PFD guts economic diversification

To the editor:

We have been selfish and shortsighted to gut every effort proposed to develop our state. We vote, instead, to hoard our state money and wait to get the highest possible PFD check from our government like a bunch of Communists.

Russia has a huge, thriving Arctic port at Murmansk with 300,000 proud people, complete with railroad, road infrastructure and a fleet of icebreaker ships to escort ships all year.

Russia is also developing another Arctic port at Provideniya just across from Nome to service ships going through the Bering Strait to Asia. Alaska, in contrast, has a tiny port at Nome, which is not capable of harboring and servicing large ships and has no railroad or road connection.

The Department of Transportation has identified Port Clarence near Teller as the best site for a new Arctic port because it has enough protected harbor for many large ships and a road connection to an international airport at Nome.

We should spend some of our huge Alaska Permanent Fund to develop this new international Arctic port in order to take advantage of the new polar shipping route to Europe. We should also build at least two large icebreaker ships dedicated to keep this port open year -ound. Yes, it will be a large investment, but think of the huge potential!

Our state and federal representatives should visit Murmansk, Russia, to learn what we are missing and how to move forward. Let’s take our oil blinders off, look ahead of our own short lives and ask our Legislature to build a grand new international Arctic port and railroad connection, and other projects to diversify our economy for our future generations.

Daniel N. Russell

Willow