The Alaska Democratic Party says the state's repeated delays in providing public records it has asked for involving Gov. Sarah Palin are "excessive and unwarranted."
The state notified the Democrats earlier this week that it would likely need until the end of March if not longer to provide records first requested more than four months ago, on Sept. 22, during the heat of the presidential campaign when Palin was the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate.
In the request, Alaska Democratic Party chairwoman Patti Higgins sought Palin's schedules and calendars between Jan. 1, 2007, and Sept. 15, 2008. The Democrats also sought various categories of e-mails for about the same time period, including:
• All those between Palin and state Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, or between Palin and state Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, with the words "abortion" or "AGIA," which is short for the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act;
• All e-mails from Palin containing the following words: babysitter, childcare, McCain, Obama, Democrat, Huckabee, Wal-Mart, Eskimo, Natives, Kuwait, passport, Ruedrich, or Kopp;
• All e-mails between Palin and her husband, Todd, with any of the following words: vote, veto, budget, oil, Monegan, or Wooten; and
• All e-mails between Palin and her sister, Molly McCann, with the words Wooten or Monegan.
I am very intrigued by some of the keywords that the Democrats are looking for in these e-mails. "Babysitter", "childcare", "abortion", it just creates any number of scandalous scenarios in my mind.
And then when you consider some of the other keywords, like "Monegan", "Wooten", "Kopp", "Tibbles", and "AGIA", well it begins to look like the possibility of Mt. Redoubt erupting is not likely to be the most earth shattering event headed Alaska's way.
Sarah Palin cannot possibly believe that all of this will simply blow over, and when it finally erupts onto the front pages of newspapers all over this country it is going to be the biggest scandal to hit Alaska politics in twenty years.
And when that happens I wish I could see the faces of every one of those Team Sarah people as they learn the truth about the woman that they been following and deifying all of this time.
(You can see a PDF of the Democrats request here.)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sarah Palin hires new strategist to help her with fundraising and the evil "intertubes"! Good luck with that.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has hired Becki Donatelli to handle her brand-spanking new Sarahpac, according to sources familiar with the move. Donatelli is the chair of Campaign Solutions, a Republican consulting firm that specializes in fundraising and Internet strategy. Donatelli was intimately involved in both of Sen. John McCain's (Ariz.) presidential bids and her work with Palin suggests that reports of the two camps' distaste for one another might be (slightly) overblown. The hiring of Donatelli also is evidence that Palin understands she must overhaul her image (This qualifies as the "understatement of the year"!) among the Republican professional class in Washington if she wants to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate in 2012.
You know Palin can pay to have this turd polished all the way until 2012, but every rational person on the planet will still recognize that it is still a turd.
Her best bet is to leave politics, for which she is criminally unqualified, and go after that talk show on FOX. I mean she went to five different schools to get that Journalism degree it is simply a shame to waste it.
(By the way I must give a hat tip to Mark Dent of the Alaska Newsreader for providing the link to this article, or else Mark gets cranky with me. Happy Mr. Dent?)
You know Palin can pay to have this turd polished all the way until 2012, but every rational person on the planet will still recognize that it is still a turd.
Her best bet is to leave politics, for which she is criminally unqualified, and go after that talk show on FOX. I mean she went to five different schools to get that Journalism degree it is simply a shame to waste it.
(By the way I must give a hat tip to Mark Dent of the Alaska Newsreader for providing the link to this article, or else Mark gets cranky with me. Happy Mr. Dent?)
Do you know what our city has that your city does not have? Grizzly bears, that's what! Jealous?
Anchorage residents love their creeks, their salmon and their bears, until they start to run a little too wild.The bears, in particular, ran wild this summer.Three people were mauled by grizzlies. A handful more were chased. One bear was shot because she and her cubs had become habitual threats to humans, a whole bunch of whom were so frightened they abandoned Far North Bicentennial Park.
The Anchorage Waterways Council on Friday night pulled together some experts on bears, fish and creeks, to discuss what to do.
"Obviously, bears have been a hot topic, a highly contentious topic," said Sean Farley, a bear researcher with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "We have some social decisions that need to be made."
The problem, as speakers quickly made clear to the standing-room-only crowd, is that those social decisions are tangled up in some sort of Gordian knot.
Almost everyone, and most especially the Waterways Council, wants to see Anchorage creeks filled with salmon. Along with being a sign that the creeks are healthy, the salmon, as Council executive director Holly Kent pointed out, nourish ecosystems with marine nutrients.
All kinds of critters benefit.
All kinds of critters benefit.
Unfortunately, grizzly bears - which can be a threat to humans - are among those critters. Anchorage each summer hosts close to a couple dozen, if not more.
"They're not really a wilderness species like we once thought," Farley said; they are simply a hungry species.
Anchorage is uncharted territory here. There are no other major cities dealing with grizzly bears regularly roaming popular trails so close to so many people.
"Anchorage, as far as I can tell, is a unique city in this regard," Farley said.
I know this may seem a little off topic for this blog, but the Grizzly bear issue last summer essentially pushed every other issue in Anchorage to the back of our minds. It was that bad.
For the first time in ten years I did not go to my favorite hiking trials, and kept the kids close to the house or in the house at all times.
Like many residents of Anchorage I live right on the edge of a wilderness area and there have always been numerous bear sightings all around my house.
I was born in Anchorage, and have always been very aware that we share our city with a virtual menagerie of exotic creatures, but the Grizzly situation has never been as dire as it was last year. Most encounters are peaceful, with a few hikers or bikers receiving a bluff charge by a sow now and then and that being about the most frightening interaction. But last year there were three maulings in and around the Anchorage area.
As much as I love living in such a beautiful untamed area, I also do not relish being a prisoner in my own house. And if the bear situation continues to worsen then that may be exactly how many people in the city will feel.
I also do not relish the idea of more bear hunting close to my city. (We have enough domestic shootings already.) However I agree that something absolutely must be done.
Summer will be here soon and I understand that weather experts predict a very nice one indeed. I am planning to hit the trails and I don't want to have to worry about serving as a chew toy for an 800 pound carnivore. I am sorry if that sounds selfish, but I prefer my ass cheeks "un-chewed".
Friday, January 30, 2009
GOP selects their new Chairman. Don't tell the Republicans, but I don't think that is a spray on tan.
The Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first African American chairman today in Washington, a decision that came after an excruciating series of ballots that displayed a level of drama rarely seen in national politics.Oh snap!
I cannot believe the Republicans let this one slip past them! What are they going to say when all of those southern rednecks finally figure out he is a non-white?
Racism reared it's ugly head for all the world to see at the Sarah Palin rallies, and reminded all of America that the KKK is alive and well within the Republican party. It is highly doubtful that these newly re-energized xenophobes will take the selection of Michale Steele in stride.
I guess if his name were "Washington", or "Lincoln", or "Jackson" they might have had a clue. But "Steele" sounds like it could be the name of a Aryan superhero for God's sake.
Maybe he can look up Michael Jackson and ask him to reveal how he "got the black out" and made the majority of the world forget he was ever an African American.
But to be serious for a moment if the GOP really thinks that this is all they have to do to attract more African American voters to their party, and to make themselves appear more sensitive to minority issues, then they are even more insensitive and tone deaf than I could ever possibly have imagined.
Dennis Zaki video providing insight into the lives of those living in Emmonak.
I know that teaching in the bush is extraordinarily challenging for teachers, and have the utmost respect for those who provide that service.
This is just one of many videos that Dennis will be creating to educate the intellectual curious among us (ie: not Sara Palin) what life is REALLY like for the rural native Alaskans.
The Talis of Colberg doth savagely rip the Bard asunder to pluck glittering gems for which to festoon bovine excrement most foul.
