Energy crunch in Juneau provides insight into everyday Bush reality

To the people, the city, and the borough of Juneau, I would never wish any misfortune. I offer commiseration on your recent failure to get a disaster declaration recognized by the state of Alaska regarding your electric power generating troubles. In a small way, you are now beginning to see the challenges that many rural Alaska towns face, specifically the high cost of energy, and generally the inability of the state to address a local crisis that does not rise to the level of a "disaster."

Of course your pain is not of a magnitude that measures up to ours. You are being forced to generate electricity with diesel fuel temporarily until your infrastructure is repaired. Rural residents live in a world where we generate power every day using diesel, and in some cases, that diesel has to be flown into the village by cargo planes. Even when brought in by barge, the fact that many rural destinations are at the far end of the supply chain makes our fuel -- and ultimately our electricity -- very expensive.

I am not happy for Juneau's misfortunes, but I hope this experience will give your community and the legislators it hosts a little better perspective on the challenges facing rural Alaska every day of the year.

-- Tom Bolen

Kotzebue

Young or old, outdoor enthusiasts need to exercise judgment too

I disagree with Wayne Martinez's May 1 letter taking Craig Medred to task for his April 20 column, "Staying alive beats doing what you love to do." Martinez says Medred's risk envelope has shrunk because of aging, and that he's just envious of younger outdoor enthusiasts who have larger risk envelopes.

I would advise Martinez to read a book called "No Shortcut to the Top," by Ed Viesturs, one of the world's most respected mountaineers, who has climbed all 14 of the earth's 8,000-meter peaks without using supplementary oxygen. Viesturs' motto is: "Getting to summit is optional, returning is mandatory." Because of his emphasis on safety, he has turned around on several occasions short of the summit, he has lost no fingers or toes to frostbite, and more importantly, he is still alive.

There is scientific evidence that on average, the part of the brain that controls judgment does not fully form until after age 26. Yes, people with big dreams and high tolerances for risk have gotten us to the moon, to the ocean depths, and will probably take us to Mars. But those risks must also be tempered with sound judgment and common sense, whether we are young or old.

-- Frank Baker

Eagle River

Service pranksters must learn consequences of poor decisions

I am compelled to respond to Tim Rumfelt ("School district is wrong to punish Service vandals so severely," May 5) and other writers who feel that the Anchorage School District's response to the Service pranksters was too severe.

Having served this district for the past 28 years, I may be an old person but my memory is intact. I assume that the punishment is not intended to engender remorse, but effectively remove the spotlight from these students. Rumfelt's suggestion that they be allowed to "swagger down the aisle at graduation" is evidence enough that they should be removed from their audience for the remainder of the school year as well as from graduation.

Some may view them as "martyrs" but at least they are not elevated to hero status among their peers. It isn't too soon for 18-year-olds to learn that some impulsive and stupid decisions can have long-term consequences.

I am more troubled by the attitude of entitlement reflected in his comment that "they have earned graduation." What they have received has been 12 years of free, public education superior to that of most of their cohorts in the Lower 48. They have not been expelled for their actions. They will receive their diplomas. And, if parents stop making excuses for them, perhaps they will learn a valuable lesson from this experience. In this case, I applaud ASD administration for making a just and wise decision.

-- Susan Haines

Anchorage

Radio station's firing of Selbig was callous and hypocritical

I listened to KUDO 1080-AM for the last time on May Day. People were calling in to discuss Aaron Selbig's firing ("KUDO firings shake up station," April 30). As a regular listener I made a conscious effort to support their advertisers. After reading about Selbig's firing I called Mike Robbins (dba Tati) and IBEW (owner of KUDO). Robbins, an admitted conservative, claimed hiring Cary Carrigan (who already runs five or six stations for Tati) and firing Selbig (he has a wife, children, new mortgage and probably no other income) was based on ratings and money. IBEW, a labor union, professed no control or concern over the direction or actions at the worker-owned station.

