Economic security wont wait
With a change in Congress, we might expect the start of the Keystone pipeline. This will further flood the market with oil, depress prices, and torpedo ANWR. Our pipeline won't last till the need reoccurs in 30-50 years. We didn't push before, so now is possibly the last chance for Alaska's economic future.
— Ken Mears
Anchorage
Carey has his history wrong
It's time to refute Michael Carey's politically correct view that slavery started the Civil War (ADN, Nov. 11). Consider this long suppressed quote from Gen. Ulysses S. Grant: "If I thought this war was to abolish slavery, I would resign my commission and offer my sword to the other side." (Grant owned slaves until the 13th Amendment abolished slavery after the war.)
I urge Mr. Carey to sample something other than left-wing revisionist history about the Civil War (The War of Northern Aggression) and read Thomas DiLorenzo's book: "Lincoln Unmasked, What You're NOT Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe."
— Jim Dore
Anchorage
Tips for Republican Congress
There is no shortage of opinions about what the Republican Congress should now do. Let me add two suggestions about what they shouldn't do. The first is that they should keep abortion out of their politics. Abortion is not a political issue; it's personal, religious, medical but not political.
The second is that they should stop trying to repeal Obamacare. Admit that that battle is over and that it's now law. The chances of getting repeal legislation past the president is nil. The direction should now be to fix what's wrong with it within the existing framework. There is no one on the planet that does not agree that everyone needs health care: who does it, who pays and what kind of coverage we can expect are some of the issues. Be the adult in the room and provide a plan that works no matter whose plan you use as a model. Health care is not now "Affordable" (it is only if you don't have to pay) and it's not Obamacare.
Call it the "America Cares Health Plan" and give us something that most of us can support.
— Robert Biringer
Anchorage
Clearly, thoughtfully written
I was very interested to read Maria Crouch's piece (ADN, Nov. 13).
It seems to me to be a very helpful piece for those who do not understand how people can identify as anything but the gender they seemed to be at birth. It clearly explained the difficulties for those who don't clearly identify with either or question who they are. How hard it is for the person who is questioning and how much we as society can complicate the search. Maria, you wrote so clearly and thoughtfully about your experiences. I am so proud to know you and to respect you as a very kind, thoughtful, intelligent person.
Congratulations on such a well-written helpful piece. I know I am clipping it and saving it and proudly sharing it with others.
— Martie Rozkydal
Palmer
On the fence about moose
It may not be reasonable to ban pointy fences that impale moose. It may also be unreasonable to make homeowners build deck railings according to specific measurements to make people safer. The city has code requirements that regulate how high my fence can be and where I can put it on my lot. This chaps my hide. But these are a few of many such rules the city already has.
We could have a system that just penalizes us after bad things happen as a result of our poor choices, but that ship has sailed and we have chosen to have zoning and building codes instead. No one wants yucky dead animals draped over our lovely fences. We should do what we can to minimize animals being killed by our yard decor.
If we refuse to ban the fences in question, we should adopt some hefty punishments for any nasty things resulting from ignoring the known risks associated with them. How about the animal is butchered and given to charity at the owners expense? Maybe a painful fine (like thousands, not hundreds of dollars). And most importantly, a letter of apology — to everyone. Can we put that in the building code?
— Laurie Dworian
Anchorage
Education, not megaprojects
I read a recent article, "With deficits looming, Anchorage School Board considers drastic cuts" (ADN, Nov. 2), that talks about closing and consolidating schools to save money during our state's budget deficit. Over the past two years the Anchorage School District has cut over 300 staff and teacher positions and slashed funds for supplies and equipment. In the Mat-Su Borough, parents are bracing themselves for another year of cuts. This is happening all over our state, and it is long past time that all Alaskans said we have had enough cuts to education and make funding education a priority in our state.
It is outrageous and fiscally irresponsible that our elected officials could even consider funding a megaproject like the proposed Susitna-Watana dam during fiscal times like these. The Alaska Energy Authority has spent $193 million on just a portion of the studies required for the proposed mega-dam — a project that will ultimately take more than $5 billion to complete. This money should be focused on saving our school system and educating our children — the Alaskans of the future — not on investing in failed energy technology of the past like Susitna-Watana, that would strip away our salmon and natural resources.
I strongly urge our state leaders, like Mike Dunleavy (Mat-Su), the incoming chair of the Senate Education Committee and Anna Fairclough (Eagle River), the incoming co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee to think of the future of Alaska's children when it comes to spending our tight budget, and to cut wasteful spending and bad ideas like a mega-dam.
— Noelle Carbone
Talkeetna
WWII history on Nome beach
That metal identification tag found on the Nome beach is definitely military. In the early years of the U.S. involvement in WWII, Army dog tags included the name and address of the soldier's next of kin for notification in the event of death or injury. I have my father's dog tags from when he was drafted into the Army in March 1941. The tags indicate his father's (my grandfather's) name and address.
In 1943, the Army stopped including next-of-kin information on the tags. The tag found on the beach shows not only the soldier's name, service number, and next of kin, but also the year of his last tetanus shot (1943) and his blood type (O). Positive and negative blood categories were not indicated on the tags at that time.
Dog tags could also include a soldier's religious preference as P (Protestant), C (Catholic), or H (Hebrew). Lack of a religious preference letter indicated "no preference" as depicted on the recently discovered tag. The notch in the edge of the tag was used to align the blank tag in the machine when the information was initially stamped on the tag.
During WWII, Nome had a very active U.S. Army Air Force base that supported the ferrying of lend-lease planes to the Soviet Union. I am not surprised that artifacts from that period are still showing up in the Nome area.
— Christopher Roe
historical archaeologist specializing in World War II
Anchorage
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