If you click the title it will take you to The State of Alaska Department of Law 2008 Annual Report. (You may have to hurry as we do not expect access to this report to remain available for long. But in case it does disappear fear not for I have copied the introduction below. And then provided the Immoral Minority "translations", doncha know?)
December 2008
Dear Governor Palin, Alaska Legislators and Fellow Alaskans,
Shakespeare, in the play Henry V provides the ultimate team-building speech for King Henry in what is now known as the “St. Crispin’s Day” speech. The real King Henry V may or may not have given a rousing speech to his outnumbered army on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt in 1215 ( I got totally hammered the night before this lecture on Elizabethan literature and do not fully remember the lesson), but as with so much, fact has become conflated with myth (It is all just confusing bullshit anyway.)—and the result is inspiration. I think we have an inspiring story to tell, based largely on facts.
In 1959 our team was smaller. The Department of Law was six attorneys (including Attorney General John Rader). Now we are about five hundred fifty two. Nearly a hundred-fold increase in the same fifty-year period that the rest of the population increased by only six times. Oddly enough, although we are far more numerous than we were in 1959, we often still feel outnumbered. Our civil attorneys are divided into thirteen sections and our criminal division is spread over thirteen offices. There is no community where the criminal division is not outnumbered by local public defenders, the Office of Public Advocacy, and the private defense bar. Likewise, while the outside world sees the civil division as a monolith, it is in fact divided into small sections, all of which are likewise outnumbered by opposing counsel. However, there is a sense of cohesion and team unity that is both pleasant and effective throughout the department. How can we have grown so large and still find ourselves constantly trying to keep up?
In his book The Richness of Life (Another really hard book I read which proves that I am awesomely smart.), science writer Stephen Jay Gould observed:
Most knowledgeable students of life’s history have always sensed the failure of the fossil record to supply the most desired ingredient of Western comfort: a clear signal of progress measured as some form of steadily increasing complexity for life as a whole through time. The basic evidence cannot support such a view. (In other words the theory of Evolution does not work!)
Gould was not writing about law. However, lawyers are perceived to be a major source increasing complexity in the modern world and some legitimately reason that legal complexity may not be progress. Lawyers often stand in the way of the appealing simple solutions. Our job is in part to uphold the law and at the same time not lose the confidence of the public in doing so. (Nailed it!) We don’t write the laws, but we are charged with trying to make sense of them and enforce them. It is a tough, but honorable, job.
As Henry said in his speech, “The fewer men [Shakespeare did not go out of his way to anticipate the advancement of women], the greater share of honour.” Tell that to the Collections Section—that it is a greater honor because you have fewer colleagues? The point is, that the Department of Law does a lot and does it honorably and can be proud of it.
Henry called on his team to look to the future:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors
And say, ‘Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.’
(Finally I get the chance to use some of that "literature" they made me memorize at Pepperdine.)
Well, maybe the staff at the Department of Law will not commemorate their service to the state with a yearly vigil and declare, “I was there when…” but they have reason to. (Our fat overpaid staff are totally like the Saints Crispin and Crispinia, who were tortured and beheaded for their Chrisitan faith. The metaphor fits like a glove.)
In his conclusion, Henry declares:
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers [and sisters] (My boss is a chick);
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
Brought into a modern Alaskan translation, “Those poor attorneys who have never known the privilege of standing in the ranks of the Department of Law during the Fiftieth Year of Statehood will think themselves accursed.” (Working for the Department of Law during the first fifty years of Statehood is the bomb fo shizzle. Anybody working here after that is totally whack.)
We (relatively) few. We happy few.
Sincerely,
Talis J. Colberg
Attorney Genera
(Now THAT is tight writing! It is almost as well done as the dissertation I wrote at UAA called "M.D. Snodgrass: The Founder of the Alaska State Fair".)
God what a pompous windbag this guy is! And the fact that he attempts to disguise his incompetence and lack of ethical moorings by using Shakespearean references is almost reason enough to demand that he be removed from office without the addition of his numerous ethical violations. Clearly he has more in common with disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich then simply sharing a room with him at Pepperdine University. (Wow! How proud do you think that school is right about now? I bet they are scrubbing these names off their alumni list as fast as they can)
December 2008
Dear Governor Palin, Alaska Legislators and Fellow Alaskans,
Shakespeare, in the play Henry V provides the ultimate team-building speech for King Henry in what is now known as the “St. Crispin’s Day” speech. The real King Henry V may or may not have given a rousing speech to his outnumbered army on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt in 1215 ( I got totally hammered the night before this lecture on Elizabethan literature and do not fully remember the lesson), but as with so much, fact has become conflated with myth (It is all just confusing bullshit anyway.)—and the result is inspiration. I think we have an inspiring story to tell, based largely on facts.
In 1959 our team was smaller. The Department of Law was six attorneys (including Attorney General John Rader). Now we are about five hundred fifty two. Nearly a hundred-fold increase in the same fifty-year period that the rest of the population increased by only six times. Oddly enough, although we are far more numerous than we were in 1959, we often still feel outnumbered. Our civil attorneys are divided into thirteen sections and our criminal division is spread over thirteen offices. There is no community where the criminal division is not outnumbered by local public defenders, the Office of Public Advocacy, and the private defense bar. Likewise, while the outside world sees the civil division as a monolith, it is in fact divided into small sections, all of which are likewise outnumbered by opposing counsel. However, there is a sense of cohesion and team unity that is both pleasant and effective throughout the department. How can we have grown so large and still find ourselves constantly trying to keep up?
In his book The Richness of Life (Another really hard book I read which proves that I am awesomely smart.), science writer Stephen Jay Gould observed:
Most knowledgeable students of life’s history have always sensed the failure of the fossil record to supply the most desired ingredient of Western comfort: a clear signal of progress measured as some form of steadily increasing complexity for life as a whole through time. The basic evidence cannot support such a view. (In other words the theory of Evolution does not work!)
Gould was not writing about law. However, lawyers are perceived to be a major source increasing complexity in the modern world and some legitimately reason that legal complexity may not be progress. Lawyers often stand in the way of the appealing simple solutions. Our job is in part to uphold the law and at the same time not lose the confidence of the public in doing so. (Nailed it!) We don’t write the laws, but we are charged with trying to make sense of them and enforce them. It is a tough, but honorable, job.
As Henry said in his speech, “The fewer men [Shakespeare did not go out of his way to anticipate the advancement of women], the greater share of honour.” Tell that to the Collections Section—that it is a greater honor because you have fewer colleagues? The point is, that the Department of Law does a lot and does it honorably and can be proud of it.
Henry called on his team to look to the future:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors
And say, ‘Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.’
(Finally I get the chance to use some of that "literature" they made me memorize at Pepperdine.)
Well, maybe the staff at the Department of Law will not commemorate their service to the state with a yearly vigil and declare, “I was there when…” but they have reason to. (Our fat overpaid staff are totally like the Saints Crispin and Crispinia, who were tortured and beheaded for their Chrisitan faith. The metaphor fits like a glove.)
In his conclusion, Henry declares:
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers [and sisters] (My boss is a chick);
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
Brought into a modern Alaskan translation, “Those poor attorneys who have never known the privilege of standing in the ranks of the Department of Law during the Fiftieth Year of Statehood will think themselves accursed.” (Working for the Department of Law during the first fifty years of Statehood is the bomb fo shizzle. Anybody working here after that is totally whack.)
We (relatively) few. We happy few.
Sincerely,
Talis J. Colberg
Attorney Genera
(Now THAT is tight writing! It is almost as well done as the dissertation I wrote at UAA called "M.D. Snodgrass: The Founder of the Alaska State Fair".)
God what a pompous windbag this guy is! And the fact that he attempts to disguise his incompetence and lack of ethical moorings by using Shakespearean references is almost reason enough to demand that he be removed from office without the addition of his numerous ethical violations. Clearly he has more in common with disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich then simply sharing a room with him at Pepperdine University. (Wow! How proud do you think that school is right about now? I bet they are scrubbing these names off their alumni list as fast as they can)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Chip Saltsman, you know the guy who gave Republicans that funny "Barack the Magic Negro" song parody, decides not to run for RNC chairman. Quitter!
