May Chenault, Meyer be quashed by courts
The leadership of the Alaska Legislature is at it again: railroading Alaskans and wasting money. Polls show the majority of Alaskans have enough information and want Medicaid expansion, and that the majority of legislators would vote for it. Instead of listening, the leadership quashes public input and quashed a floor vote on the governor's Medicaid bills while attending expensive special sessions ($880,000 wasted). Now the Legislative Council (the same leadership again by the way), without public input, decides to sue the governor to the tune of $450,000. And in Sen. Meyer's and Rep. Chenault's Aug. 19 ADN opinion piece, they say they are now ready to listen to Alaskans, don't have enough information, and want to uphold the legislative process. What were the regular and special sessions for? I hope the courts quash them.
— Bill Herman
Anchorage
Justice not served in Ellis case
The Alexandra Ellis case shouts travesty, smacks of politics, and dismisses common sense. The facts are clear. Ellis, a day after completing a drug rehabilitation program, hosts a party at her house in her parent's absence where she and other underage teens abused alcohol and drugs. The next morning, still under the influence, she drives a friend home. While leaving the friend's house, Ellis recklessly backs her truck into a cyclist killing him. She then, knowingly speeds away from the scene.
The defense attorney's supposed accident reconstruction specialist testified, incredibly, that the cyclist was traveling at 35 mph while the truck only 11 mph: thus, blaming the victim. Yet a woman who was close enough to witness the incident and close enough to reach the victim before Ellis sped away contradicts the defendant-friendly "reconstruction" which flies in the face of common sense.
Unbelievably, both prosecuting and defense attorneys have concocted a deal of a sentence: one to three years with two suspended, granting Ellis less than a year in jail. Is this justice? I doubt it.
Clearly Ellis had no moral compass before the crime, or any motivation for rehabilitation. Her previous actions demonstrate such. It is doubtful that any amount of jail time will change that. Yet, a year is clearly too little time for her to reflect on her actions, let alone the person behind them.
Still, we as a society should demand a stiffer sentence. Not for her, but for consideration of the innocent life she so heedlessly took, and so thoughtlessly sped away from — putting it, literally in her rearview mirror. Sadly, in this case, our justice system seems, to want to do the same.
— Tom Lahey
Anchorage
Medicaid is lifeline for families
I am appalled at the Republican legislators who think that everyone on Medicaid is lazy and doesn't work and just sits and collects Medicaid. Well let me tell you, I am a hardworking Alaskan with a full-time job. I have a disabled husband, an autistic son and a premature baby who all have medical needs.
My preemie has had a hard life so far and she's only 10 months old. Due to a small wage increase we will lose Medicaid at the end of October unless the expansion goes through. My baby has to have special formula due to severe food allergies which isn't covered by my primary insurance and is paid for by Medicaid. What happens when my Medicaid stops, does my baby not get to be fed?
Don't punish our families, we're victims here! They need to stop this nonsense, waste-of-money lawsuit and accept the fact Alaska needs this and Gov. Walker has every right to do this for his people!
— Christy Stevens
Anchorage
Planned Parenthood is vital
As a born and raised Alaskan, I'm acutely aware of the amazing things we have access to in our community — wildlife, mountains, oceans — but an abundance of health care options is not one of them. Alaskans already experience a shortage of doctors and health care providers, and we certainly have challenges accessing specialized medical attention in the more rural corners of the state.
Planned Parenthood is one of our few providers who serve Alaska women and families with a variety of family planning services. Just this week Planned Parenthood of the Greater Northwest announced new telemedicine technology to bring birth control, STD testing and preventative care to Alaskans through use of their mobile phones. These services are badly needed in all corners of our state. We cannot afford to jeopardize any of the critical federal resources they receive, which is why a vote to "defund" Planned Parenthood is a vote against Alaska women and the care many of us so badly need.
— Kime McClintock
Anchorage
Look where GOP throws money
I am outraged at this Republican-dominated approval of $450,000 to sue our governor to block him from helping people who cannot afford health care.
This is all too familiar when Republicans once again spend our taxpayers' money. Lest we forget the new and improved legislative building downtown.
Do we not have any say in these matters when it is our money they are spending?
I support Gov. Walker in his attempt to help ordinary people and feel the Republican legislators are overextending their power.
Remember this when election time comes around as they are spending your money. Never forget that, as they seem to have forgotten that. Are we not in a declining economy? Yet they choose to spend taxpayer money to bring down our governor who was elected by the people.
— Nancy Esson-Schweiker
Anchorage
'Access' to health care lacking
I read with dismay and anger that the Legislative Council has decided to sue the governor to stop Medicaid expansion, against the desire of the majority of Alaskans.
Sen. Coghill claims that the uninsured have "access to healthcare." He has not worked, as I have for many years, with people who are uninsured. At Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center I have seen bankruptcies due to medical bills, one woman going blind because of cataracts, something that can be fixed with a 15-minute operation, then qualify for Social Security disability, being led around by her husband, before she was able to afford to get these fixed, and reasonable people deferring medical testing for symptoms, and then proving to have untreatable cancer.
In one of the most advanced countries in the world, it is shameful that we do not have equity for medical care and that people die because of lack of it.
Please Alaskans, remember the legislators who voted against Medicaid expansion.
— Madeleine Grant, M.D.
Anchorage
Mountaintop flag disgraced
I was appalled today after seeing the picture in your paper showing our flag atop Pioneer Peak touching the ground. It seems to me that the photographer should have at least repositioned the flag so that it was not touching the ground as that is a no-no — at least it was in my generation. Don't your editors edit the pictures before publishing?
— George A. Wilkie
Willow
Alaska delegation takes aim at consumer protection agency
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has returned nearly $11 billion to over 26 million consumers cheated by Wall Street and other financial companies. It's therefore disappointing that Alaska's entire congressional delegation is leading the effort to keep the CFPB from doing its job.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, voted a spending bill out of committee that would strip the CFPB of its independent funding from the Federal Reserve and leave it up to Congress. Sen. Dan Sullivan co-sponsored a different bill that would do the same thing. How much money would Congress, which received nearly half a billion dollars in contributions from the financial sector for the 2013-2014 campaign cycle, decide to budget for this watchdog?
The spending bill Sen. Murkowski voted out of committee would also change the CFPB's leadership structure from one director to a commission of five people. Congressman Don Young co-sponsored a different bill that would also do the same thing. If it took two years to confirm one director due to gridlock, how long would it take to confirm five?
If more Alaskans contact our members of Congress in support of the CFPB, we can make sure financial companies are kept in check and the voices of consumers don't get drowned out.
— Mike Litt
U.S. PIRG
Federal Consumer Program advocate
Washington, D.C.
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