Archived Letters
Daily smokescreen
Betsey Burdett
Nov 6
EDITOR, Daily News:
Corporate media is nervously watching over its shoulder for the looming dark shadow of government, which provides the fast-moving narrative, skating along never pausing for the growing mountain of trampled rights.
What represents us? The weaponization of racism. Rubber bullets, occupation and tear gas. National Guard deployed to “enemy” states. ICE. Detention facilities. Exploding boats. A wrecking ball to the White House. A ballroom. A litany of blame. A president that does what he wants, when he wants. Eliminating, impounding, and redirecting our tax dollar.
We the People stand by waiting helplessly for the impending loss of SNAP, education and Medicaid funding, federal jobs, student loans, ACA subsidies and medical research. With the loss of all this, will our promised tax break better cover our household expenses?
Our Alaska delegation in Washington has traded off on this in the name of resource development (jobs, jobs, jobs).
So now We the People of Alaska wait for the money that US corporate employers will provide when the gas and oil flows, hiring Alaskans along the way. How long will it take? Who will bid on the leases?
I hope the greatness comes soon. Generations of Alaskan families and children wait.
Trump’s reckless spending and Alaska’s silent partners
Van Abbott
October 25
When Americans speak of “America First,” we expect leaders to protect national resources, manage public funds responsibly, and hold the president accountable. Instead, the nation faces unchecked presidential excess and congressional passivity that betray both fiscal conservatism and responsible governance. Alaska’s congressional delegation: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Nick Begich, has failed to confront the Trump administration’s waste and recklessness.
Trump calls himself a great businessman, but his record tells another story. His failed casinos, airline, and fraudulent university show an inability to manage money. His public remarks often reveal confusion and glaring numerical errors, exposing a leader detached from financial reality. Yet Americans have once again trusted him with their wealth.
Trump’s record of waste is staggering. He approved a forty-billion-dollar payment to Argentina under the pretext of supporting an ally, money the United States is unlikely to recover. He accepted a luxury aircraft worth four hundred million dollars from the UAE, inviting questions about refitting costs and return favor. He has spent millions golfing. He used public funds to remodel the White House… inappropriately.
His economic policies are equally destructive. He pushed through enormous tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while cutting health care for working Americans. He ordered unnecessary military maneuvers serving no purpose beyond political theater. He created a special immigration force that has consumed billions to target nonviolent immigrants who pose no threat to national security. He unlawfully fired thousands of federal employees, only to be overruled by the courts, forcing costly reinstatements. His government shutdowns have cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars per day. Each of these actions drains public funds while providing no benefit to ordinary citizens.
The result is a ballooning national debt that threatens America’s financial future. In less than a year, Trump’s renewed presidency has added trillions to the debt, with no plan to slow spending or raise revenue responsibly. The Congressional Budget Office projects record deficits for the next decade. This reckless borrowing handcuffs future generations, forcing them to pay for today’s vanity projects and political stunts. Every dollar wasted now will be repaid later through higher taxes, reduced benefits, and lost opportunities. Fiscal irresponsibility is not an abstraction; it is a betrayal of our children and grandchildren.
Traditional Republican conservatism once stood for balanced budgets, oversight of defense spending, and restraint in government. Trump’s version glorifies extravagance, rewards the wealthy, and piles debt upon the nation.
Congress should act as a constitutional safeguard, not a rubber stamp. Yet Alaska’s delegation has failed to fulfill that duty. Murkowski, Sullivan, and Begich have repeatedly supported the president or remained silent. Murkowski and Sullivan endorsed Trump’s bombing campaign against Iran, claiming it strengthened national security despite its enormous cost and uncertain purpose. They applauded his approval of major Alaska resource projects that rely on heavy federal subsidies and primarily serve well-connected interests. Such actions may play well politically at home but betray the principles of fiscal restraint.
Even more troubling is their unwillingness to challenge the president’s practice of impounding or redirecting congressionally approved funds. Congress alone controls the purse, yet Alaska’s representatives have allowed the president to divert taxpayer money for political purposes. They have praised the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which was created to reduce waste but instead inflated costs and manipulated accounting. Investigations show that its claimed savings are mostly fictional while real expenses continue to grow.
By refusing to challenge these abuses, Alaska’s congressional delegation has abandoned its constitutional responsibility. Their votes and silence have made them partners in waste. In doing so, they have enabled the president’s extravagance and helped accelerate the nation’s financial decline.
Trump’s 2024 campaign promised fiscal discipline, an end to waste, and a commitment to taxpayers. The reality is the opposite. He has spent freely on vanity projects, foreign handouts, and tax favors for the elite. The burden of his mismanagement now falls on working Americans who pay more and receive less.
The Alaska delegation must decide whether they serve the people of Alaska or the president. Their silence makes them complicit in the squandering of America’s wealth and in the rapid expansion of a national debt that endangers the nation’s future. Murkowski, Sullivan, and Begich have the power to stop wasteful spending but have chosen not to act. That failure is more than political weakness; it is a betrayal of the American people.
Quash demand
Robert Rice
October 24
EDITOR, Daily News:
Perhaps instead of using deadly force to blow up the international supply of drugs, the wise folk in Washington, D.C., should focus on quashing domestic demand.
If there were not so many Americans willing to buy the drugs, then the supply would dwindle. When you constrict supply, without changes in demand, the only thing that goes up is the price.
The most interesting question still remains to be answered: Why, as a society, do we feel the urge to get so high?.
Pet peeve
Steve Kinney
October 21
EDITOR, Daily News:
Meet my pet peeve: The Christian Right.
I mean, How can the political right be called Christian?.
I consider myself to be a Christian and I try to make my political decisions based on my beliefs as a Christian person. Yet often find myself on the opposite side on many issues from others who claim to be Christian but lean right. How can this be?
We both use the same Holy Bible as “the true guide” to life. We both worship the same God of Love. We both sing the same hymns of praise and spend much time in offering prayers seeking God’s direction.
I have no doubt that folks who believe as a conservative right person, also believe:
• That God is Love.
• That we are admonished to love our neighbor as ourselves.
• That Jesus was God’s son and that He told us to care for those who have less.
What I don’t understand is how “treat your neighbor as yourself” can be interpreted as we must kick out or disenfranchise those who are different than “us” (whoever that is).
See you there
John Peckham
October 17, 2025
EDITOR, Daily News,
At noon this Saturday, Oct. 18, I will be on a sidewalk in front of the Federal Building, assembled with other members of our community, to protest the many authoritarian actions of President Trump's administration. These actions are weakening the rule of law, dismantling the separation of powers, and diminishing the rights enshrined in the US Constitution. I am particularly worried about threats to trusted, free, and fair elections and to peaceful transfers of power.
We will be part of the nationwide 'No Kings’ peaceful protest. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson falsely and dangerously labeled it the 'hate America rally’. Of course, this is not true. We wouldn't be protesting if we didn't care deeply about America. Like most Americans, I want the country to stand by the ideals in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• The Republic: A government where citizens elect representatives in free and fair elections.
