Wohlforth’s writing on Elliott was eloquent and heartwarming
Today I read Charles Wohlforth's comments on the late Rev. Norman Elliott (Sept. 15)
Wohlforth's description of Rev. Elliott's life and accomplishments in Alaska was eloquent and heartwarming. I had the pleasure to meet Rev. Elliott at a memorial service for Sen. Ted Stevens and was also impressed with his humorous and in-depth eulogy of our beloved Uncle Ted.
I always look forward to reading Charles Wohlforth's commentaries on the many subjects of life in Alaska. In my opinion, he is one of the best and most knowledgeable journalists at Alaska Dispatch News.
Thank you,
— Chris von Imhof
Girdwood
Swept roads mean more potholes
After the heavy August rains, water flushing and sweeping streets in my neighborhood was the last thing our local roads needed. The street sweepers did remove asphalt from pothole patches, leaving more potholes.
I realize the state permit requires three sweepings a year. In my view, strategically timing two sweepings, once after breakup and again in early summer, would be more than adequate to remove surface pollutants and grit, which primarily accumulates during winter. Perhaps the city could meet with the pointy-haired bureaucrats to adjust the state permit to something reasonable and use the excess money to repair local roads.
As previously stated, today's sweeping only left more potholes to navigate.
— Frank Rast, P.E.
Anchorage
These folks aren’t offended
There is one group of people that Donald Trump has not offended. They are the hard-working, taxpaying, patriotic Americans who believe in the rule of law upon which the Constitution is based.
They are the non-politically correct, salt-of-the-earth people that know which restroom they should use. They are the citizens, the veterans and the legal immigrants that stand at attention when the national anthem is played, respectful of the sacrifices that have been made by so many to enable the freedoms that we enjoy.
— M.J. Koskovich
Wasilla
Wealthy Koch brothers haven’t been friends to Alaska
For the past few weeks, "Americans for Prosperity" has been sending negative attack mailers into my Senate district and sponsoring Facebook posts urging people to contact me to "stop expanding Obamacare." For starters, there is no expansion of Obamacare being proposed. The expansion they are referring to happened over a year ago and is actually for Medicaid, a program that provides health care to low-income and disabled Alaskans. This expansion is currently paid for with 100 percent federal dollars, and was supported by 65 percent of Alaskans and a majority in the Legislature because it brings back $150 million in federal tax dollars already paid by Alaskans. The loss of these federal funds would be devastating to our economy, as tens of thousands of Alaskans would lose their health insurance and 4,000 private-sector jobs would be lost.
So who is Americans for Prosperity and why are they singling me out for their attacks? They are an Outside organization funded by the billionaire Koch brothers. They have a history of engaging in voter suppression and downright lying in support of their extremist corporate agenda. The Koch brothers owned Flint Hills Refinery in North Pole. You remember — the refinery that polluted the drinking water of thousands of Alaskans, refused to clean it up and then left Alaskans out of work and holding the bag when they abandoned the state.
During their time refining gasoline in Alaska, they charged Alaskans the highest gasoline prices in the nation — and actively lobbied against my legislation to ban gasoline price gouging.
Just this past session, during the oil tax credit debate, I was a vocal supporter of fixing our broken oil tax structure that has us paying out $700 million more in oil tax credits than we get in oil production taxes. Americans for Prosperity? They actually testified that Alaska should give the oil companies even more tax breaks.
They would love nothing more than to take your Permanent Fund dividend so they can keep the corporate tax break gravy train flowing, and to get rid of Medicaid expansion so they can have your tax dollars go for more tax breaks for them and their rich buddies.
They say you know you're over the target when you start taking fire. I'm happy to keep taking the fire from a couple Outside billionaire extremists if that's what it takes to stand up for Alaskans.
— Sen. Bill Wielechowski
Anchorage
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