Municipal software upgrade
is sound investment
A recent letter by union official Jason Alward regarding the implementation of electronic timekeeping and a new enterprise system for the municipality omits the context of why these changes are necessary. The Begich administration failed to finance and install the necessary upgrades to the existing PeopleSoft operating system and the municipality was informed in 2008 that the company would no longer maintain the system. This required the municipality to install a new system and the company SAP was selected through a competitive bid process. A new electronic timekeeping system, Kronos, is also being implemented.
Alward suggests that these changes were not necessary. He would be the first one to complain if the heavy equipment operators in his union were working on equipment that could not be maintained. As for electronic timekeeping, it is the industry standard in virtually all large organizations both public and private. His opposition to the accountability provided by the precise tracking of employee work hours is curious. I would think that all municipal employees would welcome being a more efficient and accountable organization.
As he correctly states, the implementation is over budget and is taking longer than anticipated. Cities like Portland and San Diego had similar challenges and, like them, we are taking the necessary steps to bring the project to completion. It should be noted that under my administration, we have finished six straight years with multimillion-dollar budget surpluses. We are also spending about $100 million less annually than had we continued the spending trends of the previous administration. These savings pay for the cost of the new enterprise system many times over, as will the efficiencies achieved in the future from this investment in modern, state-of-the-art systems.
— Mayor Dan Sullivan
Anchorage
Berkowitz stands by strong police force for Anchorage
I just heard a "pop-pop" sound a block or two away. I used to consider these sounds firecrackers but now I am not so sure. A man got stabbed in the neck a half mile away earlier today. Last weekend, there were more drive-by shootings in town.
The outgoing mayor cut the police force by often failing to hire replacement officers for the normal 20 or so officer turnovers each year. By often defunding police academies, we now have one in five of our officer positions vacant. This cutback on our police force is lowering morale and is costing all of us. In the past two months it has felt like we are in a more violent city.
Almost every law-abiding citizen wants a strong police force. I want a mayor that stands with our officers, not against them. Ethan Berkowitz will bring in new ideas, solve these recruitment problems, build police morale and make our neighborhoods more secure. Join me supporting Ethan Berkowitz. He will build for Anchorage a better tomorrow.
— Rod McCoy
Anchorage
Distracted driving rampant
Regarding the fatal vehicle/pedestrian accident:
First , how tragic. Second, this is something that is completely preventable, so I have to first applaud Alaska Dispatch News for showing the image of the body covered in cloth. Yes, it is quite a shocking photo that speaks a thousand words that couldn't be compiled into a short article.
As an avid cyclist and bus rider through out the year I sometimes have the opportunity to witness many drivers carelessly driving down the road completely oblivious to anything around them because they are enthralled at what is in front of them. Lets not forget that through this tragic episode someone is mentally scarred, and someone is dead. Why? We don't know, but the fact remains that many in this town are driving distracted not aware of the outside world while in a 4,000-pound projectile. All the reflective surfaces and traffic devices won't help if drivers aren't paying attention.
I'll use the cheap military mantra used when I was in the service, "Drive to Arrive."
— Dennis Blackburn
Anchorage
What is Youngs purpose?
It is nice to see that our "Congressman for All of Alaska" is busy in Washington. He wants to feed homeless people to wolves. He is concerned about members of Congress flying in private aircraft, and he has introduced legislation that would allow hunters to bring elephant ivory from the elephants they've shot back into the United States. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the value of any of these endeavors are to Alaskans.
— Thom Eley
Anchorage
Sport Shop was inspiration for active women
After 20 years of excellent service my favorite store is closing — the Sport Shop. I am not alone in feeling this loss. Alaskan women young and old, novice, intermediate and elite athletes will sorely miss this fine store. Its proprietor, Liz Johnson, sold quality sports clothing and gear for women, not to mention some very cute winter and summer outfits.
The Sport Shop was much more than a just retail store, however. Johnson made it a habit of greeting everyone who entered her store with friendly advice and encouragement. She embraced women's sports in many other ways. Johnson generously provided a welcome venue for athletic boards to meet and plan their events, and a convenient location for competitors to pick up race entry forms and their race bibs. Race posters were always welcome and prominently displayed. As I think about it, I have never met anyone else who did more to encourage women to try different sports events such as the Run for Women, the Bike for Women, the Ski for Women, the Gold Nugget Triathlon, swim events, and many more. We will most certainly miss Liz Johnson's energy and generous spirit and her wonderful women's sports store. I am grateful for all she did for this community.
— Judy Sedwick
Anchorage
GOP letter is treason
Forty-seven Republican U.S. Senators wrote to the ayatollah of Iran in order to undermine negotiations being conducted by the U.S. government with a foreign power and thereby embarrass the president — and the difference between this and treason is?
— Rick Wicks
Anchorage
Million-dollar question: Alaska salmon or coal?