• One nation: The 50 states are united as a single country.
• Under God: The US is a nation with morals.
• Indivisible: The nation cannot be separated.
• Liberty: People have the freedom to live and speak openly.
• Justice for all: Every citizen is promised fair treatment, regardless of background.
Most of us love America, warts and all. But I am not proud of a nation careening towards an autocracy and abandoning its founding ideals. In just eight months, President Trump has consolidated power with a complicit Congress. His pursuit is transparent: He will try to do whatever it takes to maintain and increase his power (and money, and glory).
How can we stop this consolidation of power? What purpose do peaceful protests serve? Protests — a right guaranteed by the First Amendment — provide:
• A backbone for legislators and judges who resist unlawful actions.
• An opportunity for ordinary people to be heard outside the ballot box.
• A means 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 the Trump administration’s actions, we remind voters that what is happening is alarming. This nationwide protest will have the most impact if the turnout is substantial. So, join me and others who will peacefully demonstrate on Saturday, Oct. 18, starting at noon in front of the federal building.
Let’s be fair
Bill Rotecki
October 17
EDITOR, Daily News:
No one believes our current immigration policies are a good system. However, President Trump’s approach towards undocumented immigrants does not move us to a better system. It is bad for the economy, and it erodes the glue that holds our society together. Scapegoating the undocumented as murderers and rapists is untrue, and does not solve problems, it only creates more problems.
Undocumented immigrants did not create their jobs in this country. U.S. employers created the jobs and hired the undocumented to save money, or because the employer can’t find anyone else willing to do the work.
Contrary to some popular beliefs, studies find that in fact the undocumented break the law far less often than citizens, why? Because the undocumented live in danger of being deported (a danger which long preceded Trump). The undocumented are virtually no drain on Medicaid because they are simply ineligible for Medicaid or Medicare, or the Affordable Care Act. The costs of the limited federal or state programs the undocumented can access are vastly outweighed by the billions in income and other taxes they pay.
Before the last election, US senators and representatives had found a compromise solution to reforming the immigration system, a solution that was supported by both parties. But Donald Trump killed it, because he wanted his presidential campaign to highlight the immigration problem.
Now, instead of fixing the problem, Trump has chosen to spread lies, ignite people’s fears, violate basic American values, tear families apart, and increase the costs of seemingly everything.
Yes, the sheer volume of undocumented immigrants is a problem. But after mass deportations, there seems to be no increase in American citizens taking up the jobs that the undocumented supposedly took away from them. What Trump has achieved is introducing overt cruelty into the social fabric of the country, raising consumer costs, and he has abandoned any attempts to institute immigration reforms.
I grew up in a neighborhood with different religions, different colors of skin and different political beliefs. We were taught to respect each other, treat each other with kindness, and work together to find solutions acceptable to all.
President Trump’s approach is the exact opposite of that. By governing with masked agents and cruelty, by encouraging and magnifying divisions among the American people, and by overrunning checks and balances, Trump is eroding the remarkable rock that this country has been for 250 years.
We should realize, for our economy to remain productive and vibrant, we need immigrants. As millions of US workers “age out” of the workforce, the American economy has come to rely on the contributions of millions of immigrants. We need to address this reality in a fair, rational, and humane way.
Come Out
Pat Willett
October 16
EDITOR, Daily News:
Subject: The One Big Beautiful Bill.
The bill passed both the U.S. House and Senate, and was signed into law by Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. Granted, it was a very big bill, but I fail to see any beauty in it. Generally speaking, the rich are now much richer, and the middle class and poor are paying for the enrichment of the 1%.
But I’d like to discuss one specific part of this law. Trump wanted this bill passed and he pressured Congress to do it quickly. One big reason for Trump’s urgency was his Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Thanks to their ramped-up activity, they had burned through their budget — they were almost out of money. Their attacks on immigrants (most of whom had broken no laws) would come to a grinding halt.
But the Big (Beautiful?) Bill had more money for ICE. Piles of money. $9.13 billion of our money.
A quote from the American Immigrant Council states: “The Big Beautiful Bill (now law) gave ICE more funding than the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Bureau of Prisons combined.”
Combined!
This law makes ICE the largest federal enforcement agency “in the history of our nation.”
And yet with these billions to spend and more than 22,000 employees, Trump thinks ICE needs the National Guard to defend their facilities in some (blue) cities. Defend ICE against what? American citizens dressed in frog costumes?
So now ICE has a 22,000-plus police force and an obscene amount of money. Its efforts to deport undocumented immigrant, documented immigrants and U.S. citizens who happen to meet their illegal profile, will continue. They are making thousands of arrests and deporting thousands of people without due process. They are breaking the law. In other words, they are a lawless enforcement agency.
I’m an American citizen and I love the United States. I do not condone goons with money and masks running rampant in my country. And I’m sure I’m not alone.
Come out for the No Kings rally from noon to one p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the federal building.
Sullivan wrong in repeating health care claim
Van Abbott
October 14, 2025
The Republican Party’s latest big lie is that Democrats are demanding taxpayer funded health care for undocumented immigrants. Sen. Dan Sullivan has repeated this falsehood. He has chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder with Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Speaker Mike Johnson in pushing a deliberate deception. The aim is to inflame, not to solve problems but to score points, not to serve the people of Alaska but to serve a party line.
The facts are not in dispute. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid or ACA subsidies. Democrats have not proposed overturning this law. What they seek is the continuation of ACA tax credits, the reversal of Republican cuts to Medicaid, and the preservation of health care protections for citizens and lawfully present immigrants. No one is asking to provide federal health care benefits to undocumented immigrants. Yet Sullivan repeats this lie because it suits his politics.
This tactic exposes a collapse of moral and ethical character. Instead of telling Alaskans the truth, Sullivan recycles a false narrative that portrays immigrants as scapegoats while ignoring the real victims of Republican policy — American families facing higher costs and lost coverage. When elected leaders knowingly distort facts, they abandon honesty and betray trust.
Trump, Vance, Johnson, and Sullivan insist Democrats want to give away free health care to illegal immigrants. Conservative media amplifies it endlessly. But this lie falls apart under scrutiny. Democrats are fighting for affordability and access for Americans. Republicans are manufacturing fear to cover up their own record of cuts and neglect. Sullivan’s role is especially shameful because he knows better.
Why repeat the lie? Because Republicans want voters angry at a phantom enemy instead of angry at them. The lie distracts from Medicaid cuts, exploding premiums, and the harm done to Americans. It gives Sullivan and his colleagues a talking point while Alaska families struggle with the cost of health care. It is easier for him to blame immigrants than to defend Republican policies that make health care more expensive.
The truth versus the lie could not be clearer. Democrats want to protect ACA subsidies and reverse harmful Medicaid cuts. Sullivan and his party claim Democrats want to prioritize undocumented immigrants over citizens. This is not a misunderstanding. It is a calculated, deliberate lie.
