Archived letters to the editor

Waste of Money

July 9

EDITOR, Daily News:

Virginia Adama

On June 14, 2025, our president approved spending an estimated $45 million on a national parade. At a time when our country is facing a significant budget deficit and critical services such as health care, job programs, and public agencies cut, it is fair ask: Was a parade really a necessity?

The enormous sum could have been directed toward reducing the deficit, improving veterans’ health care, providing disaster relief, modernizing the FAA System, or rehiring essential workers who were wrongfully laid off.

I am especially troubled by continued cuts to education and medical research. These areas represent our future and our wellbeing. Celebrations are fine, but not at the cost of undermining essential national priorities.

It’s time of our leaders to reconsider where our tax dollars are going.

Ownership

MikeSallee

July 9

EDITOR, Daily News:

First, a quick perusal of an online source tells me there are only about eight metals of the 90-some metals in the periodic table of chemical elements that are considered “precious metals,” a far cry from the 50 cited by Frank Murkowski in his July 1 Letter to the Editor.

But semantics aside, I take issue with a couple of other passages in Murkowski’s letter.

“Out of state environmental groups ... opposing any Alaska resource development.” While the use of the word “any” renders this statement patently false, environmental groups have often held industry’s feet to the fire when industry violates clean air, clean water, antitrust and numerous other laws.

Add to this decades-old industry argument about outsiders meddling in Alaska issues, I would point out that moneyed outside intersets have almost always been behind major development in Alaska. The floating fish traps that were finally outlawed shortly after statehood were controlled by Seattle-based companies.

Ketchikan Pulp was last owned by Louisiana Pacific, at the time based in Portland, Oregon. ALP in Sitka was owned by Oji Paper Co. Ltd of Tokyo, Japan.

Red Dog Mine is operated by Teck Resources LTD., a Canadian company; Fort Knox Gold Corp., based in Toronto, Canada; Pogo Gold Mine, of Australian heritage; Greens Creek Mine, based in Idaho; Kensington Gold Mine of Coeur Mining, based in Chicago; Donlin Gold LLC, owned by Barrick Gold and Nova Gold of Canada; Pebble Mine, owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals LTD. of Vancouver, British Columbia, to name a few.

When faced with the financial, legal and political muscle held by non-Alaska, well-heeled resource developers, it only makes sense in a state with a relatively sparse population to balance that muscle with outside financial, legal and political help.

And as a final thought, this administration with its tariffs and executive orders, and the Republican legislature with their “Bill Beautiful Bill” do not appear to be the least bit interested in hearing from or helping everyday Alaskans.

America Now

Jim Guenther

July 2

EDITOR, Daily News:

This is America now.

Unidentified men in black masks forcing brown skinned people out of their cars, homes, and out of their jobs demanding to see their papers.

People being imprisoned in third world countries without due process.

Rich men huddled in back rooms writing self-serving projects for the president to enact.

Clean air and water regulations being rolled back and not enforced.

Public lands being parceled out to be sold to private firms.

Tens of thousands of civil servants being fired without cause.

Presidential access being sold to the highest bidder.

Law firms barred from practicing in federal court houses.

A president using his office to enrich himself and his businesses.

Universities being punished and losing science grants for allowing free speech on their campuses.

The judiciary being threatened for their judgments against unconstitutional laws.

The retraction of funding for our public media outlets and silencing our public radio stations.

National Guard troops being recklessly deployed on the streets of our cities.

Longtime international allies being threatened with military takeover.

Trading the healthcare and food security of millions of Americans in exchange for tax breaks for the wealthiest people and corporations in the world.

Cutting off the food programs that feed the starving children around the world.

Exacerbating climate change by inaction and denial and by subsidizing and protecting the fossil fuel industry.

This is what America looks like now.

Political assassinations perpetuated by dehumanizing tweets.

Where is our compassion?

Where is our national empathy?

Where is our devotion to fundamental civility and to the courageous acceptance of the diversity within our communities that might make America truly great some day?

