am it is not easy or comfortable to engage in the political process. But you see I am a planner, I think in decades, and I believe as parents we should make our ceiling of success and accomplishment to become our children’s floor of opportunity. If I do not stand up for my children, and my states future, then who will. No one will remember mine or John’s name but my boys...will see their dad provide for them no matter how hard he has to work and they will see their mom speak up for them, no matter the obstacle or how utterly intimidated I am. I have thrown my hat into the ring and been a part of five campaigns, call and write my legislators, donated to good candidates, encouraged our legislators, advocated for good legislation, and my husband and I have tried to our best to correct our states course.

The world to me seems upside down and tumultuous. I do not know if we may affect the state of the world or correct our nation’s course

But can we individually affect the political and economic future of Alaska? Yes!

This is not New York where there are millions in just one city and you may never meet your legislature in a lifetime. Our entire state has little over 700,000 people. We can actually get to know our leadership, and comprehend where they stand on issues that concern us.

Can we personally influence the availability of future jobs opportunities for all Alaskans, fill TAPS, and enhance our national security and energy independence? I believe we can. We can be catalysts for not only insulating Alaska from the turmoil and uncertainty in the lower 48 but we can absolutely turn AK around from the being the 44th worst state in the nation to do business , into the thriving number one state to do business in the nation!

The governor and lt. Gov. are steadfastly doing their job and striving to correct our state from going off an economic cliff. The house has rolled up their sleeves got to work, and passed hb110 last year which was a good start. I am not a politician, but from the outside looking in, following these bills, what I have found is that the entire power structure and potential for Alaska’s future and prosperity has essentially bottle necked in the senate which is comprised of only twenty people.

A legislature’s job is not easy. It is both an honor and a grave responsibility to be a public servant to our communities. It is important to communicate with our elected officials in a courteous, civil, and considerate manner, and that goes for anyone with an opposing viewpoint for that matter.

When they get it wrong, take the time to have respectful dialogue with them and their legislative aides who are movers and shakers as well. Share your experience, wisdom, and solutions, even if you don’t think it will matter.

Your candidate choices and support someone else that you believe shares your principles and will get to work. It is imperative that we think in decades and encourage legislative policies that will grow our economy ensure that Alaska will once again be competitive in a global market. If we do not get involved in this political and economic process.. If we don’t fix it… who will?

In closing, I would like

Thank You for being such a gracious audience to myself and the moving speakers today. More importantly, to all of you Alaska moms and dads, hardworking, dedicated, business, industry, and government movers and shakers …all of you in this room, I would like to thank you for keeping Alaska afloat! I hope that after today you are both inspired, fired up, and compelled to stand with me and turn this ship around towards prosperity for all Alaskans, for generations to come! Thank you.