Heartless thief stole mom’s trike
To whomever stole my 80-year-old mother's locked adult tricycle from the Senior Center: shame on you!
My mother Lidiya used her red tricycle to ride on the Anchorage Coastal Trail every day — it was her only means for transportation.
— Toly Zyatitsky
Anchorage
Dam veto spells relief to locals
Every year when summer comes around, some of my fondest memories are made on the Susitna River. The Big Su is one of the most important and meaningful rivers in the state to locals like myself who fish, camp, hike, photograph and generally just love the Susitna and its smaller cousins. Thank you Gov. Bill Walker for vetoing this devastating megaproject. You put both Alaskans and fish first with this decision and I applaud you! As we roll into the Fourth of July weekend, where thousands of Alaskans enjoy the Big Su in some way, you have truly given us something to celebrate!
— Elizabeth Mitchell
Big Lake
Stop state’s multimillion war on wildlife and divert funding
As noted in Fran Mauer's previous commentary (ADN, Feb. 26), the state Department of Fish and Game spends millions to kill wolves and bears. Mauer notes Fish and Game reports to the Alaska Board of Game reveal extreme expenditures. For example, "during 2012-2015 a total of $621,900 was spent to kill 49 wolves ($12,692/wolf) in the upper Koyukuk area; on the North Slope a total of $349,900 was recently spent to kill seven brown bears at $49,986/bear." Statewide costs and related research totaled over $5 million during this time. And a huge amount has been spent on this program in the McGrath area alone over the past 15 years. This "game farm" program operates under the Intensive Management Law, set up in 1994 when Alaska had an excess of oil money flowing in.
However, we are now in a much different time — the spigots of oil are waning. And because of this, new massive budget cuts are being directed daily, toward our teachers, schools, universities, and many essential social programs. And Alaska can no longer afford to maintain its previous wasteful expenditure in the state's "war on wildlife."
— Val Glooschenko
Anchorage
Walker better spread the pain to oil industry as well
If the governor believes he must cut Permanent Fund dividends, he should understand he must at least eliminate all oil company subsidies in his power to do so, down to the statutory minimum.
Postponing half a billion dollars' worth of such subsidies is unconscionable when he asks all Alaskans to contribute $1,000 or more to resolve our budget crisis.
We need an income tax so Alaskans who can afford it help pay for state government. It would also catch the thousands of nonresidents, often being paid large salaries, who would have to contribute as well.
And finally, paying anyone over $500,000 a year to promote a natural gas pipeline that will never, and should never, be built is just plain nuts. There are reports of abundant natural gas around the world, gas that does not need a $60 billion pipeline to get it to market. With the exponential increase in renewable energy technology and development, we won't need so much natural gas in 10 or 20 years, which is the time it would take to build such a pipeline. And who knows what the Arctic will look like in 10 or 20 years? Every report I read suggests global warming is advancing in the Arctic much faster than scientists predicted.
— John Blaine
Anchorage
Thank you governor, now watch Legislature pick plan apart
Governor, you done good! It's unfortunate the legislators, who didn't have the guts to do the hard thing, will now try to impress their constituents by picking apart your program. There will be disagreements, of course — we all have our favorite projects and programs. Oil-tax credits make little sense these days; probably should be permanently cut or eliminated.
The PFD has always varied between $1,000 to $2,000; anyone who plans their budget on a specific amount probably shouldn't be trusted to handle money.
The Knik Arm bridge project has stayed alive too long anyhow, has served only to provide a few favored jobs, and cannot support itself if built.
The Susitna hydro project may someday be needed, but we don't need to keep pumping money into it now.
One day we will realize the Elmore road extension, or its equivalent, is actually needed, but it can wait.
It's always a shame to cut educational funding, but every segment of our society needs to sacrifice for the whole.
Now, let's add a sales tax, so everyone feels a little of the pain, and maybe we can get our 'stuff' together and move on.
— Don Neal
Anchorage
Dividend never was good idea
The Permanent Fund was given equally to everyone and, therefore, should be taken equally. This was not an entitlement based on income. If all the money from oil had been put into the fund, with no dividends, it would have benefited all Alaskans forever, not just those of us here while we have oil.
If it had been done this way we wouldn't be having arguments now.
— Greg Svendsen
Anchorage
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.