LETTER: Sen. Kelly’s plan cruel and hypocritical

To the editor:

So Senator Pete Kelly wants to make a condition on someone getting Medicaid benefits that they have to get a job?

What does the one thing have to do with the other? What's next, a condition that to live in Alaska you have to have a job? There are many reasons for a person not to work, besides age and incapacitation.

What is the Senator going to do when he goes on Medicaid? Oh, I forgot, he already has a pretty plush job with full benefits, including the per diem which is an incentive to extend the sessions!

Also, I watched this morning the testimony by Senators Micchiche and Von Imhof, on SB196, which puts a limit on withdrawals from the permanent fund. That is fine as far as it goes, but again they are proposing broad cuts to the budget in general, without any idea of specific cuts, just cut an agency's budget, and let the agency figure out how to do it. There was no mention as to ways to generate additional income, and relieve our dependency on oil.

All I saw this morning was more political gibberish. I don't expect much meaningful action this session, since the Republican Senate Majority appears to control the entire Legislature. So the next chance for a change is this fall, when we the people have a chance to make changes.

So friends, when it comes time to vote this fall, please consider who is best concerned with bringing our state back to true fiscal responsibility.

— Orin Seybert

Anchorage