Here is the column in its entirety:
In response to your May 27 editorial, let me explain why I vetoed $28.6 million of federal stimulus funds tied to adoption of universal energy building codes.
The feds required me to certify these codes "will be implemented" or pushed on local communities. My record is clear. I support conserving energy through weatherization and I'm an advocate for harnessing renewable sources of energy. But conditions here required more "big brother" government involvement than most Alaskans want and the new codes could cost Alaskans thousands of dollars per new home and renovation.
Alaskans have a strong history of independence and opposition to Washington, D.C., meddling in local issues. Our constitution ensures "maximum local self-government." Our communities have had the option to adopt building codes for decades. Most have not done so.
I've served as a city councilman and city mayor/manager. I've participated firsthand in the mandated building code debate. Anyone serving in local office knows strong deference to local communities leads to the best policies. That policy holds true with building codes.
My community went through a battle over building codes when our booming city desired more growth opportunities to allow job creation. The last thing we needed was a bureaucrat from Washington, D.C., telling us what the best policy was to adopt.
Strings were definitely attached to federal energy dollars. The stimulus law in section 410(a) (2), along with the Department of Energy's (DOE) official guidance, required certifying one of two options before Alaska could receive the energy conservation funds.
One option said the state "will implement" the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code for new homes and renovations; adopt a "building energy code [that meets or exceeds Standard 90.1-2007] for commercial buildings throughout the State"; and adopt and pay for a plan of "active" enforcement.
I could not certify this. The Legislature did not pass a bill adopting a statewide energy building code. In addition, the federal residential building code does not allow exemptions, such as we use in Alaska. When Alaska Housing Finance Corporation funds are used, building and energy codes can be waived due to the "high cost of implementation" in different areas of Alaska. One size does not fit all in Alaska.
The second option for Alaska was to certify that all "applicable units of local government that have authority to adopt building codes, will implement" the necessary energy codes and enforce them.
I could not certify this either. Alaska communities have the right to determine for themselves whether to adopt building codes.
I asked the feds to clarify their position. The Department of Energy finally admitted section 410 and their previous statements were "inappropriate" for some states but still wanted an agreement to push model codes on all Alaskan communities. I said no.
Beware of Washington, D.C., trying to cajole local community leaders to eliminate the choices Alaskans have when building or renovating homes and businesses. These new codes are so detailed they would dictate the kinds of lights that can be installed in a home in Akutan, and how thick window panes must be in Chignik.
We have hundreds of millions of dollars already budgeted for conservation, weatherization and renewable energy development. My administration will remain vigilant for Alaskans and oppose mandates or pressure to conform from Washington, D.C., bureaucrats.
I tell you what. For once I am going to leave off the snark. This is the letter as it appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, unsullied by negative blogger comments.
However if any of you would like to weigh in on why you think this is;
A) the dumbest thing you have ever read, or
B) a wonderful clarification that explains succinctly why Governor Palin rejected that 28.6 million dollars, I will happily publish your comments.
Have at it.
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And how does one as a resident of Alaska get some of that "hundreds of millions of dollars already budgeted for conservation, weatherization and renewable energy development." ? Where exactly are those monies and how do you and I get them, us average Joe the Plumber citizens?
ReplyDeleteThis is so stupid and over the top that I sense she is covering up something. Somehow (and I am not sure how) this all goes back to her own house and exactly what went into getting it built. Maybe she is doing it as a cover for her position in Wasilla. In other words, by coming down so vehemently opposed to building codes now, she can claim that there was nothing suspicious about her position as Mayor. Farfetched?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if Palin eliminated the need for ANY and ALL building codes in Wasillia just prior to having her Lake Lucille home built - or just some of them? I am trying to figure out her opposition to building codes, since most codes are required for SAFETY of inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by the unprofessional use of the terms "the feds" and "Washington DC" in terms of who or what agency will regulate the federal funds and how they are applied.
ReplyDeleteMy first memory of "The Feds" was in the Elliot Ness sense of the word, meaning the FBI as they went after gangsters. "The Feds" generally applies to federal law enforcement agencies, and most people in criminal activities think FBI.
