Supporting school bonds pays off
The Daily News editorials "Rebuilding Schools" and "Service High" (Dec. 19) accurately point out the well-thought-out, long-term plan the Anchorage School District updates yearly to care for our 93 schools. As a member of the ASD Capital Request Advisory Committee for the last seven years, I can attest to the need for consistent voter support of school bonds on an annual basis.
No one can predict the future economic situation, but the Alaska Legislature has already provided for 60 to 70 percent reimbursement. Sharing the cost of renewal and renovation of schools between local property-tax payers and the state makes bonds a good deal.
Public and community input are vital in developing the next capital improvement plan, a conversation that starts only a few days after the School Board decides Jan. 12 which projects to forward to the Assembly for April's ballot. Be a participant.
The only thing that we can predict is that children will continue to need a place to learn.
-- Kitte' Miller
Anchorage
Alaska's best resource is Palin
The best thing Alaska has to offer America is not oil or natural gas; it is Gov. Sarah Palin. Please, take good care of her, for our good and yours. But then again, there are the suicidal liberals of the far left, who blog and blog, having nothing better to do with their lives except spit venom at people. What a shame; what a waste.
-- Jim Fortes
Orlando, Fla.
Begich should pardon Snowzilla
Mayor Begich, before leaving for Washington, D.C., why don't you seize the spotlight one last time? Hold a press conference and, as your final act, spread some cheer and pardon Snowzilla. It is after all part of our "Big Wild Life."
-- Chris Noyles
Eagle River
Good neighbor would cover debris
Undoubtedly Mr. Powers (Snowzilla) is not the best neighbor to have. It is laughable that the city has time to mess with an overgrown snowman when drug dealers and other undesirable neighbors create traffic and unsafe conditions in neighborhoods that far outweigh the problem caused by Mr. Powers' snowman.
If Mr. Powers would like to share the spirit of Christmas, he should clean up the debris in his yard to contain it under the confines of a neighborhood-friendly blue tarp not to exceed the size of 20 by 30 feet.
-- Phillip J. Miller
Cooper Landing
What would Frosty say?
Come on, Anchorage, a snowman is a menace to society? A danger? All I can say is, thank goodness no one put an old silk hat on him so he would begin to dance around! Imagine the mayhem that would have caused. Sounds like a few cranky people need to find something better to do with their time than kill the joy of others. Really.
-- Lara Flynn
Anchorage
A big 'humbug' to city, council
I'm sure Snowzilla attracted no more attention or traffic than any one of the numerous homes around town displaying gobs and gobs of Christmas ornaments and lights. To city officials and the Airport Heights Community Council I say, "Bah, humbug."
-- Tina M. Faulkenberry
Anchorage
OK, we elected you. Get to work!
Where are our elected leaders? What are they doing? Only last month were they on my doorsteps, on radio, on television, in the newspaper, sending fliers bombarding me begging for my vote. Well, you got it! What are you doing for us now? Have you forgotten who put you in office? I am writing about gas prices. Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation. Are you kidding? Oil prices are now down to $25 a barrel. We are still paying more than $2 a gallon. Or have you not noticed? I will remember you the next time you need my vote.
-- Andrea Smith
Anchorage
Reasons behind Electoral College are widely misunderstood today
The editorial by Matt Zencey opposing the Electoral College for presidential elections displayed the triviality of current political thought. While our knowledge and thinking on technical and scientific matters has become vastly more sophisticated since our nation's founding, it seems that our ability to think clearly about political matters has regressed significantly since 1789.
See some early discussion in the Federalist Papers, Nos. 68, 37 and 39.
The reasons for retaining the Electoral College to elect our president include giving voice to citizens outside major population centers; preventing small states from losing all influence; teaching prospective presidents about a variety of states; isolating election fraud to individual states; avoiding giving more power to states running crooked elections, and avoiding a national recount.
Alaska would lose two-thirds of its voting power if the election were based on popular vote.
An attempt to undermine the Constitution has occurred in Maryland and Hawaii, where legislation (the National Popular Vote Bill) has passed that guarantees the state's electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote nationally.
If similar legislation were passed by an electoral majority of states, a state's influence on the presidential election would depend on its ability to manufacture the most popular votes either through turnout, graveyard registration or direct fraud.
-- Donald N. Anderson
Anchorage
Now we're stuck with Begich
Have you heard the expression that you reap what you have sown? So quick to jump in and condemn Sen. Ted Stevens. With all the investigations going on now, who knows what will happen. Unfortunately, we are stuck with Mark Begich for six years unless something can be done. Sen. Stevens devoted many good years to Alaska. Don't expect the same from Begich.
-- Nell Arvites
Anchorage
Holiday spirit inspires man to put restaurant incident in the past
Several years ago I was involved in an unpleasant incident with a server at an Anchorage restaurant. I got in his way -- although I didn't see him because he was behind me. He yelled something at me, almost viciously. When I turned to look at him, he was glaring at me. I retorted angrily, and we both moved on.
I never forgot his face. I have seen him several times a year since then. I had the feeling that he remembered me too, because we both sort of avoided each other when in the same store or restaurant.
Last week he walked into a cafe where I was eating. After he sat down I approached him and said, "In the Christmas spirit of peace on earth and good will toward men, I wonder if we could agree to be friends. My name is George." I extended my hand, he told me his name, and we shook. He looked at me quizzically. "You may remember, we had an unpleasant incident at (the restaurant) a few years ago."
Although I suspect that he remembered, he asked for details. I just said, "You snapped at me, and I snapped at you." We chatted briefly about a mutual friend I had once seen him with. "Well, happy holidays," I said as we shook hands again. "Happy holidays to you, too," he replied. I walked away.
I doubt that he and I will ever become close friends. But we won't have to avoid each other any more, and I'm going to say hi to him when I see him again.
-- George Nagel
Anchorage
Snowzilla has purpose: disguise
The neighbors of Mr. Powers like Snowzilla probably because it covers up some of the garbage in his yard. What a pit!
-- Andrea Michl
Eagle River
Just move Snowzilla to Wasilla
Please, Billy Powers and family and Snowzilla, the entire problem could be solved by moving to Wasilla. There is little to no coherent zoning out here. Commercial buildings have moved into residentially zoned areas, with no thought to the neighborhood and the families that live there. Trees are shamelessly cut down, with no thought for the ecosystem destruction and erosion caused by "developers." The only active "enforcement" I have really seen out here is a guy that spends his day driving around, looking for people parked in disabled parking.
-- Barbara Jean Dinneen
Wasilla