Why are we spending money to find a new superintendent?
I sure enjoyed reading Don McDermott's letter in Sunday's paper. Yes, why are we spending thousands of dollars and hours of time searching for a new superintendent? What reason has been given to us? ASD is facing another budget crisis with less and less money coming in from the state. Programs are being cut, teachers will be "pink slipped," decisions are being made about testing, old buildings are deteriorating and students with diverse backgrounds and needs are still coming to school.
We have Superintendent Ed Graff who lives in Anchorage, taught in ASD schools, is an experienced Anchorage principal and held various positions in upper-level administration under Carol Comeau. So, why is the school board fumbling to find another? Do we forget the loser that served a short nine months after Comeau and caused incredible problems with district policies and employee morale? I have taught for ASD since 1987. I have seen many superintendents come and go. Though I never have agreed with everything they did, Comeau was the best and Graff, who has only served one term, is a close second. He works hard, cares, communicates well and really goes all out for the best of options. We don't have the money to waste on "fixing what ain't broken," especially with the state budget crisis.
— Karen Avila-Lederhos
Anchorage
Hands off Alaska's private cannabis social clubs
The Kachemak Cannabis Coalition now operates a private social club. The Kachemak Cannabis Club has rules, weekly meetings, hosts, members, signed membership forms with published rules to be discussed and initialed, membership dues, treasury reports and posted hours. We have a window sign, "Welcome, 21 and over," and a discreet little OPEN sign, viewable from the parking lot. We preserve decorum indoors and outdoors. We provide medicinal cannabis free of charge to needy veterans and elders.
We operate the Kachemak Cannabis Club with the support of our local police because our social club focuses cannabis consumption and makes it simpler for local police to enforce the "no public consumption" rule.
On Saturday, in the Alaska Dispatch News, Devin Kelly opens her article with the words, "A ban on marijuana bars and social clubs. …" This caught my attention because social clubs operate by right under freedom of assembly. Kelly writes, "Marijuana social clubs, where customers bring their own marijuana products to consume, aren't permitted under either the proposed state or Anchorage regulations."
Lawmakers! Private cannabis social clubs cannot be constitutionally banned any more than the VFW could be constitutionally banned. Officials may sponsor an ordinance purporting to ban private social clubs, as recently occurred in Fairbanks, but such an ordinance cannot withstand a constitutional challenge in court. Why risk wasting valuable Alaska time and resources on litigation? Hands off Alaska's private cannabis social clubs.
— Lindianne Sarno
Homer
We do need those term limits
There was a time when I was against the idea of deliberately limiting the time a politician could stay in office. But as I've grown older, become a man, if you will, I have decided to put away most of my childish views. Someone, whose name I don't rightly recall, but whose words should live in infamy, described a politician better than I ever could.
He was astonished to discover the disparity between a politician's warm approval of himself, and the evidence. That being true, I've changed my mind about keeping our politicians in office. Mark Twain said it in as few a words as needed to cover the subject: "Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
— Ron Coleman
Midlothian, Texas
Thanks, Obama
I was not aware that I could blame Obama for my lack of parenting skills.
— Mary Jones
Anchorage
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