Polls show that most Americans are not fooled. A Washington Post survey found a majority blame Republicans for the shutdown and overwhelming support exists for extending ACA subsidies. A KFF Health Tracking Poll shows Americans favor keeping or increasing Medicaid funding. Sullivan may be able to rile up partisan crowds with his big lie, but the larger public is not persuaded. The Republican reliance on lies is short sighted. It may work inside the echo chamber, but it erodes credibility with moderates and independents. Democrats are countering with facts and with clarity. They are reminding voters that this shutdown is about protecting the health care of millions of Americans, not about subsidizing illegal immigration. Republicans lies weaken their position becomes.
For Sullivan, the long-term cost will be measured in lost trust. Every time he repeats this lie, he chips away at his own credibility. Alaskans will remember who stood up for them and who chose to deceive them. By siding with Trump’s falsehoods, Sullivan has chosen politics over truth and party loyalty over honesty.
Alaskans should reject this manipulation. Sullivan does not have the courage to tell you the truth: that Democrats are fighting to keep health care affordable for you, not for undocumented immigrants. If your senator cannot make a case without lying, then he does not deserve your confidence.
Grateful for Town Hall
Serge Balliff
October 14
EDITOR, Daily News:
I’m grateful to the community members who participated in the Town Hall organized by the Voices for Reason group on Oct. 8. Unfortunately, my main takeaway of the meeting was that the Trump administration's policies are hurting families here in Ketchikan.
I spoke that night about my own family's situation. Our health insurance costs are rising sharply at the same time that the ACA tax credits are expiring which will cause our health insurance payments to exceed our mortgage payment. We're not alone. Others at the meeting described losing their jobs due to cuts to Medicaid and federal grants. Small business owners talked about tariff-related supply problems and costs doubling overnight. The Ketchikan Public Health Center is down to one public health nurse, and families with disabled children are losing vital therapy and educational support.
These aren't distant "policy debates." They're the direct result of decisions made in Washington by an administration that seems intent on dismantling the very programs that help working families survive. The "Big Beautiful Bill" slashed funding for healthcare and education. Tariffs have driven up the cost of everything from fuel to chicken feed. Local business revenues are down while supplies are more expensive than ever.
Ketchikan deserves better. Our families, workers, and small businesses need leaders who will restore funding for essential services, protect access to healthcare, and stand up against the corruption and chaos that have become hallmarks of the Trump regime.
Use Your Voice
Gail Taylor
October 11
EDITOR, Daily News:
I am a retired teacher who enjoyed teaching social studies for more than 20 years. Much of what I taught concerned U.S. history and civics. I was proud to uphold our Constitution as the finest work of its kind.
Before studying the Constitution, I gave my students questions from the test administered to those seeking U.S. citizenship. Sadly, no student passed this test.
We began our studies with John Locke and the Rule of Law (no one is above the law, including lawmakers and law enforcers), followed by the requirements and descriptions of the three branches of government. We had discussions of the system of checks and balances, and their role in maintaining our democratic republic.
We debated their role of U.S. citizens in maintaining this form of government. We examined case studies applying the amendment to the Constitution, such as Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) Gideon v. Wainwright (1962), underscoring the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal justice under the law.
After the completion of our studies, I administered the same test for citizenship, and almost every student passed. I was proud of not only my students, but proud of being a citizen of the U.S., safeguarded by our system of checks and balances.
I am not proud now. I am deeply alarmed that the executive branch, led by President Trump, is attempting to supersede both the legislative and judicial branches. Our system of checks and balances is not working.
If you are as alarmed as I am and do not wish to be silenced, follow the advice of a retired teacher; pay attention, do your homework, seek corroborations from reliable sources, use your voice, and attend the No Kings rally on Saturday, Oct. 18, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Federal Building.
Point out a time of challenging Trump
Susan Walsh
October 3
EDITOR, Daily News:
“Teachers are asking how they can fulfill their responsibility in teaching young people the moral, ethical and spiritual values required in a free society while the President of the United States disregards the nation's traditionally high standards of morality.”
This was written in October 1973, addressing Nixon's Watergate shenanigans, all of which seem quaint when exhuming the long list of corruption perpetrated by the present administration.
What is so vastly different is that back in the “good old days,” there was a bipartisan Congress that, when shown the facts, voted for his eventual impeachment. They did their job!
This is a question for Nick Begich and Dan Sullivan, who are up for re-election. Can either of you point to a time when you challenged Donald Trump's abuses of power?
If not, why should Alaskans trust you to defend democracy in the future?
Stand together
Mike McNally
September 27
EDITOR, Daily News:
As I write this, there's a big fall storm brewing out in the gulf (as there often is this time of year). As Alaskans, we are very familiar with the power of such weather, and we do our best to adapt to forces that can literally reshape the world in which we live, over time or in an instant.
But unlike the elemental power of wind and rain that shape the physical world around us, the forces that are rapidly eroding our democratic government, its civil institutions, and the freedom and stability we have fought to secure throughout our history, are neither inevitable nor beyond our ability to resist.
Just in the past week, the president has described media critical of him as “probably illegal,” has caused the FCC chairman to threaten a network that dispelled him, has shut down an investigation that taped one of his high-ranking advisors accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash, continued to quash efforts to get to the bottom of his relationship with a notorious child trafficker, and has instructed the US attorney general to begin preparing retaliatory criminal prosecutions of his perceived enemies, including law-enforcement professionals whose duties required them to investigate his past misconduct.
As they repeatedly engage in activity destructive to the rule of law and act with contempt for fundamental civil liberties, such as freedom of speech and the press, the president and his enablers would like you to accept that the power he wields is, like the elements, too vast and powerful to be resisted. It is only if we allow it to be.
The more destruction of our institutions we permit, the longer and harder will be the process of rebuilding what we are rapidly losing.
Take an honest and critical look around you — it is past time for all Americans who believe in freedom and democracy to make alliance to defend those precious birthrights, to unite and stand together before we lose much more.
Shielding the rich
·Van Abbott
Sept 16
EDITOR, Daily News:
On Sept. 11, 2025, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan each cast the deciding vote to block a Senate amendment that would have compelled the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. Their votes shut down the clearest path to public disclosure and handed a gift to those with the most to fear, the wealthy and well-connected.
The case for release was simple: victims and the public deserve a full accounting of crimes that trafficked and abused minor girls for decades. Transparency ensures the law applies to everyone. Instead, Congress chose delay, leaving critical questions unanswered.
Murkowski and Sullivan dismissed the amendment as a partisan stunt and backed a Republican plan for a closed report. That defense fails. The amendment promised public release, not secrecy. And the Justice Department had already undermined trust by reversing its pledge to release Epstein files. The senators endorsed not responsibility, but postponement.
Their reversal was stark. Just weeks earlier, both voiced support for full disclosure. Yet when the moment of decision came, they retreated.
