Readers write: Letters to the editor, May 12, 2016

The legislative majority has created a situation of disabling, corrosive uncertainty for our state. Whose interests are served? Certainly not those of the citizens. If a budget isn’t forthcoming this week, how about using the governor’s budget proposal and working from there?

— Vicki Vermillion

Anchorage

Here’s a short conversation that could be occurring at gun shops in Alaska and across America:

Customer: “I’d like to extend the range on my 12-gauge shotgun. Do you have some kind of specialty choke tube that can do that?

Storekeeper: “A full choke will give you an effective range of about 40 yards.”

Customer: “I’m afraid that won’t do it. Don’t you have something that will get me out to about 100 yards?”

Storekeeper: “Why would you be shooting at waterfowl that high?”

Customer: “I’m not hunting waterfowl. It’s those damnable drones everywhere.”

— Frank E. Baker

Eagle River

I have noticed that the street sweepers are doing a much better job this spring than previous years. The streets have been cleaned right to the curbs where the gravel accumulates. Keep up the good work!

— Jean Tam

Anchorage

I am alarmed with the actions of Rep. Craig Johnson in disregarding legal advice and pursuing an appeal of the Alaska Legislature’s lawsuit over Medicaid expansion. Johnson states he is ignoring the legal opinion because he thinks it was a “wrong opinion,” or does he mean he just does not agree with the legal point of view? With no hearings, public input or legislative consultation, Johnson apparently has the power to commit some $470,000 in scarce Alaska funds in pursuit of this ill-advised appeal, which seems like a personal vendetta for him. Hopefully this waste of time and money can be turned around and Johnson’s zeal to tilt at this Medicaid windmill will be cooled.

— Gerald R. Taft

Anchorage

To our state legislators: We pay out far too much in oil subsidies for me to ever consider giving up my PFD. Don’t support the oil industries on the backs of the citizens. But we all have to consider some sacrifice to get to a decent state budget. So as a compromise consider this. For every percent of my PFD you cut oil subsidies by the same percentage. Cut my PFD by 25 percent then you’d better have cut the oil subsidies by 25 percent. Take 50 percent of my PFD then you’d better have cut the oil subsidies by 50 percent. Consider a sales tax if you must, consider an income tax if you must. Just make the sacrifice equal and across the board.

— John Klapproth

Anchorage

With regard to the matter of providing toilet facilities for transgender persons in public buildings, it seems to me that for many public facilities, this need has already largely been met. The 1992 Americans with Disabilities Act requires that at least one ADA-compliant “single-person” toilet room (sometimes called a “unisex” bathroom) must be provided in every new, or substantially remodeled, public building. Such spacious toilet rooms include one water closet and one bathroom sink. Of course, such “unisex” bathrooms do not answer the question of how to provide showers and locker facilities for transgender persons, but the point I’m making here is that, arguably, the provision of toilet facilities for transgender persons in a great many of our public buildings has already been achieved.

— Stephan Paliwoda

Anchorage

I am very sorry Ms. Minge that Anchorage is so full of drivers that think that obeying the rules of the road, operating their vehicle in a safe manner and avoiding collisions is optional.

There are a lot of us cyclists, and I suspect a good number of noncyclists, outraged by this incident.

That could of have been any one of us — the thousands of people who ride two-wheel cycles, motorized or not.

Recent headlines show that even motorcycles are sometimes targeted by these rage drivers.

As cyclists, we are here and we aren’t going away, contrary to some of the e-comments about this incident calling for outlawing bikes.

I license my bikes. I know the difference between a stop sign and a yield sign and a red versus a green or yellow traffic signal. It’s also very difficult to operate a cellphone or portable pad device while operating a cycle. I also drive automobiles and pickup trucks and I pay my property taxes just like people who look down their noses at cyclists. I realize the police cannot be everywhere, but I’m not sure there is any traffic law enforcement in this village.

And as for the number of drivers driving “while license revoked or suspended,” just take a look at The Glacier Gazette or the Tundra Times.

Speedy recovery Ms. Minge. Good luck on your triathlons.

— Gary Rogers

Anchorage

I am a former Alaskan and I would like to comment on the hit-and-run biker incident. I have long felt that the law requiring bicyclists to ride with (in the same direction as) traffic was very dangerous. The biker can’t see what is coming and if there is danger cannot take evasive action. By changing the law to have cyclists, as do pedestrians, ride facing traffic, it would be much safer.

— Sandra Wagenius

Portland

No free health coverage.

I am amazed that the police/fire department employees unions are using advertising to get free insurance for surviving family members. The U.S. government does not cover service members’ living family members of killed soldiers. So why should the state of Alaska cover it? The police/fire employees know the risk of the jobs. They have read the job requirements. Just a thought: why don’t their unions cover insurance costs?

— Darren Nault

Anchorage

Elise Patkotak’s comment piece (ADN May 11) singing the praises of Hillary Clinton, citing “she is competent and qualified” makes me retch. Space doesn’t allow all the negatives about the Clintons, but she as president would likely set back the chances for another woman to be considered for decades, much like Obama has likely done for another black president, someone honorable like Ben Carson. Patkotak points out Trump’s lack of qualifications while overlooking Obama’s “community organizer” experience and short time in Congress before becoming president, not to mention his anti-American “church” headed by the venom-spewing “preacher” Wright. Trump’s popularity is pinned on the utter contempt a huge portion of the electorate has for the establishment and liberals like Patkotak. There is a quiet revolution going on, and if it fails to get the attention of those responsible for the mess we’re in, it could get much worse. We’re debating the right for transgender access to bathrooms now for God’s sake! What an incredible waste of energy while Rome is burning.

— William Ahrens

Eagle River

The Anchorage Assembly, assembled in Midtown, voted to pass a resolution that’s not worth the paper it’s written on to demand state legislators keep the city’s Legislative Information Office downtown.

Paul Jenkins (Anchorage Daily Planet, May 10) was right though. The purpose of this resolution is purely partisan and purely political. Eric Croft needs to check his political partisanship at the door when he attends meetings. His true colors (and many long years in the minority as a legislator) were in full display as he began to explain his take on the LIO resolution with a mention of legislators having to know the muni’s laws.

Croft then exhibited one of the most unstatesmanlike, undiplomatic, and quite frankly, immature performances ever from an elected official as he made clear his intent to vote yes on the LIO matter is based on his disdain for our state legislators.

That kind of political partisanship does not belong in Anchorage’s nonpartisan Assembly Chambers.

— Andree McLeod

Anchorage

Graduation rate climbs to 80.2 percent for ASD schools. An increase of more than 20 percentage points in the last 10 years. The school board thought we needed a new superintendent. Why? I’m still waiting for the answer.

— Richard Wooten

Anchorage