Originally posted by: Apple Of Sodom
Let me preface this by stating the following:
I was born in Alaska, and have been here over 25 years. I frequently travel, both within the USA, and out of the country.
I am not really a Republican or Democrat. I don't like to align with a single party. I think Bush has screwed this country for the last several years, as well.
I am not really religious. I don't believe in the whole speaking in tongues thing. I don't go to church, although I do believe that there is some higher being, which is probably remnants of going to church as a kid.
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There are a lot of people from outside who only hear the mudslinging and rumors about Sarah Palin. Let's set a couple of things straight.
1) Troopergate. Yes, the trooper involved was her brother-in-law. However, he tased his ten year old step-son. Yes, it was in a controlled environment. However, people do die from tasers and this was terrible judgement from a trooper.
The guy was also a drunk and a terrible officer.
Most of us believe Sarah was right in pressuring to have him reprimanded more than he was. When they say the problem was taken care of, they are referring to slapping his hand. That is not enough for us. He needed to lose his job. We aren't talking about a Wal-Mart employee; this is a man that carries a loaded weapon for his job and was seen drinking beer in his patrol car.
As noted, the trooper was previously punished for his indiscretions. Additional punishment may be seen by some as punitive and 'double jeopardy'. It also appears that as part of the 'punishment' privacy rules were broken and workman compensation laws violated. It also looks like Todd had a vendetta and was using his wife's authority (with her permission) to go after this guy.
2) Bridge to nowhere. This whole thing is silly. It started off as a legitmate need to connect a mainland town (albeit small) to the island where their airport is. Sarah initially accepted the money, but then the price of the bridge doubled, and it became ridiculous. Sarah then told congress that if Alaskan's wanted a bridge, they would build it themselves. Did she keep the money? Yes, but it went into other programs. It isn't as if she stole it. We would have been pissed if she just gave it back and didn't pour it into our state.
So yes, she said no to a somewhat good idea that got too big and out of hand. I'm not sure what the controversy is. She said yes to a good idea, that idea got way out of hand and budget, lost popularity with everyone, including her, and she said no.
I understand the issues surrounding the Ketchikan bridge and its purpose. I personally feel it is not our responsibility to tell Alaska what transportation infrastructure they want. The point of the controversy is that the Governor is representing the event in a false fashion. As part of her campaign for governor she supported the bridge. The US Congress stripped the earmark designation for the bridge. And the month before the Governor 'turned down the project' the Alaska DOT recommended that the project be canceled and suggested the ferry as a more prudent option.
This is what the Governor said on September 21, 2007:
""Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer. Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it?s clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Much of the public?s attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened.""
3) She has done a lot for the state. She is regarded as the best governer here in 28 years. She is launching an investigation into why our oil prices are so high, and took state revenue from oil and sent us each $1200 back so we could pay for it. She DOES NOT control the price of oil.
She raised royalty fees and taxes on the oil companies by 9% - maybe that has something to do with the cost of your gas. The State oil royalty payment (coming out this week ??) to citizens is now over $3,200.00 as I understand it.
4) Our previous governer bought a jet. The first thing Sarah did: put the jet on e-Bay. It did not meet reserve prices and the state ended up negotiating a deal to sell it. How many of you would have done this?
The plane was purchased in 2005 for $3.7 million and used 58% of the time to transport prisoners both in and out of state. Yes. Murkowski was wrong in purchasing the jet outside of the legislative budget process. The jet was taken out of service when Palin became governor and sold 6 months later for $3.1 million. Note the variations in the following funding from the Alaska State budget ...
FY 2008 Budget
Inmate Transportation: $1,965,200
FY 2007 Budget
Inmate Transportation $1,947,500
FY 2006 Budget
Inmate Transportation: $1,475,700
FY 2005 Budget
Inmate Transportation: $1,272,500
FY 2004 Budget
Inmate Transportation: $1,731,800
Coincidence? It looks to me like the jet was saving the State of Alaska $500,000.00/yr in inmate transportation costs. Governor Palin has acknowledged the potential need in purchasing another aircraft.