Meanwhile, new disclosures — including Epstein’s estate files and his notorious “birthday book”, revived public pressure and showed piecemeal releases will never satisfy the public interest. Against this backdrop, the Senate’s vote looked less like caution than calculated containment.
The larger shift is clear. For years, Republicans demanded transparency. By mid-2025, as records threatened powerful figures and political allies, those calls gave way to delay.
That is the heart of this story: secrecy protects the powerful; disclosure serves the victims. When officials abandon openness just as it becomes politically dangerous, they cannot credibly claim neutrality.
The effect of Murkowski and Sullivan’s votes was unmistakable, to preserve a firewall around records that could implicate the wealthy. Survivors still wait for truth. The public still waits for proof that justice applies equally.
September 11 was not a procedural fight. It was a test. Would our senators choose justice, or protect the powerful?
The answer is clear. They chose to shield the rich and disregard justice for the victims of terrible crimes. Remember that choice.
US farmers — Trump paid for vote thrice
Van Abbott
Sep 6
American farmers stand at the center of America’s cultural imagination — symbols of self-reliance, resilience and independence. Yet the reality is far less flattering. Over the past decade, they have become financially dependent on Washington not because of natural disasters or market cycles, but because of political choices they themselves endorsed. Donald Trump engineered crises through tariffs and trade wars, then compensated farmers with subsidies to preserve their loyalty.
Why farmers voted for Trump
In 2016, many farmers embraced Trump’s promises to restore dignity to rural America, defend traditional values, and “fix bad trade deals.” His lies about China and Mexico exploiting the United States resonated deeply with communities already uneasy about globalization and demographic change.
By 2020, farm incomes were collapsing and soybean exports to China had plummeted. Yet farmers rallied again, buoyed by billions from the Market Facilitation Program and later “trade damage” aid. Washington told them they were patriots in a trade war, and the checks reinforced the story.
By 2024, the pattern was set. Even as foreign markets eroded and finances remained fragile, rural voters stayed Republican, bound more by subsidies than by prosperity. What began as hope had hardened into dependency and welfare.
Markets lost, permanently
The costs were enormous. China retaliated against U.S. tariffs in 2017 by cutting purchases of soybeans, pork, and other staples. Brazil and Argentina stepped in to supply them, while Mexico and Canada diversified away from U.S. commodities. Trump’s 2025 “Liberation Day” tariff war finished the job, pushing Asian nations into long-term contracts with South America and Europe.
The U.S., once the world’s dominant farm exporter, became a secondary supplier. Those markets are lost and not coming back.
The Big Beautiful Bill
To compound matters, Trump blocked billions in agricultural funds approved under Biden’s 2021 IRA Infrastructure Act—money farmers had already planned around; many spending working capital in expectation of receiving these funds. Then he unveiled the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which poured new billions into subsidies, direct payments, and loan guarantees. Market access was gone, but Trump made farmers whole with permanent welfare. The BBB was less an investment than a payoff, binding rural America even tighter to Washington.
The future of farm politics
Republicans are betting that the old formula — cultural alignment plus government checks — will keep working.
But cracks are appearing. Many farmers who were burnt by Trump’s cancellation of Biden’s infrastructure funds are having second thoughts. Younger farmers, more concerned about competitiveness than nostalgia, see that dependency is not strength.
Whether these fractures and generational shift translates into votes remains to be seen.
Socialists or marks?
By definition, farmers who rely on Washington to survive have become socialists of a peculiar kind. Not advocates of collective prosperity, but clients in a transactional system designed to secure their political obedience. That makes them less like socialists and more like marks—accepting payments to cover the damage inflicted by the very leader they continue to support.
The paradox is undeniable. Farmers who once symbolized independence now live at Washington’s mercy.
They rallied to Trump in search of freedom but received dependenceinstead.
They traded their markets, their autonomy, and their legacy for government checks — the very definition of what they claimed to despise: Socialism.
·Sullivan failed
Van Abbott
Aug 30
EDITOR, Daily News:
Many Alaskans, perhaps thousands, recently received a 26-page letter from Sen. Dan Sullivan. In truth, it was a lengthy campaign piece praising the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" and the supposed benefits it will deliver to Alaskans and the nation.
Let us be clear: this was Sullivan's first substantial 2026 reelection advertisement. Our propaganda warning lights should be flashing.
The bill is sprinkled with headline-grabbing gimmicks:
No taxes on Social Security.
No taxes on tips.
No taxes on overtime.
But read the fine print. These provisions are fractional, limited, or illusory. They were inserted to distractfrom the bill's deep unpopularity.
Sullivan also touts numerous other "benefits" he claims to have secured through amendments. Yet these are speculative at best — vague in scope, uncertain in value, and unclear about who will actually benefit. They are inconsequential compared to the BBB's overall devastation to our country's healthcare.
The truth is that any advantages Sullivan promotes, that may be real, will be substantially overshadowed by his under-assessed impact to Medicaid and by two even greater devastating consequences:
Paygo spending cuts and Trump's tariffs.
The Congressional Budget Office projects the BBB will add $2 trillion per year to federal deficits.
Under Paygo rules, that triggers automatic cuts — $490 billion (over 7 years) slashed from entitlements, with Medicare squarely in the crosshairs.
Seniors will be hurt. Republicans continue to insist there will be no cuts to Medicare or Social Security. That is simply not true; It is a lie.
Add to this Trump's reckless tariffs, the largest sales tax increase in U.S. history. The various thinktanks currently estimate these tariffs will cost the average American family $2,000 to $3,000 per year.
Wages are not rising to counter inflation, and with Trump's continued assault on unions, they may stagnate or even decline. Big business welcomes that outcome.
It is unsurprising that Sen. Sullivan hypes what he believes are his successes — even though he is obfuscating. But true accountability requires examining his failures. His most glaring failure is silence: he has not stood up to Trump's catastrophic tariff scheme, even though Congress, not the president, holds authority over trade policy.
Sullivan's record must be judged not by his self-congratulations, but by results. The reality is stark.
The fiscal wreckage of the BBB combined with the crushing burden of excruciating tariffs will undoubtedly accelerate the decline in America's standard of iving.
On both counts, Sen. Sullivan has failed the people of Alaska and the nation.
Welcome talent
Bill Rotecki
August 30
EDITOR, Daily News:
Why do we allow students from around the world to attend our Universities?
If we accept the fact that there is global competition, then embracing international talent isn't just good policy; it's putting America first.
For decades, the US has attracted the world's brightest minds.
After attending school these immigrants fill research labs, they launch startups, and they solve problems that make all Americans better off.
Yet our current administration is dismantling this competitive advantage.
New national policies are driving away the very people who have long fueled American innovation. International students who once saw America as their destination of choice are increasingly choosing other nations instead.
Every brilliant physicist we turn away might strengthen China's research capabilities. Every innovative engineer we reject might become Germany's gain.
When we welcome international students, we're not just doing the students a favor—we're investing in America's future.