Alaskans are currently in a crucial precedent-setting water rights public comment period with the Department of Natural Resources. The Chuitna Citizens Coalition has applied for an instream flow reservation, which would ultimately keep enough water in Middle Creek to support healthy salmon runs. Middle Creek is part of the Chuitna River Watershed approximately 40 miles southwest of Anchorage and supports all five species of salmon.
An Outside company, PacRim Coal LLC, has applied for the same reservation for 100 percent of the water so that they can drain the stream to mine directly through 14 miles of salmon streams to extract and export 100 percent of the coal to Asian markets. This would be the first time in Alaska's history that an Outside company would mine directly through a salmon stream.
In a recent ADN article, state water resources section chief Dave Schade said, "If I would grant the reservation of water in the footprint of the mine … (PacRim) could not dig up this stream. This is a question that comes down to yes to one, no to the other. That is the reality."
As Alaskans, we have a chance to voice our opinions on the million dollar question, Alaska salmon that supports our way of life or coal exported to Asia. As for my million dollar answer, I say yes to Alaska salmon!
— Ryan Astalos
Anchorage
Portrait of Mr. Gee brilliant
Marc Lester's portrait of George Gee was superb and made me curious to meet this alert man of experience who segued gracefully in unretirement; who shares his insights with gentle understatement. George's humble, genuine equipoise was fully captured by Marc.
Marc Lester has been sharing his photographic skills for a long time.
His "We Alaskans" article showcased a rare journalistic talent as well.
The photos were precise complements to a disciplined interview free of editorial or preciously patronizing interviewer bias. Marc was where a professional journalist belongs: out of the picture, inconspicuous in his prose.
Thank you Marc. You served up a well-deserved, exceptional portrait of Mr. Gee.
— Bruce Kiessling, M.D.
Anchorage
Daylight saving time contradictions
Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, supports repealing daylight saving time because of "the growing amount of research that suggests negative health causes and effects" due to DST (ADN, Monday). Hooray. We agree. But Sen. MacKinnon included a petition in Senate Bill 6, "that could result in changing Alaska's Standard time zone to Pacific Time."
Moving Alaska's clocks forward to Pacific Time is the same thing as permanently going on DST. What happened to health concerns?
— Wendy W. Robbins
Anchorage
False claims in Uber debacle
With regards to Uber's suspension of service: What gives lie to the city's argument that it simply wants to protect the public and not ban competition is its behavior on my request for an inquiry for new taxi permits.
I requested an official public inquiry prescribed under Title 11 into new cab permits recently. Eric Musser, the transportation inspector said the transportation commission wouldn't do it, even though the law clearly states that anyone can request such an inquiry. So the city is stonewalling anything that will compete with incumbent permit-holders, not looking out for public safety and convenience as it claims.
— Ryan Kennedy
Anchorage
Look to Fox News
Our illustrious leader always seems to learn about events through the media. Maybe if he watched Fox News he could learn how to run our nation.
— Rolf L Bilet
Anchorage
Sound budget cuts require scalpel, not cleaver
Cuts: what kind, where and how much?
Back in my dress-sewing days, I needed two types of scissors, depending on the fabric. From being my dad's gofer on home projects, I learned that you measure twice, cut once. Cutting was serious business.
Supporters of nonprofit organizations need to see the approaching guillotine and fight like Hades against unfair and unreasonable cuts. When burdens are shared by everyone, balance and cooperation can be maintained. Any excess in the Legislature's kitty? Really, is that road to Juneau an answer to Gastineau fever?
We all might understand that millions spent on capital projects, benefits contributors to campaigns. "Soft money," like that spent on programs for the very young, public broadcasting, film industry (RIP) credits, etc., places money where a little does a lot — assuring future savings.
Barbara Bush knew what she was doing when she championed Head Start. The 20-year survey showed that for every $1 invested, $12 was saved. Private prisons project the future bed count on the reading scores of third-graders. How can we be happy warehousing Americans?
Butchers cut with cleavers. Surgeons cut with scalpels.
— Caroline Bolar
Anchorage
New Alaska Standard Time
With one of the most pressing and divisive issues facing this year's legislative session being that of daylight saving time, here is my proposal:
Don't do away with Alaska daylight saving time. Instead keep it and "rebrand" it as Alaska Standard Time.
So, come fall this year we don't "fall back" as usual and gain an hour of darkness at the end of the day. Instead we can enjoy that one hour of precious daylight after work or school. Also during that half of the year (fall and winter) we will be on the same time zone as Seattle when they "fall back" and we will be only 3 time zones from the East Coast.
Come next spring we don't "spring forward" we keep daylight saving time — now the new Alaska Standard Time. We keep it all year around and therefore in the summer our tourists can continue to tell their stateside neighbors that they saw the midnight sun.
No more changing clocks, no more circadian rhythm out of synch. Let's do it!
— Donald Schulz
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.