5) Our capital has no roads (I know, it is stupid) and can be reached by ferry or airplane. This is why Murkowski bought himself a jet. At any rate, not only did Sarah sell the private jet, but she flies coach to and from Juneau.
6) She got rid of her personal driver. She saved us money by driving herself to work.
7) She got rid of the family chef. She, or her husband, cook themselves, saving us money.
Ask yourself this: how easy would it have been for her to say "Well, we already bought the jet, and all the other governers get a chef and driver, so I'll just maintain that." ?
I know I would have.
The 'chef' is still employed by the State of Alaska
8) She billed us for travel within the state. This is acceptable. You have to realize how large Alaska is. If we cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the third largest state. There are many, many places in this state only accesible by airplane. And no, Delta doesn't fly there. To fly from interior Alaska to, say Ketchikan, it can take 20 hours of travel. Let me reiterate: we have flights to Germany from here for $900 that take 8 hours. To fly from one Alaska city to another can mean 4 different connections on 4 small airlines, and can cost thousands of dollars for one trip. However, being governer, she is expected to travel and go to these small towns.
9) She billed per diem when she was at home. This is a little iffy. She followed the law though. Her "home" is technically the governer's mansion in Juneau. She chooses to live in Wasilla instead of uprooting her family. Instead of having everything provided in Juneau, she lives at her home at gets reimbursed.
Not only did she bill the State of Alaska a 'per diem' for staying in her own home, she billed the State $43,000+ to transport her husband and children.
10) She is Christian, as is 80% of the US. She goes to church, but never once have I heard her reference god or religion in any decisions she has made for the state.
11) She was "only the mayor of a small town." I've driven through that small town dozens of times. I remember how it was just a blip on the radar several years ago. Since Sarah has become mayor, that small town has boomed. Now it isn't just a blink on your way to another destination; for many, Wasilla is a destination. As a matter of fact, it is a place that attracts a lot of the money makers. They get to live an hour from Alaska's largest city, and can have their home in a small, albeit very nice, town.
The Town of Wasilla as a 'commercial hub' voted in a sales tax increase (I think it took less than 350 affirmative votes.) which the 70,000+ residents of Mat-Su borough now pay when they shop there.
12) She wants to drill ANWR while looking for alternative energy. Look, almost all Alaskans want to drill ANWR, including many native villages. Why?
First, ANWR is a very, very large desolate tundra. Think of Texas, only flatter and with nothing on it. It is not a place worth visiting.
Second, we see pictures. Caribou and other animals flourish around the pipeline. They like the warmth of it. It has not interrupted the migration of animals.
Third, there are ways to drill without disturbing the flora. In winter, they build massive ice roads that support the weight of the vehicles without realling impacting what is beneath.
If you do not want to drill ANWR, please come and see it first. Please come and see our pipeline and our current drilling stations on the north slope, and see the animals that simply walk under a 4 foot wide pipe on their way to their final destination. Come see the bears walking on top of the pipeline, and come see the caribou lying around near it. You will understand that ANWR is not a nice place, and that animals are not disrupted by the small structures we have on the slop.
We don't need more oil. We do, however, need the natural gas from the North Slope. Governor Palin pushed thru legislation that pays TransCanada $500,000,000.00 dollars with no requirement that the gasline be built.
I would be interested in how you feel about the alternative of building the new gasline alone the existing right-of-way of the Alaska pipeline to a new LNG terminal at Valdez. It looks like a much better project for the citizens of Alaska, less expensive and more quickly built, and is better positioned to supply the future energy needs of our country. And beats the crap out of moving all that natural gas thru Canada into Chicago.
Sarah is not perfect. She has made a few mistakes, but she is overall pretty honest. Alaskans love her, and many of them love her so much as governer that they will have a hard time voting for her as VP because it means she leaves us. Sarah doesn't take crap, and isn't bullied. She is a woman who cannot be bought, and it is pretty clear that she does the right thing in most cases.
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