Signs should point to solution …

Frontiersman editorial board

Just when it looked as though the legs were leaving the political pugilists in the late rounds of the park closure bout, both sides offered up a spirited flurry late last week.

It began when Alaska State Division of Parks director Jim Stratton fired off a letter to borough representative Scott Ogan. The letter criticized Ogan for what Stratton called a publicity stunt when Ogan removed a sign from Big Lake South State Recreation Site during a previous press conference. Ogan has said he removed the sign to bring to the legislature as evidence that the park closures were illegal.

Ogan responded to the Stratton combination with a flurry of his own in the form of a reply letter. In that letter Ogan repeated his assertion that the process to close the parks was illegal. Ogan also defended the Legislature against accusations about the budget cuts that are at -- or at least near -- the heart of the matter.

The letters offer an interesting glimpse into the emotional currents flowing on both sides of the parks issue. In place of the normal Spectrum column, today readers will be able to read the letters side-by-side. It is a rare opportunity to hear both voices at once.

It seems clear that, while the decision has been made, the debate is far from over. The letters below suggest that, perhaps, cooler heads have yet to prevail in that debate. When that time comes, and hopefully it will, the discussion will turn to solutions and to the future. Many people are still not satisfied with the explanation about why the majority of the closed parks are in the Valley. Ogan wants an explanation for that, and he seems to feel there are ulterior motives for it. Those on the other side say it was the most cost-effective and logical way to go.

The budget issues are still cloudy to many, but it seems clear enough that the parks budget has, indeed, remained fairly flat for several years, while the expense of running the parks has not. Sooner or later, you simply run out of corners to cut, and the padlocks must come out.

It's time to get to work on a solution. The critical question is not, "Who did this?" The questions now are, "How did it get this far? How can we fix it? How can we keep it from happening again?" There has been talk of privatizing the parks, but most people understand that it simply

isn't a viable solution. It's not a money-making venture. The parks are all about quality of life, and they are all about community. It's time to take off the gloves and put on the thinking caps. This year was a mistake. Admit it. Then figure out how to keep it from happening again.