‘Instant Family’
Dear Editors: I had an extraordinary conversation with two of the folks at Youth Advocates of Sitka Inc., Charlie Woodcock and Matthew Jackson. The mission of Youth Advocates is the extraordinary part: “Support the mental health of Alaska’s youths and their families.”
One category of support among many offered by Youth Advocates, is support for foster children and for foster parents. Children separated from their natural parents, and foster parents adjusting to challenging behaviors can benefit from support.
Youth Advocates and the Coliseum Theater have arranged a showing of “Instant Family,” a portrayal of a family with foster children. Actual Sitkan foster families will be present for the show and for the brief introduction preceding it. Families and persons interested in becoming foster parents or mentors are warmly invited to attend this program. The presentation by Youth Advocates staff and the question-and-answer session begin at 6:45 p.m., this Friday, Dec. 14, at the Coliseum Theater. The movie begins at 7 p.m.
John Welsh, Sitka
Carbon Dividend Act
Dear Editor: The Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the House of Representatives has introduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 7173). It’s a first, big legislative step toward getting a constructive response to climate change from our Congress. As Washington goes, there’s sure to be lots of discussion, argument and hopefully action, that results in a significant decrease in our dependence on climate changing fossil fuels. The end product is likely to look different than the bill just introduced but the bill is strong as introduced in so many important ways.
It’s good for the people, putting the carbon dividend money directly into people’s pockets every month, to spend as they wish, helping the low and middle income the most. The government won’t keep fees placed on carbon production, so the size of government will not grow. That makes it revenue neutral. At the same time it will reduce air pollution resulting in our improved health and the health of all other living creatures.
It’s effective in that it’ll reduce carbon emissions in the United States by about 40 percent in about 12 years AND create 2.1 million jobs over the next 10 years from growth in the clean energy sector.
Last, but definitely not least, the bill is bipartisan. Your friends, families and neighbors on all sides of the political world have expressed the urgency of solving climate change by a large majority, including more than half of Republican millennial voters.
Our representatives in Congress often tell us, “We need to hear this from more people.” Please write and call them and tell them you support this bill. You can find their contact information on ‘‘The Google’’ – Don Young, U.S. House of Representatives; Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senate.
Libby Stortz,
Citizens Climate Lobby
Sitka Chapter
