Conoco Phillips AK President killed in Spencer Glacier avalanche

[Blue_In_AK]

Source: KTUU Channel 2, Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The president of ConocoPhilips Alaska, James Bowles, died in an avalanche Saturday at Spencer Glacier near Moose Pass.

State troopers say the avalanche happened around noon. Officials say a group of snowmachiners was in the area when the avalanche hit.

A second victim is missing buried under the snow. Troopers say they'll try to go into the area Sunday to search for the missing snowmachiner.

No names have been released yet until family has been notified.

This is a developing story. Please check the Late Edition and KTUU.com for more information.



Read more: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=11982891

---

Jim Bowles was deeply involved with our Corrupt Bastard Club scandals up here. Not one of our favorite people, for sure.

Still, I feel bad for his family.

[AllyCat]

1. Sorry for his family and for his loss of life. Had he not contributed so much

to global warming, maybe the avalanche wouldn't have happened?

[SemperEadem]

2. I hope they can find the other guy in the snow

considering what we've been through here in DC (I liken the concrete, heavy snowfall here to an avalanche because that's what it looks like), I wish the rescuers all the good luck in being able to find the guy.

I lost my house/car keys while digging out from the snow during the first big snowfall. Having to dig them out from under 2 feet of snow, it was too overwhelming for me.. I waited until after the rain and warmer weather melted the snow and I found them where I pretty much thought they were.

I can't imagine how desperate I'd be trying to find a person caught up in an avalanche. Poor guy.

[cliffordu]

3. Paybacks are hell.

:shrug:

[24601]

18. Precisely who was paying him back? I reject the idea that a

Divine Being, to include "Mother Nature" is micromanaging the world's disasters. If so, what are the Haitians being paid back for?

[cliffordu]

28. I was just pointing out the awesome irony.

And it IS awesome.

:rofl:

I could give a shit about a guy who helped kill clean energy legislation and big mileage standards for autos.

Too bad the fucking glacier couldn't walk to corporate headquarters and kill the entire fucking board.

[Moostache]

4. May his family find closure and solace...wish them peace quickly.

*redacted* --> its never acceptable to dance on ANYONE's grave....may his family gain peace and let's leave it at that....

[izquierdista]

5. Is it acceptable to laugh

When karma and Mother Nature conspire to send a clown car for his hearse? :shrug:

[undeterred]

6. Do you laugh when Mother Nature sends earthquakes?

Bad things can happen to anyone.

[izquierdista]

7. Sometimes

At the people who taunt Mother Nature to try and shake it down. It's truly sad when people in Haiti are too poor to build something that can stand up to a quake. On the other hand, if an earthquake cut down the Palm Islands in Dubai, I'd be chuckling for days.

[cowman]

12. Yeah lets

just laugh at the loss of life. all life is precious no matter whose it is. I bet his family just loves people like you. I hope to hell you never have to experience what his family is going thru and if you have, my condolences and I hope you can show some compassion for his family.

My deepest condolences to his family. R.I.P.

[Zhade]

24. No, it's just dumb -- nature isn't sentient and there's no such force as karma.

NT!

[ensho]

8. what comes around goes around - he got his

nt

[24601]

19. Please refer to post #18 n/t

[lib_wit_it]

27. Fuck post 18, I'd dance on Hitler's grave. And this guy dug his own grave, all the while not caring

how many others were sent to theirs as a result of his greed and irresponsibility.

[swilton]

9. Condolences and Poetic Justice

It will be interesting how coverage of this 'accident' unfolds.....

I visited my hometwon of Ponca City, Oklahoma, the former headquarters of Continental/Conoco Oil, in 2008...

Conoco Oil was founded by E.W. Marland who crafted a mansion in Ponca City that is now a big tourist stop in the prairie. To the inquiring mind, Marland's strike at rich after many failed attempts was the result of a loan from politician, McFadden. Marland went into politics and was a governor of Oklahoma - lost his fortune in the stock market crash but his legacy lives on in his mansion and the oil company he helped to found. Conoco was bought by DuPont Co. and the small town of Ponca City lost many of its professional jobs - now the town is about 25,000 when in the seventies it was more than 30,000 and growing in the 1970s....Used to have a main street thriving with small businesses (Grand Ave.) now characterized by urban sprawl, lack of mom and pop business invaded by franchise restaurants and at least one if not two Walmarts.....

Just mentioning my observations....because Marland the original Jim Bowles to hear....the mansion docents discuss his life - is treated like a saint - no mention of the Native American populations who were forcibly moved to Ponca City (Ponca Indians a peaceable tribe for whom the town was named were forcibly moved there from Nebraska in 1877 in the aftermath of the Indian (Custer's Last Stand)Wars. When the chief of the Ponca, Standing Bear, son died in the transfer and requested to be moved back to Nebraska, Standing Bear moved the tribe back. Their subsequent arrest by U.S. calvary and its challenge in US courts established a precedent that Native Americans had civil rights.