Who will stand against a party that pledges its allegiance, not to our flag, or to our country, or our constitution, but to a man?

This is America now.

Tax benefits the super wealthy

By JANALEE MINNICH GAGE

July 1

·       Let's talk about how the current presidential administration will affect those of us in our community with disabilities, which includes school-age children with learning disabilities, veterans, elders and a wide range of individuals like myself who’ve been in a life-altering accident between the ages of 16-65.

·       The Heritage Foundation's 2025 authoritarian playbook for this administration is being implemented, and look at what Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has done recently. These moves will radically harm people living with various disabilities across the United States, especially Alaskans. Furthermore, actions speak louder than words, and this leads us to believe that they care more about money than their actual constituents. However, if we follow the money, it reveals who they do care about: Big business and the wealthy.

·       The disability community continues to grow for various reasons, from an aging population to long COVID and other factors.

·       We already are seeing effects on our educational systems with the funding veto from Gov. Dunleavy, whose words claim to support education, but actions suggest otherwise.

·       Don’t be surprised when the rights of, and protections for, disabled students end. We’re already hearing of reductions of people who offer support services to children with disabilities in our school system.

·       First, some history: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guaranteed civil rights to all individuals with disabilities, and required accommodations for disabled students in schools.

·       The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services was established to — as outlined in 20 U.S. Code 3402 — ensure access to equal educational opportunities for every individual, and to enhance coordination of federal programs in schools.

·       Project 2025 will eliminate earmarked funds that provide disabled individuals with access to valued educational institutions, such as the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the American Printing House for the Blind, and Gallaudet University. These essential institutions provide students with disabilities with education and support when they cannot receive an equitable education in mainstream public schools.

·       Next, we have the rescinding of equity in IDEA regulations, which not only negatively impacts rules that address segregation and stigmatization issues for students of color but also all students who need special education programs.

·       Now that we understand what’s at stake, let us discuss the workforce.

·       From 2019 to 2023, the average annual employment rate for men and women with disabilities increased by 10%. About 38.2% of working-age men and women have a disability, and the precentage is increasing annually.

·       I am a disabled working individual. It’s not lost on those of us living with disabilities that able-bodied individuals often have the misconception that those of us with disabilities are dependent on the support of hard-working Americans. Once we become disabled, we are labeled as "Other" and seen as living off of hard-working Americans.

·       The question we should ask is: Is it not in the best interest of those of us with disabilities to be employed? Many of us working-age individuals with disabilities prefer to be employed in the workforce.

·       To clarify another misconception, those of us receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) have contributed to it; it’s part of the Social Security system. It is not a handout; we worked hard for that money, just like every other working American.

·       Ultimately, the removal of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs, accessibility measures and equal rights to education proposed by Project 2025 would create even more barriers to employment, education and independent living for people with disabilities. In September 2024, 7.6 million workers identified as disabled, and Project 2025 would undermine basic worker protections for them.

·       Suppose we claim to care about veterans but ignore that a majority of veterans are individuals with disabilities. In that case, we should know that as of August 2024, 36.5% of working veterans have disabilities and are employed in federal, state, and local government jobs.

·       In 2021, the federal government alone employed over 337,000 disabled veterans.

·       Nevertheless, Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich claim to care about our vets. Seriously? Again, actions speak louder than words. Begich voted to cut Medicaid and Medicare funding in the Big Beautiful Bill, HR 1, and Sullivan continues to support everything this administration puts forth. Their words are empty, but their actions speak volumes.

·       The Trump-endorsed bill does one thing for sure: it provides massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, paid for by raiding Medicaid, Medicare and other public assistance programs, such as food stamps, by an estimated $3 trillion.

·       As we cut funding for Medicare and Medicaid and remove protections for minorities, including those with disabilities, we risk losing remarkable workers and valuable contributors to our society. And then who takes care of them? Whom do we become a burden on?

·       The responsibility falls on our families, friends, community and local hospitals. Ultimately, we can only endure so much before it becomes overwhelming.

