Swamp still smells the same
A year into the Trump presidency, this is what "draining the swamp" looks like: A rollback of Wall Street regulations that would prevent another 2008 economic meltdown caused by rampant speculation; the dismantling of net neutrality that gives large telecom companies control of online content; an isolationist world view and disdain for science that has led to a vacuum in global leadership and technology development that will be filled by China and the EU; a unilateral decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem without getting one concession from Israel that would move the peace process along (and this from the supposed master of the deal); and a tax bill that overwhelmingly favors corporations and the wealthy (especially the Trump family), that will add over $1 trillion to the national debt, that keeps in place loopholes he expressly promised would be closed, and that cynically offers middle-class tax breaks in order to garner support that will expire seven weeks after the 2020 general election.
Not sure what swamp is being drained, but it smells like the same old stink of corruption and privilege is wafting in from D.C.
— Thomas Crowley
Anchorage
China has the right idea when it comes to pollution control
Re: the elimination of plastic waste: I spent several years in Chile during the Pinochet era when their economy was pretty much shuttered. All the stores — grocery, hardware, etc. — boxed and secured the purchases with cardboard and giant spools of twine. Years later, I returned to find the countryside littered with plastic bags and bottles. Cardboard and twine apparently biodegrade.
And China is well aware of their contribution to pollution too. In the last several years I flew out of Shanghai, if you were to buy something at a store you were not offered a bag. If you wanted one, you had to ask for one and you had to pay for it. The monies collected went directly to pollution control. Great idea!
Our governments, stores and mindsets here in Alaska/America should change too … don't you think?
— Chris Urstadt
Girdwood
Clinton won popular vote
Re: Paul Jenkins commentary "Trump is doing what he can to sink Republican prospects in 2018" (Column, Dec. 31):
It's my understanding that Hillary Clinton received more votes during the 2016 presidential election than Donald Trump.
— Sheal Anderson
Port Ludlow, Wash.
We need action on climate change, not a tax giveaway
The stories from Quinhagak's Christmas storm sound horrendous. Fortunately, no injuries, but lots of personal and city property destroyed — buildings blown inside out and knocked off their foundations. The severe weather the Y-K Delta has endured recently, including flooding, wildfires, coastal erosion and soggy winters, is what climate change looks like.
Though these expensive disasters go on year after year, we hear virtually nothing from our members of Congress. Tragically, they are traveling the wrong direction.
Granted, opening ANWR has been a holy grail for Alaska politicians for decades. But decades ago we started hearing warnings of global warming and climate change. It's sad to see our congressional delegation spend $1.5 trillion on narrow interests while forsaking the larger and more vital government role of action against ever more expensive climate tragedies.
We're long past time to change our priorities and our focus for the future. It is time to price the harm caused by burning fossil fuels. A steadily rising fee on fossil fuels will help us shift to a clean energy future without tanking the economy. Tell Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski and Congressman Young that Alaska's people and economy are overdue for climate action.
— George Donart
Anchorage
Not a fan of online comments
After experimenting with it for a couple of weeks now I have to say I do not like the new comments section.
First, having to sign in is going to cause a lot of people to not bother adding their voice. Of more substantial import is that the only response a person can give if they don't want to write a comment is to agree with what another writer has posted. In the past you had the option to mark that you disagreed, thought the comment was funny or a couple of other options. Having these options is not trivial. It provides readers with valuable information on how others in the community are thinking about an article or opinion.
I view the comments section as a venue for community discussion. The new program sharply limits that discussion and the number of individuals who will participate.
— Jamelia Saied
Anchorage
The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@adn.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@adn.com.