Let's hope spring turns some lights on

This is the time of year where someone goes berserk with a power tool because there's so much light and not enough warmth. Cabin fever is what they call it. As someone who lives in a cabin and gets their mail from a boat, I am sensitive to this ailment. This week the harbor iced up and trapped the cod fishermen. My mailman was figuring out how to tie up on the outside of the ice and make the trek to the office of mail boxes. Thankfully the bigger boats and tides chomped enough ice so he was able to make it in. Pop sent a box of groceries over and I've never been so happy to hold a clementine orange and see a bag of pistachios in my whole life. He's unlocked the Hero Challenge once again.

Maybe it's the cabin fever talking, but it wouldn't matter what time of year it is to have the Alaska House minority, whining at the top of their lungs, to make you either laugh or scream. If you haven't been listening to them, (and why would you, they are the minority), you haven't missed much but a few lawmakers who have amnesia. OK, I'm not a doctor, and I've never even played one on the radio, so maybe I shouldn't say for sure it's amnesia, so suffice it to say, they clearly don't remember how they treated the Democratic minority for decades.

They have tried to stall the budget process by piling amendments – in the hundreds – on a pretty complicated bill dealing with super complex problems. When handwritten additions are being added, you can bet they are really thought out. Way to go, Rep. Dan Saddler. You scribbled down that the capitol needed to be moved out of Juneau and then had a sad when people didn't feel like holding up the budget during a crisis. The minority feels like their feelings aren't being babied enough by the majority and that the fragile snowflakes they are might melt if they don't get their way. I'd say cry me a river, but it would probably freeze and make spring that much further away.

[New plan from House majority would wipe out GOP budget leverage]

The Senate Majority has voted to raid your Permanent Fund. They, and the House minority, are trying to stall the inevitable chat that needs to be had about our current policy of paying oil companies more to take our oil than they pay us. I know. That old chestnut. We're going to have to fix that because our sugar daddy federal government has decided we need to pay corporations, rich people and the fine folks who build nuclear weapons LOTS of money. You know. God's work. (This is when I most wish there was a font called "sartalics" so you could know for sure I was using the gift of sarcasm.)

[Income taxes, dividends and 'foundational absurdity' in Alaska]

The self-proclaimed Christians who have been elected as a majority to federal office have apparently lost the manual on not only how to run a government, but how to follow basic principles in the Bible. They are treating it like a recipe book – one that includes the directions, "Do not make this magical cake for gay people making life commitments," or "Make sure to put your beliefs on your employees." Sadly, they have forgotten the directive for taking care of the sick, lonely, orphaned, jailed and poor.

WWJPG? Unfortunately the saying, "Where Would Jesus Play Golf" has never taken off. The new guy in charge of the federal budget says our country has "No evidence that after-school programs to help kids get fed improves performance." Right. When has not starving ever made anyone more productive? Always. Meals on Wheels is facing cuts in the proposed budget. You know, those self-serving deplorables who deliver food to elderly people, veterans and disabled people across the country. More than the nutrition, those daily contacts with the isolated provide a contact that is crucial to their health and wellness. If you can't see that as humanitarian, then let's go ahead and count the dollars. A year's worth of daily meals to this vulnerable part of our community costs less than one day in the emergency room.

I point to these national "what in the hell are they thinking" moments to encourage our elected Alaskans in Juneau to start taking into account our budget crisis which is only about to get worse. There's a "crisis of consciousness" storm brewing and we're going to have to pull it together and pick up the slack. Start thinking about our most fragile Alaskans. The oil companies will be fine. The Secretary of State will make sure of it.

Shannyn Moore is a radio broadcaster.

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