Leader itching to use nukes
Interestingly enough, public television shows its "American Experience" series on how the U.S. got into WWI just as we seem to be on the precipice of another conflict. This next one will be nuclear. We have an unstable world leader with nuclear weapons who is itching to use them. Nobody knows what he is going to do. He is definitely a threat to the peace of the world. And then … there is Kim Jong-un.
— Jay Cross
Big Lake
Wohlforth leads with heart on wildlife policy, not science
Charles Wohlforth's article (ADN, April 13) in regard to game management in Alaska does a good job of reflecting the views of the uninformed in this field. After sitting on the state Board of Game for several years and being briefed by biologists and other wildlife specialists, I developed a high regard for their expertise. Most Game Board meetings involved these experts outlining the need for management based on science and research.
Then the public would testify and some of them would disagree with the experts based not on science, but on emotion. Most of Wohlforth's article fell into the emotion category. For example, on average 100 cow moose will give birth to 120 calves in the spring. Usually between 20 and 30 of them make it to the next spring. Those 100 calves who don't, are eaten by wolves, bears and other predators. Unit 16B, across Cook Inlet from Anchorage, was down to less than five calves surviving a few years ago. The wolf and bear populations were double what they should be. After intensive predator management the predator populations were cut in half. Since then, moose have rebounded to normal, and the survival rate for calves, is back to normal. The state Department of Fish and Game wants to strike a balance, based on science and experience, between predator and prey so they both prosper. We should support them in that effort.
— Bob Bell
Anchorage
Murkowski respects, responds to voters; Sullivan doesn't
As an Alaskan it is important to contact your political representatives if you have concerns about policy or voting records. I would like to thank Sen. Lisa Murkowski for being a responsive politician. Unfortunately, our Sen. Dan Sullivan does not appear to have staffing to answer phones nor does he respond to emails or phone messages. Shame on you, Sen. Sullivan, for your lack of responsiveness to your constituents.
— Richard Onorato
Anchorage
Legislators don't get the message
It looks like it is business as usual in Juneau. The people we sent to get the job done haven't gotten the message that, we the people, sent them to Juneau to address the budget shortfalls this legislative session. I want to throw up reading about the same old lines spewed out by the Senate as they continue the raid on the reserve accounts. Majority members think using these reserves is truly balancing the budget. We are supposed to feel grateful when we hear the only thing standing between an income tax and the people of Alaska is the state Senate.
Should we erect a statue now to the Senate or wait till our fiscal situation is completely out of hand? Nobody wants to pay income taxes or a state sales tax. But Alaskans pretty much agree added revenues are a necessity to ensure our state stays solvent and a place we want to live in. I don't see why legislators refuse to acknowledge the fact that everyone has to contribute something to remedy our situation. I commend the House coalition for at least trying to address the issue at hand. I wish all lawmakers would fulfill their obligations. I despise the business-as-usual approach being taken, and have no doubt more special sessions won't produce much of a positive result for Alaska. Our sour representatives are squandering their opportunity to fix the problem.
We should send them all home in the next election — but would anything change or would we just get more of the same from the next crop of so-called politicians?
We the people are sick of this and demand you to get the job done once and for all. Sincerely, one ol' retired Alaskan.
— Terry Smith
Sterling
Keep checkbooks from Senate
Much earlier in my life I remember receiving a big bill for either home or auto insurance, which caught me unaware. We didn't have enough in the bank to cover it, so it took some scrambling to come up with the money. To keep this from happening again I spent some time and created a fancy budget. When I showed it to my wife she said I'd done a wonderful job but she saw one small problem — we didn't make that much money!
If only back then I had the wisdom of our state Senate, I would have just canceled the damn insurance.
In fact our executive and legislative branches are so proficient at balancing the state checkbook they're able to take the time to tell our physicians how to prescribe medications.
— Jim W. Bennett
Soldotna
Recommit to planet Earth
Saturday is the 47th annual celebration of Earth Day. It is more important than ever. To paraphrase Chief Seattle, who can own the wind, the sky, the earth, the water? Many will try, and corporations will lease or buy rights to use them, but in the end they belong to the creation that is greater than any of us. We will not take any of it with us when our lives end. What will we be leaving behind for coming generations and all of the rest of creation?
Find an Earth Day celebration near you. You can check out March for Science and Earth Day on Facebook. Come one and all, young and old, great and small, and recommit to take care of this earth, our home!
— Beverly Churchill
Anchorage
More power to Phoenix
So Alaska's social conservatives are worried the appointment of Drew Phoenix to the state Human Rights Commission might actually extend anti-discrimination rights to a discriminated group of (Gasp!) humans?(ADN, April 12; "Conservatives target Human Rights Commission appointee.")
You mean, the commission might actually be doing its job? I say, confirm Phoenix and more power to him.
— Robyn Lauster
Anchorage
Pick up your dog's poop, please
I don't know why I am bothering to write this since it won't change anything. I know how much "work" it is to bend over and pick up your dog's poop. But have you thought about how much work it is to get it off a person's shoes? Is it that difficult to be a responsible pet owner? Apparently it is. Enough said. Have a groovy day all.
— Kram Veit
Anchorage
Taxes allow all to share riches
Lela Markham repeated the tired trope that "taxes are theft" when commenting on my letter (ADN, April 10) . She should try living in a society without taxes and see how well she would do there. Only warlords gain when we lose civic spirit, faith in the commonwealth we share, and trust in the government that serves us all. (And warlords also impose taxes.)
Sure, government always needs to be watched, it's subject to fraud, waste, and abuse, just like any bureaucracy (including capitalist ones, such as corporations).
But life without government would be nasty, brutish, and short, as pointed out long ago by philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The fact some of us are rich — and most of us are getting by quite well, thank you — is due as much to government and the society around us as to our own efforts. (And the amount of actual redistribution in our society — apart from what goes from the poor and the middle class to the rich — is rather small.)
— Rick Wicks
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.