Anchorage Daily News

Cutting off US oil no solution

Save the polar bear and starve the children!

Oil and all its benefits is like the breast milk from mother earth in our world's current society. If you take it away without having a replacement, we will perish. It would be good to wean from oil, but not cold turkey with nothing to supply our complete daily needs.

Obtaining American oil is the cleanest process in the world. If you shut down U.S. oil, you will be getting it from places like Russia, China and Venezuela, who seem to have less regard for polar bears.

I suggest all those in favor of shutting down American oil and our other natural resources in favor of the polar bears be the first to stop using all oil, mining, timber and ocean resources from all places in the world. If you have a problem with carbon dioxide related to global warming -- or is it now "climate change"? -- will your plan lead to fewer humans who exhale CO2?

-- Al Bagdon

Anchorage

Medicare vote prompts doubt

I couldn't believe the news today. Sen. Murkowski voted to block Senate Bill 1776. Why? This bill would have resolved long-standing problems in Alaska with the Medicare reimbursements paid to Alaska physicians. The bill is supported by the Alaska chapter of the AARP, Alaska physicians and the American Medical Association.

From Murkowski's Web site: "... Alaska is a great example of how a government run plan can't work -- just look at the Medicare program where seniors and the disabled have only 1 in 10 primary care physicians accepting their insurance. This is why we need a thoughtful, deliberative process in reforming our health care system to ensure that access to quality and affordable care is at the center of the discussion." She goes on to state: "My vision for health care reform is to provide more people with access to care and to make sure that it's affordable."

Does Sen.Murkowski really care about the people she serves?

-- Barbara Gazaway

Anchorage

Power watch was a joke

I am irate ... Headlines: Oct. 21, 6-8 P. M.: Lower your thermostats, turn your hot water heaters to pilot or vacation, etc.

BP, NANA, CH2MHill, most businesses and, all of downtown (oh, I forgot, we are the "City of Lights") were all lit up like Christmas trees.

ENSTAR has a monopoly on natural gas and as such, is holding consumers in a choke hold.

By the way, the word "IRATE" can also be used as "I RATE."

-- Vera Stepsics

Anchorage

Health care leaves no choice

I wish to share my response to Rep. Don Young's position on health care reform that now appears on his Web site.

Rep.Young, Americans do not now have freedom and choice when it comes to their health care. The basic contract is, "Your money or your life!" Despite the fact that U.S. taxpayers have generously funded medical research and education, drug and medical equipment companies are not required to share the fruits of federal health care research with their customers -- the U.S. taxpayers -- many of whom are denied the benefits of these medical breakthroughs because of their choice of employment. If it takes a new federal bureaucracy to eliminate this piracy that is masquerading as "free market forces," then so be it. How could rampant bureaucratic inefficiency possibly increase medical costs faster than insurance companies and medical equipment companies are causing those costs to rise now?

Do something now to stop the health insurance companies from ripping us off.

-- Phillip Mundy

Juneau

Health care vote confounding

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has defended not supporting pending health care reform bills because the government can't even fix Medicare. I wrote her to say, "well, pass legislation to fix it rather than blame the bureaucracy. Now, what is the real reason you don't take a courageous action?" No response. Well, yesterday, her vote showed yet another facet to her ever-changing, nonpositions on health care reform.

I have admired Sen. Murkowski through much of her career, but her handling of health care reform is truly disappointing.

-- William Dann

Anchorage

School district's budget needs much more scrutiny

Although your editorial, "Running Schools" (Oct. 21), was fair and balanced, I think you are overlooking some key points.

Carol Comeau is certainly smart, but her approach to running a huge budget up every year is simply to get more out of the taxpayers. She is an entrenched educrat, charged with operating a budget fast approaching a billion dollars. Her business experience is nil. Her annual budget increases far surpass what the municipality gets. The school district does not have to manage their funds conservatively because "Joe Taxpayer" is always expected to save the day.

A real business either performs or shuts down. Comeau repeatedly pushes bond issues, which only add to the taxpayer burden. Or, if the bonds fail, she conveniently locates the money anyway. Isn't it time for an independent audit of ASD? Something's not right. Many mayors come from more varied backgrounds in the business community, and often know how to manage a budget for maximum efficiency.

The move nationally to mayor-run schools deserves a closer look here.

-- David Hobson

Anchorage

Railroad should reconsider method of weed control

The Alaska Railroad is proposing to spray the herbicide glysophate (Roundup) throughout its route for weed control.

This same proposal was rejected two years ago. Why? Because glysophate will be sprayed on, over and next to waterways and the Cook Inlet. This chemical herbicide has a nasty habit. It does not just kill weeds along the railroad tracks. It seeps into soil and water not intentionally targeted.

Once glysophate gets into land and water organisms, this deadly chemical accumulates up the food chain. It bio-magnifies to scary disproportion in fish, small and large mammals, and you and me -- our human bodies. Study after study links it to cancer and other health issues.

Europe flatly refuses to use glysophate because of the risks. There is a viable alternative: infrared steam heat.

I urge the railroad to withdraw the poorly conceived glysophate proposal. It is time for them to usher in the modern, health-friendly technology of infrared steam heat for weed control.

-- Ellen VandeVisse

Palmer

State needs to cooperate for Bethel booze rule to work

Elise Patkotak's column of Oct. 20 ("Bush booze: controversy, contradiction") missed the point of the successful petition to get Proposition One on Bethel's October ballot which gave us the chance to remove "local option."

The state of Alaska made instant felons of law-abiding citizens when legislators passed SB85. Additionally, the ABC Board established an unconstitutionally collected database of personal information on anyone purchasing alcohol destined for Bethel.

We have been treated differently than other Alaskans who legally purchase alcohol (except for Kotzebue, which has been included in the database) and have not had access to the information to determine if it is correct.

Approximately 68 percent of the people living in Bethel identify themselves as Alaska Natives. Proposition One passed by 54 percent of the votes cast. We have asked the state of Alaska to delay the issuance of liquor licenses, allowing us time to decide how to use our newly acquired self-determination. Anything less than state cooperation would be proof of its desire for the people of Bethel to suffer for standing up for our rights.

-- Jody Malus

Bethel

ADVERTISEMENT