Supports Masteller, Church

To the editor:

Assemblyman Ron Arvin got me interested in Mat-Su government nearly two years ago, so I started attending assembly meetings.

What I’ve seen is a gang of assembly members who seem to answer not to the residents who elected them, but to the Mat-Su Business Alliance (MSBA). Who belongs to the MSBA anyway? The group doesn’t disclose its members and it must not be that businesslike. MSBA has publicly spoken for the removal of safety nets and income-generating activities that would protect and benefit their customers — if indeed those customers are borough residents and taxpayers.

Arvin was against the (costly) ferry, but now he’s intent on getting it here from Ketchikan. The ferry has already cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and it’s adding up at more than $60,000 a month for we don’t know how long.

With Mayor Larry DeVilbiss’s encouragement, the assembly just voted down — again — asking the state to provide borough residents with health information about toxic procedures the mayor and assembly have regularly publicly supported. It looks like DeVilbiss and Arvin are shifting even more of the borough’s financial burdens to property owners. And it certainly appears DeVilbiss and Arvin are continuing their attempts to silence the public voice. DeVilbiss and Arvin may call this “open for business,” but they’re really selling us taxpayers down the engorged Matanuska River.

I hope you’re ready for better attention from your elected representatives and better management over your property taxes than you’re now getting. Smaller government we have, now it’s smarter government we need. Shake things up and join me in voting (early) for Michelle Church and Mark Masteller, for good business practices at the borough to support the residents and good businesses in the borough.

Patty Rosnel

Palmer