Backward-looking officials rush US to dissolution
Catching parts of the Korean News(-line) report last night, I was able to surmise that South Korea thinks the TransPacific Partnership is a done deal?!? This cannot be so! At least, it cannot be the case under its current iteration of wherein corporate sovereignty is pre-eminent to the sovereignty of national laws! When I consider that TransCanada, much in tune with Korea, is already suing our United States for the loss of potential profits from a negated Keystone XL (via, thankfully, an executive order), my fear is that these inhuman, profit trumps people, corporate decisions have become primal to organize our society!
Bottom line, I'm losing my religious hope as the seemingly anal-retentive, backward-looking thrust of many elected officials intent on leading our nation as if it were a regatta of rowboats backing sightless into the Niagara current (an oar-maneuver begun with the Reaganomic firing of air traffic controllers in the 1980s and his supply-side duping of the educated, a consequence of which is now seen in the current SCOTUS majority waging jihad on a "just and fair" interpretation of our U.S. Constitution as it represents the last bit of "epoxy" plugging the "dike" to keep Hades' chaotic River Styx from intermingling the mainstream) is rushing a civil U.S. to permanent dissolution!
— John S. Sonin
Juneau
Stop Usibellis lease renewal
I am very disturbed that the Alaska Mental Health Trust is trying to renew Usibelli's lease near Wishbone Hill. The idea that the Mental Health Trust would lease land for coal mining, which causes health problems for Palmer residents and residents of the entire Mat-Su area, is astounding. Coal is a dying commodity. This is an ill-advised lease and would bring in very little money, yet cause many health problems. Please join me in preventing this 25-year lease by submitting a comment to the AMHT by 4:30 p.m. Jan 19 — send yours in to mhtlo@alaska.gov.
— Nicolas McGrath
Palmer
Enforce highway speed limits
Low and behold, it seems common sense is not so common when driving on winter Alaskan roads. The continuance of high-speed driving on icy winter roads appears to be a contest for the Darwin Awards. For quite some time now, APD has pretty much given up on patrolling the Glenn Highway for speeders even though it would be a moneymaker for the city. We need to pressure our lawmakers to enact winter and summer driving speed limits and enforce them: 55 mph for the winter months and 65 mph for the rest of the year.
Accident rates and maybe insurance rates would go down as well.
Common sense is not so common. We need the rule of law, enforced slower winter speed limits and proper road and highway sanding and plowing.
— Ray Cammisa
Anchorage
Inequality in PFD proposal
So, let me get this straight: I'm a well-paid middle-aged guy who works for a major oil company. My state government is going to ask me to kick in $1,000 of my PFD to help fund state services. That same government is going to ask a single mom with two kids, working for minimum wage at a convenience store, to kick in $3,000. Seriously?
— Lou Nathanson
Anchorage
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