Our politics makes you yearn for baseball

Well, baseball is over for the year. The World Series was pretty magnificent even though my team didn't make it this year. I wasn't able to root for my boat's namesake, Mookie Betts, but there's always next year. Only 144 days until opening day. Now what? Just wait? Are we supposed to spend the winter watching baseball movies? Debate people on social media about which film is better? No! "It's Field of Dreams," or, maybe "The Natural." Oh, I hadn't thought of "Sandlot" as a baseball film, and I forgot how much I love "Eight Men Out." The latest Jackie Robinson film is a must see.

I realize there are other sports, but I haven't decided which cricket team is my favorite. So I guess we're back to politics. The thing I love about baseball is, other than the brilliance of the game, is that if your team loses, old people don't lose their nursing homes, kids still have access to an education and health care, oh, and food, the environment doesn't get molested by corporations, and our bridges don't fall down. You just get to say, well, there's March 29th, 2018!

[The Permanent Fund's defined purpose isn't what you think]

Our Legislature is spinning its wheels in Juneau again. Here's the truth of it that no one wants to talk about. Our Permanent Fund makes more in interest each year than we make off of oil production. Think about that. Just leave that stuff in the ground until the price comes back up. While our delegation honks about opening the Arctic and our reserves to oil production they don't mention that our state gets next to nothing for it. Jobs? Right. Jobs that are filled by out-of-staters half the time who have way more Alaska Airlines miles than you and I and beat us out of the first-class upgrade waiting list? They don't even buy our Girl Scout cookies. Anyway. You can beat your head against that wall all day long and it won't change that lobbyists have a louder voice.

In Washington, the House is planning to vote on their new Cut, Cut, Cut Tax Plan. I suppose it's aptly named since it cuts your ability to deduct medical expenses, to deduct moving expenses, deduct dependent care assistance programs, the deduction for teachers' classroom expenses and, for no reason on God's green earth that I can think of, deduct adoption expenses. Why? Well, someone has to cover the estate tax rollback. Might as well be that nice couple who are adopting a baby. Maybe they can start a GoFundMe to pay for what would have been a deduction before. Maybe the House thinks liberal couples are going to start adopting the DREAMers and they think it's just for the tax break.

[Analysis: Winners and losers in the GOP tax plan]

Oh, and teachers? They have been able to deduct $250 a year for supplies — there's who you need to be hitting. Those greedy teachers who only work part of the year and all. Wait. Professional ballplayers only play part of the year and I don't hear folks complaining about their salaries or unions. But for sure, let's take from teachers and give to LeBron James. That makes sense. If you're crazy. The joint tax committee says the House GOP tax plan will only add $1.487 trillion to the deficit. That should be enough reason to vote no. Will our delegation be strong enough to vote in our best interest? Hard telling, not knowing. Now that we know Congressman Don Young pulled a 10 inch knife and pinned John Boehner against a wall once, I'm less inclined to ask him.

Instead of using this fine ink and these pixels to try to sum up the corruption and scandal chase that is taking most of the air out of our news cycles, I want to ask you to do something we should all be able to agree on. I want you to ask your friends to join us.

There's a 9-year old boy named Jacob Thompson who isn't expected to live more than a month. He has had cancer since he was 5. He loves Christmas and would like to have it early in the form of Christmas cards. He loves penguins. Here's his address:

Jacob Thompson

c/o Maine Medical Center

22 Bramhall Street

Portland, ME 04102

Let's send him some love from Alaska. Here's a chance for us to show that we still have lots of that to share. Chins up, chests out. Carry on.

Shannyn Moore is a radio broadcaster.

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