Letters to the editor (1/27/10)

Regarding the junk car cleanup at Kincaid Park: They are taking away my childhood! When I was a teen back in the '80s, there wasn't a lot to do in this town. You went to drink at the burned-out restaurant at the top of Stuckagain or snuck into the Nike site up Arctic Valley or magically rolled your car "uphill" on Upper Huffman or of course went out to Kincaid to "mess around" in a hundred different ways.

But now one of Kincaid's truly marvelous attractions is being "cleaned up"? As far as fluids leaking from cars, those hulks of twisted steel were as dry as a bone. Besides, in reality, everyone knows a little oil isn't going to hurt anything.

But oh no, if it's trash it MUST be cleaned up. We are a responsible, liberal-minded community now.

Those old cars are at once a symbol of a bygone era in America and a testament to man's impermanence. They are desecrating a cemetery.

-- Todd Dalton

Anchorage

Pay attention, Sen. Begich

Sen. Begich (and it takes a lot for me to put the respectful "Sen." in front of your name), I hope your ears were open concerning the Massachusetts election. Perhaps you should recall your campaign promises to act independently and not be a party line vote. You didn't do yourself any favors with the mess you left in Anchorage and so far you have been nothing but part of the lollipop guild for Harry Reid.

-- Matt Michetti

Anchorage

This conservative does care

Nationally syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts cites Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh as icons of American conservatism and references their recent remarks on the Haitian earthquake (ADN, Jan. 20). He lets loose with a tirade against social conservatives -- based on the public remarks of a few -- and paints us all as self-righteous, self-centered, smug, small and mean.

As a conservative who loves Jesus, I grieve for these people, I pray for these people and I have given money to help these people. Unfortunately, a very few conservatives with a national platform are heard as if they speak for me -- and they do not. Nor, I believe, do they speak for Jesus, who loved the poor, wept over suffering and spent time with people the social conservatives of his day despised. Please know that conservatives too have a conscience.

-- Judith Crotts

Anchorage

What lies beneath? Ask city

I had to chuckle looking at my "green card" from the city tax assessor. Land value up 14 percent, building value down 3.7 percent, total value up 1.9 percent.

Maybe I'm sitting on a pool of oil!

-- John Warren

Anchorage

Now corporations will run US

For those of you who didn't notice, America died Thursday. The shot rang out clearly, as it did in Concord over 200 years ago when we were born a nation, only this time the bullet's mark was aimed at every citizen and it hit us directly in the heart.

I am saddened tonight and mourning for my country that used to be called the United States. I refer to the Supreme Court decision uncapping any limits on corporate election advertising. The game is over, ladies and gentlemen. Within 10 years every elected official from all levels will be a representative of Exxon, Wal-Mart or Bank of America, not us.

-- Wayne L. Vance

Willow

Remember Exxon's actions

I saw on the news that the governor and Exxon Mobil were trying to come to a resolution on the status of the Point Thomson leases. Anyone who thinks that we, the people of Alaska, are going to get some sort of "fair deal" out of the Exxon Mobil Corp. should take another look at the raw deal they gave the fishermen of Prince William Sound ... years of expensive litigation and a pittance at the end.

I think we can expect more of the same at Point Thomson.

-- Lance Groundwater

Valdez

Value up when market down?

I recently got our property assessment and it went up about $27,000 total. How can that be during a down market? I wanted to challenge it, but they want money to do that. Can we get a little help here?

-- Gary Lagstrom

Chugiak