Anchorage Daily News

Palin wrong to reject funds

On the May 22 funny page, "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau astutely observes that the Bush-Cheney administration adopted torture techniques designed by Cold War communists to extract false confessions from U.S. airmen. In other words, they used "techniques specifically designed to make people lie."

Cartoonist or no, Trudeau has a first-rate intellect. His mind works like an F-22.

On the May 22 front page, we have Gov. Palin, whose mind works like a little red wagon, vetoing stimulus money. Are you sure you didn't print the paper backward?

To paraphrase Earl Pickles, life is like Shakespeare. The fool is wise. The queen is a fool.

-- Diane Pleninger

Anchorage

Why repave Fifth Avenue?

I would like to know if our government leaders in this state and city are going insane? I guess I don't understand why we are repaving Fifth Avenue when Minnesota and the Glenn Highway have grooves in the road. Why are we not repaving those roads? After all, Fifth Avenue was just redone last year. It was worked on all summer by widening the road and it was paved right before winter. So I guess in their minds we need to repave Fifth already and we need to keep working on the beautification of Anchorage.

Let's not think about all of the accidents that might have been caused by the ruts in the roads. Seeing as how I commute from Eagle River to Anchorage every day, I know how scary it can be to change lanes on the Glenn in the summer, and it is even scarier in the winter on the ice. I think they should rethink their plans on which roads should be worked on next.

-- Wayne Brown

Eagle River

Palin sends wrong message

The shockingly beautiful teen mother lovingly gazed at her sleeping infant repeatedly during the "Good Morning America" interview. She cradled him in her arms and held his hands. The infant's handsome grandfather sat with them, supportive and concerned.

Photographers, interviews, covers of magazines, television appearances, tabloid press, newspress, fame, beauty, recognition, million-dollar book deals, unconditional love so strong that sexual desire fades for now. This is what we see. For too many concrete thinking teens, these visible benefits make having a baby look appealing despite the words that the messenger delivers.

The message is a facade for continued press time. Palin appears to have every intention of using her beautiful children for photo ops, name recognition and profit. Will the next Palin teen daughter get the same press time as she practices abstinence? What's her name?

-- Patty McLoughlin, ANP

Anchorage

Drivers setting bad example

STOP is a word we see every day, but 9 out of 10 drivers ignore it. Just remember, if you have children in the car you are teaching future drivers. Even very young children are paying attention to what you do. When they get behind the wheel of the car at 16 or 17, are you going to wonder where they learned to be so disrespectful to others?

-- Kristi Wilson

Anchorage

Pebble story lacked value

I'm disappointed by what the Anchorage Daily News considers newsworthy enough to print on the front page (" 'Deadliest' skipper slams Pebble project,' " May 20). The article about an infamous crab fisherman from Washington opposing the Pebble project wasn't covered as a news story. It failed to investigate if or how much these fishermen are being paid for the ad campaign they're featured in, and it didn't explore whether Alaska-based crews were also approached about participating.

Sig Hansen and his colleagues have no knowledge or background in mining and have no vested interest in what's best for Alaska. So why should Alaskans care what they think?

What would have been more newsworthy was a story that received minor coverage on the ADN Pebble Blog the same day the article was published. It was about 11 Native organizations from the Bristol Bay region that signed petitions renewing their support for the state's permitting process for the Pebble project.

It's apparent that the Daily News opposes Pebble and will use any excuse to shed a bad light on the project.

-- Phil St. George

Truth About Pebble board member Eagle River

Define sexual orientation

Columnist Elise Patkotak is claiming that Jerry Prevo is "shoving his Christian agenda down her throat"? Please! The only way she would know his viewpoint is if she willingly listened to what he had to say. She then chooses if she will accept his thoughts on the subject at hand.

Jerry Prevo does not make the decision on this ordinance; the Anchorage Assembly does. In case she has forgotten, we do live in a country that still allows its citizenry to express their viewpoints. The ambiguous wording of sexual orientation creates quite the concern for me. What is going to stop the man who molested and attempted to rape my daughter (and went to jail for his actions) from claiming that since this is his preference, this is who he is, he is entitled to whatever he wants whenever he wants it?

Let's have an honest, open discussion where the term sexual orientation is clearly defined and the effects of such ordinances passed in other cities documented and shared publicly so Anchorage can make the best choice possible in the days to come.

-- Donna Edmonds

Anchorage

Alternatives to Guantanamo

With reference to the article "Obama outlines plans for Guantanamo detainees" (May 21), may I humbly suggest that there are many places in America into which the anti-American Guantanamo terrorists could be released without causing a ripple or raising an eyebrow, places where they would fit right in, to wit: the Berkeley City Council, innumerable American university faculties, the boardrooms of the mainstream media, and, of course, Congress, to name a few.

-- Ralph D. Lynch

Anchorage

Appreciate our differences

Many who write letters seem to have only one way to express themselves -- in a hate-filled manner. One poster responding to a letter stated that we are a secular nation and Christians and conservatives need to get over it. This country is not secular. It is a nation of secularists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and the vast majority are Christians of one type or another: Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Mormon and Episcopalian, to name but a few. But we all have one thing in common. We are Americans.

We are a country of Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and independents. We are a nation of whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Latins. But we are all Americans. When everyone realizes our differences and accepts them, then maybe the discourse can become more civil.

-- Larry Davis

Nikiski

A word from back of the pack

As a "charter member" of the "back of the pack," I would like to voice my agreement with the ADN editorial of May 20, 2009 titled "Our View: Trail Savvy."

The issue I spoke of in my quote was the arbitrary way withdrawal for non-competitiveness is done. Returning to benchmarks would remove this arbitrariness.

As for "double standards," the experience of a musher on the trail should be a part of many if not all evaluations. Allowing a more experienced musher a little more leeway is not really a double standard at all.

Finally, to the extent that being last meant the vets were paying more attention to my dogs, another "double standard" has actually been to my benefit. As a musher, it's comforting to say my team was in good condition and we were under increased scrutiny.

-- Rob Loveman

Seeley Lake, Mont.

Odd timing of bear citation

State authorities are prosecuting Charlie Vandergaw and two of his friends for feeding bears at a remote cabin near Alexander Creek (" 'Bear man' prepares defense against state charges," May 24). This after a nationally televised series showed Charlie living peacefully among scores of black and grizzly bears that learned he was no threat after 20 years of interactions. Convictions could result in large fines and jail time.

In this same area the Game Board approved a massive bear killing program to take up to 900 bears by allowing hunters to bait bears all summer, shoot cubs and sows with cubs, and use helicopters for transport -- practices never before legal in Alaska. In short, it's a war on bears with hunters using thousands of pounds of bait, feeding bears to facilitate shooting.

Perhaps the state doesn't want TV viewers to see that people and bears can peacefully co-exist, that bears are not always dangerous, or that some people enjoy having bears around. Doesn't it seem strange that after 20 years, Charlie was only cited after the TV show aired and the bear-killing program began?

-- Vic Van Ballenberghe

Anchorage

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