Letters to the editor (4/1/10)

I'm writing to cast my vote for daylight saving time. Being unable to drive in the dark, I must either remain homebound or impose on others for transportation during the dark months when I want to attend an evening function. What a pleasure it is to, now, drive my own car.

-- E.J. White

Anchorage

Thanks to bus driver for slowing

This is a note of thanks to the city bus driver, (6 p.m.-ish, March 20, at Abbott and 88th).

I was standing on the corner waiting to cross. Though the driver had a green light he/she slowed down to avoid totally dousing me with mud water. I believe the driver even slowed down the ones behind him. I was then able to see how far I'd better back up because I definitely would have gotten hit with the next one.

Whether it was intended or not, thanks to anyone who does this!

-- Cheri Rider

Anchorage

Salmon are Alaska's true gold

On April 22, Earth Day, the shareholders of Anglo American, the giant mining company founded in South Africa and headquartered in London, will hold its annual meeting. We Alaskans need to tell them loud and clear that we oppose the Pebble mine.

What I as an Alaskan am concerned about is exposing our massive wild salmon runs which as you know are the linchpin of this state, to foreign mining interests. This international mining consortium, including Mitsubishi, Rio Tinto, Northern Dynasty and Anglo American plans to build North America's largest gold and copper mine in the headwaters of Bristol Bay.

While the price of gold may be high right now, our salmon support grizzlies, wolves, eagles and seals while also sustaining Native communities that have thrived here for thousands of years. All these may end up paying the ultimate price if this mining plan goes through. We need to protect the true gold of Alaska: its fish and wildlife.

-- Martha Jacobson

Ketchikan

City crews need to clear roads

Now that our new mayor has his $10 million essential surplus, when will he begin to have our street crews -- some of whom were likely dismissed as non-essential services -- start clearing winter sand off our roads?

Will this be before or after we are all coughing, gagging, red-eyed and wheezing?

-- Don Reukel Sr.

Anchorage

Pot never gave Mackey 'an edge'

Regarding the opinion that marijuana has given Lance Mackey "an edge," I offer this observation: After being surrounded for many years by pot-smoking children and grandchildren, it has been my experience in dealing with these semi-functional space cases that, contrary to the belief that they possess any "edge" at all, aside from occasional frantic raids on the contents of the refrigerator anywhere they happened to have crashed, they are almost totally devoid of ambition, judgment and the ability to make intelligent decisions.

Lance Mackey displays symptoms quite the opposite of those I have seen many times among my relatives and their fellow users. I suggest that Lance's outstanding success in caring for and racing his dog teams has its basis in his talents, skills and determination rather than in the effects of his medicinal marijuana.

I also suggest that the discontent among his less successful competitors is rooted in the saying that "people love success, but they hate successful people." Go, Lance, go!

-- Maren F. Evans

Anchorage

Alaskans love to kill animals

It's so easy to kill a helpless animal, isn't it? Especially up here in gun-crazy Alaska. Just aim your gun out an open window at an eight pound chihuahua just following his natural instincts or on a helicopter at collared wolves just following their food. Because we're Alaskans! We're mighty men (and women) of the Great Land! And they're just, well, animals. And nothing matters more than what we want and we kill anything that gets in our way, right?

It's no wonder we have one of the highest rates of animal abuse - to rank right up there with domestic abuse - in the nation.

Are you proud, Alaska?

-- Laura Brakeman

Anchorage

Red Dog Mine is good for state

My name is Ralph Angasan Sr.; I am the president of the Alaska Peninsula Corp., a village corporation within the Bristol Bay Native Corporation region. I support the NANA Corporation's efforts to continue the business operation of the Red Dog Mine.

NANA has been the only sustaining economic driver for our village corporation during the years when we needed cash flow. NANA pays other regional corporations 62 percent of their revenues. APC receives a share from our regional corporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation. BBNC pays 50 percent of revenues they get from NANA to village corporations in their region. We encourage other regional corporations to do the same and work to develop their own potential resource development, such as mining.

Resource development companies hire a vast majority of workers from local communities and are the major contributors to the residents of these typically rural villages. Environmentally conscious mines, such as Red Dog, develop the resources and at the same time protect the local subsistence way of life.

-- Ralph Angasan Sr., president, Alaska Peninsula Corporation

Anchorage

Exxon could run for president

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that corporations are now "persons" and have legal rights to speak and make contributions to political campaigns.

Last week, Murray Hill Inc. filed for a Maryland congressional seat. The purpose being to eliminate the "middle man."

My, my -- this makes for all kinds of possibilities. Perhaps we can now foresee Conoco Phillips running for our Alaska senate seat. Or, how about Exxon running for president of the United States?

-- Hal Johnston

Anchorage