Readers write: Letters to the editor, January 23, 2018

Need to get 'facts' straight
Ken Flynn's assumption in his letter of the "fact" of a "shrinking" base of support for Trump is quite laughable. He seems to be laboring under the same "fact" that predicted Clinton's victory. He should do himself a favor and never assume till all is said and done. This assumption showcases the arrogance of the liberals and why they're currently the minority in national politics. This coming from a former liberal turned independent.
— Kyle R. Chiklak
Anchorage

If the good things happening are Trump's fault, I'll take it
It has now been a year since Donald Trump was inaugurated. Many people are very unhappy.
The GDP is up, unemployment is down, ISIS has been dealt devastating blows. Some minority sectors are seeing employment at levels not seen in decades, if ever. Illegal border crossings are significantly reduced. And then there is that troublesome stock market. What to do with gains approaching percent. Yes many people are unhappy, the rest of us are ecstatic, and it is largely Trump's fault. Millions of people burdened with robust 401Ks and unexpected pay raises and/or cash bonuses. Don't bet a lot on Trump's "shrinking base."
— M.J. Koskovich
Wasilla

Lobby making the wrong move
Sharman Haley's Move to Amend lobby (Commentary, Jan. 21) wants a constitutional amendment stating that corporations are not people and, therefore, have no rights protected by the Constitution, including the right to free speech. Besides speech, the Constitution protects religious expression and freedom of the press. The New York Times, Washington Post, and the ADN are corporations, so the proposed amendment would strip freedom of the press from these.
Nonprofit religious charities are corporations, to comply with the tax code, and most churches are incorporated, thus no freedom of religious expression for them. The error with Move to Amend's thinking is that corporations are people, the people who create the corporation, own it, and work in it.
In any event, the First Amendment doesn't mention people. The subjects protected are religion, speech, and the press, no matter what the source. Freedom of speech is already restricted on college campuses, and freedom of religion is continually under attack. Move to Amend would complete the destruction of the basic freedoms necessary for democracy, and, thus, of democracy itself.
— Robert B. Flint
Anchorage

Senators falling down on job
We are the (former) board of directors, CEO and CFO of a major corporation. We failed to agree on an annual budget and dividend to shareholders. We missed this fiscal deadline and thus violated our fiduciary duty to our shareholders and employees. The shareholders called a special meeting and voted us all out of our jobs.
We are the senatorial members of the Alaska congressional delegation, we have failed our constitutional duty along with our fellow GOP and Democratic colleagues to enact a budget (yet again) as required by the Constitution. As a result, we have deprived our citizens of many of the government's essential services and most of our government employees of their pay. Fortunately, we retain our pay irrespective of our incompetence and violation of the Constitution which we swore to uphold.
— Peter Hanley
Anchorage

Shutdown is just paid vacation
Let's be realistic. It's not a government shutdown. It's a paid vacation for some federal employees.
— Dick Mikkelsen
Anchorage

Need to do more than march
It is inspiring to see so many people march for women all around the world. To be a feminist is to stand for equality for women, and in America today women are not equal. But is it enough to just march? There are other ways to work for equality for women. For example, Rep. Geran Tarr could use some help getting House Bill 45 passed into law. HB 45 raises the minimum wage in Alaska to $15 dollars an hour and requires equal pay for comparable work. Unfortunately the other 59 legislators are not helping Geran Tarr pass HB 45. These 59 legislators apparently need some motivation to support HB 45. You can provide that motivation by calling your legislators and asking them to support HB 45.
One other thing a person can do to support equality for women is to run for the Legislature. More women, and especially young women, should run for office. Running for office with a win/win strategy, which is essentially about service by promoting equality (or justice) whether or not one is elected is honorable and advances the cause of equality.
— Jed Whittaker
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@adn.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@adn.com.