Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, May 18, 2015

Halt Arctic offshore drilling

On Monday, May 11, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Shell Oil Co.'s exploration plan to drill in the Arctic Ocean this summer.

This decision is a major step backwards in our efforts to address climate change. Climate change is touching every corner of our country, and nowhere are the impacts more profound than in Alaska — particularly in Arctic Alaska. The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, sea ice continues to decline and Arctic waters are quickly becoming more acidic.

One powerful way we can slow the effects of climate change is by limiting the amount of fossil fuels we burn, and an effective way to do that is by not opening up new areas to intensive drilling in the first place. The president has the opportunity to take drilling in the Arctic Ocean off the table -- and he should do so.

-- Elisabeth B. Dabney

Fairbanks

Bikers, wear your helmets

I was excited to read about the new Palmer Bike Park (May 13); it promises to be a great recreational facility for people of all ages. However, I was saddened to see that several of the cyclists pictured were not wearing helmets. I beg all of you to wear your helmets so you can enjoy the trails and tracks safely. It's also the law for all children 15 years of age and younger.

-- Janet Shen, M.D.

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The Children's Clinic

Anchorage

A double disappointment

On Thursday members of the Alaska Native Ministry with dozens of AFACT supporters convened at Anchorage's downtown Legislative Information Office Building for a Four Directions Prayer Vigil and smudging ceremony prior to House committee Medicaid hearings. The service was intended to expel evil spirits that appear to infest the newly renovated building, and to restore our lawmakers to reason.

Our legislators did not burst through the doors and bolt for Cook Inlet like latter-day Gadarene swine, a sad disappointment, but far more deeply disappointing is the GOP leadership's conviction that the way to avoid accountability on Medicaid expansion is to do nothing.

True, the Xerox billing and reimbursement system for our more-limited Medicaid had problems in the past, and the Parnell administration sued Xerox to fix them. Those problems have been acknowledged by the Alaska Department of Law and by Val Davidson, Health and Social Services commissioner, but all now assure lawmakers that Xerox has made necessary changes and the billing system is working well.

But GOP lawmakers won't believe it. Led by Rep. Steve Thompson, R-Fairbanks, the House Finance Committee refused Thursday to advance the Medicaid expansion proposal, which would cover an estimated 42,000 additional ill or injured Alaskans with $140 million in federal funding. This is funding that Alaskans' tax dollars support but that is being diverted to other states because our Republican lawmakers do not want it coming back here.

Senate Majority Leader John Coghill, R-North Pole, dismisses state officials' current testimony that the billing system has been fixed. He justifies his inaction by saying that in February it needed repairs.

This is ludicrous.

It is evident that for partisan reasons, the Senate and House GOP has no intention of expanding Medicaid, however it would help Alaska financially or Alaskans medically, and it is very much to be feared that their constipation will extend to education, Erin's Law and other matters crucial to our state's well-being that they also are ignoring.

-- Cheryl Chapman

Anchorage

Trans-Pacific Partnership has risks for Bristol Bay

Thursday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski helped President Obama gain fast track authorization for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Sen. Sullivan was busy representing Alaska by not showing up for the vote). The TPP includes a provision called ISDS (Investor-State Dispute System). This is a problem for Alaska down the road, because if Alaska decides it does not want to develop the Pebble mine because it would probably destroy the Bristol Bay salmon run, the Northern Dynasty Partnership, which is a wholly owned Canadian-based subsidiary of Northern Dynasty Minerals, could apply for relief under the ISDS section of the TPP. They could claim that they would lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the project did not move forward. Under the ISDS provision they could demand that the U.S. make them whole for their loss. The decision would not go to the U.S. courts but rather to an arbitration panel consisting of corporate lawyers. If they won, either the U.S. would have to pony up the money, or Northern Dynasty would have to be allowed to mine.

Since no one is going to pay them so much, they would be allowed to mine Pebble no matter what Alaska or the EPA or the Bristol Bay fishermen wanted. Basically the TPP is a giveaway of U.S. sovereignty to corporate interests. No small surprise that the only votes against cloture were by some Democrats and the two independents in the Senate. Sen Murkowski voted with some of the Democrats to support President Obama.

