Readers write: Letters to the editor, June 7, 2017

Replacing Affordable Care Act will be painful for Alaskans

Polls demonstrate that the Affordable Care Act is increasingly popular. Voters simply don't want it repealed. They want our legislators to work together to decrease costs — for health care services and medications — to protect patients and ensure people have access to affordable coverage.

It's time to move on from the current debate. Congressional opponents of the Affordable Care Act in Congress should cease their imprudent undertaking to repeal the law, as the American people — along with many in Congress — approve of and want to keep the law's protections and main provisions.

The Senate should not only reject the bill to repeal the health law passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate should also strongly oppose any proposals that cut Medicaid, end the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion or increase the number of people without health insurance.

Last month the House of Representatives voted to repeal the ACA and replace it with the unsuitably titled American Health Care Act. This bill is detrimental for Americans, and Alaskans should be especially concerned about the potential explosion of health care costs if the AHCA is passed. With an age tax, it allows insurance companies to charge older people five times more for equal services. Plus, approximately 24 million people will lose insurance, including 50,000 Alaskans with pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, Medicaid expansion will end, and future care will be rationed for the more than 181,000 Alaskans receiving coverage through Medicaid.

It is clear that our nation is at a turning point. As Washington debates the future of the health care system, it may be easy to lose sight of what's at stake for millions of Americans. Arguably, Alaskans have the most to lose if efforts to pass the ACHA succeed.

— Ruth Virchow
primary care provider
Anchorage

State shutdown will mean no
limits on fishing and hunting

Every day there are articles and letters in the ADN ostracizing our illustrious Alaska state Legislature. Most people seem to feel that it is a bad idea to not have a fiscal plan. I have the opposite opinion.

I am looking forward to the first day of July, when the state shuts down. I will make the drive to the Kenai Peninsula, in the general vicinity of 90 mph, with eight fishing rods and a minimum of three dipnets.

I will fish whenever and wherever I so desire. I will gather as many gill-bearing creatures as is humanly possible. While our elected officials continue to collect money every day for doing nothing, I will be really, really, really busy filling my freezer beyond capacity. There will be no one to stop me.

If the stalemate continues beyond the primary red salmon season, I will buy another freezer and then drive north (I may slow down to 85 mph). I will fill that new freezer with moose and caribou. I will take only the prime cuts of meat. There will be no one to stop me.

While the Senate is busy blaming the House and the House is busy blaming the Senate, I will be busy reaping all the wild bounty Alaska has to offer. Moose, caribou, salmon, grouse, ducks, hares, and ptarmigan are all on my list. I will hunt and fish whenever, wherever and by any means I so desire. With the state shut down, there will be no one to stop me.

— John Hemmelgarn
Anchorage

Thanks to the rescuers

Thank you to my neighbors Chris, Steve and Teresa, who rescued and comforted me after I was stomped and continued to be charged by the cow moose in Eaglewood. I'm fortunate that I was not more seriously injured. My heart and thoughts are with the Roberts family.

As an avid walker and outdoors person, I accept responsibility for my lack of awareness that contributed to this incident. However, it was known that the cow and calves were bedded in the narrow corridor for days. I believe more prominent signage and closing the corridor temporarily could have prevented multiple attacks. The cow was a good mother and didn't deserve to die. The babies didn't deserve to lose their mother.

— Angie Horn
Eagle River

Dogma based on fantasy
generates fanaticism

After a decade and a half of fruitless war in the Middle East, ISIS, al-Qaida and their lone wolf proxies are still attacking at will across the civilized world. Trillions in U.S. treasure spent and hundreds of thousands of civilians dead from Mosul to Palestine to Tripoli to Damascus and beyond. Yes, sir, shock and awe, we are really taking the fight to them now! Is there any chance we will stop killing each other long enough to examine the cause of this carnage? It is dogma. Ours and theirs. Us versus them.

Every major religion has had its turn at inflicting horrific violence in its god's name and it looks very much like each will again, at some near point. Currently it is Islam that is generating the dangerous religious fanatics, but history shows us that any dogma is capable of it, and at any time. At what point does it become unacceptable, or at least unfashionable, to promote a belief in the fantasy-based thinking required of any religion? When will man evolve out of the Santa Claus mentality that some grand master is watching us, and if we are not naughty but nice, we get our reward of nirvana for eternity for our tribe?

That we encourage, if not champion, the fantasy-based thinking that was first hatched around a Stone Age campfire, among a group of illiterate men who thought the world was flat, is an embarrassment to humankind. It's time to grow up.

— Bob Lacher
Wasilla

Fee on fossil fuels could
encourage energy innovation

I am concerned about the contribution of fossil fuels to climate change. I also support the president's spoken goals of good jobs, a healthy economy and policies that don't harm low- and middle-income Americans.

Here's what I think we should do: Put a fee on fossil fuels at their point of entry into the economy, such as at the wellhead, coal mine or port, to be paid by the polluting company. Start small, but increase the fee each year in a predictable manner. This will bring energy innovation. Investors and companies are more likely to fund research, development and the scaling up of cleaner energy sources if fossil fuels become more expensive.

To protect individuals, return the collected carbon fees to each American in equal dividends — like the PFD. Economists say that about two-thirds of American families and individuals will come out ahead or break even, including rural Alaskans, because their dividends will be greater than their increased costs. Low- and middle-income people will benefit the most because they tend to use less energy. These dividends will circulate back into the economy, like our Permanent Fund dividends do here in Alaska.

Finally, protect American businesses with a border adjustment when they trade with a country that doesn't put a fee on carbon.

This plan is called "carbon fee and dividend." It creates jobs, doesn't increase the size or control of government, and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. You can find more information here: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/carbon-fee-and-dividend/
Please call Congressman Young and Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski (http://
alaska.gov/congressdelegation.html) and ask them to support climate action, whether it is this plan or something else. Our representatives are looking to us for guidance.

— Jan Bronson
Anchorage

Politically incorrect photo

On June 6, ADN in the Opinion/Perspective section printed a photo of a pair of Dall sheep fighting each other. Shame on you, ADN, for promoting a violence among animals and printing such a politically incorrect photo.

I am sure all Democrats would agree with me.

— Rudy Budesky
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.