Here is his letter (With some snarky clarification from me. Because I care.)
Since November’s election, I’ve had the remarkable opportunity to travel throughout thirty two states, share my vision for the future of our party, and listen to the advice of the nearly one hundred members who took the time to visit with me in their homes, their offices, their airports, and their coffee shops. (What I find somewhat less gratifying is that every single one of these nearly one hundred members told me NOT to run for the chairmanship and that I was an embarrassment to the GOP. Yeah with Sarah Palin around I'M THE ONE who is the embarrassment! HAH!)
I’ve seen how the Clark County Republicans of Nevada are organizing online to defeat Harry Reid in 2010, as we defeated Tom Daschle in 2002.
I’ve heard how Republicans in the District of Columbia have expanded their membership simply by holding their meetings and spreading their message in communities that have long shared our values, but which have never felt welcome within our ranks. (Now that we are openly recruiting racists we just can't print membership applications fast enough!)
I’ve witnessed how the hard work of Republican leadership in my home of Tennessee has given our state its first Republican General Assembly since 1869. (Of course they also found themselves outmaneuvered by the Tennessee Democrats who essentially chose their Republican House Speaker for them.)
And I’ve met with Republicans in New England’s blue states who are ready to plant our party’s flag and prove that our coalition is broad enough, strong enough to compete everywhere and win anywhere. (Yeah I know this is bullshit but I have to spout the party line no matter how stupid it is if I ever hope to work in the GOP again.)
But, while my travels make me confident in our party’s future, I wanted you to be first to know that I have decided to withdraw my candidacy to become your next chairman. (I would also like to remind you f*#king hypocrites that you all loved that "Magic Negro" song as much as I did until MSNBC and the blogs started making a big deal about it. And I still might have had a chance if only the wetbacks had not gotten their panties in a twist as well. Minorities, why can't they just clean our houses, care for our kids, and pick our cotton like they did in the good old days?)
Thank you for your passion for our party and for the principles that make it great. I hope that you won’t hesitate to call on me as we rebuild our majority. (Seriously I need a f#@king job!)
Chip
You know I truly feel that Chip Saltsman represented the Republican party perfectly and would have made a very appropriate Chairman. Chip is a pasty faced, immature, bigot who finds humor in the denigration of those unlike himself. How does that NOT cry out "GOP" to you?
I would say I am sorry to see Mr. Saltsman leave, as he is one of the more transparent morons in the Republican party, but I have every confidence that there are many "Chip Salstman's"(Saltsmen?) just waiting for their moment in the media spotlight.
Since November’s election, I’ve had the remarkable opportunity to travel throughout thirty two states, share my vision for the future of our party, and listen to the advice of the nearly one hundred members who took the time to visit with me in their homes, their offices, their airports, and their coffee shops. (What I find somewhat less gratifying is that every single one of these nearly one hundred members told me NOT to run for the chairmanship and that I was an embarrassment to the GOP. Yeah with Sarah Palin around I'M THE ONE who is the embarrassment! HAH!)
I’ve seen how the Clark County Republicans of Nevada are organizing online to defeat Harry Reid in 2010, as we defeated Tom Daschle in 2002.
I’ve heard how Republicans in the District of Columbia have expanded their membership simply by holding their meetings and spreading their message in communities that have long shared our values, but which have never felt welcome within our ranks. (Now that we are openly recruiting racists we just can't print membership applications fast enough!)
I’ve witnessed how the hard work of Republican leadership in my home of Tennessee has given our state its first Republican General Assembly since 1869. (Of course they also found themselves outmaneuvered by the Tennessee Democrats who essentially chose their Republican House Speaker for them.)
And I’ve met with Republicans in New England’s blue states who are ready to plant our party’s flag and prove that our coalition is broad enough, strong enough to compete everywhere and win anywhere. (Yeah I know this is bullshit but I have to spout the party line no matter how stupid it is if I ever hope to work in the GOP again.)
But, while my travels make me confident in our party’s future, I wanted you to be first to know that I have decided to withdraw my candidacy to become your next chairman. (I would also like to remind you f*#king hypocrites that you all loved that "Magic Negro" song as much as I did until MSNBC and the blogs started making a big deal about it. And I still might have had a chance if only the wetbacks had not gotten their panties in a twist as well. Minorities, why can't they just clean our houses, care for our kids, and pick our cotton like they did in the good old days?)
Thank you for your passion for our party and for the principles that make it great. I hope that you won’t hesitate to call on me as we rebuild our majority. (Seriously I need a f#@king job!)
Chip
You know I truly feel that Chip Saltsman represented the Republican party perfectly and would have made a very appropriate Chairman. Chip is a pasty faced, immature, bigot who finds humor in the denigration of those unlike himself. How does that NOT cry out "GOP" to you?
I would say I am sorry to see Mr. Saltsman leave, as he is one of the more transparent morons in the Republican party, but I have every confidence that there are many "Chip Salstman's"(Saltsmen?) just waiting for their moment in the media spotlight.
Let me introduce you to a new blog dedicated to the mysteries surrounding Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, Trig Palin, and the enigmatic Tripp Palin.
Rather then going away like Sarah Palin hoped they would, it looks like this mystery is bringing even more people to the online discussion.
You will find this blog in my "Palin Pregnancy Websites" blogroll to the left from now until we finally discover the truth. Until then, happy digging my friends.
You will find this blog in my "Palin Pregnancy Websites" blogroll to the left from now until we finally discover the truth. Until then, happy digging my friends.
This was my favorite part of last night's Daily Show.
The ending is a little weak but I was laughing so hard at most of it that I had to wipe my eyes. This show continues to deliver the goods, day after day, week after week.
Alaska state legislators tear Talis Colberg a new one over his advice to ignore "Troopergate" subpoenas.
State legislators assailed Attorney General Talis Colberg Wednesday for trying to kill the subpoenas issued during the Legislature's "Troopergate" investigation of the governor last fall.
The House Judiciary Committee grilled Colberg, an appointee of Gov. Sarah Palin, for about two hours. The committee chairman said he was incensed.
"I thought you did systemic damage to the rights of the Legislature to bring an appropriate subpoena against somebody," said Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras. "You empowered these (Palin aides) with super rights. They were advised by you that they could ignore a subpoena."
Other committee members were also unhappy. Anchorage Democratic Rep. Lindsey Holmes said it was unclear to her whose interests the attorney general was supposed to be representing -- those of the citizens or those of the governor and members of her administration. Even North Pole Republican Rep. John Coghill, who didn't like the Legislature's investigation, said the subpoenas compelling the Palin aides to cooperate with it were valid and he wanted to make sure this does not happen again.
"I feel that a barrier to this Legislature is unacceptable when requiring information that's well within its authority," he said.
Colberg took the heat calmly, with his voice at times dropping to near inaudible levels as he defended himself. He emphasized his department never told anyone to disobey a subpoena -- just gave options to the seven state officials it was representing.
"The options they took were based on legal arguments that we had and issues we had with how these particular subpoenas were issued," he said.
Well it is about damn time!
Those of us who have paid close attention to this debacle have long said that ignoring those subpoenas was a clear violation of the law and the person who counseled those aides to do so should be fired. The question is whether these lawmakers have any serious desire to hold Coldberg accountable or if this is just a dog and pony show designed to placate those if us demanding Coldberg's resignation.
The Palin aides subsequently gave statements to Steve Branchflower, the investigator hired after the Legislative Council unanimously ordered the investigation.
