Letters to the Editor

Letter: Pebble analysis failed to give a balanced picture of project

Tim Bradner, on the proposed Pebble Mine (column, June 30), compares, as always, the costs of preserving what we have, salmon, against the benefits of developing something new, the world's biggest open pit mine. Never does he mention the benefits of preservation, nor the costs of development.

He reports the alleged tax benefits of the mine (according to a Pebble-commissioned study of a "hypothetical mine plan"), but not the state's costs to provide the corporation roads, docks, and power, nor even regulation and enforcement costs to attempt to protect salmon from toxic spills. He discusses how some financial benefits of salmon go to out-of-state fishermen, without mentioning that most of the Pebble jobs would go to miners from out of state. He ignores state costs for these incoming workers (new schools, police and fire protection) and that they dilute our PFD checks and our fishing and hunting opportunities.

For nearly every other state, the costs of increasing populations are offset by increased income tax revenues — but not Alaska. Please provide more balanced economic analysis.

— Pamela Brodie

Homer

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