We need more data before we can drill safely in the Arctic

The decision by the federal government to prohibit commercial fishing in the Arctic Ocean until more is known about this fragile ecosystem is indeed a wise first step ("Wise course," Aug. 23). Now it is up to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to follow the same course when it comes to oil and gas development.

Over the next several weeks, Secretary Salazar will make a series of decisions that will ultimately determine if the aggressive and risky course of development set by the Bush administration will continue in America's Arctic waters. Currently, we know too little about the impacts of oil and gas development on the Arctic's unique and rapidly changing environment. One thing we do know is that we can't effectively clean up an oil spill in the Arctic's icy conditions.

Salazar must call for a timeout on all offshore oil and gas development activities in America's Arctic until a comprehensive plan based on sound science is developed for the region.

Only then will we be able to keep our "lead role" in "wise use of the Arctic."

-- Betsy Beardsley, director, environmental justice program Alaska Wilderness League

Anchorage

Regulate insurance companies like the public utilities they are

Your editorial "Medicare Woes" (Aug. 23) provides an unworkable and facile solution to the Medicare problem.

If Congress were to "let secondary health coverage apply for those lucky enough to have it," the cost of secondary insurance would skyrocket. Insurance companies base the price of their premiums on the expected cash requirement to cover the difference between what Medicare pays and the price cap set by Medicare. That is a relatively small amount, so premiums are relatively low. If, under your scenario, private insurance companies were required to pay a great deal more, then they would raise the price of premiums until they could make a profit. The lower and middle classes would be priced out of the secondary insurance market.

Cost controls like those built into Medicare don't work. They simply tend to dry up supply and increase demand, as we have seen with Medicare here in Alaska. Our health care system won't improve until Congress regulates insurance companies as though they were public utilities like our gas and electric companies.

-- John Fairfield

Palmer

Fellow Alaskans: Keep those health care comments coming

I write to thank my fellow Alaskans and in particular the nearly 1,000 Anchorage residents who joined me last week to talk about the health care proposals before Congress. During our two-hour session, I had the opportunity to take questions from many of you about access to Medicare providers, the difference between a government plan and a co-op plan, and the need to reduce budget deficits for future generations of Alaskans. Many of you submitted comment cards, and I hope you continue to contact my office to share your views.

As Alaskans, I know we were all proud to see the civility and respect demonstrated at both the Fairbanks and Anchorage town hall events. This shows that Alaskans can be thoughtful and passionate about our positions, even if our views are different from one another.

I look forward to hearing your positions on health care reform. Please visit my Web site or contact my Anchorage office to share your thoughts with me.

-- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Washington, D.C.

Good health care models exist

I believe that a good society provides a good education and good health care for all its citizens. I fail to understand why, when there are successful models for health care plans that serve all the people rather than special interests, in particular the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, we cannot achieve a reasonable solution.

-- Sandy Harper

Anchorage

Kennedys teach us all lessons

With the passing of Edward Kennedy and his sister, Eunice Shriver, the final fading remnants of the era we called "Camelot" have also passed. Regardless of your politics, three inspirational things all Americans, and all individuals, can remember about Edward Kennedy and the Kennedy family remain:

First, no American family has sacrificed more of its life's blood to the service of this nation than have the Kennedys, with Edward and all his brothers dying while serving this nation, three of them to the bullets of democracy's enemies.

Second, we are all stronger than we know, with a young, so-imperfect "Teddy" stepping up solidly as always-present, always-supportive uncle/clan chief to the families of his assassinated brothers, regardless of his own griefs and weaknesses.

Finally, he showed there can be redemption from our sins and flaws, and honor in our lives, if we choose to make amends, focus our lives toward the good and live up to what we can be, rather than what we were. Edward did this exceedingly well. His country and family can be proud.

-- Clayton McDowall

Anchorage

A few spoiled the fun for many

I must say, it was not a surprise to find in the news this morning that the Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival may be no more in existence. A few years ago, my family and I stumbled onto this wonderful event and spent a great afternoon enjoying ourselves at the festival and loved it. When I read of this year's events, the first thing I said to my husband was, "Well, I'll make a bet that event will be canceled after all of this."

It's a major shame that a few ruined it for everyone else.

-- Rhonda Hartzell

Angoon

Anti-gays squander resources

Ms. Geneva Walters expressed my views perfectly ("Prevo is wasting resources fighting gays," Aug. 24). I can only add one word: AMEN!

-- John Orella

Wasilla

Fairness will win at the end

Dan Sullivan, Bill Starr, Debbie Ossiander, Dan Coffey and Chris Birch have become the Strom Thurmonds of the Anchorage gay rights movement. For those of you too young to remember Strom Thurmond, he was the senator from South Carolina who, during the 1960s civil rights movement, opposed ending segregation and discrimination against African Americans and allowed atrocities to be committed against the "Freedom Riders" in his state.

Americans who loved freedom and fairness eventually won in spite of the likes of Strom Thurmond, as I believe we will here in Anchorage. Let's not take so long this time.

Discrimination is discrimination whether it's about race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We shouldn't have to keep relearning the same lesson.

-- Debbie Corral

Eagle River

Begich shy about health care

I am wondering why (I already know) the news outlets in this town (TV and ADN) are letting Sen. Begich slide and get away with not having any open discussions about health care.

Sen. Murkowski is having discussions with the people of Alaska. Why not Begich? Everyone knows he is a liberal loved by the media and everyone knows he was put into office just to replace Uncle Ted.

He is more of a tour guide keeping a low profile. When the time comes for him to run for re-election, this future one-term senator can look back and say, "I should have been more out front and talked to the people of Alaska instead of hiding from them."

Good job, media -- you are good at taking the easy route.

-- Kirk Brown

Wasilla

Government is a lousy doctor

In his latest episode of incoherent babbling, on Aug. 25, Paul Krugman wonders why the American people are opposed to entrusting their health care to the federal government ("Reagan's zombies just won't go away"). For the answer, all he has to do is look back three pages to Page A-4 to see the latest example of government in its bumbling and pathetic attempts at administering health care.

The headline states, "Vets wrongly told they have fatal disease." The reason, Mr. Krugman, is that the U.S. government was not designed to and, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, is not capable of running a health care system. Evidence of this abounds in Medicare, veterans' health care, Division of Indian Health, Social Security, etc.

Incidentally, re: your negative editorial on Sen. Murkowski on the same day ("Playing both sides"), I find it odd that Sen. Begich has ample time to squire his newly found Washington buddies around Alaska passing out money, aka buying votes, but declines to have a town hall meeting to see how his constituents really feel about health care.

-- J. Paul Dittrich, M.D., ret.