Branchflower's report found Palin abused her power in allowing her husband and top aides to push for the firing of a state trooper who is her former brother-in-law. But a second report, conducted by attorney Tim Petumenos for the state personnel board, came to the opposite conclusion and found that Palin was not responsible for any wrongdoing.
Ramras told Colberg on Wednesday that he considered the Petumenos report a "whitewash." But that's far from a universal feeling in the Legislature, and both Palin and Colberg have defenders.
God I love seeing the term "whitewash" used to describe the Petumenos report! That is exactly what I have said it was all along.
However after reading this entire article I have very little confidence that the legislature will follow through with any serious recommendations against Coldberg. There is an incredible lack of will to stand up to Governor Palin by this group and the only way they will find the balls to hold them accountable is if the citizens of Alaska stand up and demand justice.
It just so happens we have a grassroots political action committee that was formed to do that very thing.
The House Judiciary Committee grilled Colberg, an appointee of Gov. Sarah Palin, for about two hours. The committee chairman said he was incensed.
"I thought you did systemic damage to the rights of the Legislature to bring an appropriate subpoena against somebody," said Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras. "You empowered these (Palin aides) with super rights. They were advised by you that they could ignore a subpoena."
Other committee members were also unhappy. Anchorage Democratic Rep. Lindsey Holmes said it was unclear to her whose interests the attorney general was supposed to be representing -- those of the citizens or those of the governor and members of her administration. Even North Pole Republican Rep. John Coghill, who didn't like the Legislature's investigation, said the subpoenas compelling the Palin aides to cooperate with it were valid and he wanted to make sure this does not happen again.
"I feel that a barrier to this Legislature is unacceptable when requiring information that's well within its authority," he said.
Colberg took the heat calmly, with his voice at times dropping to near inaudible levels as he defended himself. He emphasized his department never told anyone to disobey a subpoena -- just gave options to the seven state officials it was representing.
"The options they took were based on legal arguments that we had and issues we had with how these particular subpoenas were issued," he said.
Well it is about damn time!
Those of us who have paid close attention to this debacle have long said that ignoring those subpoenas was a clear violation of the law and the person who counseled those aides to do so should be fired. The question is whether these lawmakers have any serious desire to hold Coldberg accountable or if this is just a dog and pony show designed to placate those if us demanding Coldberg's resignation.
The Palin aides subsequently gave statements to Steve Branchflower, the investigator hired after the Legislative Council unanimously ordered the investigation.
Branchflower's report found Palin abused her power in allowing her husband and top aides to push for the firing of a state trooper who is her former brother-in-law. But a second report, conducted by attorney Tim Petumenos for the state personnel board, came to the opposite conclusion and found that Palin was not responsible for any wrongdoing.
Ramras told Colberg on Wednesday that he considered the Petumenos report a "whitewash." But that's far from a universal feeling in the Legislature, and both Palin and Colberg have defenders.
God I love seeing the term "whitewash" used to describe the Petumenos report! That is exactly what I have said it was all along.
However after reading this entire article I have very little confidence that the legislature will follow through with any serious recommendations against Coldberg. There is an incredible lack of will to stand up to Governor Palin by this group and the only way they will find the balls to hold them accountable is if the citizens of Alaska stand up and demand justice.
It just so happens we have a grassroots political action committee that was formed to do that very thing.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
KTUU has a poll about Troopergate!
Click the title to visit Alaska's News Source and let them know if you think the Legislature should pursue punishment for ignored Troopergate subpoenas?
So far the "yeas" are ahead! WOO HOO!
Update: Poll was shut down and removed by 9:40 p.m..
Interesting. I guess it was not going the way they intended.
So far the "yeas" are ahead! WOO HOO!
Update: Poll was shut down and removed by 9:40 p.m..
Interesting. I guess it was not going the way they intended.
Sarah Palin finally mentions Emmonak, but offers no real solutions. Gee color me surprised.
As you can see she is asked about Emmonak at 1:10 in the video and simply punts the question. She appears completely unmoved by the struggles of the rural natives. Who in their right mind would trust this woman to run our country?
At 2:20 she is asked about her SarahPAC and denies it has anything to do with a Presidential run in 2012. Take a big whiff of the bullshit ladies and gentlemen. That is grade A Sarah Palin brand cow excrement!
Oooh at 4:45 she is asked about her constant focus on issues OUTSIDE of Alaska. Does she answer that question honestly? What do you think?
At 5:45 she explains that she is attending the Alfalfa club shindig because President Obama will be speaking, NOT because she is an attention whore that has to constantly be close to wherever the media's focus is at any given moment. (I am a little surprised we have not seen her following disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich around trying to pick up some of the media crumbs he leaves in his wake.)
And isn't it gratifying to learn that Sarah's focus "first and foremost" is Alaska. (You know I think that pile of bullshit is in danger of toppling over and crushing our Governor any minute now.)
I don't know about you but if I were those reporters I would totally have taken Palin up on her offer of a ride. Just think what questions you could ask her when she has no way to escape them!
(Hat tip to my good friend Phil Munger for this video which I stumbled across over at Progressive Alaska. Thanks Phil!)
How cold is it in Alaska? Just ask our caribou.
-80 degree weather? Check!
Caribou frozen like a Thanksgiving turkey? Check!
Checking to see if people who live in Barrow, Alaska have balls? Double check!
I worked up on the North Slope one summer. After being lectured for an hour about never stepping on the tundra, keeping my trash picked up, and taking every possible precaution to not sully the pristine landscape, I sarcastically asked if it was okay to pee on the tundra or not.
I was told, quite seriously, that while it was perfectly okay to take a piss in the summer if I ever found myself up there in the winter to NEVER expose any body part to the cold that I had any fondness for whatsoever. Because the cold was so intense that it could cause frostbite in a matter of moments.
Guess who NEVER worked on the North Slope in the winter.
It looks likes Jon Stewart is not going to have any problem mining comedy gold from the Obama administration after all.
Larry Wilmore explains how exhausting it is to be "black". And that Larry King's son may not enjoy it as much as he imagines.
More info concerning SarahPAC.
SarahPAC, which will raise money online at http://www.sarahpac.com/, was registered Monday night with the Federal Election Commission. The Web site went live Tuesday, said Pam Pryor, who worked as a liaison between the McCain-Palin presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee. Now, Pryor is serving as a volunteer spokeswoman for the new PAC.
... SarahPAC will support local and national candidates who share Gov. Palin's ideas and goals for our country."
But it also allows Palin to more easily differentiate between her political activity and her gubernatorial duties, Pryor said. She can use the money raised by the political committee to donate to other like-minded candidates or to incur travel expenses on behalf of them. She also can use it to pay for her own political activities unrelated to her official job.
So Palin, for example, can use money raised by the committee to attend two upcoming political events outside Alaska, Pryor said.
So this PAC provides Palin with the money she needs to continue to ignore Alaska's multiple problems while she gallivants across the country on the dime of her fawning sycophants.
Pryor said that Palin wants there to be a "bright line" between her duties as governor and her political activity. Some critics, including political activist Andree McLeod, have complained that Palin blurred those during her bid for vice president.
I have news for Governor Palin, that "bright line" is already painfully obvious to Alaskans. On one side are the things which place her in the national spotlight and she is tripping over herself to do, and on the other are her duties as Alaska's Governor which she is NOT willing to do.
Earlier this week, McLeod filed ethics complaints against two of Palin's top aides, alleging her communications director, Bill McAllister, and close aide, Kris Perry, misused their positions to promote the governor's political ambitions. McLeod cited as evidence the time Perry spent traveling with the governor on the vice presidential campaign trail and afterward. She also cited e-mails that she said showed McAllister in "an ongoing collaboration with Republican National Committee convention staff."
Palin's press office, citing the state's ethics guidelines, would not answer any questions Tuesday about SarahPAC. They also would not refer a request for an interview about it to the governor. They referred all questions to the Alaska Republican Party.
