Online comments

At www.frontiersman.com, readers comment on stories, letters to the editor, editorials and other Valley-related topics. Over the past week, 323 comments were left on local issues. Following are some of those comments.

Health care and religious people (20 overall, 15 past seven days)

Allen wrote:

There is no question we all would like to have health care for everyone. In a perfect world that would be the case. Also, in a perfect world everyone who could would contribute to the cost and everyone in the health care system would cut costs to a fair and affordable level. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and the takers keep wanting more and more from the givers until we can't afford to give any more.

KenB wrote:

Allen, I respect your opinion as an American; however, by your standard then we should do away with Medicare, Social Security, health care for the prison population, the FEMA flood insurance program, etc. We are not talking about subsidies for car insurance, home insurance, etc. Health insurance is being provided for the uninsured now through higher rates for those of us fortunate to have coverage, and this includes Illegal Immigrants as well. I am in business and I can tell you many small businesses are closing daily because of high premiums and a lack of coverage.

palmeranian wrote:

“From everyone according to his ability to everyone according to his need,” or something close to that. This would work in a perfect world, but everyone who has tried it discovered that we don't live in a perfect world. I used to sell health insurance and I have no love for health insurance companies. They are a major part of the problem. But, socialized medicine will destroy the quality of our current system. The only reason Medicare works now is because we have a private health care system to support it.

george wrote:

Thanks for restoring my faith that at least some Christians in America have heard the message. My only question is why other Christians are screaming such unchristian things at the top of their lungs. These screamers make me question if they really understand the message or maybe the screaming makes them happy.

RB wrote:

I've always felt that equal access to basic health care is the moral issue of our time. What's more important than our health? Health care should be a basic right and not a commodity accessible only to those who can afford it. Thank you, Mr. Bess, for your articulate and reasoned discussion. And thank you for actually following the teachings of Jesus.

Oops wrote:

It's like this: If they mess up God will forgive you, if God speaks to you, you are blessed and it was God’s wish. Why worry about anything? I mean, you have no control over your life, (so) by your belief it's a mute argument. If you believe, whatever you deal with — whether good health or cancer — it is God’s will. If you believe you should have no worries you're going to heaven.

Palmer ponders tight budget (11 overall, 11 past seven days)

Alaskan wrote:

Should have saved the taxpayers that $70,000-plus Palmer spent on another annexation study.

Easy to see wrote:

Let’s take a little closer look at the budget. Palmer just authorized to build a state-of-the-art toiletry system at the visitor’s center to the sum of over $250,000 to serve the tourists who can't afford to come to Alaska anyway. You hold an event on Saturday for the fireworks, for which we’re all very grateful, but the city won't even plow the sidewalks so the community can walk to enjoy it — seniors slipping and falling just trying to get to the train depot to view it. This little podunk town (is full of) hypocrites.

Attract business wrote on:

Palmer should be more concerned about losing existing businesses then marketing for new ones. By repairing the failed water mains in-house the city killed many downtown stores. They had two contractors already working on streets. They could have contracted them to do the work using two shifts, saving a month and many businesses.

To easy to see wrote:

The Saturday event was private, not city sponsored. I imagine the city did the best it could with two snow storms over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Next time offer a hand instead of a poisoned pen.

Easy to see wrote:

To the nameless person who commented, it's Monday and to no avail — not even half the walks are plowed. And unless none of us can count, we only had one typical Alaska snowfall of about 6 to 8 inches, and what difference what type of event it is? A job to do is a job to do. If Palmer had its priorities right just some of the time we wouldn't be in here writing suggestions now would we? You can push the seniors in their wheelchairs next time!

Snow is removed wrote:

Very busy weather pattern, three good snows and a Chinook in the last six days. Wednesday morning and the city streets are all plowed. Great job, city of Palmer. Oh, don't forget, there was a holiday in there.

Ponder this … wrote:

Government is the problem, not the solution. GET OUT OF THE WAY.

Borrowed time (9 overall, 9 past seven days)

CS wrote:

You are a wonderful man, Mr. Bailey. I am proud you are an Alaskan and lend a helping hand to those who need it. God bless you and your family!

winkwink wrote:

Mr. Bailey, you are a great American. May God bless you with a long and happy life.

waneta redmond wrote:

That is the Mo I learned to know. Thank you on behalf on all the veterans and others you have helped. May God bless and keep you.

777 wrote:

Great attitude! Inspiring life story! May God grant you more extra time to complete your mission here on Earth!

Deja wrote:

Maurice, thank you for being such a wonderful person. I have known you since I was a kid. I will certainly pray for you. I can’t wait until I see you again and get a BIG HUG!

Lisa J wrote:

You, sir, are an inspiration. May you have many more healthy and happy days ahead of you. Thank you for all you have done for veterans and thank you for your service.

The case for why evolution might be right (9 overall, 9 past seven days)

Bible Believer wrote:

Great article. They can’t explain the dino fossils with blood cells and DNA or irreducible complexity either. It’s got to be rough being willingly ignorant running from the truth.

Wow wrote:

Always a dull moment when reading this guy.

Christian wrote:

You say evolution is not true because it is not scientific. Then you proceed to say, "The Bible calls it science, falsely so called." I'd like to know where the Bible says that. To me you appear to see yourself as a defender of the faith. You are not. You are a defender of your political and religious ideology. You sound like the scribes and Pharisees Jesus encountered who didn't understand the good news.

David wrote:

Basing your creation argument on the Grand Canyon is fruitless. Current exploration estimates the earliest dates to be around 5 million years old. I don't think Noah was around that long ago. Isn't Noah's flood supposed to have happened around 12,000 years ago? That is when the last ice age ended. So maybe local flooding occurred and this was the great flood. Just because you cannot explain something doesn't mean a god had to create it. Creation is equivalent to a flat Earth mind frame.

Bible Believer wrote:

Mr. Hammon, keep writing the truth. Everyone needs to hear this kind of stuff more often. Hey David, many scientists believe in a young Earth. It’s like climategate — if the evidence doesn’t fit their world view they throw it out. God created the Earth and all that is in it around 10,000 to 8,000 years ago.