Dismantling America

By THOMAS SOWELL

"We the people" are the familiar opening words of the Constitution of the United States-- the framework for a self-governing people, free from the arbitrary edicts of rulers. It was the blueprint for America, and the success of America made that blueprint something that other nations sought to follow.

At the time when it was written, however, the Constitution was a radical departure from the autocratic governments of the 18th century. Since it was something so new and different, the reasons for the Constitution's provisions were spelled out in "The Federalist," a book written by three of the writers of the Constitution, as a sort of instruction guide to a new product.

The Constitution was not only a challenge to the despotic governments of its time, it has been a continuing challenge-- to this day-- to all those who think that ordinary people should be ruled by their betters, whether an elite of blood, or of books or of whatever else gives people a puffed-up sense of importance.

ACES supporters do not deserve your vote

By PAUL JENKINS

People ask me all the time, “Who should I vote for in the upcoming election?” I tell them: “I can tell you who not to vote for. Don’t vote for anybody - Republican, Democrat, Alaskan Independence Party, the Three Stooge Party - for any office who supports Sarah Palin’s onerous Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share oil tax.

If they say they support ACES, forget them. They are nuts.

First, the tax clearly is not equitable. Second, it ranks as one of the highest taxes of its kind in the world. Third, it allows the state to tax to a surplus. And fourth, and perhaps most important, it does absolutely nothing to put more oil in the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Nothing. In fact, it discourages producers from exploring for the new oil Alaska desperately needs.

Memo to GOP: It's big government, stupid!

By MICHAEL D. TANNER
Cato Institute

Riding a record of unprecedented government spending, rising debt, a government takeover of the health-care system, high unemployment, and proposals to tax everything they stumble across, Democrats have put themselves in position for an epic electoral defeat that will rival the Republican debacles of 2006 and 2008.

Given this record of Democratic ineptitude and the voters' reaction to it, one would think that Republicans would be talking about these issues every day. Instead, Republicans and conservatives have spent recent weeks talking about such distracting side-issues as immigration, the 14th Amendment, gay marriage, and when and where mosques should be built.

No doubt these are important issues to various constituencies. But, the merits of the issues aside, if Republicans believe that the key to victory this year is to refight the culture wars, they are mistaken.

Achievements of Ted Stevens and the statehood giants can’t be repeated

By TOM BRENNAN

This has been a tough year for the giants of Alaska statehood. First we lost Wally Hickel, then the largest of them all — and the last — Ted Stevens.

These were two of the outsize characters, the northern equivalent of America’s Founding Fathers, those who created Alaska and laid the groundwork to make it successful. What they accomplished in building Alaska while fighting for statehood was akin to building a spaceship while traveling through space itself.

People are asking whether we’ll see their like again, and the answer is No. Great Alaskans will surely rise from our ranks — and some may come from elsewhere — but this state’s founders’ place in history is secure.

Planet Food: Coffee Land Café and Bakery

510 L Street (Peterson Towers)
243-0301
coffeelandak.com

By SCOTT BANKS

On a walk downtown I wandered into the lobby of the Peterson Tower and voila, there was the Coffee Land Café and Bakery with it’s neat LP album cover collage on one wall, and the work of a local photographer on the other. Stacked on the counter along the front window were an eclectic collection of magazines such as Rolling Stone, People and obscure architectural reviews. I didn’t have time then, but it looked like a good place to escape work and dig into some soup and a sandwich.

The next week I walked over and sampled the corn and crab chowder with a slice of sourdough bread and took it to go. You know how you start to eat something and it’s too hot, but you can’t stop because it’s too good? I burned my mouth that day on a smooth chowder with corn for crunch and the silky crab for flavor. It was clear the chef used a good fish stock because the seafood flavor wasn’t fishy, and didn’t overwhelm the overall flavor.