Readers write: Letters to the editor, October 3, 2017

You're not helping the homeless

Ron Alleva accuses social service agencies like the Brother Francis shelter and Beans Cafe of enabling the homeless who have made his neighborhood messy and unsafe. I sympathize with his frustration because I suffer the same problem living in the neighborhood across from the Gospel Mission on Tudor Road. There is a liquor store and a big Holiday right across from this mission, so we get clutter left from the junk food they buy, and drunks who routinely wake us up in the middle of the night yelling foul language at each other. They go into the wooded area around beautiful Campbell Creek and leave it an eyesore.

It's sad to see people in such a low state of life, yet who also show almost total lack of appreciation for any help they get. I agree with Mr Alleva that the help as given now is hurting our neighborhoods and promoting the problem.

— Mary Rapp
Anchorage

GOP budget plan doesn't cut it

I enjoy reading opinions from educated by people like Charles Wohlforth who writes for ADN educating us about the State of Alaska's huge fiscal gap and how that is affecting the economies both in the rural and urban places of our state and ordinary people — especially the impoverished, low income people like myself who depend on annual PFDs, food stamps and low-income programs such as energy assistance. What I really detest in reading newspapers and watching KTUU Channel 2 news is the inability of state legislators of both parties (and a few independents) to agree on the methods of balancing the $2.5 billion budget deficit. I am especially disappointed at Republicans who only think that their approach will work by cutting the budget and taking more from the Permanent Fund's earnings and completely rejecting the income tax proposal.

I support the House Finance Committee's proposal. I also applaud the Walker Administration for consistently taking into consideration all fiscal approaches to balance the budget. Gov. Walker will definitely have my vote next year.

— Homer Hunter
Scammon Bay

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.