Rep. Colver speaks for the people

I resent Eric Feige’s opinion regarding Rep. Jim Colver in his letter to the editor Aug. 10.

As a Republican, as well as a anti-crime & community safety advocate, I support Rep. Colver.

I saw first-hand the political puppetry that went on in Juneau this past session. I fought against the “pro” crime bill SB 91 and I was not alone. Every major law enforcement association in Alaska, as well as the Office of Public Advocacy and many others, opposed the bill out of concern for public safety and loss of victim rights. Rep. Colver was only one of three valley legislators willing to stand up against the powerful Republican majority and oppose this bill.

Republicans were not on board with this type of liberal “soft on crime” approach to criminal justice until they learned they could save money on the backs of of hard working Alaskans who will pay the price for decriminalizing crime in their community. The thought that they were attempting to trim social welfare programs is a joke. SB 91 is a free giveaway to nonprofits who stand to gain money on marijuana tax diverted to them in this bill.

This was obvious in the testimony given by those in support of the bill, under the condition they receive money. The, at times, outright lies and contortion of the truth used to pass SB 91 is clearly evident in the closure of Palmer Correctional Facility. We went from our prison being so full we have to build a new one in 2017 to being able to absorb a additional 500 prisoners & closure of a facility in just two short months. So we now have either 500 former incarcerated individuals running the streets in a 8 week period or someone lied.

Rep. Colver listened to the people he represented whether the all powerful liked it or not. Maybe if former Rep. Feige had done the same he wouldn’t be a former Representative.

— Vicki Wallner

Palmer