The reality is: opening our shores to talent from around the world has made us the world's innovation leader.
Loss of our democracy
Van Abbott
Aug 23, 2025
When money and profits become more important than morality, ethics and religion, the foundation of democracy begins to crack. The rise of corporate power in the United States over the past half century has accelerated this decline. A corporation has no allegiance to any state, ethical code or moral compass. Its foundational charter is singular: maximize profits for investors, no matter the consequences or the jurisdiction in which it operates.
The modern era of unchecked corporate influence was cemented with the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Brought to the court by powerful corporate interests, it granted them the right to spend unlimited sums on political campaigns under the guise of free speech. In reality, this legalized a form of bribery. With that ruling, the worst instincts of corporate behavior were unleashed, and the highest court in the land became a willing servant to its corporate masters.
Instead of defending the public interest, the courts failed to establish guidelines ensuring that factual news would remain protected and separate from political propaganda. Major corporations seized control of information highways, erasing the line between reporting and opinion. Millions of Americans came to believe they were consuming news, when in truth they were being fed political narratives crafted by media empires and delivered by entertainers skilled in persuasion, not journalism.
The 2024 presidential election was the culmination of decades of growing corporate dominance. Elon Musk, the world’s richest individual, contributed $288 million to Donald Trump’s campaign and leveraged his monopoly control over Twitter/X to shape public discourse in Trump’s favor. The value of that media influence may have exceeded even the enormous dollar sum he donated. Musk was not alone. Miriam Adelson, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Tim Cook, and a host of other billionaires contributed an estimated half a billion dollars combined, either directly or through PACs. Musk went so far as to boast that he alone was the decisive reason for Trump’s victory. Bezos even axed his Washington Post’s newspaper endorsement of Kamala Harris, currying favor. The corporate supported election of Trump paid unimaginable dividends far exceeding their investment. The ultra rich and corporations received one of the largest tax cuts in history — even though the majority of voters did not support the Big Beautiful Bill’s giveaway to the rich.
This concentration of influence is inseparable from the radical shift in wealth distribution that has taken place in America. The wealthiest 10% now control the majority of corporate shares, and therefore control the economy, the media, and the political process. They are, in effect, running the nation. What was once a representative democracy now increasingly resembles an oligarchy. This is no longer speculation; it is a measurable, visible fact.
Voters must understand how we arrived at this point. Without acknowledging the process of erosion — from corporate personhood to unchecked political spending to media control — there can be no plan for restoration. We cannot repair our democracy unless we understand precisely how it was dismantled.
The question remains: is our democracy repairable without revolution, without an uprising that tears down the existing structure and begins anew? If we are to avoid civil war, we must find a path that restores transparency in governance, limits the influence of money in politics, and reestablishes the primacy of the public interest over private profit. Without such reforms, the arc of our history may bend not toward justice, but toward permanent corporate rule.
It is clear, the supremacy of the Constitution of the United States, once deemed as an ideal model, now has to be questioned and greatly modified. Even with all the checks and balances that we thought were contained within the Constitution, it appears they are no longer sufficient in today's modern world. Any meaningful government reorganization will require a substantial rewrite of our Constitution to ensure our government never again falls into autocracy.
The challenge to reclaim our democracy is formidable. It can be accomplished only with true patriots as our leaders. Leaders who look after the country's interest, not their own; far afield from the current crop in power today.
In casting our vote in 2026, it is imperative that we look beyond the flashiness of the candidate, beyond smooth talking, and beyond the over promising. You must research a candidate's ethics, morality and level of education besides his occupational and background history. We no longer can afford to place in office extraordinarily, unqualified individuals as has been the case of late. Finally, ask your candidate point blank, if they will place our country’s interests above those of their political party.
Trump’s tariffs: Biggest mistake in US history
Van Abbott
Aug 13, 2025
When Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency, he promised to use tariffs as a tool to revitalize manufacturing and bring back American jobs. Many voters believed this would be a targeted and strategic effort. Few could have imagined the sweeping, indiscriminate deployment that has now become one of the most damaging economic presidential decisions in our nation’s history.
The chain reaction from these tariffs has been unlike anything the United States has seen in the modern era. Inflation has surged, not as a temporary hiccup, but as a sustained and corrosive force eating away at household budgets. Our closest allies, already skeptical of protectionist policies, have been alienated to the point of reconsidering long-standing trade and diplomatic partnerships. America’s reputation as a stable and reliable economic leader is tarnished, perhaps beyond repair.
The value of the U.S. dollar as the world’s default trading currency is now under pressure. Some nations are openly discussing alternatives to dollar-based trade, an unthinkable scenario just a few years ago. Major American industries, facing higher input costs and retaliatory tariffs from other countries, have begun shifting operations abroad. The automotive industry, once the pride of American manufacturing, is being hollowed out. Thousands of jobs are vanishing as plants close or relocate.
Small businesses that depend on aluminum, steel, and copper as essential inputs are being pushed to the brink. These are the enterprises that form the backbone of our economy, yet they are being priced out of the market by policies that were supposed to help them. The damage is not confined to manufacturing. Tourism, one of America’s largest service industries, has suffered as international travelers seek friendlier destinations. This decline is especially painful in communities that rely heavily on visitor spending.
Trump promised jobs would return in large numbers; they will not. A combination of factors validate this prediction. Today's level of automation within a modern factory is nothing less than breathtaking. Factories that used to employ thousands, now only employ hundreds. The development of humanoid robots has also reached the point where many random human functions performed in a factory environment can be performed by low-cost robots. In addition, the current wages within the United States, for factory workers, is still considerably above those in other non-west countries.
The uncertainty of the political environment here in the United States is also a major factor. It takes years to plan and build a modern factory. For a company to make a major dollar investment in the U.S., they need stability. Stability in the tariff environment and stability within the political environment. The mere fact that the government could likely change to Democratic in four years, thus fostering major changes in policy with regard to tariffs and corporate taxes, creates nothing less than a roadblock.
The middle and lower classes are bearing the brunt of these poorly thought out tariff policies. Rising prices, job losses, and declining opportunities are eroding the American dream. Economists warn of a looming recession marked by stagnation and deflation, a toxic combination known as stagflation. The historical lessons of such economic conditions are grim. Social unrest becomes a real possibility.
In short, Trump’s tariff policy is accelerating the United States’ decline as a major global power. The American people did not vote for this scale of disruption or for the fallout that now threatens their livelihoods. They did not vote to alienate our allies and they did not vote to raise the cost of living and endanger our country’s financial stability.
It is time for Republicans, including the MAGA faithful, to demand that their senators and representatives reverse course. Damage control must begin immediately, though it is uncertain whether the economic and diplomatic harm can be fully repaired. Leadership is measured not only by bold action, but also by the wisdom to correct a mistake before it becomes irreversible.
This should be one issue on which both Republicans and Democrats can agree.