·       Thus, if individuals with disabilities lack access to quality healthcare, they may struggle to thrive and potentially be unable to work, therefore becoming the burden society often accuses them of being, and worse, many will die.

·       The government states that its goal is to reduce "waste, fraud, and abuse" in these programs, aiming to save hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. However, look closely; these tax cuts benefit the super wealthy and feel more like an all-out assault on "We The People."

· ·       Janalee Minnich Gage is a lifelong resident of Ketchikan 

GOP adrift

Bill Rotecki

Jun 24

EDITOR, Daily News:

Most of the time, conservative means “fiscally conservative.” Today the Republican party is trying to increase our national debt by $2.4 trillion.  In my opinion, the party is adrift and has lost its moorings.

I long for the day when conservatism was more than just a word.

It will Take Courage

Eric Muench

June 20

EDITOR, Daily News:

We Americans enjoy our freedoms to travel, to live where and as we wish, to elect our leaders, to worship as we believe and speak our minds without fear, and to think of ourselves as permanently blessed by nature itself in the musically celebrated “land of the free.”

But some of us do not value these freedoms as clearly or as regretfully as did Germans after they allowed the 1930s conversion of their constitutional republic into a Nazi dictatorship. We too will have those people’s regrets if we are not smart enough to defend the rule of law.

What has enabled creation and growth over 200 years of America’s widely admired freedom and strength has been the democratic structure of governance that is set out in the United States Constitution.

This basic law of the land drives democratic government and also protects individual freedoms by demanding “habeas corpus” and “due process.” Ideas such as “innocent until proven guilty,” “rule of law” and trial by jury rather than by autocrats are guarded by the federal courts. The Constitution is the legal standard to which every state entering the union agreed and to which all other federal, state and local laws and regulations must conform, and to which every federal employee and office holder swears allegiance.

President Trump did, too, but rejects the limit on his power and would govern instead by executive order. Strong congressional oversight powers in the Constitution have been deliberately unused by the Republican majority unwilling to face up to the dangers of dictatorship in order to remain in Trumps’s favor. It has been left to the federal judges in our land to defend against executive dictatorship, but the courts have no enforcement army, while the president commands many police units as well as the armed forces, and he is using them with fearful force.

We are left with a stark choice: The rule of law (the Constitution), or the rule of a man (Trump) who will have achieved dictatorship if Congress lets hie and if the courts are swept aside by lack of enforcement powers and if we the people do not back up the courts and convince Congress or change its makeup.

It will take courage. But we must complete the musical refrain: “Land of the free AND the home of the brave.”

It’s OK to pay for Medicaid and Medicare

Jannelee Minnich Gage

 June 14

It has been 30 years since I walked into a barbershop to get my hair done and nearly lost my life to a 20-ton boulder while sitting under the hair dryer. In 2023, I finally underwent an amputation that freed me from 28 years of unimaginable pain.

Today, I struggle with feelings of anger and frustration, knowing that as a disabled individual, my right — and the rights of my friends and family — are at risk.

There is a common misconception that we are somehow to blame for our misfortunes.

Just a few months ago, a man felt it was acceptable to comment on my amputation by saying, "If you had taken better care of yourself, you wouldn't have had to go through that."

To those who feel the urge to make such remarks without understanding the complexities of someone’s disability, I suggest you hold your tongue and walk away.

It shouldn't take a personal tragedy for this issue to resonate with you. For most people, only the super wealthy can cover emergency medical costs without fear of going bankrupt. What happened to me was not my fault; I was simply getting my hair done, and in that instant, my medical bills exceeded $1.6 million. This is a crisis that demands our attention and action.

Many of us are just one paycheck away from being unable to pay for rent, a mortgage, utilities, heat or even food. If you’re not worried about this, that’s great — but consider what would happen if tomorrow you faced such challenges; how long could you sustain yourself before everything you hold dear starts to slip away? We are all vulnerable to these hardships, and it’s time we recognize and address them together.

