I have seen those projects. They are fantastic.

Excited meaning it is better rates?

The goal was locations of our stations and response time, and we increased that dramatically.

If I can interrupt, like in Alaska, some of our communities might be the villages, the tribes.

I just want to kind of see what the connection is if there is one.

Let me also just associate my comments with Senator Murkowski in regard to the secure school funding issue.

I know Senator Blunt has a piece of legislation that I signed on to regards to flexibility with essential employees.

I appreciate your end comment there that you're working with Under Secretary Hayes regarding the coordinating effort.

I would be very interested in any of that kind of issue that you could bring forward to us.

I just have a couple of quick questions. One is on the general issue of resource development within Alaska, maybe mining, oil and gas, and so forth.

Get the science right.

How long before that's resolved?

I want to talk to you about the Roadless Rule, which of course you know that the Alaska delegation is totally opposed to on many fronts.

That, to me, has been a huge plus for us in Alaska and it's had some ability to move some things that may be not as fast in the past.

I did a lot of that when I was mayor of Anchorage where we really, you know, implemented a lot of E-Government and it changed the whole way we did business.

Can you give me--and I know it is hard without knowing some of the comments that come in...

You have the flexibility by division within the Agency essentially.

Will you commit to meet with the industry groups to get this clarity on how hydropower can be utilized within the roadless areas?

Senator Begich wrote in a recent letter to President Obama.

I want to, I guess, not just you, but other agencies, give you the flexibility especially in order to get into the E-Government ability.

And then, once they comment on it, what is next?

But put that aside for a second. The other issue for some of our remote areas in Alaska is the two trips that you would have to get to get a TWIC card to work on, say, Kodiak, for example.

I'm a little nervous, to be very frank with you.

what I see here is either one of two things--an effort by the Administration to change the nature of what the Coast Guard does for this Nation, or an extremely short-sighted and risky reaction to the current fiscal environment--neither of…

I think that would be appropriate.