We owe it to ourselves
Van Abbott
Aug 7, 2025
EDITOR, Daily News:
We have learned that Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of heinous crimes related to the trafficking and abuse of underage girls, and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, has been quietly transferred from a high-security facility in Tallahassee, Florida, to a minimum-security "camp" environment in Texas.
This development raises a number of troubling questions.
First: Is it typical for a convicted sex trafficker, especially one as notorious as Maxwell, to be placed in such lenient confinement? I submit that such treatment is virtually unheard of. Her crimes were grave, her sentence substantial, and yet she has now been moved to an environment that could be described, without exaggeration, as a “summer camp” for inmates.
Second: Why now? What, or who, prompted this transfer?
We are told that a confidential meeting was held between Maxwell and a senior official in the Justice Department, an official who, not coincidentally, previously served as Donald Trump’s private attorney. We are not privy to what was discussed, but the optics are damning. What was the bargain struck in that room?
Let us consider the disturbing possibility that this transfer represents the first of multiple demands being made by Maxwell. Could her ultimate objective be a full pardon? If so, one must wonder: what is she offering in return?
To those in the MAGA movement who have loyally waved flags and championed Trump’s cause, this should be your wake-up call. This is not the behavior of an innocent man wrongfully maligned by the media. This is the behavior of someone with secrets so dangerous that he is now forced to compromise himself further to keep them buried.
The cumulative weight of what we know, Trump’s close association with Jeffrey Epstein, the credible testimonies of 28 women, and multiple accounts of him intruding into teen beauty pageant dressing rooms, points to a deeply unsettling conclusion.
Let us be honest: There is no longer a plausible, innocent explanation.
You have been told, again and again, that this man stands against the corruption of elites. But what we are seeing is not the draining of a swamp — it is the protection of the darkest, most vile corners of it.
The evidence may not be a smoking gun in a court of law, but it is more than enough for the court of conscience. As citizens and patriots, we must not look away.
We owe it to the truth. We owe it to the victims. And we owe it to ourselves.
Upended
Wayne Kinunen
July 29
EDITOR, Daily News:
Our world has been tragically upended since our most recent presidential election.
We are a nation of immigrants (except for Native Americans) who have contributed to what makes America great. Now, thousands of innocent people and families have been banished to third-world contras because of their language or color of their skin.
Important government agencies have been severely reduced or eliminated, and thousands have arbitrarily and unjustly lost their jobs.
Healthcare for those in need will be severely reduced or priced out of their ability to afford it. With the passage of this bill, nearly a trillion dollars will be cut from Medicaid and at least 12 million people will lose benefits and many rural hospitals might be forced to close in the next 10 years.
The Big Beautiful Bill allows massive tax breaks for the wealthy, not so for the majority of us.
The list goes on.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti said it best in his poem “Pity the Nation.”
“ … Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture
Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed ...”
Old ideas
Pat Willet
July 29
EDITOR, Daily News:
I'm 74 years old. Being this old, I guess I have a few old ideas. One idea i still cling to is the belief that our federal government should work for us. You and me — you know, “We the People.”
In the past six months or so, the current administration has forgotten about “We the People.” It is abundantly clear that the Trump administration, filled with ultra-billionaires, does not care about you and me.
Trump promised to “drain the swamp.” I think he meant Washington is bloated with bureaucracies, lobbyists and career politicians. But filling his cabinet with the ultra-rich did nothing but replace the swamp with a cesspool of billionaires.
Indiscriminately firing tens of thousands of federal workers was a grave mistake that will cripple our nation for years to come. It won't save any money, but will cost us dearly. Yes, our federal bureaucracy is huge, unwieldy and expensive. But it also is indispensable.
Here are just a few examples.
The EPA: I like clean air and clean water. OSHA: Having a clean and safe workplace free of child labor is important to me. National Weather Service and NOAA: Accurate forecasting of storms, hurricanes and floods can save lives.
The USDA: I like to know the food I eat is safe. And USAID: For a very small percentage of the U.S. budget, we are (were) feeding many of the hungry of the world. Keeping children fed who will otherwise die.
Big business and the private sector will not do these things. That's why our federal government should not be run like a business.
Remember our government is “We the People.” Let us demand that it work for all of us.
The Country requires leadership
Van Abbot
July 26
I write today as a deeply concerned citizen and constituent regarding the regressive and economically destructive policies being promoted and reinstated by the Trump administration across trade, immigration, healthcare, international aid, and education. These policies not only threaten the foundational strengths of the modern U.S. economy, but they are also rapidly diminishing America’s credibility and competitiveness on the global stage.
Despite the administration’s nostalgic fixation on manufacturing as the bedrock of economic power, the truth is that the U.S. economy has evolved. Our strength lies in our service industries, healthcare research, tourism, education and related innovation, and the economic energy fueled by immigration. Rather than supporting and expanding these pillars, the administration is deliberately undermining them — imposing chaotic and sweeping tariffs, gutting academic exchange and immigration frameworks, attacking healthcare systems, and underfunding education at every level. These actions are not only ill-advised — they are economically suicidal.
The reality that the United States is no longer the singular economic superpower it once was must be acknowledged. Our failure to accept and adapt to this shift is blinding us to the emergence of a new, dynamic world order.
Countries such as China, India, Brazil and even Canada are asserting themselves economically and diplomatically in ways we cannot ignore. The BRICS alliance — comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, now with participation from key South Pacific and Middle Eastern nations — is becoming more economically cohesive and influential than the G7. These nations are expanding their foreign aid to the Global South while the Trump Administration has essentially abandoned America’s historic role in international development and humanitarian support.
It is disheartening that while BRICS strengthens economic ties and establishes new trade settlements in local currencies, the United States is actively undermining the very alliances and institutions that have long upheld the global economic order anchored by the dollar. If we continue down this path, we risk seeing the U.S. dollar lose its position as the world's default trade currency—a shift that would have staggering consequences for our national economy.
Therefore, I urge Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich, as members of the Alaskan congressional delegation in Congress, to take these decisive steps:
1. Reassert congressional authority over trade: The Constitution vests Congress with the power to regulate commerce. It is time to reclaim this authority and prevent future administrations from weaponizing trade policy for political theater and destroying our economy as a result.
2. Rebuild diplomatic and economic alliances: We must stop alienating allies and start repairing vital relationships. Multilateralism is not a weakness — it is the cornerstone of sustained economic strength.
3. End the scapegoating of immigrants and return to tried and true policies that invite immigration. Immigration invigorates our economy and counters the death spiral of declining US birth rate.
4. Educate yourselves on the New Global Economy: Members of Congress must fully understand and acknowledge the transformation occurring in global trade, finance, and development. Policies should reflect reality, not nostalgia or ignorance.
5. Reinforce the independence of the Federal Reserve: The politicization of monetary policy is perilous. Congress must protect the Fed’s autonomy to ensure economic stability and integrity during these unstable, transitional times.
Our nation's future depends not on regressive nationalism but on strategic adaptation, global engagement and investment in the strengths we currently possess.