I recall that after my accident in 1995, my insurance premium increased from $82.50 a month to $650 a month by 1997. To this day, insurance companies are allowed to raise rates to the point where no one can afford health insurance. This is not just a financial burden; it's an injustice that needs to be rectified.

Approximately 21 million Americans have a preexisting condition, and eliminating Medicaid and Medicare for our community members would have catastrophic consequences. Our fellow disabled family and friends are at risk of losing life-saving medical insurance, affordable medications, and the accessible housing necessary for independent living due to the false notion that people are mooching off the system.

There is a misconception that people on Medicaid do not want to work. In reality, most individuals on Medicaid are employed; about 64% of Medicaid recipients hold jobs, often in positions that do not offer health insurance.

They are not taking advantage of the system; instead, they are barely scraping by. Those who are not working have valid reasons: 12% are primary caregivers, 10% have a disability or illness, and 7% are attending school.

Despite these facts, the administration would have you believe otherwise. Medicaid enables people to afford the necessary treatment to maintain their employment. Even those who cannot work often have a strong desire to do so.

Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich should be ashamed of their decision to vote to eliminate life-saving programs for Alaskans with disabilities, including our veterans, as well as hardworking Alaskans who have jobs that do not offer medical coverage and cannot afford health insurance on top of the high costs of rent, food, and utilities.

Cutting these programs will result in death sentences for many individuals and impose undue hardship not only on families but also on medical providers across the state of Alaska. I for one have no issue with some of my federal taxes going to Medicaid and Medicare. We are in this together, right?

Janalee Minnich Gage is a lifelong resident of Ketchikan 

New Goals

Bill Rotecki

June 14

EDITOR, Daily News:

I love this country. I was raised in the prairies, and I love them, but I also love the mountains, lakes, and the rivers, not to mention our own Pacific Ocean shores.

I also enjoy all the different people! I love their food, songs, cultures, stories, dances and their languages. I do not think that the variety of people, or their different beliefs, harm this country. I think those difference are our greatest strength. There is no other country on this earth with such a wide range of people, each bringing their unique contribution.

As U.S. District Judge William G. Young recently stated: “ ... If putting those three words (diversity, equity and inclusion) together is somehow offensive or is no longer the policy of the Untied States, does that mean our policy is homogeneity, inequality and exclusion?“

I say, if the later words were to become the new goals of the U.S., what an uninteresting, shallow, boring, impotent, self-destructive world this would be.

Plan to Protest

John Peckham

June 12

EDITOR, Daily News:

At noon this Saturday, Flag Day, I will be standing on a sidewalk in front of the Federal Building with many other members of our community to show my support for the citizens in our country who are trying to stop and reverse the many authoritarian actions of President Trump. His actions threaten the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the rights embedded in the U.S. Constitution. His actions threaten future free and fair elections, and peaceful transfers of power.

Our flag, adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777, represents the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and in the U.S. Constitution.

Donald Trump seems to want all the powers of a king and appears not to believe in or understand the constitutional principles honored on Flag Day.

One principle is that political power should not reside in one man. Allowing power to be wielded by one man is not a solution to our nation’s problems. It’s a recipe for chaos — and worse.

You might agree, but wonder what purpose peaceful protests serve. In my opinion, protests — a right guaranteed by the First Amendment — provide:

• A backbone to judges and legislators who resist unlawful actions.

• A way for ordinary people to be heard outside the ballot box.

• A way to demand accountability of elected and non-elected officials.

• A way to let like-minded folks recognize they are not alone in their concerns.

By peacefully protesting Trump’s actions, we remind future voters that what is happening is not normal; it’s far worse than normal.

A protest’s effectiveness is somewhat dependent on the number of protestors. If you agree that there is a reason to protest, join those who will peacefully demonstrate against the unlawful and alarming actions of President Trump from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14.

Outside your comfort level? They say courage is contagious.

Call senators

Larry Taylor Jr.