Google has other definitions for "The Feds," as well, including a comedy film from 1988, an Australian TV film staring Robert Taylor, and it is the shorthand for Facility Energy Decision System (whatever that is). The British have adopted the term as derogatory slang due to the influence of US televsion programs-- but this is much too much information.
The use of the word "feds" is juvenile and does not specify any particular branch of government. So, I say, "Watch Out Alaska! The Feds are coming with their guns drawn. There better not be any funny business going on!"
As for the nebulous "Washington DC" term-- there are 591,833 people who live there. Or, which of the three branches of government based in Washington D.C. do you think that she was refering to? OK, the FBI is Executive, so I also have to add, "Watch Out Alaska! Senators, Representatives and Judges are coming with their guns drawn, and there better not be any funny business going on!"
(And, don't make me go back and correct the poor punctuation in that letter as well. I'll assume that Gryphen has reproduced it exactly as it appeared in the paper. Doesn't anyone ever proof read anything? For example, I said, "No." is the correct way to write the sentence, not I said no. Washington, D.C., bureaucrats do not need all of those ,,,, things; Washington D.C. bureaucrats is fine without the extra commas.)
This is just another example of Sarah bristling at criticism and firing back too quickly. Her need to set the record straight overwhelms any common sense involved-- if only she had re-read the angry letter before sending it off. That is, of course, assuming that she wrote it herself. The best advice about an angry letter is to put it in a drawer, take it out after a day or two, re-read it and throw it away. But it's too late for that. The Feds are coming, along with 591,833 angry citizens of Washington D.C., some Senators, Representatives and Judges. Watch Out!
Oh yeah, we all know why she "don't want no stinkin' codes!"
ReplyDelete(housegate)
And her home is nice and warm and she sits watching snowflakes drift down while others freeze.
The Ice Queen.
playoff time:
ReplyDeleteWashington Feds
-vs.-
Palins Mafia
I was stopped at the "mayor/manager" comment. She wasn't a manager; she had to hire a manager to avoid being recalled because she is/was such a loser. Pshaw!!
ReplyDeleteShe is at her kookiest when she tries so very hard to be taken seriously. Putin are ya' listenin'?
ReplyDeleteShamefully unprofessional. But does it really matter? She is still here.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right - Palin knows what's best for us, makes decisions because she knows better and we don't. Where have I heard this before? Oh, yes, in an abusive relationship. lol
ReplyDeleteShe mentions the word "adopt" six times in this opinion piece. Is she trying to tell us something? I think she should stick to the short, soundbite method of communicating, also known as "tweeting." But then again, she might give away Colbert's secret travel destination - so never mind. Maybe she should just STFU.
ReplyDeleteBetter then the other word she uses to death, progress.
ReplyDeleteIt sounded like a letter written to the Editor by a citizen, instead of a Governor And a person with a degree in Journalism.
I wonder why the Republican and Democrats in the Legislature disagree with the Governor's assessment of the stimulus package.
They were eager to take the money.
Sounds like the governor is hiding something!
Palin must be a republican in name only (RINO); her remarks sound more like a member of the Alaska Independence Party.
ReplyDeleteBuilding code enforcement requires building inspections. We all know GINO eliminated such intrusive LOCAL laws during the time her own house was built. Maybe she's just making sure that when future generations of Palins build houses they can do it the way she did...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, in my mind, if you are a gangster you refer to the law enforcement arm of the US Government as "the feds." Is GINO trying to be Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde)?
The last thing that really strikes me in this "editorial" is GINO's refusal to do governance. "Leave it up to the locals," is her message here. Far be it for the State to provide guidance and direction! If the Energy Conservation Code was truly unworkable, why not work with "the feds" to modify it for Alaska? Instead, she lazily took a hands-off approach in favor of making a cheap and quick political statement that will resonate with people like Timothy McVeigh.
The op-ed writer looks petulant and eager to remain lawless. This little essay will have a huge impact should GINO run for national office. There is no way that this person is suited to be a national leader. No way at all.
