Housing market key to recovery

Realtors across the country have been advocating for a comprehensive stimulus package to reduce housing inventory, make mortgages more affordable and available and help deserving families refinance or modify their loans so they can keep their homes.

We are committed to these goals. Stabilizing home prices and restoring confidence in the housing market are critical to an overall economic recovery.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is a good start but much more needs to be done.

Federal "rescue" dollars should be directed to buy down mortgage rates -- a half million additional homes could be sold if interest rates were lowered by just 1 percentage point. Additionally, banks must find ways to help prevent foreclosures and unclog the credit market. These steps are necessary to stabilize housing and ensure that home values do not become artificially low, exacerbating today's problems.

Realtors support a $15,000 home buyer's tax credit and its expansion to include all home buyers, not just first timers. The elimination of the repayment feature and the credit extension through December 2009 will have a meaningful impact for home buyers. Reinstating the increased FHA, Fannie and Freddie loan limits that expired on Dec. 31, 2008 will also help the recovery by increasing mortgage liquidity. Banks need to begin lending again.

A stable housing market is the only way to begin an economic recovery.

-- Art Clark, President

Alaska Association of Realtors

Anchorage

Share your concerns about park

Russian Jack Springs Park's footprint and natural setting may change because of misleading language on the 2006 city election ballot.

Proposition 3 asked if the city should lease its golf course at Russian Jack to a nonprofit organization (First Tee) part of the time to upgrade and maintain public golf facilities for youth programs. However, significant language to redesign, expand and improve the golf course with construction of educational facilities was not on the ballot. I believe the voters did not intend to redesign Russian Jack and they thought they were voting for the much needed upgrades and maintenance.

Originally 40 acres of clearing was considered then reduced to 25 acres. We now have four alternatives before us to comment on.

Russian Jack is a secret paradise for Northeast Anchorage. It is prime park area close to the city center and as additional private land gets developed, this secret paradise becomes more valuable.

This issue is city wide. As members of a democratic society and stewards of our community, we all have a say of any major redesign or development of our dedicated municipal park land.

I do not take for granted the area I choose to live and that in moments can be on a bike trail in the forest.

If you share concerns about Russian Jack, I invite you to the Parks and Rec Commission public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Anchorage School District headquarters, 5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd.

-- Annette Cartier

Anchorage

Save money: Let prisoner loose

Why wouldn't the state want an opportunity to release William Osborne and save all the money it takes to house and feed a prisoner if he isn't even guilty in the first place? ("High court to hear Alaska man's DNA appeal," Feb. 8). Especially now that the state is complaining about economic problems. If there is some fear that he will get out and then sue for false arrest, they can demand that he sign a waiver that he will never do that before he is ever released. If they refuse to permit the DNA test, then there still exists a "reasonable doubt" of his actual guilt.

It looks like prosecutor Ken Rosenstein is extremely punitive and doesn't want to risk losing the conviction on his record. Someone should remind him that there are two parts to the law -- the Letter and the Spirit. The Letter (of the law) killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

-- Georgene O'Leary

Anchorage

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