Expansion funding would speed up
new efficiencies in state Medicaid system
In regards to Alaska Medicaid expansion and majority legislators, their resistance is not really about a "broken system." And it wouldn't matter if expansion saved $1 billion. And apparently it doesn't matter that expansion will prevent expensive sickness and disease and save lives. The refusal of expansion is not about protecting Alaska from anything dangerous or leading it to any better place. It's about blind faith in a conservative paradigm so indefensible that majority legislators themselves cannot justify it. So they keep repeating the tired old indictment of a broken system (never mind that they themselves allowed it to break down), prevent public comment, and even "cut the mike" of other legislators. It doesn't matter that the payment system is being fixed, that expansion funds would accelerate efficiencies, and that the entire cost of expansion is paid for. No, apparently they're going to hold out even if it means going down with the ship, if that's what it takes; for them it's worth the price to hold out … against what? They cannot even say. Unfortunately what's sinking is the Alaska ship of state, and they seem determined to take all of us down with them.
— Art Petersen
Juneau
Norway has better vision for its fund
Why wasn't all the money from the oil taxes put into the Alaska Permanent Fund so all generations of Alaskans could benefit from it, not just those of us living during the boom? Seems pretty shortsighted to me; look at Norway and their massive $600 billion-plus fund.
— Greg Svendsen
Anchorage
Summer academy gets an A from teacher
Today marked the end of another Anchorage School District Summer Academy. ASDSA is a two-week academy for teachers. That's right, as soon as the kiddies are gone for the summer, many teachers go "back to school" for two weeks. As one of those teachers I have to give a big shoutout to the district for putting on a stellar academy. Naturally I wasn't at every class because of the plethora of offerings, but the classes I attended (Pre-AP reading and writing strategies, and Project Based Learning with technology) were outstanding in content and practical application for our classrooms. Thank you to each of the organizers and every teacher who gave time and careful thought to the topics we were presented with; it was time well spent.
— Jody Nordby
Anchorage
Schools persevere in mission to progress students despite legislative hurdles
I feel compelled to express my opinion regarding our public school systems' efforts to educate our students. In a recent letter, "Our School System Isn't Working," ADN, June 8, William Ahrens cites an article regarding school choice proliferation in Nevada as an example of common sense prevailing. In reports from the Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Education Law Center (a New Jersey legal and advocacy group), Nevada is rated with an F grade for both funding distribution and effort. Instead of improving levels of funding and efforts to restore the quality of public school support in their state, lawmakers look to wash their hands clean of their responsibilities and turn to school choice through vouchers that can be used for private instruction.
There is a similar effort here in Alaska. Sen. Mike Dunleavy, chairman for the education committee, sponsored the failed Senate Joint Resolution 9. This bill would have allowed public money to be spent on private schools. Why, with all his educational training and service as a public educator and leader, is he at the forefront to gut the funding for public education? Alaska currently has a C grade with regards to funding distribution and effort (in the reports mentioned above), and can improve this grade with the appropriate funding and support (including competitive wages for teachers). Going the route of Nevada is wrongheaded and cowardly.
I agree with Ahrens that "doing nothing" is irresponsible. However, doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason (think Nevada) is stupid. The right thing for the right reason is to fully support and fund public education, as required in the Alaska Constitution (It requires the legislature to "establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State," and permits them to "provide for other public educational institutions."
By the way, Ahrens' hero, Albert Einstein, may or may not have said, "Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is the definition of insanity." Regardless of where this saying came from, the definition of insanity is a legal term not a psychological one. It pertains to a defendant's ability to determine right from wrong when a crime is committed. Perseverance on the other hand is doing the same thing every day hoping for some measure of progress. This effort in tirelessly working toward a noble goal, whether or not it is reached, is a virtue. This is what teachers and school districts do, despite obstacles placed in their path while creating opportunities for success and progress in our students.
— Thomas R. Schmidt, retired public educator
Anchorage
Press secretary salary is extravagance
Our "conservative" Senate needs a $93,000-a-year press secretary about as much as it needs automatic trash-can lids. If the senators are too lazy to type up and distribute their own occasional utterances, they could ask for volunteers from a local high school journalism class. Please, stop the madness and start spending our money like it matters.
— Bob Lacher
Wasilla
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.