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Viewpoints

Rights
By Don Hoff Jr.

 

July 26, 2007
Thursday PM


This is response to Terri Wenger and Jerilyn Lester's opinion letters. I have every right to speak on worthless projects like the bridge to nowhere and Gravina Island roads to nowhere. It is costing $250 million dollars of our tax payer dollars for a bridge that only benefits a few property owners and land developers on speculation? Now, you want the tax payers to build a $25.7 million dollar 3.2 mile dirt road. Terri, you are somewhere but the bridge is still going nowhere. You talk about affordable housing? Are you nuts? Cost of housing is going through the roof in Ketchikan and all over the State. You think the developers are going to waste their money (hopefully) and time building affordable housing for the common people? No they are not, you're dreaming.

You folks tell me to mind my own business just because I don't reside in Ketchikan. I have aboriginal rights, God given rights, human rights and a constitutional rights to speak to say what is on my mind about the waste of American tax dollars spent on a worthless bridge and road project in my home town.

I am also indigenous to Ketchikan and surrounding lands which includes Pennock Island and Gravina Island. My Tribe is Taan Ta Kwaan (Sea lion People - Tlingit Nation) or known as Tongass Tribe. It is not me that is an outsider, you are. You are encroaching on Taan ta Kwaan land. Taan ta Kwaan never relinquished our lands to you or America. There was no settlement made with our Tribe, it was stolen from us.

Watch out what you wish for? I will be moving back to Ketchikan in the near future. I am going to put up and never shut up. I have concerns about the butchering of habitat for our wildlife, spawning streams, wetlands and sensitive muskegs that will be destroyed on Gravina Island. There is enough land on Revilla for economic development and growth.

Go pick on someone else that opposes the bridge and road project I am not the only person. If you bridge drivers want to drive over bridges, you can move back to the lower 48. There are bridges all over the place. You can drive over them all day long if you want to. This is my freedom of speech opinion.

Aan Kadax Tseen aka Don Hoff Jr.
Raven4eagle[at]aol.com
Hixson, TN

Received July 25, 2007 - Published July 26, 2007

About: "Past City of Ketchikan City Vice Mayor and Councilman, Past Board of Director K.P.U., Past O.S.H.A. Board member/Chairman, State of Alaska, Past Councilman, Ketchikan Indian Community, Member of the Tongass Tribe (Taan ta Kwaan)indigenous to Ketchikan and surrounding lands and includes Pennock Island and Gravina Island. An "American Taxpayer that is broke."

Related Viewpoints:

letter Bridges & Roads to Somewhere By Terri Wenger - Ketchikan, AK

letter Had it with buttinskys By Jerilyn Lester - Ketchikan, AK

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Ketchikan, Alaska