Letters to the Editor
A much better transit option
America does have a soul
Iraq war is no good
A much better transit option
Hi, I read your story in the Alaska Humanity News (November, 2006, ‘Assembly overturns pedestrian-friendly city plan’). I just thought I’d let you know about a plan I’m trying to get policy makers to notice.
It’s an emerging technology called personal rapid transit (PRT). Independent studies show it can capture 30% to 50% of trips away from cars. This is unheard of in public transit circles, where in most cities public transit captures somewhere around 3% of all trips.
New Jersey recently appropriated $75,000 to study potential applications there. Palo Alto just received a $325,000 EPA grant to study the potential of PRT for a business park there. Washington state recently changed it’s laws to allow public bonding for PRT systems. London Heathrow airport just inked a deal to build a PRT shuttle.
A first step for Alaska would be to appropriate money for a planning study of potential applications here. This would likely cost $100,000 or so. Chump change for the Government.
Learn more about PRT:
http://www.cprt.org/alaska
http://www.skywebexpress.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit
-- Ryan Kennedy
America does have a soul
Excuse me? Aren’t you a little mixed-up Mr. Editor? Please note some serious discrepancies:
Dan Coffey’s actions are reported by you as being audacious, contradictory, moral and social injustices, brazen, and responding to the ‘tiny vision.’
I used to accept that society in general is truly a reflection of our consciousness. But note that society (humanity) is wising up and becoming very much less tolerant of all the above. In other words, the consciousness of the world is rising. Humanity is learning. A few professionals and corporations are, too. Wow, even a few politicians and newspapers. Are you?
America does have a soul and it is waking up to the diatribe of the Old School.
Do what? Apologize to the Old School of Force? To the old, callous leaders such as Dan Coffey, Gov. Murkowski, or President Bush, or the Ohio Gov??? These men are outdated and need to be replaced by men and women with consciousness and wisdom. Yes, with love.
You say that politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats cannot be reformed by force (yet they are the ones who are using force on us). I agree. Observe that your lifeless society is coming to life (and consciousness) and observing-and no longer tolerating the old way.
Blame accomplishes little. But THEY are not responsible. Individuals are. A transparent government is the only way to go. Forget the diatribe about security. King Coffey does not rule. The public does. Coffey’s idiotic statement that he was voted in and that gives him the right to change public opinion is ridiculous. Bush said the same thing about himself.
You went back and forth in your article. I suggest that you are beginning to understand-but not there yet. I have hope for you.
-- Gary Dorsey
Iraq war is no good
A Vietnamese friend explained that many GIs were killed in Saigon as retribution for the loss of family members. The question needs to be asked: given our history, why has Mr. Bush allowed so much reprehensible use of force by our military in Iraq? Ample are the reports. One objector has fled to Canada after refusing to fire on a carload of women and children. The objector is in Canada but his officer is still giving orders in Iraq.
Our troops used firepower to corral would-be Fallujah refugee women and children back into the city which we subsequently fire-bombed with white phosphorous. Our troops next dumped truckloads of charred civilian bodies into a lake. Check out the blogger web site http://www.truthout.org and look for Fallujah videos.
Our money would be better spend building bridges than fighting unnecessary wars. Gov. Murkowski is interested in building a bridge or tunnel under the Bering strait to Russia. What a good idea: a project which will demonstrate a commitment to building a bridge to the whole world.
-- Dana Carros, Kodiak
Is there a way to respond to global conflicts that actually resolves their causes? See Challenges, page 1, for a suggestion about how this may be possible.—Editor