Alaska News

Letters to the editor (1/17/10)

Vote your conscience, not trends

Mr. Anderson's letter on Sunday (Jan. 10) seemed to suggest that Sen. Mark Begich should base his votes on opinion polls and special interest groups. I don't want any senator to make his or her decisions that way. I want elected representatives to carefully study the status quo on any given issue, study any proposed changes and then make a decision that is in the best interests of all citizens. I vote for candidates who are most able to make these kinds of careful decisions, not candidates who vote on bills primarily in such a way as to keep themselves in office. I voted for Mr. Begich and I support his vote for health care reform.

The current health care system is broken. The Senate's health care bill isn't perfect, but it gives wider insurance coverage to people who desperately need it. It potentially will eventually reduce health care costs. It will save people's lives. It's a reasonable start.

-- Janet Lindeman

Anchorage

No drug tests for state workers?

I completely agree that the state should require random drug testing for people who get benefits through the state. However, the state does not require random drug testing or new-hire drug testing for state employees -- the very people who run our state ... go figure! Sounds like nonsense and monkey business.

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-- Tamara Merrick

Anchorage

Euthanasia by gunshot inhumane

We thank Dillingham officials for investigating and charging the former animal control officer who allegedly left six dogs to starve to death at the city pound and for pledging to review its animal control program to ensure that it is humane, professional and in line with society's expectations ("Cruelty charges filed in deaths of dogs at Dillingham pound," Jan. 8).

We urge Dillingham to switch to euthanasia by intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital -- the only true method of euthanasia. Death by gunshot can be slow and terrifying. The American Veterinary Medical Association -- the utmost authority on animal euthanasia -- is clear in its 2007 Euthanasia Report: "Gunshot should not be used for routine euthanasia of animals in animal control situations, such as municipal pounds or shelters." The least we owe homeless animals is a peaceful, painless passing.

Please help prevent animals from being euthanized for lack of homes: Spay and neuter and adopt animals from shelters -- never buy from breeders or pet stores.

-- Jennifer Brown

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Norfolk, Va.

Clearer walkways getting praise

In response to the letter by a representative of the Alaska Young Democrats criticizing sidewalk plowing: More resources have been dedicated to sidewalk snow removal this year than any year in the past. Street Maintenance has a total of 15 units dedicated to the program and the state has eight. No reductions in staff or funding were realized this year and the program is stronger then ever. Standards improve every year and what once was considered a program for walkers has now expanded to an expectation of being able to ride a bicycle year-round.

Above all, public complaints have dropped dramatically this year. In fact, we've had a great deal of praise from both the walking and the bicycling community thanking us for the improved effort. Bottom line, the city has the same number of employees, pieces of equipment and resources to clear snow as in years past. Public safety on our streets and walkways has always been our highest priority and Mayor Sullivan has continued and improved upon that commitment.

-- Daniel Southard

Street Maintenance superintendent

Anchorage

Stay out of politics, 'God's plan'

The fact that Sarah Palin purportedly believed that her running with McCain was part of "God's plan" is truly frightening and suggests what is typically referred to as "magical thinking." This amounts to being out of touch with reality. As a spiritual individual, it is crystal clear to me that religion and politics are two separate realms. She is expressing an extremely limited and egocentric point of view. There are many citizens of both Alaska and the U.S. who aren't Christians -- who worship in other ways or choose not to worship at all. How in this world does she plan to fairly represent them? Keep religion out of politics and get more education!

-- Debra Wessler

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Talkeetna

Talk radio plays race card on Haiti

This is a very sad day for the people of Haiti. My thoughts and prayers are with them. But the reason for this letter is to alert you people of a sinister entity out there: conservative talk radio. Rush Limbaugh recently suggested that President Obama was happy for the quake in Haiti, as his administration will "use this to burnish their, shall we say, credibility with the black community, in the ... the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. It's made to order for them."

So, the next time you hear local and national conservative talk show hosts tell you how bad liberals are, remember these words.

-- John Weidman

Nondalton

Make ethics violations public

Congratulations to Mike Doogan and bill co-sponsors who are trying to suppress state ethics violation complaints by making them secret. It is rare that a politician has the backbone to come right out and blatantly admit to trying to shelter crooked politicians from the consequences of their actions, and in advance, yet!

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The reason ALL ethics charges should be immediately made public is precisely because we are talking about people who make their living telling lies, making false promises and conducting business under the table. If the public does not know that ethics charges have been filed, the opportunity for others to come forward with evidence is suppressed.

An in-the-shadows justice system is no justice at all, and that does not even bring up the issue of the fox guarding the hens when political appointees in the attorney general's office are in charge of investigating their own cohorts in politics. Investigations should be public knowledge and conducted by the state police, not in secret by political cronies. The public should let the politicians know just how much they trust them, and that backroom cover-ups will not be tolerated.

-- Lance Duncan

Eagle River

Shorter timeline for health reform

In her Dec. 27 piece arguing against the health care reform bill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski writes: "premiums would rise roughly 12 percent for some individuals." Some ... hmm. Like the very wealthy?

She opines about cuts in Medicare. It's true that money will be pulled from Medicare, but services will remain the same, according to Jonathan Cohn, editor of the New Republic, who spoke on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" on Jan. 12. The change will be in the way Medicare pays for medical services. For example, if a hospital's infection rate is high, then it wouldn't receive as much funding, forcing it to deal with the problem. Or if particular drugs are overpriced, a commission would review and correct this. I'm thinking too of the unforgivably outrageous prices hospitals charge for bedside effects and surgical tools, i.e., $129 for a box of tissues, $289 for a pair of forceps.

Murkowski laments, "Many of the benefits would not kick in for three or four years." Therefore, let's obstruct it completely and delay reform for another ... what? Ten years? Twenty? Thanks, Lisa.

-- Anne Coray

Port Alsworth

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