Priorities for Alaska
An open letter to Bill Walker from a friend who voted for him.
Dear Gov.-elect Walker: I echo Kevin Clarkson's congratulations and reminder that you now work for us as Alaskans. ("An open letter to Bill Walker from a friend who didn't vote for him," Nov. 18). I am also anxiously waiting to see what you'll do as the first independent governor of Alaska.
However, unlike Clarkson, I did vote for you. I voted for you because I disagree with Parnell's strategy for managing the economy and resources of Alaska and I disagree with his refusal of Medicaid expansion. I voted for you because I believe you'll ask hard questions and prioritize what's important to Alaskans: strong education for our children, protection for natural resources, better health care and freedom to live as our cultures and traditions dictate.
Each of these priorities far outweighs one of your predecessor's most ill-conceived proposals: the Susitna dam. Because we don't have enough funds to even maintain our public schools, the first item to cut should be any attempt to pursue this very expensive dam that would irreversibly harm the Susitna River's king salmon run and the way of life for many hundred small businesses, fishermen and outdoorsmen. And the dam would do nothing to solve our main challenge: heating our homes in the winter. There are far smarter ways we could invest the $5 billion-plus the dam would cost.
All of this is why you got my vote. Again I echo congratulations and anticipation for the good you'll do. Stopping the Susitna dam is a worthy place to start.
-- Barbara Mercer
Talkeetna
States rights about slavery
It seems that Michael Carey has stirred a minor hornet's nest by asserting (correctly) that slavery caused the Civil War — who could seriously question that fact? Regardless what any of the major CW figures said before, during or afterward, no other contentious dispute between North and South came even close.
Those in factual denial such as Jim Dore (Letters, Nov. 11) claim that slavery was not the cause, but they don't reveal what they believe was. Presumably, "states' rights" is his choice. But what was "states' rights" in 1860 but the right to pursue and capture escaped slaves in states where slavery was illegal; the right to extend slavery to the western territories and the new states created there; and the right to have five privately owned human beings counted as three free men for apportioning seats in the U. S. House of Representatives?
What other passionately held issue of the time could have led to Sen. Charles Sumner's near-death from a beating he received in 1856 while seated at his desk in the U.S. Senate? Sorry — those who continue to search for some noble cause that could have motivated the South to attack Fort Sumter and begin the Civil War will continue to come up empty-handed. Slavery was the burning issue, and its abolition was the answer, both then and forever afterward.
-- T. E. Meacham
Anchorage
Drilling in Congo questionable
Your ADN headline reads, "African Park: Classic Quandary Pits Economic Development vs. Preservation." This headline is written as if the people of the Congo would get the economic benefits from oil drilling in their Virunga National Park. Instead, it is likely that they would get what people in the Niger Delta of Africa get from oil development: gas flaring, water that is no longer drinkable, toxins in their soil, habitat destruction, leaking unmaintained pipelines and, when they protest, a noose around their neck. Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa?
Your article says the oil is believed to lie under the lake that is part of the headwaters of the Nile. A spill there could affect the water source for tens of millions of people downstream, not to mention wildlife. Furthermore, scientists are already telling us that we need to leave the majority of the already-discovered fossil fuels in the ground if we want a livable climate, so this is the wrong kind of project to be investing in even if the citizens were to get the benefits.
Gone are the days when we blindly accept something that is labeled "economic development" as an automatic good thing. This article about Virunga is a case in point.
-- Jan Bronson
Anchorage
Choose your source of news
Jonathan Gruber was partially correct with the exception he confused stupid with ignorant. If majority of Americans are ignorant it's due to the type of media coverage they subscribe to. With the majority of the mainstream media being liberal it's understandable that Jonathan Gruber would assume Americans are ignorant.
-- Steve Epperheimer
Kenai
The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.