40.0°

The author, however, fails to point to a single example of factual inaccuracy but instead proceeds to question and attack unabashedly the credibility of an employee of a local organization on the ground that she moved to Alaska within the last three years. This kind of rant is totally irrelevant and disgusting.

How about addressing the issues? If there are facts that are wrong, provide the correct ones and give some evidence to back it up. Moreover, the fact that a person has moved here and is advocating a position on behalf of a local organization is nothing new. Oil companies, mining companies, and numerous corporations hire out-of-state persons to come to Alaska and work. Non-profit organizations do the same thing. This is no different from how businesses operate in every other state. Indeed, it is part of our economy. If you don't agree with those companies' or organizations' viewpoints or positions, argue with them. But have the decency not to attack personally their members who have done nothing except to advocate a position with which you disagree.

In the end, the author is clearly unhappy about the number of letters to the editor that the Empire receives in which the authors question and decry the proposed road from Juneau to Skagway. Those letters, however, simply reflect the salient fact that an overwhelming majority of the combined residents of Skagway, Haines and Juneau are opposed to cutting a large, expensive, and unnecessary swath of road through our landscape. That's democracy and free speech at their finest. I hope our leaders and regulators get the message.

Demian A. Schane

Juneau