Readers write: Letters to the editor, September 30, 2016

Put PFD cut to a vote

I want to comment on the letter written by Jon Eric Thompson (ADN, Sept. 27).

Of all the comments to date on this topic, Jon's hits the nail on the head.
Gov. Walker did raid/steal the PFD. Why? Because no "wasteful" spending was eliminated by our government officials and this money will go for what? More wasteful spending? Maybe this is what will pay for the folks to "investigate the fraud in the PFD" or the LNG legwork?

Had the governor or Legislature presented this to the people for a vote, which is what should have happened instead of the raid, I believe the majority of Alaskans would give a portion of their PFDs to help with services we all receive.

A link could be added to the PickClickGive portion of the application — at least that's fair. To just raid each person's PFD is kind of like someone taking a chunk out or your paycheck or savings without an authorization.

Do the right thing, if this is a democracy and the people have ownership rights in our resources, and put this to a vote. At least then we won't feel cheated or that our voices aren't heard and we don't matter.

— Jan King
Anchorage

Sick of Thomas’ hypocrisy

This is an open letter to Cal Thomas and people who agree with his position in his ADN, Sept. 27 column.

Dear Mr. Thomas,

You claim your "morally superior" friends on the Beltway are self-righteous and Jesus claimed the "elites of his day had turned the temple into a '"den of thieves."

That you fail to consider is Donald Trump has lived his whole adult life as a thief in that den. I agree we have an elitist system that has stacked the deck in favor of the "plutocrat," but Trump represents the worst of the worst of that category.

Your Christian "moral superiority" shines through in bias against us secular folks who believe strongly in a moral society and that there has been far too much damage done in the name of Jesus Christ, who I expect would not vote for Trump in a million years. Please save your sanctimonious beliefs for your church and not the way in which we conduct business in the federal government or in my house.

— Larry Holman
Anchorage

Providence $1M donation made on the backs of disabled

We read the ADN Sept. 21 story by Devin Kelly on Providence's donation to help the city tackle homelessness.

Providence Health and Services, Alaska donated $975,000 divided among 10 agencies battling homelessness. Providence is the single point of entry in Anchorage for the evaluation of individuals in crisis who may come in contact with the police, including psychiatric evaluation. Thousands of individuals come through the emergency doors at Providence Psychiatric ER annually at up to $1,500 a day.

The state provides direct funding for Providence to evaluate individuals in crisis with very few specific standards. Two years ago the Legislative Legal Department said the state's broad delegation of authority to a private facility to care for the disabled without mandated standards may be unconstitutional.

The legality of the state sending the disabled to locked private facilities with very few required specific standards has not been settled in court, but patient advocates are concerned.

For over 60 years the state of Alaska has wrestled with the issue of sending the disabled to a private locked institution operated to make money for a company. As long as only bureaucrats and for-profit hospitals are discussing the quality of patient care, and leaving out the disabled and patient advocates, nothing is going to be satisfactorily resolved.

— Faith Myers and Dorrance Collins, mental health advocates
Anchorage

Parents must teach respect

The "melee," as they called it, at the Mountain View Holiday, is very disturbing. It says a crowd of teenagers hit, kicked, threw coffee, threw a rock and a bike at adult customers of the store. I can't believe the amount of respect, which is none, these so-called young adults have for not just their elders, but for people in general.

What do their parents think about their actions? I'm sure they are not proud of them for doing this. Parents, we have to teach our kids respect for others, and, discipline when needed. Kids, stop with all the violence.

— Tammy Boltz
Anchorage

PFD cut makes poor poorer, in need of more state services

Regarding Elise Patkotak's commentary, "it's time we Alaskans grow up," (ADN,Sept. 28):

The Permanent Fund dividend has become something close to Social Security for a large number of Alaskans. We've enjoyed the checks for 36 years now, and for thousands of Alaskans who don't always know where the next meal is coming from, the PFD is an essential part of their income.

It just seems totally unfair to take half of the PFD as the first order of dealing with our state income crisis.

Of course we need to use income from Permanent Fund investments to pay for state services. But starting with the dividend is counterproductive. It takes money from the poor, which will result in higher expenditures for the state's social welfare programs along with putting a dent in the overall economy of the state, a vicious, downward cycle.

Legislators and the administration are looking for easy ways out of this fiscal crisis, and the dividend is the easiest money around — all it took was the swipe of a governor's pen. The governor and members of the Legislature should be ashamed of themselves. We need to have a graduated income tax. Such a tax will take back the dividend in its entirety from those who can afford to lose it, and allow the state to continue to share the wealth of our great state with everyone; those who need it and those who don't. Yes, it's time to grow up and pay our way.

And let's remember Alaska is unique. We don't live here just for the scenery. We live in a state where the income differential between rich and poor is smaller than any other state, and we should be proud of that and fight to retain the honor.

— John Blaine
Anchorage

Flynn’s kneel offends veteran

I see the Assembly as being responsible to and representative of the entire community. The members' conduct and loyalty should be to the core mission of the Assembly. Evidently, Assembly member Flynn sees his elected position as his personal opportunity to throw an attention-seeking, childish tantrum.

There are alternate ways to effectively protest apart from an official public forum. But it's obvious Flynn has not figured that out.

Question: Would Flynn also kneel to protest the same symbols at a police officer's or veteran's funeral?

Those on the Assembly who silently tolerate his conduct, thereby allowing this individual's disrespect to go unchecked, are equally guilty.

Flynn did this during a public forum and the Assembly leadership needs to harshly reprimand him in an equally public forum. I predict this act and how it is handled will be vividly remembered during future elections.

I sincerely thank those Assembly members who have openly opposed Flynn's adolescent, unpatriotic act.

— Ron Siebels
combat-wounded veteran
Anchorage

Reluctant to draw from fund

Yes, Elise, (Paktotak, ADN, Sept. 28), I will trot out the old line of "the owner state and the money is ours." And, the penchant of the Legislature for funding massive projects that benefit few, if any of us, plays a big part in my reluctance to embrace a big philosophical shift from the people as owners, to the state government being the owner. This is the shift the governor and you are asking for when you suggest the Permanent Fund be used to fund state services along with new taxes, of course. This might be more palatable if the Legislature and governor had established a strong track record of fiscally responsible action, rather than funding giant boondoggles. But no, the governor has recently elected to revive the Juneau Road, a $10 million-a-mile fiasco that promises to be a maintenance nightmare far into the future. This situation is a great chance for Alaskans to decide on what state services they want and what we are willing to pay for them. Let's start with the basics — education, troopers, fire and EMS, road maintenance etc. and go from there.

— Mike McQueen
Copper Center

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