Mayor Begich got his wish and all the residents living in the Municipality of Anchorage have a choice. Vote on busting the tax cap in order to fund the his liberal programs or lay off 22 Anchorage Fire Department members, reducing Station 11 in Eagle River by 9 members, and taking away the ladder truck Eagle River fought hard to obtain.

Now we find out that there is a surplus between $200-300 million dollars in various MOA owned bank accounts.

Every member of our community needs to call the mayor's office (343-4431) and voice their opposition to Begich and the firefighters union politicization of emergency services and the AFD in particular.

Here is a list of some of the things Begich has done:

The Begich administration is considering replacing CVFD with union employees.

Begich had a series of "Picnics" where the food was purchased, so we have been told, cooked, and served by the firefighters union.

Begich even had AFD Chief Fullenwilder bring in on duty firefighters and equipment to his picnic as stage props.

A firefighter union official publicly attacked Anchorage Assemblyman Kendall and state Sen. Dyson because of their opposition to Begich's schemes.

Begich is making the residents of Chugiak pay for EMS transport, provided by the CVFD, with the money going into the coffers of the AFD, calling it a "fairness issue."

To support this Begich money-making scheme, a former battalion chief called a young CVFD EMT a "Ragamuffin" because she showed up with her equipment to assist a patient before the ambulance arrived.

Finally, Begich wants to break the tax cap by levying an area wide fire tax billed as another "fairness issue" however many areas of Eagle River and Chugiak do not have fire hydrants.

Call Begich and tell him to leave the firefighters, both paid and volunteer, alone and quit playing them and this community against each other. Begich needs to get his priorities straight and fully fund all emergency services as well as road maintenance. There is no justification to lay off any AFD firefighter.

Vote NO on the Begich "Fire hydrant tax" in April, support the Free Eagle River Movement at www.freein2003.org, and show your support to all the emergency service personnel in our community.

-- John R. Mitchell

Chugiak

Nothing but a money grab

I would like to comment on the so-called "special election" in November on the tax issue. What part of "no new taxes" does the Assembly and mayor's office not understand? The last special election took place a few years back involving the curfew law and cost the taxpayers more than $90,000. Go figure: not able to pay firefighters but able to throw away a ton of money on something that is meant to raise the tax cap.

Every time there is a so-called shortfall the scare tactics come in to play, saying public safety is to be cut. And at the same time the municipality is trying to get rid of the Chugiak Volunteer Fire Department so the Anchorage Fire Department can take over. Take over with what? Aren't we cutting positions?

This is nothing but a money grab. Anchorage needs to take their clam shovels and dig their heads out of the sand. The way I see it, if you pardon the pun, it is nothing more than a "hose job."

-- Keith Tincher

Eagle River