Sarah Palin finally fills position refused by Walt Monegan almost six months ago.

You heard a hundred times this year about Troopergate -- the abuse-of-power investigation that sprung from Gov. Sarah Palin firing the state's top cop.

But think back to the beginning. Remember how Palin's team offered Walt Monegan a different job, even as they ousted him as public safety commissioner?

Palin wanted Monegan to run the state agency that regulates the liquor trade in Alaska, saying it would allow him to focus on the state's bootlegging woes. Monegan said no, calling it a demotion.

It was.

But in a state notorious for alcohol troubles, the job -- director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board -- is a big one too. The ABC Board has the power to give liquor licenses to businesses and to take them away. It inspects anyone who sells alcohol, from bars and restaurants to airlines and Elks Clubs, and conducts undercover sting operations in bars to see if bartenders are selling to kids.

And the director job has been empty for months. Until now.

The governor's office recently offered the post to Shirley Gifford, a former Soldotna police chief and the first woman to rise to each of the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant and captain in the Anchorage Police Department.

Walt Monegan refused to accept this position back in July of this year. So from that time until just now, the very important position of ABC director has remained vacant.

This is a very important job in Alaska, a place with a substantial alcohol abuse problem, and the fact that this post has remained vacant for such an extended period of time is unbelievable.

This appears to be yet another indication of how distracted Palin has been with her new found national fame, and how the state of Alaska has taken a back seat on her list of priorities.

Having said that, I certainly wish Shirley Gifford well and hope that she is as aggressive in her role as her predecessor Doug Griffin was during his decade of service.

During his tenure Griffin conducted sting operations, sending youthful accomplices into bars and liquor stores to buy alcohol to test whether the businesses would ask for identification before selling them the alcohol. This resulted in a number of businesses losing their licenses and the tightening of regulations all over the state.

So thank you Sarah Palin for finally putting somebody in charge of this important regulatory agency. Nice to see you back on the job.