Church may preach integrity but falls short in practicing it

So the Anchorage Baptist Temple, with its dazzling array of "ministers," has been found to be a tax cheat. Further, protected by a handy statute of limitations, ABT will not have to pay what it actually owes but can limit the damage back to only 2006. Is it just me or does this raise issues of honesty, morality and integrity? I would ask ABT members, how do you think this looks to ordinary folks who pay every single cent of their tax obligations? Are you, with your protective cocoon of GOP legislators, able to hear honesty and integrity preached from the pulpit without cringing in your pews? I am confident that ABT is full of good, honest people. I just hope they will demand their leaders do the right thing, including the ministers of extension cords, mop buckets, etc.

-- Arge Jeffery

Anchorage

Motorists should check what city code says about bicycles

Say an average human pedaling an average bicycle together weigh 200 pounds. And say our average speed on a roadway is somewhere between 10 and 20 mph. We are no match for two tons of glass and steel moving at 40-60 mph.

The other thing is, when you're bicycling, it can be very difficult to hear and understand what people are saying, even when they're right behind you. Much less someone in a truck with their window down, speeding by at 55 mph. So please save your breath, as we cannot understand what I presume are the invectives some of you shout at us, that we get off the $%#@ road.

Please familiarize yourself with the relevant laws in Anchorage governing bicycles on the roadway (AMC 9.38.020(a)), where I will remind you we are legally permitted to ride our bikes, even when -- yes even when -- there is an adjacent path. It's a very clearly worded law. We thank you in advance for sharing the road, and seeing bicyclists.

-- Rod Nibbe

Anchorage

Governor's stands on exchange and oil don't make a lot of sense

The governor nixes a state-run health exchange because it doesn't make sense to spend Alaska's dollars to set up an exchange when so much uncertainty exists about how to implement it and how to gain federal approval.

However, the governor has no problem in giving billions of state dollars to the oil companies with no strings attached and so much uncertainty that exists as to what benefits, if any, the state may gain from the giving of these billions of state dollars to the oil companies.

It doesn't make sense to not trust the federal government on health care but to trust the oil companies in giving them the state's billions of dollars in the hopes that the state will get a square deal from them.

-- John Suter

Chugiak

Now we know who's at fault

Thanks to Jeff Cook's Compass article (July 19) we now know who the gouger at the gas pump is. In spite of all the populist hand wringing, it is not the people who invest the capital and labor to make the fuel, it is the State of Alaska that sits back and collects royalties for doing nothing!

-- David Cox

Palmer

Letter writer hit the wrong note

I take issue with John Anderson's July 19 letter. He would have us believe that music hasn't played a role in moving the human spirit to make war, stop war, further racism or end it. Hitler used music to rally the masses. Anti-war marches have used music to stop despots and phony conflicts.

I dare say many of us living today would not be here if our parents hadn't been moved by love songs at the magic moment.

If music plays no part in rallying folks together, then let us stop singing our national anthem. ... distracts me from my iPod.

John Simon

Anchorage

Protect the honest politicians

I'm beginning to think we should add honest politicians to the endangered species list. What do you think? To hell with the Pebble prospect.

-- Darrell H. Mann

Anchorage