Stevens for Senate Committee Blog

Letter to the Editor - Alaskans should support Stevens

By: Patrick Kerley
Date: October 27, 2008

From the ADN –

Alaskans should support Stevens

My wife and I are mainly involved with veterans’ affairs — and no one has done more than Sen. Ted Stevens in that area. But Stevens has touched so many areas: health (community health aides and telemedicine), fisheries (200-mile-limit act), aviation (the Medallion program) and Medicare (doctors in Alaska will received 35 percent more to treat us than doctors in the Lower 48 receive to treat their patients), to name a few of Stevens’ accomplishments.

I call on my fellow Alaskans to stand up and be counted for Sen. Ted. Do not let “those guys” (Schumer, Reid, Pelosi and the Hollywood elite) buy the U.S. Senate seat for Begich.

— Roy Burkhart, Willow

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Letter to the Editor - Stevens has always helped Alaska

By: Patrick Kerley
Date: October 27, 2008

From the ADN –

Stevens has always helped Alaska

I am one of the many old-time Alaskans Sen. Stevens has helped during his years in office. Back in 1985 my husband, who had worked for the federal government, died suddenly, and it was imperative that I receive the money due him to continue to raise my family. I had been given the runaround for a very long time. In those days, before instant computer answers, it could take weeks and months to get answers.

A call to Stevens’ office got the ball rolling and the matter brought to a prompt, successful conclusion. I don’t know what I would have done with out Ted Stevens then — or now! He’s still helping Alaskans daily.

— Doris Colligan, Anchorage

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Letter to the Editor

By: Patrick Kerley
Date: October 17, 2008

ADN – Stevens has supported veterans

I served in the U.S. Marine Corp. and pay attention to matters affecting all those who have served our country.

One of those who has looked out for our veterans for more than 40 years is Sen. Ted Stevens. Over the years, he has brought to Alaska more and better care so our veterans might be treated locally. On the GI Bill, it was Ted Stevens who stuck to his guns so that if the vet cannot use educational benefits, then a member of his or her family can.

Thanks, Sen. Stevens. We look forward to your continued service in the U.S. Senate as long as you want to be there.

— Bill Lyle, Wasilla

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Letters to the Editor - Imitative flattery

By: Patrick Kerley
Date: September 17, 2008

Sept. 11, 2008

To the editor:

In response to Mark Begich’s recent call for Alaska energy solutions (News-Miner, Sept. 9), I think these are great ideas and, if they sound familiar, they should. Sen. Stevens has been pushing for many of these proposals during his terms in the Senate. The difference is that while these are good policy ideas — Sen. Stevens has put policy into practice.

He is a champion of rural Alaska and has pushed for Alaska energy solutions like geothermal, wind and other natural resources to help Alaskans pay the high costs of energy.

In fact, Sen. Stevens joined his Democratic colleague from California to fight oil speculators when a barrel of oil was going for $140. It has now dropped to $101, in part, I believe, because of the influence Sen. Stevens wields in the Senate; speculators understood that their free ride was done.

Sen. Stevens has been a leader in the Senate on energy issues, not only when it comes to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but also on energy efficiency. The legislation to increase mileage standards for cars and trucks he sponsored and that was signed into law last year will do more to reduce carbon emissions by vehicles than any other bill in history.

Sen. Stevens has a solid record of accomplishment when it comes to energy policy, and I’m pleased to see Mark Begich agrees — after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

- David L. Williams, Fairbanks

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