Insanity of decision to sue
Holy cow. The closed-door meeting of (some) legislators decided to spend $450,000 of our money to sue our governor. The consensus of the voters polled on expanding Medicaid was that expansion should take place. So if the poor losers who met behind closed doors to approve a down payment to a couple of law firms want legal representation, let it be at their own cost with their own money -- not ours. I use the term "down payment" because nobody can seriously believe that upfront money to a law firm will cover the whole bill.
The select group of our "representatives" met in private at the LIO, whose middle letter is reputed to stand for "Information." How about "Insanity"? Somehow Meyer and company would have us believe that the decision to sue the chief executive of the state is not a political move, and Coghill assures us that the 40,000 plus who would be covered by expansion "already have coverage -- it's just more expensive." They will likely also assure us that the moon is made of green cheese.
Can anybody in this state think of any other ways we could spend $450,000?
-- Don McDermott
Anchorage
Legislators attempt to justify suit against state pure drivel
I am appalled at the verbosity and shroud of good will to Alaska expressed by the two high-ranking Alaska lawmakers, Sen. Kevin Meyer and Rep. Mike Chenault. I am calling these two out for the half-page of drivel (ADN, Aug. 19) they prepared to justify a clear attempt to mislead Alaskans and deflect their responsibilities. Claiming that spending half a million dollars of our state money to defend their "power" when they clearly failed to apply it during an extended 2015 legislative session and pass the legislation they allegedly support is pretty weak and downright unbelievable.
Nice try guys, but why don't you apply your power more constructively by exempting all legislators from receiving health care and save some of that half-million dollars instead. More productively, please stop toying with the Alaska people and get to work helping this state because we all deserve health care, just like you. It will not break the bank, rather it is an investment in our most important natural resource in this society, our citizens.
-- Michael Powell
Anchorage
Its critically important to build gas pipeline now
Finally, Alaska has a governor who puts the interests of its citizens first rather than the desires of several of the planet's largest and consistently most profitable corporations. I couldn't agree more that now is the time to build the gas pipeline. Many experts in the industry have said recently that there is a window of opportunity presently open to Alaska's gas, but that if it were missed, that window could close for a generation.
With low oil prices and declining production threatening our state's well-being, enacting a bunch of taxes and taking away our PFD is not the road to prosperity. We have to expand our economy, and the gas pipeline fills that bill.
We have waited 30 years for these companies to find enthusiasm and alignment sufficient to get this project moving. Gov. Walker has decided that building the gas pipeline is critically important to the future and well-being of all Alaskans. We Alaskans have given the oil companies over 30 years to take the lead on this project with nothing to show for it. Now it's time for them to get in line and work with the state to bring this project to completion.
-- Harry T. Crawford Jr.
Anchorage
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