Mark Begich

One of the views that I have is disclosure, disclosure, disclosure.

I really came to the conclusion that you are ethical or you are not.

Thank you very much.

When I hear the word 'fair' system, usually that means, to be very frank with you, Alaska gets kind of left out

The tourism industry, especially with our foreign travelers, is not just about the economic opportunity.

I think nationally almost 100,000 jobs this last year in 2011 were added in the tourism industry, which is a good thing.

For Alaska, it's a $2 billion industry with about 40,000 people employed in it in this last year.

We have supported a national climate service. We think there's value in coordinating and centralizing this information and disseminating it.

I know you have good morning ratings. Put us on there, things will go the other way.

The Federal Government has a bad habit of let's make everything national and all will work out for the best, and usually it doesn't because they don't recognize the regional differences and the uniqueness of certain areas.

Chairman Begich described the severe storm that Alaska just last week saw its coast buffeted by.

OK. Well, we look forward to that, if you can get that data, so we can do some additional follow-through on this part of the Committee.

About 61 percent thought that having a single source for climate data would be useful.

I just have two quick questions, and one, just to make sure, Mr. Marshall, only because, being parochial here for a moment, Mesonet, is it connected to Alaska or not?

Is that something that could be mitigated you feel?

I think it was 60 percent or somewhere in that area if I remember right, a pretty high percentage said yes.

Thank you very much.

Do you think NOAA is prepared, if funding is flat or lack of funding occurs from Congress, to fill that gap?

Today's hearing is meant to provide oversight of these two important functions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While the phrase 'climate change' is always controversial, we in Alaska are already living the effects.

There's no question lives were saved because of advance notice of the timing and severity of this approaching storm.

I disagree with, as you know, as I said yesterday, the Attorney General's discussion about how this has jurisdiction or Indian Country implications.

I want to make it clear this is not a top-down approach.

We have to change the way we do the business in rural Alaska.

I would beg to differ that the court systems are working.