Legislature needs to dive in and fix Fish & Game issues
In its surreptitious attempt to privatize wildlife, has the Department of Fish & Game and Board of Game imploded? A once proud organization has become a fraternity that serves friends. An allocation system based on need now oozes with greed. The ideals of our constitution are more like deals.
Who's to blame? Do you blame the fox if the farmer doesn't maintain the henhouse fence? Our constitution built the fence for managing wildlife resources, but who maintains it? The Legislature!
But what have they done to keep us from sliding down this slippery slope? Nothing is the short answer. Adding grease, they've approved appointments to the Board of Game that defy the meaning of diverse as well as a commissioner with about as much stature as a statue that pigeons roost on.
It's time for the Legislature to take responsibility for the mess they allowed. They need to investigate where things went wrong and then confirm appointments that make things right.
-- George Matz
Fritz Creek
Sullivan unfairly blamed for problems with snow removal
In respect to Mr. Nelson's letter March 6 ("As neighborhood snow piles up, Sullivan digs himself in deeper"), I believe he hasn't considered all the facts/considerations related to the enormous task of snow removal in our fair city. Our mayor, Mr. Dan Sullivan, has pledged to manage our city costs within the restraints of the budget. He has continually sacrificed programs and reduced services, some unpopular, in order to accomplish this. As a taxpayer, I thank you, Mr. Sullivan.
I believe what has compounded our snow problem this year is really due to record snowfalls and other unwanted costs. If Mr. Nelson and others believe that more money is the answer, he might consider that just a few years ago, Mr. Begich and his cronies (certain Assembly members) approved outrageous union contracts that we couldn't afford as taxpayers. So my advice to Mr. Nelson and others is to stop whining, slow down and spring will be here soon.
-- Mike Krupa
Anchorage
The Democratic Party has a new mouthpiece: the ADN
The ADN has increasingly become an op-ed section of the Democratic Party. On March 6 the paper set a new standard for editorial bias by placing Julia O'Malley's opinion piece on the front page.
As I recall, the ADN did everything they could to support Murkowski's senatorial campaign. Now, when Murkowski votes with the members in her party, she is excoriated for not being a "moderate." In other words, she, as a Republican, can be a respected "moderate" by voting for Democrat party agendas.
I feel she is too "moderate."
I will also point to the March 5 story regarding Romney's $200 million in expenditures in pursuit of the presidency over two elections. I could not find the corresponding story that listed Obama's $745 million 2008 campaign, or the mention that Obama has raised $151 million compared to Romney's paltry $64 million for 2012.
The ADN has become a party mouthpiece by omission and commission. Thank you for the opportunity to speak out.
-- David Merwin
Chugiak
A right to discriminate?
Some of our fellow Anchorage residents are concerned about "protecting your right" to discriminate (some of these folks live in tax-free glass houses and like to throw stones). I think most fair-minded Alaskans know that it is wrong to discriminate against someone in jobs and housing based on who they are. I believe our community will affirm that discrimination has no justifiable place in American society by voting "yes" on Measure 5 on April 3.
History has not and will not kindly judge advocates of discrimination, whether the targets are Jews, blacks, Natives or gays.
-- Tim Stallard
Anchorage