-- Rob Mankoff

Girdwood

Memories of Etok

Very sorry to hear about the passing of Charlie Edwardsen.

He will be missed. And I'm sure anyone who ever met with him or worked with him will have lots of memories. Even from way back.

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I first met Etok in the late 1960s, while working on a master plan for Barrow. I was working for the Alaska Housing Authority in Anchorage and would go back and forth.

He would stay with us sometimes while he was down in Anchorage working on land claims. Always willing to share his vision.

And when the Barrow plan was completed and approved by the City Council, he and I sat together on the plane going out. "Earl," he said, "The Arctic is in your blood. You will be back."

How right he was! I always remembered that, even in the most extreme weather, or early polar bear alerts, as I walked from our house in Browerville to KBRW.

When I was doing the early morning shift on KBRW, I'd hear about his current efforts, and I always tried to get him in the studio for an interview. I think that happened several times but other times he was just too busy.

When we retired from Barrow to Medford, Wisconsin, in 2008 I still would remember him. And now he is gone. But his ideas and vision will remain with us.

Thanks, Etok!

-- Earl Finkler

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Medford, Wisconsin

Classification recalls past

This is a disgusting problem that is also on a number of governmental documents for us to sign stating ourselves as black or African-American.

An immigrant or refugee can enter the United States of America, take the test and receive citizenship.

They are now called American. I have a ancestral history all born in and on the soils of these United States of America but my skin is black. This makes me a black American. We are now classified, by this government, the same way people were classified and tattooed during the war.

I am black and I will always sign as American; this is my country as a person, not a color.

-- Eva Aulston

Anchorage

Medicaid expansion: Where’s the downside?

Medicaid expansion is a no-brainer: It brings $145 million in federal money to the state, it creates jobs, and it covers people without money or insurance who go to emergency rooms for uncompensated care.

We accept federal funding for highways and other things we value; why would we not take federal funding for the health of all Alaskans to build a healthy, vibrant community and economy?

Legislators have been talking about Medicaid expansion for three years — any argument that more study or talk is needed is silly. So is the argument that reform must come first.

It's time to act, and it's time to pass Medicaid expansion. It's what Alaskans want; it's what our faith communities demonstrated for last week outside the LIO in Anchorage. Why isn't it what the legislative majority wants?

It's disingenuous to argue that we don't have money while refusing something that would save the state $570 million over the next six years and reduce the state deficit.

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The legislative majority should stop making excuses, follow the will of Alaskans and pass Medicaid expansion now.

-- Sharon Stockard

Anchorage

Shame on Chenault, Meyer for blocking expansion

Senate leader Kevin Meyer and House leader Mike Chenault bear all responsibility for zero movement on Medicaid expansion. Fifty-six organizations expressed their support, and thousands of Alaskans support Medicaid expansion.

All provided hard facts and good reasons why Medicaid expansion is economically sound and the Christian thing to do.

Meyer and Chenault's vaguely justified refusal to address Medicaid expansion is a poorly veiled reproach to President Obama's Affordable Care Act. Shame on them -- and all who elected them by neglecting to vote. May their constituents remember the hypocrisy in the position that "it needs more study" while refusing to work on it.

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Should political "leaders" enjoy publicly funded health insurance while the "able bodied" working poor can't afford preventive care that could keep serious illness at bay -- saving money and lives? Should they lounge in "Taj MaHawker," the extravagant boondoggle of a Legislative Information Office in Anchorage, getting paid not to do their job? (Please visit that building -- see where your money went while schools cut back and health care gets shunned.)

I so move that all pay and benefits for legislative leaders Kevin Meyer and Mike Chenault be suspended until their job gets done.

Anybody want to second that?

-- Connie Fredenberg

Palmer

Our speech is free

No dice, Bob Lewis, Wasilla, re: his letter (May 13), "Ethnic hyphens divide us." The great state of Alaska is a part of the United States, and as such, citizens here, as throughout the country, have freedom of speech and the right to call themselves whatever they choose.

If he's fuddy-duddy about freedom of speech, he should simply remove his "tired" self to another country that doesn't allow such freedom.

Otherwise, get over it.

-- Janies Barlow

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 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.

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