Finally, show leadership. Our country's future requires it — now, while there is still time.
How about you
Steve Kinney
July 19
EDITOR, Daily News:
As I stood out on Ketchikan streets with others last month holding a “NO KINGS!” sign, I thought, “What am I doing here! I’m an 84-year-old retiree who ought to be sitting at home smelling the roses and not standing on the side of the road protesting.”
But, alas, the Trump (DJT) administration is taking our country in a disastrous direction, and I cannot sit by and do nothing.
He might make his goals sound great for America, but when you look at his means of achieving them and what they really do for/to our country, it’s frightening.
DJT Goals:
Make America Great Again, ie: Return our society to the 1950s-’60s, when bigotry and racism was a fact of-life in many states.
Voters were mostly white.
Good-old-boys pretty much ran things.
Where “different” people (ie: by race, disability, culture, sex, sexual orientation) were kept in their place.
Businesses ran unchecked over the environment in search of big bucks.
Put America first, ie: Don’t spend money that does not directly go to the people.
Give the people a tax cut (at least for the rich.)
Cut governement waste (an amiable goal but no thought or planning.)
DJT Means:
Invent alternative facts (lies): Say whatever you think would be good for you — true or untrue. Never admit to untruths, just repeat them often and more emphatically. Keep the population questioning the truth, then they won’t believe the other argument.
Create problems to solve ie: Immigration: Call immigration an invasion (Immigration was tentatively solved by Congress until DJT told supporters, don’t agree.) Now our borders are controlled by fear and overkill. Call political rallies an insurrection so the government can send troops into opposition states to demonstrate power.
Remove non-white, undocumented immigrants (or documented immigrants). This will reduce the potential non-white vote. Unless, of course, the immigrants are white. White South African immigrants were granted entry immediately.
Utilize retribution as a mechanism to create fear: Lawyers in D.C. must bow to DJT to be eligible for government contracts. Universities not bowing to DJT have funding cut. DOJ workers are fired for doing their job.
Stop scientific research: Any scientific conclusion that might question administration goals is questioned (note attack on institutions of higher learning, and ban on words such as global warming.)
Blame Game: Start every report by blaming opponent for the problem, but be sure to take credit for any positive change in the country.
Act with full bluster and loud pronouncements: Life feels more like a reality show (”You’re Fired!”) than a result of thoughtful, reasoned planning.
Any way you look at this list of goals and means, it’s certainly not the way to create and maintain the country that our Constitution describes. It’s a guide to becoming king, and I’m fed up!
How about you?
Seeking Info
Betsey Burdett
July 19
EDITOR, Daily News:
I was out in the yard doing my morning chores when the Post Office truck pulled in. Out came the fellow with a large package. It was 6:40 a.m. After he deposited the package, he did not look up when I wished him a good day and thanks. He did not hear me as his ears were plugged with earphones.
I got to wondering about postal carriers. Are they well paid? Benefits? Is a postal worker on an island a good career? Does it require a degree? Are degrees necessary? As an employer of our future citizens, I am increasingly concerned and angry about this current charade of a “government” and the Republican party that goes by a playbook called Project 2025, not by our Constitution. What we have worked hard for is being torn down in short order while name calling, lying, bullying, building concentration camps, hunting down a targeted immigrant population, silencing major news sources, defunding federal programs, and breaking the law daily. Chaos and confusion are the order of the day. The idea is to anger and divide us. Somehow there is plenty of support for all of this by the party faithful.
Gone are the government programs that I took advantage of over the years which yielded me “The American Dream:” A fine healthy family that contributes to the community, a comfortable and dry home, employment, insurance benefits, and a business.
My list of programs chronologically included the GI Bill which paid for my dad’s further education after WWII and a loan for his growing family’s first house, immunizations (Polio, MMR HIB Staples, DTAP, Covid and all their boosters), college education loans (Pell), specialized training and grants, food stamps, Social Security, Medicare, IRS help, FHA housing loans, Peace Corps, and the business-saving CARES Act. Because of all these opportunities and hard work, I have been supported and succeeded. All going or gone. Is this what we want? If not, get involved. Call our Alaska delegation daily, march, talk to your neighbors. Seek out information. Get involved. Seek out information. We are the people.
Skeptical
Jim Guenther
July 17
EDITOR, Daily News:
It was with some trepidation, a wee bit of skepticism, and a whole lot of curiosity that I began reading Sen. Dan Sullivan’s opinion article praising the accolades of the One Big Beautiful Bill printed in the Ketchikan Daily News on July 15. Such a disingenuous piece of misinformation has rarely slipped onto the printing presses of Ketchikan and I immediately found myself wondering if all the facts and figures concerning the One Big Beautiful Bill that I’d seen had been grossly mischaracterized by the press and pundits.
Let me begin by stating that most of Dan’s numbers, he admits, came from the CEA, the Council of Economic Advisors. So the first thing I did was look up the CEA and found that it is a group of men appointed by Donald, you know who. They operate under the executive branch and are led by folks like Peter Navarro with a tad dollop of inspiration thrown in from little Stephen Miller. Not exactly the least biased group of individuals to get your knowledge of the facts from. I compared their numbers with the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan group of eggheads who have a very respectable track record when it comes to such things.
Sullivan states the bill reduces the deficit by $400 billion before all the pro growth stuff. The CBO report, which you can find online, says it will increase the deficit by $4,465,989,000,000, that’s trillion (just a slight discrepancy).
Sullivan says the bill will be great for Alaskans’ health care. A group of doctors in Alaska published this article in the Anchorage Daily News, “The Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would be a Disaster for Alaska.” They say between 23,000 and 38,000 Alaskans will lose health care under the cuts, that ER visits will surge, that our premiums will rise and that Alaska will lose $2,000,000,000 — that’s two billion U.S. dollars. Sullivan says he (Murkowski) got $200,000,000 put back into Alaska for five years, that’s one billion. If that is so, we’re still a billion down. And what happens in five years?
Sullivan called this a “Jobs Bill’ because it opens ANWR. We opened ANWR in 2021, tried to lease 22 parcels, only leased nine, seven of those I bought — well, you and I and Alaska through AIDEA. The two private buyers both reneged. We tried again in 2024 and December 2025. Not one bid. So there are your jobs.
The Coast Guard got a new ship. The Army gets some new money. That’s good. Billionaires and corporations got a huge tax break. And your kids and grand kids? They got One Big Beautiful Deficit that they can pay the interest on throughout eternity ‘cause it ain’t going away.
Waste of Money
Virginia Adams
July 9
EDITOR, Daily News:
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
Mike Sallee
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
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."
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?
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.
Approach Carelessly
Bill Rotecki
March 22
EDITOR, Daily News:
Donald Trump promised to cut the fat in government and increase efficiency. I am a small businessman in a competitive market and efficiency wins me work and sees my customers money. I know the benefits of what he is talking about.
Donald also promises to eliminate burdensome regulations. As a contractor, I know how some building codes waste both time and money. So I am highly supportive of this goal, too.
