Anchorage Daily News

Traps claim another victim

My dog was caught in a leg trap last year near Powder Ridge. Crying in pain, thrashing against the trap, biting at his own leg, desperate for flight (his preference) or fight, but unable to do either. Then walking in the dog park, we saw evidence it had happened again. We passed two quite placid moose. Eyes drawn to the unusual gait of one. From about 9 inches above the ground on down she was missing her leg. She must have had to pull her own leg off. I can't help it. I don't like trappers.

-- Catherine Hill

Eagle River

Lake Hood fence protects against a mostly imaginary problem

I agree with John A. Davis II ("Lake fence an unneeded eyesore," Sunday, Sept. 28) about the growing fence going along Lake Hood. I have been running around that lake since the early '80s. I now walk it just about every day with my kids and also have yet to experience anyone climbing on floats or violating anyone's property. We have several friends with airplanes on Lake Hood, and I haven't heard them complain either.

It is a beautiful place to get out and walk, run or ride your bike and just experience the beauty. My little ones love to watch the planes take off and land. As a matter of fact, my husband has a couple of planes at Lake Hood and we haven't had issues with people. The only experience we had was with a bus full of tour people by the museum who decided to climb up into the plane. My husband gave them a good chewing out and then proceeded to go over to the bus operator and tell him to keep tabs on his group. We haven't had an incident since. I feel it is the responsibility of the tour bus owners and operators to educate the passengers not to trespass -- a no-brainer to me. Since you don't see people climbing on someone's car, why be that ignorant to climb on an airplane?

It is sad to think that before long, I'm sure, this beautiful lake walk will be completely fenced off from us to enjoy, all because the ignorance of a few people.

-- Vicki Hansen-Schuh

Anchorage

With that hefty PFD and rebate will come a hefty tax bill as well

How will you spend your PFD? Or is it already spent? Many people splurge, spending their dividend on high-priced toys. For some, the money will be garnished if they owe unpaid taxes or child support. Alaskans need to remember that the entire $3,269 amount -- the $2,069 PFD plus the $1,200 energy rebate -- is taxable. This applies to those who spent it, will spend it, or had it garnished.

Because the PFD checks are larger this year, you will owe more taxes for 2008. For comparison, tax on the $1,654 PFD in 2007 came to $81 for a dependent child with no other income. This year the taxes owed will increase to an estimated $240 to $800 per person depending on family size and income.

If you typically get a large refund, the additional tax may make your refund much smaller this year. People who usually get a small refund or owe taxes should put money aside before it is all spent. For those who have already spent their PFD, you have until April 15, 2009, to put money aside.

Alaskans with low to middle income or the elderly with simple returns can get free assistance filing their tax return starting Feb. 1 at any of our Tax-Aide sites throughout Alaska. For more information, visit www.aarp.org/taxaide.

-- Vicki Geronimi

Palmer

Biased Palin reporting isn't news

I am tired of your anti-Palin spin. "More than one thousand protesters" on your front page and all of the back page. Who cares! What about the other 200,000 out here that support Palin?

Your paper is just another liberal media pawn and I would cancel my subscription today if you were not the only game in town. A politically biased report of the news is not news.

-- Andy Ziegler

Anchorage

Fat cats don't take financial hit

The most unfortunate aspect of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 is how it has been dubbed a "bailout of Wall Street." No wonder Don Young is getting so many phone calls from Alaskans against the bill. I'm sure many of those calls were from people who think that the people taking the hit in the recent financial crisis are fat cat bankers lighting cigars with $100 bills. Nothing could be further from the truth. The real losers when credit gets tight are small businesses and young people who don't have trust funds to pay for college or the down payment on a first home.

The timing for this fiasco could not have been worse. It doesn't surprise me that politicians in tight races like Rep. Young are reluctant to do the right thing because it is unpopular. I take heart in the words of Winston Churchill, "The Americans will always do the right thing ... after they've exhausted all the alternatives."

-- Mary A Minor

Fairbanks

Free state from McCain meddling

Au contraire, Meghan. This issue is absolutely personal. The McCain campaign made it that way by publicly trashing reputations of good Alaskans.

I have a lifelong record of voting Republican and I was at the "Alaskans for Truth" rally along with Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and ordinary Alaskans. Palin's well-deserved reputation for retaliation scared away many who share in our genuine outrage. We demand that Palin be accountable. We demand that the McCain campaign remove itself immediately from Alaska's legal system and stop manipulating our legislative processes. We demand to see the Branchflower report on Oct. 10. We demand that the attorney general start representing the people of Alaska. We demand our state back.

Please think for yourself.

-- Linda Kovac

Chugiak

Palin should read the local paper

Since Gov. Sarah Palin's nomination for vice-president on Aug. 29, I have been reading the online edition of the Anchorage Daily News on a daily basis. Although my primary purpose in reading ADN has been to follow the superb current and archival coverage of Gov. Palin I have also started to read other stories of both local and national interest. You have an excellent paper worthy of a national audience. I was therefore quite surprised that Gov. Palin was unable to cite ADN in response to Katie Couric's question as to her sources for daily news (Of course, she couldn't name any particular news source.). My sense is that her struggle to answer questions beyond a very narrow range of topics would be alleviated if she would just consult her own local paper from time to time.

-- Jeff Krill

Wauwatosa, Wisc.

Now is the time to elect Begich

It is time for Alaskans to take a long hard look at our representation. Are we receiving the representation that is so vital to our future? We watch the politicians fall into the temptation of taking special interest money, thousands of dollars. Ted Stevens has shown that he, as other recently convicted state legislators were, is serving two masters. That we should lose our long-term and best resource in the U.S. Senate is a catastrophic and serious loss, yet the truth be known, we are not without a candidate who fits the bill.

Mark Begich has demonstrated that he honestly serves the people who elected him. He is the first mayor in so long who has gotten the people working to accomplish tasks needed for a brighter future in Anchorage. He works for the people.

-- Tom Starr

Wasilla

An old saying rings true today

Regarding Bob Lester's Oct. 1 letter, "Life more fun in loving Palin." I suppose the saying must be true: Ignorance really is bliss.

-- Eric C. Love

Anchorage

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