Many letter writers are civil

During the election season, I became convinced (unfortunately) that Alaska was a state of brainwashed lunatics because of what, in my opinion, Sarah Palin seems to represent. Georgians often suffer from such stereotyping due to the actions of a few.

I came back to your paper and was delighted to find mostly civilized debate and discussions in the Letters to the Editor.

In our local publication, the Rant and Rave column and Letters are very "Johnny One Note," rarely expressing much more than opinions on religion, guns, gays, (anti-Obama) and football.

Should you read our newspaper, please give it several chances, too. There are open-minded, concerned citizens from each party in both our states and it is refreshing when they speak out with clarity, intelligence and good manners. They need to be heard and their words considered, minus all the rudeness, scare tactics and fear-mongering others often use. Thank you, Alaska.

-- Sandra Thomas

Valdosta, Ga.

Beware the ultra-liberals who will put country under federal control

We are now in a very scary situation. The ultra-liberal establishment has positioned an orator in a place of power who cannot be criticized. With the money available to them, a figurehead with a powerful and convincing speech and the mainstream media to pursue critics, we have a society unlike any we have ever seen.

George Soros is known to support ultra-liberal causes. He, with Harry and Nancy, has a vision of America that places the government in control of our lives. They are using Barack Obama to convince the public that their vision is right and good.

First the financial industry, next the automobile industry, now the health care industry. What next? Our energy in their sights? When winter comes, the sob stories will be there to support the need for the federal government to take control.

It is happening before our very eyes and we are not helpless to stop it. If we try, we are excoriated for our concerns and labeled as uncivil racists rather than being viewed as expressing our rights.

-- Brett L. Hobde

Anchorage

Single payer the way to go

A poll released Sept. 14 showed even the majority of doctors and nurses want a single payer. How much more must Americans do to demonstrate what "We The People" want? Just say NO to corporate welfare. I don't want a penny more to go to the "sick" insurance companies. That is change I can support!

Dr. Doug Lewis Anchorage

Pick up your horse leavings

Are horse riders immune from having to pick up after their horses?

If not, tell that to the people who ride on the paths along Elmore Road. The trail is always littered with waste from horses.

We pick up after our dogs, so people, pick up after your horses. Maybe some signs along the trail telling people to clean up will help.

-- Lowell T. Ainsworth

Anchorage

Comics are rude and violent

On civility: I find your paper fair and reasonable in most aspects; however I hope that you will rethink the wisdom of continuing to run the comics of "Get Fuzzy" and "Bliss." Most of the comics are funny, satirical or contain a slice of life -- well worth reading. I find the above named to be rude and violent.

In a country where civility and respectfulness are on the decline, these only add to the philosophy of "It's no big deal to be rude and hateful." A good paper doesn't need to do this to attract readers.

-- Terri Teas

Anchorage

Don't stereotype the homeless

In regard to Bruce Dimick's disdainful letter about homeless people (Sept. 11), I suppose I should direct my empathy toward Mr. Dimick, since the homeless impinge so much upon his life. But his assertion that all homeless people are in the position by choice is so unfair. I wonder how many homeless people have been wounded in one of our wars, or are mentally ill, or are children of homeless families? Bad choices, all?

Stereotyping any group of people never describes reality. Empathy for the unfortunate and a willingness to lend a hand is a kinder and more effective way to treat the problem of homelessness.

-- Diane Crawford

Anchorage

Taking the road slowly traveled

I just got back from a weeklong trip along the Denali Highway (Cantwell to Paxson). I turned onto the Denali Highway off the Parks Highway and got about 10 miles in, where it turns to gravel. I felt a great relief from the fast-paced world. I could drive along at 10 to 25 mph, take in the scenery and even relax to a degree. The Denali has some of the best scenery one can see from a vehicle in Alaska.

At the end of my trip, I thought how good it would be to keep this gravel road as it is. It could be kept as a kind of heritage or old vintage historical type highway. In my opinion, paving the Denali would be a loss of a more slow-paced era, which had many a benefit, and still has benefits, to our modern-day psyche.

The Seward or Sterling highways have competing scenery, but the speeders can have their asphalt. I'll take the road slowly traveled.

-- David Sipos

Anchorage

City cuts may raise insurance rate

ISO is the Insurance Services Offices. They inspect and rate fire departments to give insurance underwriters a basis for pricing residential and commercial fire insurance. Some of the things they look at are number, size and location of fire stations. They look at training, fire prevention and administrative paperwork as well.

A class 1 rating is the highest rating a fire department can receive. Anchorage is currently a class 2 fire department and it took 10 years to get to that level. It allows Anchorage homeowners and businesses to purchase fire insurance at some of the lowest rates possible.

I spoke with my insurance agent, who's sure our rates will go up with station closures and fire trucks being decommissioned. This could mean a $250,000 home may have premiums go up by as much as $75 a year. Not too bad, really, but multiply that figure by 75,000 homes and the increase is $5.6 million per year, and that doesn't include commercial structures. The total could approach $12 million per year, year after year.

The mayor has asked for $4.5 million in cuts to the Anchorage Fire Department budget and staffing. This means that it could cost $1 million more to insure our homes than to keep firefighters. It appears to me that closing fire stations and laying off firefighters may cost more than some have bargained for. It may take 10 years to get our ISO rating back to a class 2.

-- Captain James Veatch

Anchorage

We need a rest from Obama talk

Here is my message for President Obama:

Please stop talking.

Please remove yourself from our TV screens.

Stay off the radio for a few days.

Quit pressuring Congress.

Go back into the White House. Close the door firmly behind you. Stay inside.

Americans desperately need a rest from 24-hour-a-day Obama talk.

-- Kathleen (Mike) Dalton

Fairbanks

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