The callous actions of Robbins, Carrigan and IBEW are not what I consider progressive, liberal or pro-worker. Liberals in Alaska have been hoodwinked into listening to KUDO and promoting their advertisers. The chilling effect on the remaining local hosts is obvious. Shannon or CC might get their call on Mother's Day.

Robbins asked to give the new program a chance. Can't do that -- better to have no progressive radio than a pseudo-dialogue chilled by draconian actions of the boss-man, under ownership of a hypocritical labor union. KUDO is no longer a pre-set station on my radio.

-- Dagmar Mikko

Anchorage

Pledge of Allegiance, coin motto don't reflect beliefs of all patriots

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under atheism, with liberty and justice for all.

Also, a new motto: "In Atheism We Trust."

How do you like it? Well, now you know how I have felt since 1954 when the two words, "under God," were injected into the current pledge, and since 1956 when "In God We Trust" was installed on our currency.

I'm a patriotic American.

-- Clyde Baxley

Anchorage

Stimulus checks are borrowing and spending in another guise

Our family is about to receive $2,400 we didn't ask for from the federal government. In order to give us this money, the government will borrow in our names, adding to a national debt that already exceeds $30,000 for every man, woman and child in America. Including the business tax breaks, the stimulus will cost every American $528, or $3,168 for our family, not counting interest. If we had wanted to borrow this money and spend it, we could have done that ourselves, but we didn't, so they're going to force it on us.

Will this save the economy? Economists say the "bang for the buck" of the program is significantly less than its cost, especially after considering the many years of interest on the continuously growing debt.

I think it's immoral to borrow money from children who have no ability to say yes or no. We should all invest this money for our kids' education. Then at least they'll get some lasting benefit from the money they will be paying back decades from now.

And when politicians take credit for giving stuff away, let's try to remember who is really paying.

-- Charles Wohlforth

Anchorage

Release of violent video game didn't deserve front-page status

As Alaska's largest paper, not only do you report the news, you also take a hand in creating it. If you don't report it, it's not news. If you slather it on the front page in 80-point type (bigger than your masthead), with color pictures, it's suddenly the most important thing happening in the world -- like the release of "Grand Theft Auto IV"!

Thanks for providing all this free, in-your-face advertising for one of the most moronic video games produced ("Waiting game," April 30). Your "story" reads and looks like an Internet promo for the game, which, in effect, it is (or maybe an Onion parody?).

Does "Grand Theft Auto" really need all this free publicity? With all the things happening in the world, you choose this for page one? As the most prominent paper in Alaska, you have some responsibility. Try to live up to it.

There are enough problems already with violent crimes (read the news!), many committed by exactly those who grow up on fare like "Grand Theft Auto." Maybe there's some connection -- do you think?

Thanks again for helping to add your front-page straw to the camel's already burgeoning load. Every little bit helps!

-- Paul Chanek

Chugiak

Daily News story cast aspersions on character of East High student

James Halpin's article "East student struck by truck" unfairly impugns the character of Candice Dunn-Kosusnik. Halpin writes that "(h)igh school students frequently dart across the intersection to sneak cigarettes in the woods across the street, though there is no indication that was what Dunn-Kosusnik was doing." By presenting "sneaking cigarettes" while excluding other plausible reasons, illicit behavior becomes, for the reader, the presumptive rationale for her crossing Northern Lights Boulevard.

As her teachers, we can speak with some authority regarding Candice's character. She was not running across the street to smoke.

In fact, students cross that particular street for several reasons. Sadly, a small number do cross to smoke. However, some cross to catch eastbound city buses, some to walk to nearby schools to meet younger siblings, some even to enjoy Alaska Pacific University's trails. Each morning, several students can be seen crossing at that light to challenge themselves with another day of learning at East.

While we hope for Candice's recovery, we ask for more considered and responsible news coverage from the Daily News in the future.

-- Alan Thomas

Anchorage

Kerrie Fredeen