The facts are that Palin and her people have already violated their ethical standards numerous times and this effort to smooth it over is simply a case of "too little, too late". If we could just locate enough Alaska legislators with a spine there is plenty of reason to start holding Sarah Palin and her administration accountable for their past misdeeds.
By the way I LOVE this part:
Pryor was emphatic that the PAC is not an exploratory committee for a potential presidential bid in 2012.
It looks like this Pam Pryor chick believes that the Wasilla hillbillies are representative of all Alaskans. No such luck chickeee we are very aware that Sarah Palin returned from the campaign trail a changed person. Her disdain for our state is palpable and her desire for national office can be seen in the ever present gleam in her offset eyes.
If it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, it is Governor Palin lying to Alaskans again.
... SarahPAC will support local and national candidates who share Gov. Palin's ideas and goals for our country."
But it also allows Palin to more easily differentiate between her political activity and her gubernatorial duties, Pryor said. She can use the money raised by the political committee to donate to other like-minded candidates or to incur travel expenses on behalf of them. She also can use it to pay for her own political activities unrelated to her official job.
So Palin, for example, can use money raised by the committee to attend two upcoming political events outside Alaska, Pryor said.
So this PAC provides Palin with the money she needs to continue to ignore Alaska's multiple problems while she gallivants across the country on the dime of her fawning sycophants.
Pryor said that Palin wants there to be a "bright line" between her duties as governor and her political activity. Some critics, including political activist Andree McLeod, have complained that Palin blurred those during her bid for vice president.
I have news for Governor Palin, that "bright line" is already painfully obvious to Alaskans. On one side are the things which place her in the national spotlight and she is tripping over herself to do, and on the other are her duties as Alaska's Governor which she is NOT willing to do.
Earlier this week, McLeod filed ethics complaints against two of Palin's top aides, alleging her communications director, Bill McAllister, and close aide, Kris Perry, misused their positions to promote the governor's political ambitions. McLeod cited as evidence the time Perry spent traveling with the governor on the vice presidential campaign trail and afterward. She also cited e-mails that she said showed McAllister in "an ongoing collaboration with Republican National Committee convention staff."
Palin's press office, citing the state's ethics guidelines, would not answer any questions Tuesday about SarahPAC. They also would not refer a request for an interview about it to the governor. They referred all questions to the Alaska Republican Party.
The facts are that Palin and her people have already violated their ethical standards numerous times and this effort to smooth it over is simply a case of "too little, too late". If we could just locate enough Alaska legislators with a spine there is plenty of reason to start holding Sarah Palin and her administration accountable for their past misdeeds.
By the way I LOVE this part:
Pryor was emphatic that the PAC is not an exploratory committee for a potential presidential bid in 2012.
It looks like this Pam Pryor chick believes that the Wasilla hillbillies are representative of all Alaskans. No such luck chickeee we are very aware that Sarah Palin returned from the campaign trail a changed person. Her disdain for our state is palpable and her desire for national office can be seen in the ever present gleam in her offset eyes.
If it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, it is Governor Palin lying to Alaskans again.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Our little Sarah launches a political action committee.
Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor and former GOP vice presidential nominee, has started a political action committee called SarahPAC.
Wow, I knew that Palin and her batshit crazy supporters were getting prepared to start the process for a 2012 Presidential run but now that it is here I am still a little stunned.
She REALLY thinks she has a shot at the Presidency? REALLY?
She sure as hell does! Just check out this little blurb from the website:
SarahPAC believes America's best days are ahead. Our country, founded on conservative principles and the fight for freedom, must confront the challenges of the 21st century with integrity, innovation, and determination.
SarahPAC believes energy independence is a cornerstone of the economic security and progress that every American family wants and deserves.
SarahPAC believes the Republican Party is at the threshold of an historic renaissance that will build a better future for all. Health care, education, and reform of government are among our key goals. Join us today!
Health care? What in the hell do the Republicans, or Sarah Palin, know about improving health care? And I will say the same thing about energy, education, and government reform. If the GOP knew how to handle any of these issues we would not find ourselves in the dire straights we find ourselves in today. Every problem we currently face is the result of Republicans being in charge for the last eight years.
And as for Palin herself? Well she has not done one damn thing of significance for the people of Alaska since she got back from her whirlwind romance with the GOP! Her State of the State was chock full of things she is GOING to do, but not one mention of anything she HAS done.
Why? Because she has not done ANYTHING! Palin is a spokesmodel, not a problem solver.
Well fine with me lady. If you want to face off against Barack Obama in 2012 then bring it on!
But speaking for myself I am going to spend hours and hours exposing as many Sarah Palin lies, and misinformation as I can. My guess is that well before 2012 Sarah Palin will be too badly wounded politically to even run for a school board position in Wasilla.
Update: And for those who still don't think this means Sarah will actually run for President just visit here and see for yourself. (Hat tip to Ratfish for link.)
Some comedy genius from the Daily Show last night.
The fact that Blagojevich compares himself to Mandela, Martin Luther King jr., and Gandhi is so shocking that I cannot decide if he is the most arrogant bastard I have ever seen or the ballsiest guy on the planet!
"You know they crucified Jesus Christ, just like this too." Unbelievable!
"You know they crucified Jesus Christ, just like this too." Unbelievable!
Jon has a point. I mean our insane criminal murderers are just as dangerous as the Gitmo insane criminal murderers. I am pretty confident that the prisoners from Cuba will be able to find a peer group right here in the good old US of A.
"Wait, you hate prison guards? I hate prison guards too! Let's be bunkmates!"
Is the solution to the energy problems in the Yukon Delta to build wind farms?
Last week the state proposed spending $14 million to erect wind farms in six villages on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, including Kongiganak. It's part of a plan for spending $100 million on renewable energy around Alaska to reduce consumption of expensive diesel fuel and bring down local electric bills.
"The wind turbine is a blessing for us," Harvey Paul, general manager of the local power company, Puvurnaq, said Monday. "We have some of the highest fuel prices in the state and some of the best winds."
No longer will seal hunters have to complain when rough weather keeps their skiffs on the beach, Paul said. "Now they'll stay home and enjoy the wind and be happy that their electric rates are going down."
The problems in rural Alaska posed by high energy costs and a poor fishing season swept into the news this month with dramatic reports from Emmonak and nearby villages on the Yukon delta. Some critics accused the state of being slow to respond to a humanitarian crisis.
But last year, with oil prices soaring, the Legislature did take aim at the long-term with the Renewable Energy Fund. Lawmakers committed $50 million for the first year, then added another $50 million during a special session on energy.
The six delta wind projects are on a list of 72 renewable energy priorities recommended by the Alaska Energy Authority last week. The list also includes wind projects around Nome and Kotzebue, wood-burning boilers in the Interior, small hydro feasibility studies and help for Railbelt utilities.
Well this is at least a proactive measure to provide a long term solution to a problem that is simply not going to go away. It is pretty clear that high fuel prices are here to stay.
In this YouTube video you can see a working wind farm just outside of Nome, Alaska.
However this is only one piece of a larger economic jigsaw puzzle which needs to be assembled to head off any future crisis situations in the Yukon Delta areas. Wind farms are a good first step, but something needs to be done about the lack of fish flowing in to this area, the lack of good jobs, and the lack of infrastructure.
But having said that I must give some props to the state of Alaska, for at least putting SOMETHING forward to deal with this complicated problem. I am a HUGE advocate for alternative energy ideas, so I am very intrigued by this plan. I like pretty much anything that begins to move us away from our reliance on fossil fuels and our subservience to the oil companies.
I really believe that Alaska can be a leader in the development of alternative fuel sources in this country and will support any plan that moves that objective forward.
"The wind turbine is a blessing for us," Harvey Paul, general manager of the local power company, Puvurnaq, said Monday. "We have some of the highest fuel prices in the state and some of the best winds."
