Letters to the editor (2/11/10)

I read in the Daily News last week that Sen. Lesil McGuire will be among a number of politicos who will be part of a state-paid trip to the Vancouver Olympics so they can "chill."

What state issue requires this state-paid junket? If none, why are the people of Alaska paying for these people to go to the Olympics?

Who are the state officials who are taking this trip and will they be taking family members also?

Last, but not least, how much will this state-paid junket cost the people of Alaska?

I'm having a hard time trying to pay for heating oil and winter electric bills but I wouldn't mind going to the Olympics to "chill."

My bags are packed. Where do I sign up?

-- Betty Robinson

Fairbanks

Palins' behavior still bad

Well buried in the story of Todd Palin's e-mails while his wife was governor was how he released a confidential memo to the state from his employer. No matter what you happen to think of BP, his action was disloyal, unethical and unprofessional.

What this action shows, along with Todd serving as the unelected "shadow governor," is something much larger. The Palins consider themselves above the law. Notice how much name-calling and petulance are used as diversions from the real issue by them or their attorney when their embarrassing acts are revealed to the public.

I still find it incredible that people so blindly defend their actions, no matter what your political affiliation is. Bad behavior is bad behavior, no matter who you are.

The only thing more incredible is that anyone would pay our former governor to speak on any topic while she laughs all the way to the bank.

-- Tom Wellman

Anchorage

Our rulers are charging ahead

The writer of a recent letter to the editor complained that his concerns were not satisfactorily addressed after he'd received an alleged form letter from Sen. Begich. As issues of concern arise, I send letters to both Sen. Murkowski and Sen. Begich and also to my state congressional delegate. From Sen. Murkowski I get the hold-the-party-line-at-all-cost spiel, ignoring, or slanting, public opinion with such allegations that the majority is in favor of this or that, which is often a ricochet off certainty.

And are my responses from the other side written in a fine hand?

My concern is, who is on our side? Our present representative democracy seems to have a flat tire but our ruling oligarchy is running at top speed, torpedoes be damned.

Who, or what, is being represented by whom?

-- Jerry D. McDonnell

Anchorage

Think before repealing 'Don't Ask'

No rational argument against allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the U.S. military would dare suggest that they are not as smart, strong, capable and patriotic as their heterosexual peers. However, most arguments in favor of repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy seem to use this as their only supporting point.

Arguments in support of its repeal must acknowledge and address the many specific impacts repealing DADT will have on the military. The policy was implemented, and survived, for a variety of reasons more rooted in pragmatism than intolerance.

-- David Thomas

Anchorage

Houston shelter not much of one

Re: disposal of shelter animals. I read the article about killing pets at Houston but was not surprised to read the "he did it; no, he did" statements of the city. According to the article, the mayor says he knew nothing of the shootings and was in Juneau. Please, we are not stupid! I took in an emergency foster two weeks ago after Mayor Purcell vowed to shoot animals after only three days.

Second, Houston does little to care for or adopt out dogs. Their Web site is cobwebbed. To adopt, one must communicate. And, the last time I saw the "shelter" it was a fence and an old shed. I agree with the statement in the article that said, "We are not a poor society." But "not a backwoods society"? I beg to differ. Houston is behaving like the Third World.

If a person wants to make an impact on the city of Houston, stop buying fireworks. They make a mess everywhere anyway. I would rather clean up after a dog than pick up Houston's fireworks trash.

-- Bill Zeddies

Big Lake

Oil companies profit

I do not understand Alaska legislators actually believing the oil companies are hurting. Wake up; there is a worldwide economic downturn! Of course the oil companies will cut jobs and investment. That is the "supply and demand" of the world economy, and the way it is supposed to work.

Oil companies are making huge profits when almost every country and industry in the world is in dire straits. The biggest oil companies in Alaska will report profits down from last year, which is true. But what is being skipped over by Alaska legislators is that oil profits for 2009 will be the in the top five yearly returns in the history of oil profits.

Wake up in Juneau!

-- Tony Kastella

Homer

Grievance system needs changes

Senate Bill 66 as proposed by Sen. Bettye Davis deserves support.

Senate Bill 66 would revise and update AS47.30.847 -- the psychiatric patient grievance procedure statute. Because of the inadequacies in the current law, most psychiatric patients, civilly committed or forced-evaluated, in Alaska are asked to use the same grievance procedure as someone going into a hospital for minor cosmetic surgery.

A citizen who is locked up, many of his or her rights taken away, needs a very specific grievance procedure.

Most states in the last 10 years have revised and updated their psychiatric patient grievance procedures and it is Alaska's turn.

-- Faith Myers and Dorrance Collins

mental health advocates

Anchorage

Dimond girls team behaved badly

The Dimond varsity girls basketball coach and players should be ashamed of themselves.

I am an Eagle River parent and an assistant coach to the girls basketball team. Dimond beat Eagle River High School 99-13. It is outrageous that a coach would let his team run up a score like that. On top of that, he let his players on the bench "talk smack" and be very rude and discourteous to ERHS players and fans.

Whatever happened to sportsmanship? What is he teaching his players?

ERHS will continue to struggle with its sports teams until someone stops the constant bleeding of students getting zone exemptions to play for Chugiak.

Our girls played their hearts out, and it broke my heart to hear how they were treated. I hope Dimond players learn some manners for future games.

-- Jennifer Barsalou

Eagle River