Letters to the Editor: Nov. 18

Heavy-handed

An open letter to Tuckerman Babcock of the Alaskan Republican Party:

I was rather shocked to see references to the letter Tuckerman Babcock, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party sent to Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux, Paul Seaton and myself, published in the Alaska Dispatch News Nov. 10.  Mr. Babcock failed to provide any of us with a courtesy copy of his heavy-handed letter. I had to search for his “open letter” on the ARP website.

His claims of my deception in campaigning under false pretenses as a Republican to my constituents need to be addressed.

First, my constituents know my voting record from last year and they know it included working across the aisle with Democrats in an effort to address the fiscal crisis facing the state of Alaska.

If I am not lockstep with Republican Party dogma at this point in time, it is not my deception, it is his apparent misunderstanding of my priorities. I made it very clear to him in our telephone conversation during the campaign what my priorities are. I will reiterate those to you now so there is no further misunderstanding.

Priority one is my constituents; priority two is the state of Alaska; priority three is party and caucus.

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In closing, I wish to remind Mr. Babcock, there is no such thing as party dictatorship in the state of Alaska, or elsewhere in the U.S., although some leadership individuals use ostracism tactics in an effort to enforce them. We live and work in a democratic society and I am not going to submit to intimidation, public or otherwise, while I am serving in the Alaska Legislature.

Lastly, pending the approval of APOC, rather than returning to the party the $1,000 donation to my campaign as you requested, I will be making a $1,000 donation to the Kodiak Salvation Army in the name of the Alaska Republican Party.

Respectfully,

— Rep. Louise Stutes

House District 32

 

Hateful graffiti

We’ve always been impressed by the respect and tolerance Cordovans show to their neighbors. So, it was very disturbing, this week – two days after our Presidential election – to see anti-Semitic graffiti on Lake Avenue. Graffiti happens all the time, we know, but we’d never seen this particular kind of hateful graffiti spray painted here, and it made us both sad and angry.

Thank you, City Manager Alan Lanning and Public Works Director Rich Rogers, for taking immediate action to remove the hateful words. It wasn’t easy in the pouring rain and winds.

Unifying our country happens through respect, tolerance and compassion. Divisions only grow with hate and anger.

— Nancy Bird and Karl Becker

Cordova

Letters to the Editor

The Cordova Times welcomes letters to the editor. General interest letters should be no more than 300 words.  Thank you letters should be no more than 150 words. Letters should be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursdays for consideration in the following week’s edition of the newspaper. However, meeting that deadline is no guarantee that the letter will be published. All letters must include the writer’s name and address and daytime number. Only the writer’s name and city or village will be published. This newspaper also reserves the right to edit letters for content, length, clarity, grammar and taste. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letter writers are encouraged to use email.

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