Readers write: Letters to the editor, February 14, 2017

Budget crisis can't wait until 80th day of session

Elise Patkotak (Column, Feb. 8) is right. This Legislature, just like last year's, is just going to keep kicking the ball down the field while they are all waiting to gain an advantage for their particular position, until the 80th day.

Then they will all say, oh, there is not enough time left since we were so busy with important business. Like Marmot Day, and I just heard today a committee session that spent half the day on a bill that has been three years in the process. So we go through another special session or two? For what?

Mr. President Kelly and Mr. Speaker Edgmon, would you both do whatever you can to advance this process, so all of us in Alaska can be assured of a future?

Every editorial and letter I have seen is pointing out potential solutions, but apparently no one wants to be the first to speak. My friends Jim Jansen and Marc Langland had a good article in the Feb. 6 paper, except they have it backward.

The very first step we should be making is to reinstate the personal income tax, which we all paid for many years. I have spoken with many people, including some of the high-income earners who will be the larger contributors, and all agree that the income tax is the fairest way to generate the most income without impacting the low-wage earners. Then the Permanent Fund earnings can be used to help at least narrow the gap.

Please, just don't get down to the 80th day and say there is not enough time to do all that work.

I think all of us would be glad to help shoulder the burden, to assure maintaining a proper level of services with out drastically reducing jobs or our way of life.

— Orin Seybert
Anchorage

More transparency needed with health care prices

I fully support Rep. Ivy Spohnholz's bill on transparency in health care prices. At 60 and middle class, I can't afford Obamacare's $2,500 per month premiums so I do without insurance. I must pick and choose carefully. This week, I called my doctor's office for a prescription refill that costs $7.62 and was told to come in. I never know what I will be charged. It could be $175, $200 or $250 for an office visit. After waiting for two days on a callback with an estimate (having missed a message on my cell), I called to cancel and called another doctor's office that had advertised at a show "that they would charge uninsured people at the Medicare rate," which turned out to be untrue. There I was told that it could be "up to $248 depending on how the doctor coded it."

Wow, I might save $2, so I made the appointment. Then I got a callback from my doctor's office telling me they could offer me 20 percent off and it would be $160, so I canceled with the second doctor's office and rescheduled with my doctor.

I adore my doctor but I would really appreciate a little mercy on knowing prices ahead of time.

— Jana P. Barlow
Anchorage

Hammond worked for all
Alaskans. What happened?

In Alaska Dispatch News, the question has been raised as to how to commemorate Alaska's bush rat governor, Jay Hammond. Schools and bridges could be named for him, but clearly he never wanted that.

During his administration, Gov. Hammond worked courageously to build a good future for ALL Alaskans. After his election, Gov. Walker proposed nuanced changes to Alaska's fiscal crisis, a combination of cuts and taxes impacting all of us. The Republican Legislature chose to block the governor's proposals and began to drain our budget reserves.

Programs that have taken nearly 60 years of progress since statehood to build are being destroyed. The Alaska State Troopers post in Girdwood overseeing one of our most dangerous highways is closed. Road maintenance, the university system, elders and our poor have suffered the brunt of the Legislature's cuts while the oil companies keep profiting. Is hurting the most vulnerable in our community, voting for ignorance and diminishing public safety the best that we can get from our Senate?

These are times for creative, pragmatic leaders. Oil prices aren't rising and Alaska needs to remain solvent or all of us will suffer. Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said: "I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization." It is for our legislators to be like Gov. Jay Hammond and invest in a viable future to us.

— Chuck Norton
Anchorage

Planned Parenthood is
important part of health care

It is my firm belief that Planned Parenthood is essential to ensuring that Alaskans are able to thrive and prosper. Planned Parenthood provides valuable support to those faced with abuse. Particularly in a place like Alaska where abuse is so prevalent, limiting access to such resources is a disgrace to our state and is a grave disservice to Alaskans who are currently suffering and need help. Planned Parenthood offers professional counseling, support and resources where families cannot. Stories of abuse have become disturbingly commonplace in Alaska, and complacency can no longer be an option.

Denying Alaskans health services that promote choice, consent and mutual respect will be a detriment to the health of our state. I urge Sen. Lisa Murkowski to stand with the majority of Alaskans in opposition to the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

— Nithya Thiru
Anchorage

USA — a 'caring and
compassionate' nation

Since 1965, 59 million people were allowed to immigrate from other countries into the United States for a better life. Since 1973, over 58 million children were not allowed to immigrate from the womb into the United States for just a life. When does the "caring and compassionate" part kick in?

— Rolf L. Bilet
Anchorage

What qualifications are
needed to become a senator?

As promised, Sen. Murkowski and the senator from Maine both voted against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos for education secretary. Their rationale for voting no was that "they deemed her unqualified for the position." So, if that's true, how does being the daughter of a U.S. senator make one qualified to be given the position of U.S. senator? Seems like the fox only wants to be put in charge of the henhouse when its "her" henhouse?

— Gerry Guay
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 under 200 words 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.