Hope checks not in mail
If Roland Maw was able to provide residency in Alaska and Montana, then may we assume he didn't receive a dividend check for five years — or was he able to manipulate the system?
While he may be a good appointee for the Alaska Board of Fisheries, are our executive and judicial branches of government missing something here?
— John C. Mascarella
Wasilla
School boards ready to partner with Legislature
Education in Alaska is struggling to keep up with the demands placed on it by many entities. Increased graduation rates and lower dropout rates, additional electives, increased career and technical offerings, greater accountability, more efficiencies, additional choices — and the list continues.
School boards, staff and communities are working to meet these challenges with less and less support and are now teetering on the edge. School districts have continued to reduce teaching and administrative staff as well as supplies, custodial services and an ever-increasing deferred maintenance list.
School boards are committed to delivering a world-class education to every student and ensuring opportunities exist for their success. Some communities are able to increase their local contribution to make up for funding shortfalls but many others are unable to provide this additional support.
The Association of Alaska School Boards is respectfully requesting of the Legislature the following to fulfill its constitutional mandate of establishing and maintaining a system of public schools:
• Provide a fully funded base student allocation able to serve every student in the state;
• Fully fund a budget that assures students, parents, school boards, teaching staff and communities that in August the doors to our schools will be open, the buildings fully staffed, clean and well-maintained.
The key to the future economic success of Alaska's current budget dilemma depends on a well-educated workforce. Critical to this is providing a world-class public education system. School boards want to partner with the Legislature and our communities to provide this system. The Legislature's past support is acknowledged and appreciated. Please join your school board members in advocating to provide for Alaska's children education and Alaska's future.
— Andi Story, president,
Norman Wooten, executive director,
Association of Alaska School Boards
Juneau
The dead cant complain
In regards to extending Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, I believe it is required. Three of the most basic rights guaranteed to the citizens of this country are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think it overtly apparent that a person who contracts a life-threatening disease or suffers a critical injury is probably going to die without medical intervention. That person would be very unhappy to find out he or she could have been cured with treatment. I believe that the Constitution mandates universal affordable care for all. Every legislator elected to state or federal office has sworn to support and defend the Constitution. It's time for both Congress and our Legislature to do what they swore they would do.
— Don Johnson
Girdwood
Memories of sacrifice last a lifetime
My father passed away on May 16, at home, with his family by his side. The next day we began looking at photos taken of him. In most of his recent photos, he was wearing a veteran of WWII cap. He served in the U.S. Navy during that time. He was given the cap for his birthday seven years ago, and from that point on he would rarely go anywhere without it on. Even on his last visit to the emergency room, two weeks before his passing, he wanted to have it with him.
Our mother said there were so many times when they went out, people would go out of their way, and come and thank him for his service. It may not seem like a lot, but he would talk about how kind it was for someone to do this.
That is why this Memorial Day I remembered those who have served this country and gave thanks for their sacrifice. We miss our dad a lot, but the meaning behind the cap he wore will always be remembered.
— Robert Hawkinson
Anchorage
Minority is playing shutdown politics
Members of the House minority are not working in good faith with their majority counterparts. They want to spend an extra $50 million to $150 million that we cannot afford. The majority of Alaskans support reducing government spending. We have a $4 billion deficit this year, and likely face one just as large in the next fiscal year. The Senate majority did their job by passing a budget, and had the 15 votes necessary to tap into the Constitutional Budget Reserve. The House majority also passed a budget, but failed to reach the 30-vote threshold to access the CBR.
A few vocal legislators in the minority are trying to force a government shutdown because they think we should be spending more money we simply don't have. They might even want a government shutdown because they think it will help them score a political victory against the majority. Our AAA credit rating is at serious risk of being degraded because House minority legislators are refusing to tap into the CBR. Why the stubbornness? Because they want to give state employee union members lucrative wage increases, and sign Alaska up for Obamacare's unaffordable Medicaid expansion. Their actions are irresponsible, and shortsighted.
Minority legislators are threatening to send Alaska into a fiscal tailspin because of their addiction to spending taxpayer money. Using funds from the CBR is the best option to resolve this budget chaos manufactured by the minority. Gov. Bill Walker has a role to play in this process. He made a campaign promise to reduce spending. He could encourage the minority to work in good faith toward a solution. That would be the right thing to do.
If legislators in the minority continue being obstructionists and refuse to provide the votes to tap the CBR, then House and Senate majorities must take matters into their own hands. With a simple majority vote, legislators could use money from the Permanent Fund earnings reserve to help fund state government this year. The House and Senate majorities could bypass the CBR vote and end this debacle immediately. Alaska's economic future is at risk. Now is the time to act. It is the responsible thing to do.
— Hans Rodvik, field director,
Americans for Prosperity-Alaska
Anchorage
Commentaries speak to ALEC agenda and fail the red herring smell test
Two recent commentaries in the ADN regarding Medicaid by Rep. Wes Keller and Chad Hutchinson, discuss the "facts" of why Medicaid expansion should not be passed by the Alaska Legislature. It's my opinion that the Medicaid issue is the whole reason a budget bill cannot make it through the Legislature. Both Keller and Sen. John Coghill, under whose direction Hutchinson works, are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the right-leaning (or right-wing), corporate-funded organization that produces "model" bills for state legislators to turn into law. By blocking Medicaid expansion in Alaska, ALEC members in the Legislature (all Republicans) are working to carry out one of ALEC's long-term goals of overturning the Affordable Care Act.
The specious statements in both commentaries attempt to convince Alaskans that Medicaid expansion is not only bad, but will result in "the death spiral," a term used by Hutchinson to scare Alaskans into thinking that if Medicaid expansion is passed, "the end is near." Keller states that Medicaid expansion is a "red herring." The real red herrings are these two commentaries that attempt to make Alaskans think that Medicaid expansion is bad for all of us. It's only bad for the ALEC agenda to somehow overturn the ACA. We're warned that if Medicaid expansion is passed, people in need of it will actually sign up for it. Isn't that the point?
Alaska doesn't need ALEC minions trying to block legislation that is actually good for Alaska, so the ALEC goal of overturning the ACA can be achieved. Alaska needs to have Medicaid expansion, and a budget passed now.
— Jim Braham
Girdwood
Mission continues despite opposition
For Bob Lopetrone (ADN, Tuesday): I am in favor of reinstating a state income tax. And I will continue to rail against the Republicans.
— Karolynn Cechowski
Anchorage
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.