Anchorage Daily News

News caters too much to Palin

What is up with the Palin fan club that the Daily News seems to be leading? Pictures of Sarah, Sarah's license plates, Palin itinerary, Palin this and Palin that. Has the Daily News been hired as a Palin cheerleader? It really is becoming quite sickening.

-- Steve Hatfield

Anchorage

Bass crossed the line of decency

How outrageous and appalling that Bud Bass would take a public swipe at the governor's daughter and shame on the Daily News for printing it! He pictures Gov. Palin with a shotgun; I picture him with a Taser gun! (Does he have daughters or even friends with daughters?)

I am sure the Daily News has enjoyed hearing from the mere 20 percent of Palin's non-supporters. Remember, there are 80 percent of us who approve of Sarah Palin. Regardless, Mr. Bass and the Daily News were way out of line.

-- Carolyn Coller

Anchorage

Good work, but too much Palin

Congratulations to the Daily News.

Nice piece in Harper's Magazine on your work. Thanks for all your hard work, and thanks for having the guts to face down the "big boys."

You are the best, and you make me proud to be an Alaskan.

By the way, I think you are too pro-Palin, and it drives me bonkers. In one issue shortly after she was nominated, only the sports section and the classifieds had headlines without Palin content.

-- Mary Anderson

Kenai

Alaska gas prices don't add up

I am formerly from Hawaii and today I did some research on gas prices in Honolulu and in Anchorage. In the past Hawaii always had the highest gas prices because of its remoteness. That has changed dramatically. As I write, gas is selling at Costco in Honolulu for $2.86 per gallon and at Costco on Dimond for $3.49! Hawaii has a 16-cent-per-gallon tax on gas plus a 4 percent sales tax. Alaska has waived its 8-cent-per-gallon gas tax. Crude oil has to be transported over 2,500 miles by ship to a refinery in Honolulu. Alaska produces about 14 percent of the nation's crude oil. Hawaii produces zero. Alaska has six refineries, Hawaii has two.

So why is gas at the pump so much more expensive in Anchorage than it is in remote Honolulu?

I realize there are many mitigating factors but we deserve an answer. I call upon the leadership of our state, our elected officials, to give us an explanation. Soon!

-- Guy Okada

Anchorage

If you're elected, John, watch out

I have one suggestion for Sen. McCain should he be elected president: Watch your back; Palin can't be trusted.

-- Michael Tumey

Anchorage

Letter writer had no grounds for attack on Palin family's struggles

I'm responding to Sharon Webb's letter, "Six months isn't long enough to understand special needs child" (Oct. 23).

Sen. McCain remarked that Sarah Palin knows what it's like to have a special needs child. Ms. Webb uses McCain's statement as an excuse to write, attacking Sarah. Thus far Palin's only crime in this matter is just beginning the journey with a 6-month-old special needs child and not having yet struggled for 15 years.

Gov. Palin never claimed to be an expert and she certainly can't attend multiple meetings regarding care when he is just a baby. Obviously there are many unknowns that lie ahead for this baby and this family. Would Ms. Webb be less angry if she knew they will have the same struggles as she has? Would she feel better knowing Sarah did not have a support system that is allowing her this amazing opportunity?

Now if the letter writer strongly believes mothers with a special needs children should stay home and not have a high-stress career, then express that. I doubt Sharon Webb is privy to what goes on in the Palin household and it is arrogant to assume so.

-- Connie Laws Anchorage

We can't give up on rural villages

A letter recently suggested that Alaska Natives still living in remote villages should get with the program, move to town and join our modern way of life, as this is inevitable. I don't have answers to this very difficult and expensive problem of supporting our Native villages. However, there are many intelligent, educated individuals who believe it is not only important but necessary to human survival that, rather than assimilate and basically extinguish these unique cultures, First Peoples of the world must be nurtured, protected and restored.

Among them we find people who still value relationship over money, who can listen to plants to learn their valuable properties, who can do things that most of us can only imagine and think of as "magic." Humans need all the variety of ideas that we can muster to solve the problems of the planet, both the biological degradation and the constant warring, which is generally a side effect of the former.

-- Robyn Lauster

Anchorage

Killing feral cats is not humane

In response to Blair Fant's rant (Oct. 22), I find it incredible that someone can say they are "very much in favor of humane treatment of animals," and to then espouse the wholesale slaughter of all feral cats as "pests." This mindset is endemic of the larger problem facing our nation, and world, today, where we are so incredibly polarized and exclusionary in our positions and views. All empathy with other living creatures seems to have been lost.

Good grief, cat lovers are as fond of our feline friends as dog lovers are of their canine companions. Does Mr. Fant think we should put down all wild dogs? Horses? In the immortal words of Rodney King: Can't we all just get along?

