Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, March 1, 2015

Doubling motor fuels tax would help

Currently the state of Alaska has a motor fuels tax of 8 cents per gallon, the lowest in the country. Other than Virginia and New Jersey, the next highest state has a rate of more than twice as much. The national average is 24 cents. Last year Alaska brought in about $40 million from the tax. A doubling of the tax to 16 cents would bring in another $40 million.

That could be very useful for funding education or Medicaid expansion. At current low prices it would certainly be affordable; with the additional tax prices would still be much less than they were six months ago. And it would be easy to have a mechanism that throttles the tax down if oil prices increase.

It would be difficult to find much lower-hanging fruit than that for additional state revenue.

— Roger Marks

Anchorage

Let’s keep our money in state

Our state is headed into a financial downturn, which many are trying to prepare for.

Recently tempted by something in a lovely catalog in my mailbox, it occurred to me: "Wait a minute! Another reason to shop local."

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— Madeleine Grant

Anchorage

Suspect basic issues with software

I have been reading with interest the installation problems of the new SAP software ("Reviews conclude Anchorage's troubled software project should move ahead," Feb. 14). I have a very real question. Has anyone been fired as a result of this fiasco? My first guess is that the answer is no.

I was intimately involved with the installation of the current PeopleSoft software for almost two years. Based on that experience and what is written in the paper, I would suspect that there are some very basic issues with regard to the SAP Project. I would suggest that there is no central individual being held accountable for the budget, schedule and staff performance. I would suggest that they are trying to develop the software using part-time individuals from the various departments. I would suggest that the project implementation plan was not thoroughly thought out and developed. I would suggest that they tried to eat the apple in one bite rather than many small bites.

Someone tell me I am wrong.

Lance Ahern, municipal IT manger, should have called me. I could have put together a small consulting team that would have brought the project in on time and on budget.

Again, someone tell me I am wrong.

— Phil Weber

Cooper Landing

Lawmakers should cut own budget

Our legislators need to cut their budget 10 percent if they are cutting other areas at that or a higher percentage. Remember, all animals are created equal, but pigs are more equal, per George Orwell in "Animal Farm."

— David Lewis

Homer

Rep. Gattis would gut education

I hardly know were to start in my response to Rep. Lynn Gattis' recent actions, but I'll give it a try. In her haste to push her agenda through her subcommittee, the Valley representative has dismissed requests for amendments and cut valuable education programs without public input. The elimination of Best Beginnings and Parents-as-Teachers will make it more difficult for parents to give their children a solid foundation. Wiping out broadband assistance will dump an opportunity to level the playing field for rural schools. Other programs will hinder attempts to provide services through libraries and to give Alaskans a chance to become doctors at a time when more health care is needed for growing families and aging boomers. The assumption seems to be that these programs are not worth the investment for our future, but is there evidence to support this?

One would hope that more reasonable legislators will amend the education budget to honor the state's constitutional commitment to education without hijacking our legislative process.

— Cheryl Lovegreen

Anchorage

Student needs help with state report

My name is Ava Cram. I am in the fifth grade at Conway Elementary. I am writing to you for my state report. State reports are when students pick a state (in my case Alaska), then write and present a report on the state they had chosen. The main reason I picked this state is because I have always been interested in cold weather. I do hope you can help me with my report.

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I understand that you may not have the time, but if you do, here are some things that I could use for my report: pictures, postcards, license plates, maps and or souvenirs. I have heard you have lots of glaciers. Is your your state nickname really the Last Frontier? Are you really famous for having the largest veggies? If so, could you please send pictures?

Thank you for reading my letter. I appreciate you for considering this. If you send anything thank you so much! Once more, thank you. I hope you can help me with my report.

— Ava Cram

Conway School, Mrs. LaRocque's Class

Mount Vernon, WA

Americans need direction

Direction…

We all need that, and when it is not provided it creates confusion. From my own experience, anyway. And it seems that is where we all stand as Americans now. No real direction.

— Ransom Agnasagga

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Wainwright

No troopers? Who we gonna call?

What? No trooper in Girdwood?

Did I read the ADN correctly or is there a misunderstanding on my part? Are we really losing our troopers in Girdwood? Who we gonna call? Since we are part of the municipality of Anchorage, are they going to be replaced by the police department? I can see groups of neighborhood vigilantes, robberies and break-ins already. If not, please deduct that service from my property taxes.

— Lucy Darling

Girdwood

PacRim coal is an invasive species

There is an ongoing fight in the world to make sure invasive species don't overtake and destroy native species. PacRim coal is in a sense, an invasive species. They want to insert themselves into an area that is unique and not found anywhere else in the world.

Why should we let an organization invade an area, home to five species of wild salmon, miles of wetlands and a community of people who subsist on its product?

— Cole Deal

Anchorage

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.

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