No longer will seal hunters have to complain when rough weather keeps their skiffs on the beach, Paul said. "Now they'll stay home and enjoy the wind and be happy that their electric rates are going down."
The problems in rural Alaska posed by high energy costs and a poor fishing season swept into the news this month with dramatic reports from Emmonak and nearby villages on the Yukon delta. Some critics accused the state of being slow to respond to a humanitarian crisis.
But last year, with oil prices soaring, the Legislature did take aim at the long-term with the Renewable Energy Fund. Lawmakers committed $50 million for the first year, then added another $50 million during a special session on energy.
The six delta wind projects are on a list of 72 renewable energy priorities recommended by the Alaska Energy Authority last week. The list also includes wind projects around Nome and Kotzebue, wood-burning boilers in the Interior, small hydro feasibility studies and help for Railbelt utilities.
Well this is at least a proactive measure to provide a long term solution to a problem that is simply not going to go away. It is pretty clear that high fuel prices are here to stay.
In this YouTube video you can see a working wind farm just outside of Nome, Alaska.
However this is only one piece of a larger economic jigsaw puzzle which needs to be assembled to head off any future crisis situations in the Yukon Delta areas. Wind farms are a good first step, but something needs to be done about the lack of fish flowing in to this area, the lack of good jobs, and the lack of infrastructure.
But having said that I must give some props to the state of Alaska, for at least putting SOMETHING forward to deal with this complicated problem. I am a HUGE advocate for alternative energy ideas, so I am very intrigued by this plan. I like pretty much anything that begins to move us away from our reliance on fossil fuels and our subservience to the oil companies.
I really believe that Alaska can be a leader in the development of alternative fuel sources in this country and will support any plan that moves that objective forward.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Justice rears its beautiful head as Karl Rove is subpoenaed by Congress!
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has followed through on a promise last year to continue an investigation into the role the Bush administration played in the decision to fire nine federal prosecutors and the alleged political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman by subpoenaing a key figure believed to have played a role in both scandals: former White House political adviser Karl Rove.“I have said many times that I will carry this investigation forward to its conclusion, whether in Congress or in court, and today’s action is an important step along the way,” Conyers said in a prepared statement. “Change has come to Washington, and I hope Karl Rove is ready for it. After two years of stonewalling, it’s time for him to talk.”
The subpoena demands that Rove appear before Congress for a deposition on Feb. 2, at 10 a.m.
In addition to Rove, Conyers’s committee has been pursuing testimony and documents from White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers about their involvement in the decision to fire the federal prosecutors, a move that a senior Justice Department official said was designed to remove U.S. Attorneys who were deemed not “loyal Bushies.” It is believed subpoenas will be issued for their testimony as well in the weeks ahead.
God have I waited a long time to see the word "subpoena" next to Karl Rove's name!
And now turblossom cannot hide behind his buddy George Bush and this time will have no choice but to comply with this legal demand of his appearance before Congress.
I will be riveted to my television on February 2, and can hardly wait to see Rove grilled by John Conyers and the other members of the Judiciary Committee. Now THIS is "must see tv"!
Update: Here is a response from Rove's lawyer: "It's generally agreed that former presidents retain executive privilege as to matters occurring during their term. We'll solicit the views of the new White House counsel and, if there is a disagreement, assume that the matter will be resolved among the courts, the president and the former president."
So in other words Karl Rove is saying "Hey not fair I was touching base, you can't tag me it when I am touching the base!"
However Mr. Conyers and President Obama do not see things that way: "Mr. Rove has previously refused to appear in response to a Judiciary Committee subpoena, claiming that even former presidential advisers cannot be compelled to testify before Congress," Conyers' office wrote in a release. "That 'absolute immunity' position was supported by then-President Bush, but it has been rejected by U.S. District Judge John Bates and President Obama has previously dismissed the claim as 'completely misguided.'"
Oh oh, it looks like Karl Rove's big bad protector is not going to be able to help him with this one.
And just wait. Today it is Karl Rove. Tomorrow it may be Dick Cheney, or Donald Rumsfeld, or even George W. Bush himself. Oh be still my beating heart.
The Emmonak story continues to pick up steam in the national media.
The link in the title leads to The Video Cafe which does a great job of telling the Emmonak story as well as providing links to all of the Alaska progressive blogs that pushed the story until it could no longer be ignored.
I am very interested to see what Sarah Palin will do now that this story is getting so much national attention.
Anybody want to venture a guess?
I am very interested to see what Sarah Palin will do now that this story is getting so much national attention.
Anybody want to venture a guess?
I just received this e-mail last night from Bob Poe.
Hi Gryphen, sorry for the slow reply. I'm embarrassed to say that I am just now mastering our g-mail accounts. I read your piece the evening it came out. It really was quite a surprise and you were quite kind. I also enjoyed meeting you and found our conversation fun and stimulating. (Do you hear that? The possible future Governor of our state described our conversation as "fun and stimulating". Well I guess that proves Mr. Poe is a WONDERFUL judge of character and easily entertained.)
Keep up the good work, I think bloggers really are changing the face, and the pace, of the media in the world today. ("changing the face, and pace, of media in the world today". Wow! Mr. Poe is clearly a visionary who realizes just how vitally important pajama clad anonymous bloggers are to the future of politics in Alaska and the rest of the world.)
Best regards,
Bob Poe
(Here is the link to the post that Mr. Poe is referring to in the above e-mail.)
I had a little fun with Mr. Poe's e-mail, but to be honest I was very honored that he took the time to respond. I am also very pleased that he found our conversation stimulating. This idea of interviewing candidates and politicians is kind of a new one for me, as I usually just sit back and let loose with the snark. However I hope that I am improving in that area and can bring a different perspective then the usual news outlets do to the character and personalities of these individuals who may some day be the most powerful people in our state.
Keep up the good work, I think bloggers really are changing the face, and the pace, of the media in the world today. ("changing the face, and pace, of media in the world today". Wow! Mr. Poe is clearly a visionary who realizes just how vitally important pajama clad anonymous bloggers are to the future of politics in Alaska and the rest of the world.)
Best regards,
Bob Poe
(Here is the link to the post that Mr. Poe is referring to in the above e-mail.)
I had a little fun with Mr. Poe's e-mail, but to be honest I was very honored that he took the time to respond. I am also very pleased that he found our conversation stimulating. This idea of interviewing candidates and politicians is kind of a new one for me, as I usually just sit back and let loose with the snark. However I hope that I am improving in that area and can bring a different perspective then the usual news outlets do to the character and personalities of these individuals who may some day be the most powerful people in our state.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
My afternoon with Walt Monegan.
I received an invitation a while ago to attend a meet and greet with newly declared candidate for mayor, Walt Monegan.It was a small intimate gathering which afforded me almost exclusive access to Mr. Monegan.
I started off with my new favorite greeting when introducing myself to Alaskan candidates.
"Hi I am Gryphen. I am one of those anonymous bloggers you keep hearing about."
Mr. Monegan's response was one of bemusement and no small amount of interest. (That introduction definitely makes me appear far more interesting then I am in real life.)
I asked Mr. Monegan, or as I now know him "Walt", why he only wanted to run for mayor when he could have easily aimed for higher office. (and yes that was my first question after the initial pleasantries were out of the way. I am not known for my subtlety.) I found Walt's answer to that question very interesting, and for me, perfectly understandable.
You see Walt does not like the big cities. He shared with me a story of when he visited a city in the lower 48, and how he almost went stir crazy until he was able to locate a park to spend some time in and get back in touch with nature. Walt is an Alaskan through and through and has no desire to live anyplace else. If you do not live here that may not make much sense, but to me it explained everything and I did not feel the need to revisit the topic.
