Mayor Sullivan goes to Washington
It was a jam-packed two days full of meetings with not only our delegation
(Sens. Murkowski and Begich, and Rep. Young), but also members of key committees and federal agencies.
The primary goal for the mayor's trip
was to reaffirm the city's federal
legislative priorities, and
assist the delegation in personally
educating other members of
Congress about critically
important issues. Among the topics discussed were the Port of Anchorage and its
expansion plans, and why the administration believes it to be a vital project
for the city's long-term supply needs. Dredging at the Port also was discussed
at length, and how interruptions to that process could have serious adverse
impacts on not only the city, but the entire state.
 The mayor also advocated for
continuation of the city's partnership with the Dept. of Justice's Anti-Gang
program, which provides Anchorage law enforcement with tools to crack down on
gang activity.
The mayor
met with Bob Corbin at the U.S.
Dept. of Energy to discuss the
extension of the Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG) plant for Nikiski and how its success is directly tied to Anchorage's energy supply.
Gov. Parnell's liaison in
Washington, John Katz, also met with the mayor to talk about what the state is doing
with its legislative program
and how the mayor could complement that effort.
Rep. James
Oberstarr (D-MN) is the Chairman
of the House Committee on Transportation and  Infrastructure, and he met with Mayor
Sullivan to discuss the
Port and other infrastructure needs of the municipality.
The mayor also had the pleasure of
meeting with Rep. Jerry Lewis, (R-CA) who is
the ranking minority member on
the House's Appropriations
Committee. They were able
to talk about the benefits of strategically
planning for federal requests in light of the current federal deficit.
 Mayor Sullivan also met with Larry
Persily, the Obama Administration's newly confirmed coordinator for the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission.
An abundant, steady source of energy for Anchorage residents has been one of
the mayor's top priorities since taking office, and he
and Mr. Persily were able to collaborate
on which projects currently
being promulgated would best serve the residents of
South Central.
Mayor Sullivan also met briefly with former Sen. Ted Stevens, who is a family friend of more than 40
years and currently a
consultant in D.C.
Finally, the trip ended on a high note with a visit to the Verizon  Center to watch hometown
favorite and Montreal
Canadiens Center Scott Gomez pull off a surprise
victory over the Washington
Capitals. The mayor was able to greet Gomez after the game and congratulate him
on behalf of all Anchorage citizens.
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