Thank you, firefighters
Tuesday night, the "Invisible Warriors" literally saved our lives here on the Kenai. We should respect and honor the yellow-shirt grunts that work the fire line. Seldom, if ever, does one get to meet these Hot Shot crews. I got to meet them last summer at the thank you barbecue at the Soldotna Sports Center. They would enter the building by the bus load, coming directly from working the fire line. Stinking, soaked in their own sweat, covered in layers of soot and ash, smelled of burning wood, their bright yellow shirts were covered with black. Layer after layer of soot covered their sweaty faces and all you could see was their eyes and teeth. It was a sincere honor to finally meet these warriors. Hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps, sincere thanks and gratitude was directed to them. They were shy and bashful young men and women. Few would speak as individuals, but they were comfortable as a group. They would blush and dip their heads as we tried to thank them. Reminded me of the young soldiers, the "grunts" that I served with so many years ago. Young warriors with the heart and courage of a lion. We are going to be bumping into these Hot Shot crews in our communities, when they finally get a day off and travel into town. You can't miss them. Their yellow shirts are badges of honor and courage. Make the time to say a sincere thank you for all they do.
— Steve Wright
Soldotna
Math seems more right than wrong
William Ahrens (Letters, June 12) said, "Divide the $5 billion state operating budget by the approximately 730,000 Alaskans …," and he seems to think the result is outrageously high state spending. Is less than $7,000 per year really a lot for all the public goods — schools, transportation network, parks, public safety, etc. — that the state supplies? I don't think so. Remember as Hobbes said about "the state of Nature," life without government would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
— Rick Wicks
Anchorage
Hypocrisy displayed on federal funds
Did anyone notice that those who oppose federal funding of Medicaid expansion were hypocritically quick to accept federal funds for fixing the Dalton Highway?
— Ken Flynn
Anchorage
Senators only share their truth
Sens. Cathy Giessel and Anna MacKinnon stated Alaskans deserve the truth, unfortunately, they're not telling it:
1. Their party's responsible for the sole-source boondoggle Taj MaHawker Anchorage LIO where the full-service lease went from $682,000 to over $5 million a year for the next 10 years.
2. The Republicans supported giving away billions to oil companies in last year's vote on SB 21, and surprise, the state's taking in billions less revenue.
3. Giessel's cohort Rep. Mike Hawker had the opportunity to retain the previous state retirement system in 2006 and instead, we are now having to pump billions of dollars into this new system.
4. The majority's lack of support for anything that President Obama's instituted, including Medicaid expansion, Alaska-run health insurance exchange or anything to do with the ACA, which would help the economy, create jobs and help many Alaskans, is damaging.
5. Look no further than this last legislative session to remember the majority wasted millions as they dithered in Juneau or at their new political palace in overtime. Isn't the definition of insanity to keep electing the same people again and again and expecting a different result? Keep electing these allegedly fiscally conservative clowns and you'll continue to get the same result.
— Sam Combs, AIA, architect & recovering candidate for District 28's House seat
Anchorage
Teachers don't give up on students and the value of education in life
Public schools are working. A few years ago one of my students commented it appeared I cared more about her grade than she did. I replied I wanted my students to do well and some districts were thinking of implementing merit pay, which meant my salary would depend on how much my students learned. She then stated, "Well that's dumb because you can't make me learn if I don't want to." I always enjoyed teaching science to kids because it is best learned with hands-on projects and labs. Over the years I realized there is a correlation between a student's effort in class and whether or not parents valued education. I believe the reason private schools do well educating students is because of the high priority placed on education by parents. Economically challenged parents also care, but if the child arrives at school without breakfast it is difficult for the student to focus on the lesson.
Fortunately, the recalcitrant student decided by her senior year to embrace what high school had to offer. For the record, the student's public school teachers never gave up on her.
— Sharon Thompson
Anchor Point
State needs to ban fireworks forever
Gov. Walker and Alaska Legislature, please stop all sales of fireworks now, before any more wildfires start due to fireworks! The companies selling fireworks in Alaska obviously don't care and will continue to sell them. Before any more homes or businesses are lost, before any more money is spent fighting wildfires, please stop all sales. Importing fireworks to Alaska is very difficult due to the hazardous category of shipment requirements. So, we could effectively stop fireworks from starting new wildfires in Alaska very easily. I implore the governor and the Legislature to end fireworks sales. Isn't there some way to do that?
— Stacey Dean
Anchorage
Legislators feed wrong end of elephant
Prosperous, healthy societies value people over projects; failed ones often start their slide by diverting scarce resources to monuments. Despite this history, many Alaska lawmakers seem to believe that construction comes first and people get whatever is left, if anything. The conviction appears to be that construction projects, many worthwhile but others highly controversial, should be funded with money siphoned from education, from research, from help for the old and the poor and from children, and that rejecting Medicaid expansion makes a proud statement against federal overreach. Except for the bridge to the airport in Ketchikan, when else has Alaska turned down a penny of federal money? Alaskans already pay for Medicaid expansion though tax dollars, and every day that our lawmakers delay the return of these dollars is another day's loss for us. Ignorant, ill or injured people with few resources are in no position to contribute anything. Aside from the moral imperative of aiding those in need — not want — helping our brothers and sisters to health and knowledge is good business. A capable, vibrant population is in a position to add infrastructure, care for it and make this state a beacon for democracy.
First people, then projects, not the other way around: Our lawmakers are trying to feed the wrong end of the elephant.
— Cheryl Chapman
Anchorage
Pick. Click. Give. that per diem
Attention legislators, the spirit of giving begins at home. "Pick. Click. Give." should benefit from your ill-gotten gains, and by that I mean the per diem you are about to receive for services not rendered. If you need a list of the not-for-profit charities on the list, it is available on the state Department of Revenue website.
— Susan K. Fegert
Willow
Lawmakers deserve overtime pay
I think I know where the ADN was going with this: "Extra per diem pay bulks up legislator wallets," (June 14). Durn politicians with their snouts in the public trough. How about this take instead? Your job runs overtime and your employer refuses to pay you OT because you should have finished earlier. Try selling that to any worker. Maybe the editor would have preferred this headline: "Bree's Law not passed before session ends." Or maybe this one: "State employees lose mandated raises to pass budget by deadline." For my part, I believe in paying people for the work they do.
— Pamala Siegfried
Anchorage
Denali belongs to Alaska, not Ohio
I have been planning a trip to Alaska and have read in three travel guides about how Ohio's members of Congress have been holding up Alaska's preference for changing the name of Mount McKinley to Mount Denali.
I'm embarrassed to be from Ohio because of this. It's much more important to Alaskans than Ohioans. Let Alaskans have their name change, please. For the record, I have talked to my U.S. senator about supporting this name change and written to the congressman whose district includes Canton, home to President McKinley. I hope this helps and you get your name change. I am looking forward to visiting your beautiful state in September.
— Janice Oakley
Sagamore Hills, Ohio