Petition Drive
Dear Editor: The petition drive supporting the Sitka Community Hospital and Dr. Wein will be extended until the town hall meeting (date yet to be announced).
Petitions are available at Tongass Threads, 224 Katlian and 405 Verstovia Street.
Carolyn Evans, Sitka
Electric Rate
Dear Editor: On the front page of the Monday, March 13, newspaper you explained that the residential electric rate would go up from 12 cents to 15 cents per kilowatt hour.
That is a 25 percent increase.
On the front page of yesterday’s newspaper (March 29, 2017) the article describes the vote that did not pass this increase (to be in effect April 1, 2017) as a ‘‘15 percent’’ increase.
A 15 percent increase would move 12 cents/kwh to 13.8 cents/kwh.
Wayne C. Bowers, Sitka
Next Celebration
Dear Editor: This year Sitka is gearing up for the biggest Alaska Day celebration possible, and with it being the 150th anniversary of the Alaska purchase I think it’s time we sat down and really thought this over. The things is, no one else in Alaska really cares for our holiday, and trying to sell “Alaska Day” as it is now is like trying to get momentum behind Columbus Day in 2017. Every single year we throw a parade and then re-enact the time we bought stolen land. It’s callous at best, and just a wee-bit racist at worst.
We all love Alaska, and we certainly deserve a day to honor this amazing place we live, but the day we’ve chosen is not sustainable. Because eventually a generation will come along with enough sense to stop rubbing salt in this wound. We need to do better. Just about any day would be an improvement, but here’s one to consider:
Jan. 3 was the day Alaska became a state. Men, Women, Whites and Alaskan Natives all had the right to vote in the State of Alaska from this day forward. It was a pretty good day, and one worth celebrating.
William The Giant, Sitka
New Administrator
Dear Editor: I’m a little disgusted to see the city Assembly dithering so, about hiring a new administrator.
When the city hires outside people for local jobs, it always costs substantially more. Hiring local people significantly increases the odds that they will spend their hundreds of thousands in retirement benefits in this community. Outsiders simply go back where they came from.
The fire chief, Mr. Dave Miller, is competent and personable. He has strong ties with this community. The Assembly should cut the BS, and hire him without further delay.
Sigurd Rutter, Sitka
Assault on Creation
Dear Editor: Genesis 26+: Then God said, “Let us make humankind[c] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,[d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth...(NRSV)’’
It’s with intense, deep emotion that I write this letter both as a Christian and conservationist. I am called to speak on behalf of those without a voice – the winged, four-legged, furred, finned, scaled as well as the air, water, soil and plant life. March 28 will be marked as a dark, dark day for Creation. Not only was the Clean Power Plan rolled back by a stroke of President Trump’s pen, but the moratorium on coal mining on public lands was lifted, the EPA directed to not enforce environmental protections and on the heels of Monday’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline permit.
Additionally, this week the Senate joined the House in passing joint resolution 18 and 69, respectively, using the Congressional Review Act. These were sponsored by the Alaska delegation. This legislation allows the reversal of “fair chase” hunting practices in the 16 Alaska National Refuges. It was opposed by 47 national and local hunting and wildlife conservation groups. Now, bear cubs and sows with cubs can be taken plus bears can be baited as well as killed with snares or traps or from an aircraft and wolves/coyotes can be taken during denning season. This violates ethical rules of fair chase and is completely out of line with what the Creator meant by dominion in my opinion.
Our elected officials appear to be influenced by neither science nor ethics, but by powerful forces that are putting profit and greed before reason and the health of our fragile island home. So how can we collectively raise our voices on behalf of Creation and take planet-focused action?
First, join Sitka’s emerging Citizens’ Climate Lobby to advance a national carbon fee and dividend program. A fee is placed on fossil fuels at the source starting at $15 per ton of CO2 and increases each year by $10. All of those fees are returned to American households on an equitable basis. Additionally, a border tariff adjustment is placed on goods imported from or exported to countries without an equivalent price on carbon. The carbon fee and dividend program moves us towards clean energy, keeping pollutants out of air and water and promotes the public’s health and the economy.
Second, learn more about assaults on Creation. Hop on to webinars or read e-newsletters from advocacy groups like Earthjustice, 350.org, League of Conservation Voters, or Alaska Audubon as well as Creation Justice or Earth Ministry to educate yourself about the issues that are putting undue stress on God’s good, green earth.
Third, call your congressional delegation about pending legislation that impacts the health of the natural world that’s been entrusted to us. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds, and our delegation appreciates hearing from Alaskan constituents. Use 5calls.org or submit emails on our Alaska delegations websites to make sure the voice of Creation is heard.
Fourth, pray, meditate and spend time in Sitka’s bountiful Creation then bring Creation Care issues to your houses of worship for reflection and action.
Finally, join fellow Sitkans on April 29 for the People’s Climate March. Collectively, we need to rise up and boldly and compassionately steward the Divine’s holy Creation.
Lisa Sadleir-Hart, Sitka
Article Response
Dear Editor: Re: “Trump Signs Order to End ‘War on Coal’’: “Europe Scientists: U.S. Climate Plan Harmful?”
For Sitkans concerned about climate change, Trump’s executive order to gut the Clean Power Plan is discouraging. However, dispensing with regulation does not have to increase U.S. carbon emissions.
The way to decrease carbon emissions, independent of regulatory requirements, is a market mechanism: Charging a carbon fee for all fossil fuel-based energy sources at the point of production (mine for coal, drill site for oil, refinery for natural gas) will force up prices of these fossil fuel energy sources. Higher prices will motivate energy conservation and switching to less polluting sources of energy such as solar and wind power.
For those of us concerned about government bureaucracy, these fees for fossil fuels need to be revenue-neutral by returning a dividend to households to cover the increased costs of fossil fuels.
Finally, to stimulate international climate-protective actions, a tariff should be charged on imports from countries without similar policies. Such tariffs would leverage U.S. action to avert climate change by motivating other countries to decrease fossil fuel use in order to maintain competitive prices for their exports.
The best, first step towards a solution to climate change is a carbon fee, dividend to households, and tariffs on goods from countries without comparable climate solution efforts. This is the Citizens Climate Lobby proposal, similar to that proposed by the Republican Climate Leadership Council. Despite the deregulation of coal and power plant emissions by the current administration, a step towards a solution to our climate dilemma is available that should be agreeable to fossil fuel companies, citizens, and entrepreneurs in green energy. The next meeting of the local nonpartisan lobby group is Saturday, April 8, 8:30 a.m., Sitka Conservation Society.
Kay Kreiss, Sitka
News
Dear Editor: Hooray for Bob Potrzuski, the other Assembly members, Shannon Haugland and the Sentinel. The front page of March 30, 2017, was awesome!
Pauline Fredrickson,
Lifetime Sitkan
