Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, March 23, 2017

Health centers can't fill gap
if Planned Parenthood goes

I have been disappointed by Sen. Dan Sullivan's refusal to recognize the importance of Planned Parenthood in Alaska's communities. I have been even more disappointed by his political talking points that claim community health centers can simply fill the gap if patients could no longer rely on Planned Parenthood. Multiple news outlets have explained that this is simply not true and such a scenario could cause devastating impacts on our communities.

As the House continues to steamroll through repealing the Affordable Care Act and defunding Planned Parenthood, we need the Senate to act as the thoughtful, deliberative body it was intended to be. That is why I hope Sen. Sullivan will join Sen. Lisa Murkowski not only in supporting Alaskans by protecting Planned Parenthood, but also pushing their leadership to take this issue out of the ongoing health care negotiations and discussions. As Sen. Murkowski explained during her legislative address, the issue of Planned Parenthood has no place in the ongoing health care discussions.

It is time for Sen. Sullivan to join Sen. Murkowski and protect Alaskans' access to health care by protecting Planned Parenthood.

— Catherine Coward
Anchorage

Good acts and pride

I'd like to highlight Charles Wohlforth's next to last paragraph in his Tuesday (March 21) column:

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"Our culture is created by each us as we decide how to live our lives. Good acts are rewarded by personal pride and the influence they create on others to act positively too."

Do you agree? Guess where I come down.

— Jack Roderick
Anchorage

Arts are vital to community — and they make financial sense

According to Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts industry (museums, theater and dance companies, performing arts centers, orchestras, arts councils and others) generates $22.3 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues annually — a yield well beyond their collective $4 billion in arts allocations.
Because the National Endowment for the Arts supports artistic excellence and improves access to the arts by granting funds to nonprofit arts organizations, I call on our federal officials to support an increase in funding for the NEA beyond its 1993 funding level of $174 million. That funding figure equals $277 million in today's dollars.

Our schools need more arts education. Schools, especially those struggling, can retain their best teachers by becoming incubators for creativity and innovation, places where students want to learn and teachers want to teach. Students with an education rich in the arts have better grade point averages, score better on standardized tests in reading and math, and have lower dropout rates — findings that cut across all socioeconomic categories. Congress and state education leaders should support strong arts education programs in order for local school leaders to include the arts in all disciplines (dance, theater, music, visual and media arts) in their curriculum.

Our rural communities contain some of the greatest cultural assets of our country. Rural economic development should be strengthened to help these communities promote the richness of their heritage and assist local artists with their entrepreneurship.

Across the country, the role of the arts as an economic engine is growing in acceptance and strength. I call on all lawmakers to support funding and policies at the federal level that would recognize the growth potential and direct benefits of encouraging cities and states to strategically invest in the arts in order to drive economic development.

— John Damberg
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.

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