Anchorage Daily News

Value electronic accessibility above physical location of capital

The Legislature is debating a bill to move sessions to Anchorage (HB 293), possibly the first step to moving the capital.

I'm not aware of any studies showing that states with capitals in the largest city have better governments.

Having visited over 100 communities throughout Alaska, I believe Juneau is the most representative community in the state. It is a mid-sized Alaska city and approximates its racial and ethnic diversity, including a vibrant Alaska Native community. It is rich in Alaska history and its economy includes government, tourism, commercial fishing, mining and construction. It also is a regional transportation, commerce and health care hub. Many residents are avid fishers and hunters and it is arguably the most geographically beautiful capital city in the nation.

Whether residents live within walking distance or hundreds of miles from the capital, ideally they all should have access to the legislative process. Alaska's government leads most states in providing Internet access, and people in every community can provide legislative testimony via teleconference. The "Gavel to Gavel" program televises live House and Senate floor sessions and many committee meetings, and it provides audio and video archives.

We should continually look for ways to improve state government, but I believe that the physical location of the capital is not as important as its electronic accessibility.

-- Mark S. Johnson

Juneau

Impeachment would halt legacy of presidential imperial march

In his 1961 farewell address to the nation, President Eisenhower stated: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes."

His warning was not heeded. Our government has evolved into an empire that absorbs a large portion of the budget for armament production and to maintain several thousand military bases within our borders, and 700 bases in 130 foreign lands. We have to borrow from countries like China to pay for all this world dominance.

Bush and Cheney's witless war on Iraq, their unfettered spying on American citizens, and their sanction of torture clearly are examples of "misplaced power." If you think the Constitution should be preserved and protected by re-establishing the balance of power between the branches of government, then you really ought to demand that Congress impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. If we let this go unchallenged, then those powers, taken by "signing statements" and "presidential directives," will pass to the next administration, and the imperial march will continue trampling our Constitution.

-- Joe Buckingham

Anchorage

Burchell, Kincaid can redirect Matanuska Electric Association

I keep wondering where did Matanuska Electric Association go wrong? It is a great company; in fact I am proud to be a co-owner of my co-op. I get great service; my lights are on every day. But I am just not sure how bright the future of MEA will be under its current leadership! It feels like there is a cover-up weekly. Few straight answers, no cooperation in the co-op. As with any organization or idea it is only as strong as the leadership pushing the vision forward, safeguarding the business and providing a quality service at an affordable cost.

I am supporting Peter Burchell and Janet Kincaid to lead the direction of my co-op. I can trust them to tell me the truth and to do what is best for me and my community.

-- Mari Jo Parks

Palmer

Service High quote wasn't racism but thought-provoking message

When I first saw the quote in the display window in front of the Service High School library, I stopped and read it. At first I was shocked by the quote, but then I started to read between the lines. The quote isn't about racism, it's about education. It's about how the African-American community has one of the largest dropout rates and how that's the stereotype with this certain minority. The quote isn't racism, it's thought-provoking.

To many people who have experienced racism, I understand that they are outraged by the quote but it wasn't displayed because the Beautiful Colors group wanted to share racism, they wanted to start controversy within their school. Controversy starts learning. Controversy leads to greater expectations.

I am sorry that the quote was taken down, but the quote fulfilled its purpose: to lead toward a change for the better.

-- Susan Yang

Anchorage

Heating sidewalks in downtown will lead to financial dead end

Currently, an engineering firm is designing the specs to install heated sidewalks in the downtown area. Have I missed something here? When was there a public vote for downtown to have heated sidewalks? I think this is a great waste of Anchorage taxpayers' money. Not only is the design and implementation of the heated sidewalks very costly, but to use and maintain them is going to be astronomical. What about the rest of Anchorage's sidewalks?

Except for school sidewalks, sidewalks are one of the last things plowed after snowfall. For downtown to have heated sidewalks is an unfair system that will benefit only downtown businesses and the few conventions that come to Anchorage during the winter, rather than benefit the bulk of Anchorage's people. Surely Mayor Mark Begich can think of a better program to spend the money on. Or, and I know this is crazy, he could save the money.