I asked Walt about his plans for the city and learned that he has a strong desire to make the city safer for its citizens and more profitable for its businesses. He explained his philosophy with stories of things he had seen while serving as the Chief of Police in Anchorage. I would love to share the many stories with you but I did not write them down and besides this post would be exceptionally wordy if I were to do so. But as Mr. Monegan told these stories they did a more then an adequate job of illustrating his philosophy and how he would implement his plans for the city.
I also asked Walt if he was ready for the assault on his character which is sure to come from the ardent Sarah Palin supporters as well as those who are in support of his Republican and Democratic rivals for this job. At that Walt just smiled and replied "Certainly".
I have to say that I doubt very seriously that the competition intimidates this guy very much. He has that thing that so many local politicians seem to lack. Walt Monegan has BALLS!
Walt also said that he would probably place himself fairly close to the middle when it came to his political points of view. He said he has always voted for the best candidate regardless of which party they represent, and has never been registered as anything other then "Independent".
My impression of Mr. Monegan was that he is an exceptionally sincere man, with a true passion for helping others. He did not come off as somebody trying to shape his responses to fit the expectations of his audience. I paid close attention to his body language and his demeanor and found no hint of phoniness or insincerity about the man. In fact Walt seems especially fixated on promoting integrity and honesty in this city. Something that I have to say I agree with 100 percent. But then, who wouldn't?
I am aware that I probably had more access to Mr. Monegan then most Alaskan voters will enjoy, which is why I felt it incumbent upon me to write this post. If you get a chance to meet Mr. Monegan please take it, so that you get the opportunity to form your own opinion personally.
While what I have written above is my honest assessment of Walt Monegan, it is of course only my impressions as seen through my own unique prism. I encourage everybody to make their own decisions based on accessing as much information as they can about ALL of the candidates.
I am still in the information gathering stage of my decision making just like the rest of you. If I have the opportunity to talk to any of the other candidates I will share that information with you as well.
If we have learned anything at all from having elected George Bush and Sarah Palin, it is to make sure you know as much as possible about your candidate of choice before marking your ballot. The consequences of not doing so are now painfully obvious.
LA Times picks up Emmonak story!
Life in rural Alaska always has been treacherous. But last year's dramatic escalation in fuel prices, combined with a disastrous fishing season, plunged the ramshackle villages of America's frontier into one of the worst crises in decades, prompting calls for humanitarian aid and demands for pricing reform.
"Holy Jiminy Christmas, what we're going through," said Dora Napoka, 49, the librarian at the village school. "It's like we have to choose between six gallons of stove oil or six gallons of gas to go out and get the firewood -- or does my baby need infant milk? Which one is more important?"
The public alarm first sounded from Emmonak, a town of about 800 people near the mouth of the Yukon River, when Nicholas Tucker polled fellow villagers and found many in a state of desperation: They were running out of food after paying up to $200 a week for fuel oil to heat their homes.
"Help is needed and cannot be delayed," Tucker wrote in an open letter to state authorities that was published in several rural newspapers this month, requesting a "massive airlift" of food.
"What is mind-boggling about the whole situation is that they have remained silent, anonymous, suffered, and cried," he said.
As word of Emmonak's troubles spread, donations from across the country poured in. On Wednesday, a shipment of 5,300 pounds of food and other basic supplies was delivered by plane.
A typical home here is a small, primitive cabin without running water that may shelter more than a dozen people. Even a family with a modern, efficient stove will spend $185 a week for heating.
"The oil is drilled right here in Alaska, and yet we're paying $8 a gallon? Something is amiss here. The oil companies are making billions of dollars, and people here can't afford to eat," said Pat Samson, social services director for the Assn. of Village Council Presidents in Bethel, about 35 miles southwest of Tuluksak.
The price for heating fuel and gas is only the beginning of the story. Groceries must be flown in at ever-higher freight prices. A pound of hot dogs in the village store costs $7.39, and a two-pound loaf of domestic cheese runs $17.49. A loaf of Wonder Bread is $5.85.
(Please click the title to read the whole amazing article by the Kim Murphy of the LA Times. They did a good job with their research and they really seem to get how bad this situation is for the native villagers.)
Wow! The LA Times! This is great news for these people and for the future of rural Alaska. The more people outside of Alaska that know about this situation, the louder the chorus will be for our Governor to do something substantial about it!
We know she will not listen to us, however she does seem much more attuned to the opinions of those in the lower 48.
"Holy Jiminy Christmas, what we're going through," said Dora Napoka, 49, the librarian at the village school. "It's like we have to choose between six gallons of stove oil or six gallons of gas to go out and get the firewood -- or does my baby need infant milk? Which one is more important?"
The public alarm first sounded from Emmonak, a town of about 800 people near the mouth of the Yukon River, when Nicholas Tucker polled fellow villagers and found many in a state of desperation: They were running out of food after paying up to $200 a week for fuel oil to heat their homes.
"Help is needed and cannot be delayed," Tucker wrote in an open letter to state authorities that was published in several rural newspapers this month, requesting a "massive airlift" of food.
"What is mind-boggling about the whole situation is that they have remained silent, anonymous, suffered, and cried," he said.
As word of Emmonak's troubles spread, donations from across the country poured in. On Wednesday, a shipment of 5,300 pounds of food and other basic supplies was delivered by plane.
A typical home here is a small, primitive cabin without running water that may shelter more than a dozen people. Even a family with a modern, efficient stove will spend $185 a week for heating.
"The oil is drilled right here in Alaska, and yet we're paying $8 a gallon? Something is amiss here. The oil companies are making billions of dollars, and people here can't afford to eat," said Pat Samson, social services director for the Assn. of Village Council Presidents in Bethel, about 35 miles southwest of Tuluksak.
The price for heating fuel and gas is only the beginning of the story. Groceries must be flown in at ever-higher freight prices. A pound of hot dogs in the village store costs $7.39, and a two-pound loaf of domestic cheese runs $17.49. A loaf of Wonder Bread is $5.85.
(Please click the title to read the whole amazing article by the Kim Murphy of the LA Times. They did a good job with their research and they really seem to get how bad this situation is for the native villagers.)
Wow! The LA Times! This is great news for these people and for the future of rural Alaska. The more people outside of Alaska that know about this situation, the louder the chorus will be for our Governor to do something substantial about it!
We know she will not listen to us, however she does seem much more attuned to the opinions of those in the lower 48.
State decides to throw fuel vouchers at the crisis in Emmonak.
A state director reviewing reports of high fuel costs and food shortages in lower Yukon River villages said she'd support free fuel vouchers as a way to bring immediate relief to villagers.
But only under the right conditions.
"That would be something I would advocate for if it's legally possible and there's money for it, because it would be quick," said Community and Regional Affairs Director Tara Jollie, who toured Western Alaska last week.
It does seem to me that the state is trying very hard to keep commitments of help to this community as minimal as possible.
Along with fuel vouchers, Jollie said she heard suggestions to create a longer-term subsidy to help people pay their fuel bills. That idea would be similar to a power-cost-equalization program the state uses to subsidize rural electricity bills.
Jollie said she wouldn't personally support doing the same thing for heating fuel costs because it would permanently balloon the state budget. "That goes on the book forever," she said.
The division director, who described both proposals as "brainstorming ideas," reports to the commerce commissioner and, ultimately, the governor.
If Palin doesn't favor the fuel-voucher idea, state Sen. Donny Olson, D-Nome, says he might propose something similar in the Legislature.
"If we're going to do something, we need to do something fairly quickly," said Olson, who represents the region.
I understand the desire of the government to not promise more then they can deliver. Or to start a precedent of sending hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief to this region every year. I get that.
But there are some very good ideas for long term solutions that will provide the kind of infrastructure to this community that will keep this disaster from becoming a yearly event.
But I must say the hesitancy expressed by our government to help these proud people leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. And I cannot help but believe that if this had happened in Wasilla, Alaska that the Governor would not have been there, with the sleeves on her Nordstroms jacket rolled up, handing out food to the people without having to think twice about it.