June 4

EDITOR, Daily News:

Alaska’s Rep. Nich Begich voted to pass the One Great Big Beautiful Bill that will seriously impact Medicaid and the SNAP program that feeds our children and elders.

I hope Alaska’s senators will do what they’ve said they will do to make changes to support Alaska’s Medicaid and SNAP food assistance.

Sen. Dan Sullivan said that he is working to address cuts proposed to Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP benefits. He reminds us that, in the 2017 bill, during reconciliation, “I was able to get a provision in there that was actually very helpful to Alaska’s unique challenges with regard to Medicaid.”

According to the Alaska News Source, “Using the context of the state having one of the lowest federal funding matches despite having one of the highest costs of living, as well as some of the highest health care costs, Sullivan said that he hopes the final bill addresses those costs along with the high error rates with the state’s SNAP program.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski also has said that she will support changes to the bill passed by the House to support Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

Please call each of our senators and ask them to keep their word and change the inequity that Rep. Begich voted to pass.

Call Senators

Believe

Bill Rotecki

May 24

EDITOR, Daily News:

Matthew 7:12: “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for Believethis is the Law and the Prophets.”

The world would be a better place if more of us lived by this message from the Bible and incorporated it into our actions.

I especially wish that people in positions of authority and power would believe in this message.

Preserve Roadless Rule

Mike Sallee

May 21

EDITOR, Daily News:

The Cleveland Peninsula is an arm of Southeast Alaska’s mainland located a few miles north and west of Ketchikan, separated from Revillagigedo Island by West Behm Canal.

In the mid to late ‘90s, a diverse group of Ketchikan residents — hunters, trappers, loggers, tour operators, recreational cabin users, fishermen and others — calling themselves the Cleveland Users Coalition — began consulting with the Forest Service and Alaska’s congressional delegation to find alternatives for the Forest Service’s logging plan for the Cleveland.

These Forest Service plans would have profoundly changed the Cleveland landscape with a spiderweb network of roads to access logging units from the Helm Bay/Union Bay divide to the Spacious Bay/Emerald Bay divide.

Fortunately, the Roadless Rule, supported by most of Southeast Alaska resident responders to the Roadless EIS, as well as a majority of Lower 48 responders, saved the federal land on the Cleveland from the chainsaw, forest fragmentation, salmon stream degradation and loss of climate change mitigating function of intact old-growth forests.

I and other users of the Cleveland wish to send a strong message to Alaska’s governor, Legislature, congressional delegation and the Trump adminstration. Do not rescind the Roadless Rule!

Adhere to the constitution

Bill Rotecki

May 17

EDITOR, Daily News:

I admire the writers of the U.S. Constitution. Congress establishes our laws. The administration has the task of executing those laws. The judicial branch passes judgment on whether the laws have been properly followed.

Unfortunately, our current administration is defying those laws. The administration is defunding agencies, firing experienced and knowledgeable management, and firing the watchdogs who prevent fraud and corruption.

The framers’ intent was, by having three branches of government, that separation would prevent the misuse of power by any one of the branches.

I think we all will be best served if we adhere to the Constitution, and the separation of powers.

Tariff is a sales tax

Bill Rotecki

April 30

EDITOR, Daily News:

A tariff is a sales tax paid for by the consumer.

Our federal government imposes the tariff, the importers in our country pay the tariff to the government, and the importer then passes the cost on to the consumer.

Tariffs are simply “a tax” imposed by our government. Neither the exporting company nor the manufacturer of the product pays the tax.

Maintain local safety nets

Susan Walsh R.N.

May 25

EDITOR, Daily News:

Ketchikan’s nonprofits and working families can’t afford to lose vital safety-net services just so billionaires get bigger tax breaks.

Cutting funding for food programs, health care and housing assistance is a slap in the face to many neighbors who already struggle to make ends meet.

I’ve had the privilege of caring for generations in our community and can attest that these essential services aren’t luxuries — they’re investments in our entire community.

