The defining issue in this year's governor's race is who can best help improve our economy and confront the long-term fiscal problems facing Alaska. The reality is that we are a state greatly dependent on oil revenues to pay the costs of state government, yet the sole source for that revenue is in serious decline. I, alone, among all the candidates for Governor have made that the focus of my candidacy.

Nothing is more important, long-term for Alaska, than our economic and fiscal challenges. Stimulating new economic investment and getting control of state spending must be our next Governor's first priority. Governor Parnell knows full well the impending challenges, but tap dances around them and distracts voters with new programs that expand government, cynically trying to avoid the hard discussions. Bill Walker simply engages in boomer talk; if we just build his natural gas pipeline, it will commence to rain jobs and money all across Alaska. Our problems will be solved.

If only it was that simple. And if it was, why hasn't someone done that before now?

Apparently, Mr. Walker thinks the last five Alaska Governors just didn't have the willpower or ability to get that done as easily as Mr. Walker asserts. Sadly, Walker's pipeline plans are nothing but a pipe dream, because he consciously avoids sharing with voters a few basic facts.

1. Walker's pipeline plan has no gas. He promotes the illusion we can build the pipeline and gas for it is readily available. However, the State only has control over its royalty gas (about 12.5 percent). Like it or not, the producers own the rights to develop North Slope natural gas (Note to Bill: keep this secret from voters). So for any pipeline to go forward we need the gas AND their commitment. Mr. Walker suggests he will sue the largest oil and gas companies in Alaska to get the rights to natural gas at Prudhoe Bay. "Stop Studying, Start Suing" is, then, a more accurate description for Mr. Walker's plan to get a natural gas pipeline. Alaskans will wait decades for those lawsuits to resolve themselves.

2. Mr. Walker's pipeline plan also lacks key permits from the federal government required to develop a project in Valdez. On May 14 this year, FERC, the federal agency that regulates all pipelines yanked the permit for a LNG plant in Valdez and all environment permits for the Valdez project. The company that held those permits submitted written documents to FERC in April 2010 saying that a failure to renew them would be a"serious setback" to the Valdez project and could "force its abandonment." Walker brushes it off as a minor setback. (Note to Bill: better downplay this bad news) But what this means is years of additional delay and uncertainty, a whole new higher set of environmental standards for this project to meet, and it injects the Obama Administration, openly hostile to resource development in Alaska, further into the approval process. Walker's reaction is essentially ‘Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.' It might be good political rhetoric but won't help forge successful pipeline policy.

My candidacy for Governor was not designed around sound bytes or structured to fit a message that would make voters feel good. Alaska faces serious challenges, and it is past time we face up to them. I have run an honest campaign, based on truth and conservative ideals. I have not compromised my integrity to win votes. I believe voters respect a candidate who does not try to fool them with phony rhetoric when reality is what they need to understand. Candidate Walker has ignored the key economic and fiscal issues in favor of a shallow, bumper sticker message that appeals to voter's emotions with false promises and ignores real facts. And it is politicians' false promises that have undermined Alaskans' faith in government. The sooner we start electing candidates who refuse to make bogus promises, and, instead, deliver real leadership, the better off we will be.

Ralph Samuels is a lifelong Alaskan and Republican candidate for Governor.

Alaska Dispatch features commentary by Alaskans from across the state. The views expressed are the writer's own and are not endorsed by Alaska Dispatch. We welcome a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail editor(at)alaskadispatch.com