But the Native American populations in Ponca City won a small victory with the recognition of the Standing Bear cultural education center in early 2003. It's purpose contrasts with the Marland mansion as an attraction. The Marland Mansion is a tribute to capitalism and a belief that hard work, talent and industry are rewarded. The goals of the Standing Bear memorial "To educate all nationalities about the Native American heritage and the important role Native Americans have played in developing our country diverse culture; To promote better understanding and communication among all our nations cultures; To increase economic and educational opportunities for Native Americans; and To provide a catalyst to enhance the self-worth of all Native Americans.

http://www.standingbearpark.com/

Sorry for being so long-winded.

[troubledamerican]

10. 1962 advertisement: Irony

[troubledamerican]

11. 1962 advertisement: Irony

[InkAddict]

13. Tarred and now feathered....hmmm...

It sux to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sympathies to the families of the Mother Nature's lost and found.

[Dover]

14. FYI - some interesting background relative to Bowles and Alaska pipelines

Alaska's Gas Pipeline & AGIA: Selling the Sizzle
http://ww.andrewhalcro.com/alaskas_gas_pipeline_selling_the_sizzle



2 Oil Firms Plan Alaska Gas Pipeline (2008)

James L. Bowles, left, Conoco Alaska’s president, and Doug Suttles, BP Alaska’s president, announced plans Tuesday to develop jointly a pipeline to move natural gas from the North Slope.

Two of the world’s biggest oil companies, BP and ConocoPhillips, joined forces Tuesday to try to break a longstanding deadlock over Alaska’s vast reserves of natural gas. They said they would spend billions to build a pipeline from the North Slope to feed energy-hungry markets in the United States and Canada.

cont'd http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/business/worldbusiness/09pipeline.html



More:
http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Bowles_Jim_42138173.aspx?PersonID=42138173&lastName=Bowles&firstName=Jim&id=42138173&searchSource=page&page=2

Bowles's Campaign Contributions
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/james-bowles.asp?cycle=08

[Blue_In_AK]

15. Thank you, Dover.

That's some very interesting info.

Here is the part I remember about his role in the VECO corruption trials.

Surveillance Video: Allen leaves voice mail for Jim Bowles (06/08/2006)
...
Jim Bowles is president of Conoco Phillips Alaska, Inc.
...
"If there's any way we can get this thing stopped, that's the best possible outcome," says Conoco Alaska president Jim Bowles.
...
Bowles doesn't ask how or why.Instead he stresses the importance of getting the House to adjourn.
...
"Well, that's ideal," says Bowles.
...
His company released a statement that Bowles issued to company employees in the wake of the evidence presented in the Kott trial, in which he said he had no knowledge of illegal activities.

"Unfortunately, the government's corruption investigation of certain legislators and several former executives of Veco has cast a pall on the image of our company and our industry in Alaska," Bowles said.
...
"I think ol' Jim Bowles will remember me," Allen said.
...
"That's all I care about, is ol' Jim Bowles."
...
Two days after his conversation with Bowles, the Legislature adjourned its first special session without a bill and Allen called the oil company president back.
...
Critics, including French and Gara, have homed in on Allen's comments to Bowles about leaving no trace of who was responsible for killing the bill.
...
"Why would Jim Bowles be concerned about a legislator leaving fingerprints on a bill?

Jim Bowles has been a significant mover and shaker up here. It will be interesting to see who replaces him.

[Dover]

17. Hmmmm....

Is there a link to your excerpted source? I'd like to read the whole thing. Thanks.

[Blue_In_AK]

20. That was actually at the ZoomInfo link

on page 5. The original article is archived at the Anchorage Daily News. I tried to link directly to it, but I'd have to do a bit more of a search to get to it.

Here's the link to the Anchorage Daily News http://www.adn.com/ .

[Dover]

21. Thanks.

I guess you'd have to live in Alaska to be familiar with that story.
Or at least I don't recall reading anything about it before.

[Blue_In_AK]

22. Let me go back into the Mudflats, Progressive Alaska

and Shannyn Moore archives and I can probably provide you some links. Several Alaskan politicians and some bigwigs at VECO oil services company, including Bill Allen, the former president and CEO, are now doing time for some shenanigans over changes to the petroleum tax structure. Ted Stevens and his son Ben also were involved but have somehow managed to avoid indictment (so far).

The oil people and some of the legislators were so tight that they had ball caps made with the initials CBC, standing for "Corrupt Bastards Club," embroidered on them. They all thought it was a big joke until the federal indictments started rolling in.

I'll see if I can dig some of that stuff up for you. It's really a great tale.

Bill Allen also was involved with a cocaine-for-sex-with-underage-prostitutes ring here and possibly with some unsolved murders dubbed the "torso murders."

Sarah Palin doesn't get ALL the glory up here. We've got more scandals than you can shake a stick at. :)

[Dover]

23. Jeesh! Sounds like Texas...lol!

It DOES sound like a great tale. I'd enjoy reading anything you dig up.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. Here's something good I found:

to start with: http://alaskareport.com/news/z49999_corrupt_bastards.htm Lots of links here, and the FBI audio of Jim Bowles and Bill Allen is included.

[Dover]

26. Many thanks!..n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

16. An expanded report on the details of the avalanche

is here: http://www.adn.com/news/weather/story/1138323.html