I have to completely agree that every time she tries to be serious and professional, she is anything but! Her way of speaking is not some "folksy schtick" to identify with the regular people, it's her. Poor grammar, limited vocabulary, atrocious punctuation. This woman is extremely under-educated for the position she is in now, let alone a national political office. I'm convinced she wrote thise herself, allowed someone to polish it up a bit, but must have insisted some items remain as written. For example, the references to Washington DC bureaucrats. Umm, doesn't she want to be one? The woman is dumb dumb dumb. Please Alaska, take care of this screwball before she can eff up the rest of the country! Gawww, the stoopid, it burns!!! Gryphen, whatever it is you and your fellow bloggers know, I hope when you get it out there it catches the attention of the big name media. Best of luck, my hopes are with you.
ReplyDeleteDid Sarah Palin's Wasilla church burn down due to faulty wiring? I bet it did! Yeah, yeah, she and others like her don't like building codes at all. Up the Danger & the Risk! Down with safety & peace for all! Spit.
ReplyDeleteAre all those extra commas really in her official release? If so, someone else looked at this and left them there? The stupidity is overwhelming.
ReplyDeletePalin said in the op/ed above: "My community went through a battle over building codes when our booming city desired more growth opportunities to allow job creation. The last thing we needed was a bureaucrat from Washington, D.C., telling us what the best policy was to adopt."Then, you find in the middle of that July 2009 GQ article, on Page 8, about Levi Johnston, this description of Wasilla:
ReplyDelete"IT IS A SHITHOLE surrounded by such loveliness.
Stand there and blink back and forth, shutting your left eye, then your right. Left eye: spit of highway, aggressive proliferation of half-abandoned strip malls, a few roads dwindling off to little houses. Right eye: the mountains, the expanding sky, the shadowy crevasses, a bald eagle. Highway, strip malls, little houses; mountains, sky, crevasses, eagle. Highwaystripmallslittlehouses; mountainsskycrevasseseagle.
Both eyes: Wasilla.
For most of its history, the Iditarod dogsled race began here, in the heart of the Mat-Su Valley, but the snow is not coming heavy enough anymore. They have moved the starting line.
You can feel the Palins. From my budget hotel on Lake Lucille, I can see the big wooden wall that surrounds their house, and a roof beyond it. They are of this place, they belong here, but their power has disturbed an equilibrium."There always seems to be a contradicting and probably more truthful version of Sarah Palin's pronouncements.
It always amazes me when I look at what her faithful followers and fans say on their blogs -- total unquestioning belief in what she has said as "truth", or at the worst, excuses that she must have been misinformed by some aide (someone else's fault!!).
Two things came to mind_(after stupid, ignorant, selfish, inadequate, egotistical, unethical, narcissistic, bipolar-manic, incompetent...along with a barrage of negatives compressed into seconds!)_AIP and a feeling that there is "something" more to her agenda than meets the eye. What? Maybe nothing. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteWhat an extremely negative attitude toward the "feds" and "Washington bureaucrat(s)". I could feel her venom and disgust. What is she afraid of? Oh, I am certain there are many things in her political and personal past and present that she refuses to acknowledge even to herself. She just spins her own version of lies to others and then she actually believes they are true.
Is anyone considering or started a recall of this thug of a governor?
She is a nut case_and a dangerous one at that.
She'll be gone soon enough and probably won't run again for Gov. She's parlaying herself into a position w/ fox news ala Glenn Beck or Hannity w/her anti gov't rant. It's her only hope; she'll be a talking head on a little watched conservative cable news channel and then we can all ignore her. (except to tune in to check out her sartorial choices; beehive, peep toes, mini skirt? Bitch can't dress herself w/out help...instead of a new spokesperson she really needs a full time fashion assistant. I come cheap, I could help her.....)
ReplyDeleteAnd what's w/her outing Colbert? She's another conservative boob that misses Colbert's mark. The only reason he'd have any Palin info presented on his show is to poke fun at her, not laud her.
Speaking of Colbert (off topic, I know) remember when he used to do "This week in God" on the Daily Show....he had the god machine that he used to "bop" and different religious topics would come up that he would commentate on. God, I miss that!