But at the same time, I also know that most building codes are there for good reasons. They ensure that we build safe, long-lived buildings — and in general, we do. I would not want to rip up all building codes just to get rid of the codes I question.
And as for “building more efficiently,” I don’t begin by firing half my crew and then building half a house, while expecting the owners to thank me because they only have to pay half as much. Nor am I willing to save the owners’ money by building a dangerous, sub-standard house as might be possible if I got rid of those bothersome building inspectors.
Unfortunately, this careless approach is what Donald is taking to all government. Remodeling, when well done, results in improvement. However, ripping up the codebook and firing the construction crew have nothing to do with efficiency. That’s like doing the demolition without ever planning to rebuild. That amounts to careless destruction of an institution without a plan to replace it with something better,
Dangerous Path
Cathy Cooley
March 15
EDITOR, Daily News:
Seniors and those with disabilities are at the forefront and feeling the effects o the dramatic federal changes that have been passed to our state.
Recently, I was honored to read a letter sent to a senior friend.
It read as follows: “What you should know: The State of Alaska will no longer pay Medicare part B premiums after December 2024. You must pay the premium starting January 2025.” The letter added that $370 would be deducted from the Social Security check in March, and $185 would be deducted from subsequent checks.
This is a devastating reduction to a fixed income. It will reduce the already meager check to nearly one half in the month of March and by nearly a quarter in the following months.
The notice also included a chilling option for canceling Medicare Part B: “If you cancel your insurance, the date your coverage stops depends on when you cancel it.”
For many, this will not be a choice, but a desperate measure driven by the need to prioritize essential expenses like food and shelter. The inevitable result will be the loss of vital non-emergency medical health care services.
It is the consequence of this decision that deeply troubles me. Without access to necessary health care, many of our older and compromised citizens will face severe health risks, potentially leading to preventable illnesses and premature deaths.
This raises a disturbing question. What becomes of a society that forces its more vulnerable citizens to choose between basic survival and health care?
While some may frame this as a cost-saving measure, the human cost is immeasurable. This is a dangerous path, and we have only just begun to see the devastating effects.
Protect Veterans
Karen & Mark Severson
March 11
EDITOR, Daily News:
Flying the inverted American flag is a recognized distress signal. Recently, we hung our flag in this manner to sound the alarm about the seriousness of all that’s happening since Jan. 20.
Elon Musk is creating chaos and catastrophe, and it’s hurting veterans who put their lives on the line for the country we love.
Veterans are 30% of the federal workforce; many disabled. The DOGE’s illegal firings of these brave men and women have been cruel.
Veterans’ groups are raising the alarm about what they call indiscriminate cuts across the Department of Veterans Affairs by the Trump administration.
Because veterans often face health challenges from their service, it’s important to make it easy for them to get medical and mental health care. The VA offers several benefits for veterans, like health care, counseling and disability compensation. Additionally, some nonprofits and charities provide mentorship, job training, financial help and temporary housing to support veterans.
Cuts have come fast. There were 1,000 cut three weeks ago, another 1,400 two week ago. The Trump administration announced Wednesday that 80,000 VA employees will be laid off by August.
The VA has let people go from the veterans’ suicide crisis hotline. An average of 17 veterans a day die from suicide.
Alaska Rep. Nick Begich recently voted for $800 billion in cuts— most of which is expected to come from Medicaid — in the House budget resolution in order to help pay for tax cuts that largely favor billionaires and add $4.5 trillion to the deficit.
Families who rely on Denali Kidcare will be left without health care.
DOGE is cutting half of the Social Security Administration workforce with the intent of collapsing the department per the Project 2025 agenda. We’ve all had part of our earnings taken by the IRS and invested into Social Security for our entire working lives, but retirees who justifiably rely on that once-guaranteed income might not get their monthly check very soon. And neither will you when you retire — check to see what you’ve paid in.
Linda McMahon, the new secretary of Education, has made it clear she intends to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The DOE administers federal funding to K-12 schools, including the Title 1 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. FAFSA no longer will be available to our college-bound students. Our wonderful schools are already on life support.
So yes, we’re sounding the alarm. The U.S. is no longer siding with our allies, but threatening them. Our president and vice president are helping Russia at every turn. We are no longer respected around the world.
Tariffs will raise prices on all goods and our fish prices will suffer.
The “ship is sinking” and it’s up to us to make the mayday call to all who will listen.
We thank and honor our veterans for their service to our country! Let us all now protect them.
Check backgrounds
Jack Lee
March 11
EDITOR, Daily News:
I listened to Congressman Nick Begich’s recent teleconference and I am supportive of his plans to increase manufacturing and processing of Alaska goods and resources in Alaska. However, given current political arrangements, I question his ability to achieve his goals. He mentioned logging and fishing as examples of industries that may benefit from his vision. Both of these industries have been important to the Southeast Alaska economy. Both also depend on the support of federal employees. After the recent firings of U.S. Forest Service employees by Elon Musk and his teenage DOGEers, I doubt there are adequate personnel left to even administer a logging sale in Southeast Alaska.
Our fisheries — commercial, sport and charter — also benefit from the work of USFS and other federal employees. USFS spawning habitat protection and restoration efforts are invaluable to the health of salmon stocks. NOAA employees provide weather reports that are life saving not only to those involved in the fisheries, but to all Alaskans. The NOAA Fisheries division, formerly NMFS, studies fish populations and regulates harvests to keep stocks healthy and sustainable.
I would be surprised if Mr. Begich doesn’t find that the vast majority of the projects and changes he mentioned will require the involvement of federal employees. I hope Rep. Begich understands that the most important “federal employees” needed right now are him and his fellow Republican congressional members. They all need to stop abdicating their powers and responsibilities to Musk and President Donald Trump. Congress has the constitutionally mandated “power of the purse.” With their powers, they can stop the Musk/Trump team efforts to freeze the bipartisan, congressionally approved, Jobs Act funds. This freeze could halt infrastructure improvement project funds designated for Alaska, including the $285 million secured by Sen. Lisa Murkowski for our ailing Alaska Marine Highway System. They hold the power to protect these vital projects.
While the Republican congress is at it, maybe they could do some background checks on the unelected, unvetted, unaccountable little DOGEies. As “federal employees,” they might be getting a DOGE pink slip next. Justifiably, if they don’t do their job.
Federal Jobs
Virginia Adams
March 4
EDITOR, Daily News:
Slashing federal jobs to the bone doesn’t just affect D.C. bureaucrats — it hurts everyday Americans, including many right here in Ketchikan.
Our neighbors rely on skilled, dedicated public servants for everything from weather forecasting to veterans’ benefits. When the federal workforce is “purged,” expertise and institutional memory vanish, and vital services suffer.
Let’s tell our leaders in Congress that firing qualified professionals en masse is a short-sighted move that jeopardizes both local economic activity and public safety. We deserve a government that functions effectively, staffed by people committed to serving our needs.