Anchorage Daily News asks good questions about Kinross trucking plan

The Anchorage Daily News has started to kick the tires on the Kinross ore hauling plan, asking at least some of the right questions about what’s legal and what’s fair in what looks like a “classic case of corporate welfare.”

The unanswered questions point to failures by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The ADN said it supports the Manh Choh mine, “But at the same time, Kinross is taking advantage of our collective ownership of state roads. In such matters, it’s the responsibility of the state to strike a fair balance by requiring Kinross to bear a portion of the costs it’s going to incur; the company shouldn’t get a free ride. So far, that responsibility has not been fulfilled — and the state isn’t saying why it hasn’t worked harder to make sure it is.”

Dunleavy has refused to engage with critics or concede that any of the sensible objections raised by those opposed to the trucking plan have merit.