Letters to the editor

5 Member Road Service Areas for the Mat Su Borough

To the editor:

The Mat Su Borough is increasing in population, and builders are trying to keep up with the supply and demand by building subdivisions. When a community is developing neighborhoods, it creates a demand for more roads. Currently the Mat Su Borough has an increase in road improvement projects which requires more volunteers on the Road Service Area Board to oversee those projects. The Mat Su Borough is growing exponentially due to population growth; therefore, it is time to increase the number of Road Service Area Board Members from three board members to five board members in the different communities. When you have more Road Service Area Board Members, it mitigates services to communities by having more vision and feedback on the road, to report road problems and to make roads safer for the community. When the Road Improvement Project List continues to grow, it creates a demand for more Road Service Area Board Members to oversee those projects. The Mat Su Borough is growing and with growth, comes change. Certain Road Service Area Board Members are struggling with change; however, we must adapt and work together for our growing community. Everything will work itself out and more helpful hands always benefit everyone.

Esther Huddleston,

Wasilla

A letter to the Legislators of Alaska

To the editor:

I am writing as a classroom teacher to express my disapproval of the Governor’s recent veto of HB69 and to implore you to vote to override the veto. There were two main reasons he gave for the veto: policy and prices. Neither excuse has ground to stand on.

The first reason given for the veto was that HB69 didn’t include policy (results, accountability, etc.). It was just 2 years ago that the Governor signed the Alaska Reads Act into law, putting into place the most significant policy changes to affect results and add accountability in decades. We are in the midst of only the second year implementing these tremendous changes. Our end-of-year testing window has not even closed to show the hard work students, teachers, and districts have been doing with the new policy. For anyone who says that funding education without policy is meaningless, remind them of the Alaska Reads Act. We already have the policy change, now we need the funding. (Also important to note the Alaska Reads Act had only just begun its implementation when the most recent NAEP testing was completed.)

The Governor’s second excuse for a veto was that circumstances have changed due to falling oil prices, implying that since oil prices are low, there is no longer enough money to fully fund education. We must realize that the value of education cannot be only as good as the value of oil. The value of education is so great and timeless that the framers of Alaska’s Constitution guaranteed it to every child of the state, without stipulation. Our constitutional obligation is to fund and maintain our system of education, regardless of the prices of commodities. Guarantee the funding, then debate the sources. What should not be up for debate is the promise of a full education.

Neither policy nor price can be used as excuses for a veto or reason to give up on HB69. Alaska’s students and staff have been working tirelessly to meet the demands of the Alaska Reads Act and are guaranteed by the Constitution a system that works, which means funded. For these reasons, you must vote to overturn the veto. You must vote to fund education. You must vote now for the future of Alaska.

Brent Ramsay, 4/5/6th grade teacher,

Anchorage