I am willing to bet that once the heated sidewalks are installed, their use will be suspended after a couple of years because of the high cost associated with their operation.

-- Sose Vartanian

Anchorage

Keeping Jordan, Baird with MEA preserves local control of energy

Electricity works when I throw the switch. I like that. The price is lower at Matanuska Electric Association than any other co-op in Alaska. I like that too. I don't want to keep paying Chugach Electric for generation; I support local generation for local control and better reliability. I like that approach.

OK, so Lee Jordan and Tom Baird support that for the MEA board. So, I like them.

Why do Peter Burchell and Janet Kincaid want major change at MEA? They say they want us to fire Lee Jordan. So what is the opposite of Jordan: complete dependence on Chugach for our power? Raising our electric rates? Go with the unions' pushing for Burchell and Kincaid? I really have no idea why Peter Burchell and Janet Kincaid are so desperate to get on the MEA board -- it almost seems like it's personal.

Being on the MEA board is just a volunteer position to look out for MEA members, and I think the people who are screaming for change have some secret agenda. Lee Jordan and Tom Baird are independent and have no secret agenda.

Jordan and Baird can be trusted to make good decisions, and I trust them with my support.

-- Alexandra Packa

Palmer

Legislators must think globally and back Sudan divestment bill

The Alaska State Affairs Committee in Juneau discussed HB 287. HB 287 mandates targeted divestment of the state-managed Permanent Fund and pension funds in targeted companies that do business with the government of Sudan. The objective of this legislation is to bring economic pressure on Sudan to end the genocide in Darfur.

Twenty-two states have already passed divestment legislation, and the president has signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act. It is time for Alaska to act!

Of the seven members of the State Affairs Committee, Bob Lynn (sponsor), Max Gruenberg and Andrea Doll support the bill. However, one more vote is needed to pass the bill out of committee. Reps. Bob Roses, Craig Johnson, Kyle Johansen and John Coghill are reluctant to divest the Alaska Permanent Fund from the prime offending companies that do business with Sudan. This can be accomplished, and has been accomplished elsewhere, without affecting the fund or its performance.

I want to know that my Permanent Fund dividend check is not earned at the expense of the suffering of millions; I trust that my fellow Alaskans feel the same. And yet, HB 287 may never be heard on the floor of the Legislature, for lack of one more vote needed to move it out of the Alaska State Affairs Committee.

-- Deborah Bock

Anchorage

EDITOR'S NOTE: The writer is a volunteer with Save Darfur Anchorage.

Election year acts raise questions about US democratic process

An Obama phenomenon, an Obama-non, could be in the making. The Democrats have done something that recent past elections have been unable to do: get people to care about the election process.

I'm an independent who has never voted for a Democrat but the process has many of us following what happens every day; thanks to Hillary Clinton and Barack for doing that. I've also learned a bit and some interesting questions come to mind as the process continues:

• I didn't know that superdelegates existed. And I certainly didn't know that it's possible that they could decide the Democratic nominee independent of the popular vote. Somehow, that doesn't seem very democratic.

• Why do donors provide huge amounts of money? Mitt Romney contributed $35 million to his campaign. Did he somehow expect to get that back if he won? Do the other donors get their donation investments back? This is probably a pretty naive question but in the light of ethical questioning, I think it may need to be made clear.

• What is also quizzical is that Hillary "loaned" her campaign $5 million. Donors and some candidates give money to a campaign but Hillary "loaned" her campaign money. Will she and the other donors be paid back?

This whole process has become very interesting. We could easily become an Obama-nation. That doesn't sound very good though.

-- Robert Biringer

Anchorage

East High student wielding knife seems like self-defense at school

Regarding the school knife incident ("East High School fight ends with knife slashing," Feb. 12): If the one boy came up and hit the other (first) in the face, then didn't he just defend himself using the knife? Maybe he was in fear of his life.

The knife was a bad idea and had no place in school in the first place. But if he was defending himself why is he being charged with a felony for doing so? Is that the whole story? Was the younger kid who punched him a bully? Maybe he was really scared.