I urge our leaders to reject any plan that strips critical resources from Ketchikan. Let’s stand against funneling wealth to the top while our local safety net falls apart.

Eye on the ball

Betsey Burdett

April 12

EDITOR, Daily News:

Even with its strange title, the column for/by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in the March 25 edition (“Goal: All students receives (sic) quality education”) doesn’t convince me of anything. These opinions sound more like chapter verses of Project 2025.

As a former public educator in special programs, I don’t see federal programs failing our schools. Can Alaska deliver and administer effective programs once our small slice of the pie is formulated by our Budget and Management Director Russell Vought (co-author of Project 2025) and the unelected and unscreened DOGE? Would you suggest that the state try to manage all that’s presented to us? Or, is the plan to lop off some of these vital programs, never to return? I suspect so.

These programs that provide much-needed assistance to students so they can complete their schooling or continue their education include those from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) — Head Start, Alaska Native Education Programs, At Risk Student Programs, Professional Development, enriched student support, academic enrichment, English Learners Program, Families in Transition, and Pell Grants.

Somehow the governor mixes “merit-based” schools while attacking DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), blaming it for “rewriting history” as if that’s holding our students back. Excuse me? Maybe the writer should consider  our Alaska student demographic. More than half of our student population is nonwhite.

Our governor maintains that the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers don’t support education, because they have an advocate in Washington, D.C., (and in all states), who “undermines the value of our country and promotes harmful ideologies,” that parents are the best judges of a child’s education. So much for professionals.

It’s difficult enough to keep professional teachers here, let alone recruit people with the qualifications to administer state and local programs, or seat an unbiased school board. Even if parents know better how to teach, how will program funding be distributed to their schools? Will there be a budget for the typical public school once vouchers are distributed to the various home, charter, private and parochial schools? Keep in mind that the traditional school must accept students who can’t make it in any of the other schools on the menu, even if the school didn’t obtain the Base Student Allocation for their education when the October student count occurred.

You make it sound as if the federal government is keeping us stuck and striving, and all we need to soar is get rid of them. I’d guess that federal programs have kept us above water, allowing our schools to remain open, functional and achieving a semblance of success in the face of state underfunding.

Keep your eye on the ball, governor. Drop the MAGA language. Increase school funding by $1,000. Support our public schools. Federal Department of Education grants always have been beneficial to us. Oh, also tell your writer how many years you’ve taught.

Worn Out; Still Fighting

Betsey Burdett

April 5

EDITOR, Daily News:

America is changing before our eyes, and not for the better. Each day, we watch as democratic institutions are undermined, communities are divided, and cruelty is normalized. What was once considered unacceptable to say aloud is now flaunted openly.

The opening Musk salvo: The raid on USAID, cheered on by billionaires and authoritarians alike. Elon Musk justified this unlawful act by calling USAID a “viper’s nest” and a “criminal organization” run by “radical lunatics.” Lies, plain and simple. But lies, when repeated enough, take hold. And so, a critical agency that has provided food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to over 100 countries—a program that strengthens America’s global reputation — has been dismantled under the guise of “weeding out corruption.” Meanwhile, foodstuffs rot in warehouses, and farmers across the country wait for orders that may never come again.

And what has their leadership brought us? Homelessness. Job losses. Uncertainty and anger. Kidnaped, jailed citizens and green card holders with no due process. Illegal furloughs. Always blaming someone else. Always making sure the powerful and well-connected stay comfortable while working people suffer.

I have lived in Ketchikan long enough to know how this game is played. I have worked hard. I have built a life. And like many others, I have stayed despite the obstacles, despite the cold message from those in power: If you stand up for the people being trampled on, you are labeled, dismissed, or pushed out.

But here’s what they don’t understand: We are not leaving. We are not giving up. We are not going to let ignorance and cruelty define this place we love. Ketchikan belongs to all of us, not just the loudest voices in the room.

They can try to drown us out with mean-spirited labeling and name-calling. They can try to erase us with their indifference. But we are still here. And we are not done fighting.