History has already begun to judge Alaska politicians who presided over the wasteful spending of the 1980s. But harsher judgment may be in store for some current state legislators, not because of how they spent our money, but because of whom they took it from: our senior citizens.

The Alaska Longevity Bonus Program was created in 1972 to reward Alaska Pioneers with up to $250 a month. A court ruling later added to the eligibility list any resident over 65, regardless of Pioneer status. In the mid-1990s, the Legislature altered the increasingly expensive program to stop accepting new applicants, allowing the program to end gradually and gracefully when the seniors died.

But Gov. Frank Murkowski, who this year vetoed funding for the $48 million program as a way to help close the state's fiscal gap, does not want to wait that long. And neither do those legislators who in a secret ballot this month rejected a special session to discuss a possible veto override.

Here's some advice for any Chugiak-Eagle River legislators who voted in secret to further discuss the Longevity Bonus issue: Share your secret -- not only with the history writers but with large number of Chugiak-Eagle River "supervoters" (seniors who show up at every election, rain or shine, to vote for their party). They would be pleased to know that you were wise enough to realize that, though we must cut the budget, two wrongs don't make a right. Their children and voting-age grandchildren would also be pleased.

As for those who decided to turn their backs on the very folks who made Alaska such a great place to be a lawmaker, we advise you to keep it a secret -- not only from the history writers but from the supervoters, for the next election day may turn out to be a rainy one.

Road-pavers have been straight shooters

When major road repair work began this summer on the Old Glenn and other main streets in the heart of Eagle River, many were expecting the worst as far as delays and general inconvenience.

Now that the bulk of the work is winding down, it's becoming apparent that the worst never came.

Oh, there were delays and inconveniences, but according to the lack of complaints being registered -- on the record at this newspaper and off the record at churches, bars and coffee shops -- it wasn't so bad.

Why is that?

One theory is that the state of Alaska and its contractors -- the main one is Quality Asphalt Paving -- have been straight shooters with the public.

To keep a very busy thruway open for business during a repaving project requires good planning, organization, consideration -- the main paving was done at night -- not to mention good old-fashioned communication and accountability. Officials gave frequent notices to the public (via road signs and news releases) of the work planned for that week or even that day, and they pretty much stuck to those plans.

In this paper two weeks ago, Gary Kobayashi, project engineer with the Department of Transportation, commended the people of Chugiak-Eagle River for their patience throughout the project, adding that he has never seen such "public cooperation."

We thank you guys, too, Gary, because cooperation is a two-way street.

They shoot moose, don't they?

At least one person has questioned our decision to ask Mike's Quality Meats to sponsor our Give Us Your Best Moose Shot photo contest. They wonder if we thought it to be a little strange to have a moose meat processor sponsor a moose photo contest. Nah, we told them. Not in Chugiak-Eagle River, where shooters of both cameras and rifles seem to coexist peacefully -- as long as they both get their moose.

By the way, response to the second annual photo contest has been great. Most of the pictures have been of cows with calves -- at least some of which we suspect are the same mom and twins that have been hanging out near Eagle River Road east of Wal-Mart.

Soon we expect to get some nice bull moose photos as the big fellas begin to come out into the open to feed in preparation for the autumn rut.