Sounds to me like he defended himself and left and then returned with his parents. He could have done more and chose not to!

-- Larry Perri

Seward

MEA needs to be more upfront about throwing out ballots

I am writing because I am very disturbed by the Matanuska Electric Association board's recent 4-to-3 vote not to contact members when their ballots have been rejected. The idea, put forward by Peter Burchell, was that if a ballot was thrown out, the owner of that ballot should be contacted and asked to submit another. Since most ballots are rejected because the signature doesn't match the signature card on file, this would give members the chance to update their signature cards as well so it doesn't happen again. Our telephone co-op MTA does this, and MEA used to.

MEA management estimated that 4 percent of the votes cast are thrown out. When we debated local generation last summer, that number was around 5 percent (9,471 votes counted out of approximately 10,000 votes received, according to Lorali Carter). In last summer's advisory vote to select a power generation site, the number rejected reached nearly 20 percent.

For the record, board members David Glines, Larry DeVilbiss, David Dahms and board president Lee Jordan voted against notifying members that their ballots won't be counted.

This isn't about coal. This isn't about green or not green. This is about the fundamental right to vote and have our votes counted. We are a member-owned co-op, and when we elect board members or vote on other important issues we deserve to be heard. If our ballot isn't going to be counted, tell us and tell us why.

-- Kevin Brown

Palmer

EDITOR'S NOTE: The writer is a volunteer for the Kincaid and Burchell campaigns.

Oil lease sales in Chukchi Sea applied 'see-no-evil' outlook

U.S. Minerals Management Service regional director John Goll's defense of his agency's oil lease sales in the Chukchi Sea ("Politics did not influence decision regarding Chukchi Sea lease sale," Feb. 16) is understandable but misleadingly incomplete. The MMS did have a fine scientific staff but many of its best people have resigned in disgust in recent months.

The reason for this exodus is the heavy-handed censorship of agency planning documents to exclude environmentally critical issues relevant to its massive off-shore drilling program in federal waters off Alaska. My organization has been publishing a steady stream of anguished e-mails (www.peer.org) from top specialists protesting suppression of basic analyses about a host of risks and uncertainties stemming from opening Arctic waters to drilling, including oil spills, sonar noise and year-round traffic.

Goll says he will consider protections in the future if they are needed. Unfortunately, he will not know until it is too late because his agency's see-no-evil posture precludes monitoring for the very dangers that it refuses to admit it may be spawning. The people of Alaska and the nation deserve better.

-- Jeff Ruch, executive director

Public Employees for Environmental

Responsibility

Washington, D.C.

Profitability, safety jeopardized by lower-cost taxi permits

As a retired former taxi driver and taxi owner in Anchorage, I would like to give input to the taxi deregulation open-entry ballot issue. At present I am out of the industry, having no personal interest or investment in the business. However, I do care about the owners, drivers and customers who are involved.

Unfortunately, the handing out of cheap or free taxi permits will jeopardize the profitability as well as safety of the local taxi industry. Let me explain. Dispatch service fees, insurance costs and vehicle maintenance costs go up over time and not down. If you combine business expenses with an addition of a magnitude of additional cabs it leads to economic collapse and failure. Unlimited competition will cause a lower income potential for all drivers. And worse, it will degrade the quality of service. In my opinion, for the sake of customers, drivers and owners alike, Anchorage should not go down the wrong road of taxi\ open-entry deregulation.

-- James Sullivan

Anchorage

Young's spending on advertising doesn't explain Florida earmark

I've loved Rep. Don Young's full-page ads "Alaskans can read between the lines." It reinforced the mountains of evidence showing how good ol' Don has championed the Alaska voter, spending his substantial funds (those not spent on lawyers) to help inform us that those earmarks he set up for Florida land developers had nothing to do with funding projects for high-dollar donors. That might make sense if he were a representative of Florida. But he's not. He's just a congressman taking money to do a job. Or am I missing something between the lines, Mr. Young?

Instead of questionable earmarks and scandalous profiteering, focus on Alaska issues and we would appreciate that you honor your constituents with accountability for all of your actions while under our employment.

-- Dean Campodonico

Anchorage

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