Good on Deb McKinney and the Daily News for tackling this oft-ignored issue head on. Live and let live.

-- Brian Smith

Homer

Todd's involvement is good for us

I think it is wonderful that Sarah Palin has a husband that helps her in her job. The taxpayers are getting a great deal with Todd Palin. Some people may not like the 2-for-1 special we get with him but I do. Imagine having twice the insight, twice the hearing, twice the observation and only paying for one elected official.

Gov. Palin doesn't have to do anything that her husband suggests. However, we all have moments when we may have missed something that was said or done. Four eyes (without glasses) and four ears are better than two. And all of the info gathered is processed with the one brain of the woman that we elected.

Todd Palin is not a member of some special interest group. He is not a hired consultant that has another agenda to tend to. From all of the hype about "Troopergate," it just shows to me that he is a man for family and state first. He didn't go out and shoot the man. He did what any sensible person could: made his voice be heard. I would do the same thing if the situation was mine.

I am glad that we have an elected official that can have such an honorable husband to stand by her. And if all we have to pay is his transportation, we are getting quite the bargain.

-- Dani Haviland

Chugiak

Obama provides example in ban

I would like to congratulate Sens. Obama and Murkowski for passing their important legislation to ban the export of mercury. Mercury, when ingested, can lead to learning disabilities and physical ailments relating to vision, motor skills, blood pressure and fertility. Fish consumption advisories have been issued in 48 states because of high mercury levels.

Despite our country's improved efforts to contain and collect mercury over the years, we remain one of the world's leading exporters of this dangerous product. Thankfully, this new law will ban mercury exports, thereby preventing it from ending up in our food chain.

John McCain often poses the question, "When has Obama worked with Republicans to get anything done?" Well, this is a perfect example. Sen. Murkowski is a Republican and worked directly with Obama to pass this common-sense legislation.

Whether mercury pollution, health care or getting our economy back on track, Barack Obama will work with Democrats and Republicans to solve our nation's problems. That is why I will be voting for him on Election Day -- because he will bring the change we need to Washington.

-- Maryellen Oman

Anchorage

Stevens' liability is age, not trial

I am not a Republican, but it has always been easy to vote for Ted Stevens. He has been an effective senator for Alaska. I hope he wins his trial, but I cannot support him in this election.

The simple truth is that Ted Stevens is almost 85 years old, trying out for a job that will last for six years. The same reasons I have favored Stevens in the past now require all of us to turn the page and vote for Mark Begich.

Like Ted Stevens in days gone by, Mark Begich has proven himself to be a dynamic and effective leader. It might take a few years for Begich to get his feet wet, but he is the best furture for Alaska. He is a fast learner and with his youth and energy, and overall political ability, he will easily surpass what we can expect from Ted Stevens when he turns 88, 89 and 90 years of age.

No matter how much loyalty and affection we might have for Ted Stevens, it is time to move on. We are lucky to have such a good replacement in Mark Begich.

-- Michael Dieni

Anchorage

Obama's tax plan is badly flawed

Sen. Obama maintains that under his tax policy 95 percent of Americans will get a tax break. According to the IRS, in 2008 approximately 40 percent of Americans will pay no taxes. That's right, zero.

Sen. Obama has proposed a series of "refundable" tax credits. If you are eligible for the tax credit, and you paid no taxes already, the IRS will send you a check for the full credit! So, under Sen. Obama's plan 40 percent of Americans, who already are excused from paying taxes, will be getting checks from the IRS.

Sen. Biden is on the record saying paying taxes is patriotic. I agree with him to an extent. What should we call the giveaway described above? Soon we will be in a situation where half of the people in this country will have no financial stake in what the government spends.

How can this be anything other than socialism?

-- Jeff Wilson

Anchorage

Immoral countries will always fail

If you look back in history, especially in scripture, many countries have failed because of immorality. Some are using the media to do the best they can to get people who support immorality to get elected.

Abortion, especially partial-birth abortion, is immoral. In a partial birth-abortion, they let only the baby's head be born, then they abort the baby by thrusting a hollow needle into the baby's head and sucking the baby's brains out.

They say that it is a woman's right to have an abortion.What about the baby's right to live?

Granting same-sex benefits is immoral, just as if a man is married to another man, or a woman is married to another woman. It goes against the laws of nature. It is an abomination in the eyes of God!

Help save this country from going down the road of immorality. Save a human from being snuffed out by abortion. Do not vote for people like Barack Obama, who will most likely will appoint Supreme Court judges that will lead this country further down the road of immorality.

-- Herman W. Morgan

Aniak

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