Dontcha think?
But only under the right conditions.
"That would be something I would advocate for if it's legally possible and there's money for it, because it would be quick," said Community and Regional Affairs Director Tara Jollie, who toured Western Alaska last week.
This fuel voucher idea represent the bare minimum that the state's response to this crisis should be. I talked to Dennis a little last night and brought this article up to him, and he agreed that the state was simply applying a band-aid to the problem. And though he was gratified that at least SOMETHING was being done, he was very worried that this would be the extent of the state's response to this matter.
It does seem to me that the state is trying very hard to keep commitments of help to this community as minimal as possible.
Along with fuel vouchers, Jollie said she heard suggestions to create a longer-term subsidy to help people pay their fuel bills. That idea would be similar to a power-cost-equalization program the state uses to subsidize rural electricity bills.
Jollie said she wouldn't personally support doing the same thing for heating fuel costs because it would permanently balloon the state budget. "That goes on the book forever," she said.
The division director, who described both proposals as "brainstorming ideas," reports to the commerce commissioner and, ultimately, the governor.
If Palin doesn't favor the fuel-voucher idea, state Sen. Donny Olson, D-Nome, says he might propose something similar in the Legislature.
"If we're going to do something, we need to do something fairly quickly," said Olson, who represents the region.
I understand the desire of the government to not promise more then they can deliver. Or to start a precedent of sending hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief to this region every year. I get that.
But there are some very good ideas for long term solutions that will provide the kind of infrastructure to this community that will keep this disaster from becoming a yearly event.
But I must say the hesitancy expressed by our government to help these proud people leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. And I cannot help but believe that if this had happened in Wasilla, Alaska that the Governor would not have been there, with the sleeves on her Nordstroms jacket rolled up, handing out food to the people without having to think twice about it.
Dontcha think?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Our new President would like to have a word with us today. Let the inspiration begin.
I am going to give hat tip to fellow Alaskan blogger I Eat Gravel. because I could not find this video anywhere until I saw it on that site.
Damn I love that sexy talk about alternative energy! That gets me every time.
Especially since I just paid my gas bill today and it was $200 more then last month!
We will have to keep an eye on this Recovery.gov site to see if President Obama keeps his promise of a transparent and open economic recovery program. If I was a betting man, I would have to bet he will. (BTW don't bother checking that link just yet, it will not be updated until the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passes.)
Dennis Zaki is back from Emmonak and what he saw has inspired him.
Last night Dennis made his triumphant return and was greeted by the Alaska bloggers who helped to gather the donations for his trip. Celtic Diva, Progressive Alaska, Alaska Real, Mudflats, and myself were all in attendance and hung on every word as Dennis talked about his amazing and heartrending experiences in this village of 800 people.Above you can see a picture of the children who came to see Dennis off as he boarded his plane to return to Anchorage. Dennis became very close to some of the children in the village. They followed him everywhere, were constantly full of questions, and fascinated with his video equipment and laptop computer.
Dennis was there when the five officials from the government arrived in Emmonak, and said that essentially they were a bunch of "jackasses" full of promises but no real solutions. Dennis said it was clear to him that they were only there to provide the appearance of concern and to cover for Governor Palin. (Update: I forgot to mention that these officials only gave the people of Emmonak 60 minutes notice that they would be meeting with them, and then were 40 minutes late to their own meeting. Dennis said that this is considered very disrespectful and started things off on the wrong foot for many in the village.)Dennis also pointed out that none of the five were from Fish and Game and the main reason that Emmonak is in the situation that it is in is because they lost 40% of their revenue from fishing this year compared to last year. (Dennis just e-mailed me and said this number is more like 95%. Could you support your family if you lost 95% of your income? Damn!) If these people cannot fish they simply cannot support themselves. Without help getting more fish for the village this problem will simply not go away.
Dennis also reported that the villagers have a solution to their own problem if only the government will help them to them build a new dock and a new a fuel storage facility. These are proud people who are very ashamed to have been reduced to asking for handouts and who just want the opportunity to be self-sufficient again. But the strict rules on fishing and hunting for those living a subsistence lifestyle make it virtually impossible to live according the "old ways".
By the time that the fishing season officially opened for Emmonak the fish were all but gone, having been "fished out" by commercial fishing boats with huge nets and crews made up almost exclusively of caucasian out of state fishermen.
The number of fish was greatly reduced in 2008 for everybody, but what was left for the native fishermen was simply criminal. There was not nearly enough to feed their families or sell for money to provide fuel for the harsh winter.
In this picture above you can see Nick Tucker, the man whose letter to the Bristol Bay Times brought this horrible situation to everybody's attention.Dennis said that Nick had received some criticism by a few of the village elders who are very embarrassed that the village had to ask for help from the government. But as Mr. Tucker has said, he simply could not stand by while babies were going to bed hungry.
Dennis wants to take this issue directly to Juneau and show them the footage that he filmed while he was in Emmonak. I have seen some of it and it has a very dramatic affect on the viewer.
Then Dennis wants to travel to Washington to meet with Mark Begich and possibly some of Barack Obama's new team.
We asked him about seeing Lisa Murkowski or Don Young, but Dennis said that they were part of the problem, not part of the solution. And by the way Dennis also said that ex-Governor Tony Knowles did not follow through on promises made to the people of this region either. So the fault cannot be strictly applied along partisan lines.
To say that Dennis is fired up about this situation would be an understatement. We are looking into ways to send him to Juneau and Washington, and in the meantime Dennis said he will put together a short video of his trip for bloggers to post which will allow all of you to see what is REALLY happening out in these remote Alaskan villages.
To say that Dennis is fired up about this situation would be an understatement. We are looking into ways to send him to Juneau and Washington, and in the meantime Dennis said he will put together a short video of his trip for bloggers to post which will allow all of you to see what is REALLY happening out in these remote Alaskan villages.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sarah Palin's wardrobe stuffed in garbage bags and stored at RNC.
Despite the Republican National Committee's promise to donate Sarah Palin's $180,000 campaign wardrobe to charity, word has it the Alaska governor's clothes remain stuffed in trash bags at RNC headquarters, NewMajority has learned.
While Palin followed through on her promise to return her controversial wardrobe after the election, it seems the RNC has not followed through on its promise to give most of the clothes away.
Palin asserted at the time that the clothes belonged to the RNC. They were not her property and would be returned at the end of the campaign. A campaign spokeswoman backed up those claims, saying, "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." It was also understood that those that had not been worn would be returned to the appropriate retailer; those that had been worn would be used for some other purpose, perhaps auctioned off for charity or to retire campaign debt.
But for reasons that remain mysterious, the clothes remain stashed at the RNC's Washington, D.C., headquarters. A source close to the issue told NewMajority that the clothes are "in the process" of being donated, and an RNC spokesman corroborated, saying the clothes have indeed been returned from Palin, "inventoried and will be appropriately dispersed to various charities." Attempts for an explanation of when and where the clothes will be donated went unanswered, and the governor's Alaska office does not comment on campaign issues.
Okay I have a couple of ideas as to why these clothes have not yet been donated to charities.
While Palin followed through on her promise to return her controversial wardrobe after the election, it seems the RNC has not followed through on its promise to give most of the clothes away.
Palin asserted at the time that the clothes belonged to the RNC. They were not her property and would be returned at the end of the campaign. A campaign spokeswoman backed up those claims, saying, "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." It was also understood that those that had not been worn would be returned to the appropriate retailer; those that had been worn would be used for some other purpose, perhaps auctioned off for charity or to retire campaign debt.
But for reasons that remain mysterious, the clothes remain stashed at the RNC's Washington, D.C., headquarters. A source close to the issue told NewMajority that the clothes are "in the process" of being donated, and an RNC spokesman corroborated, saying the clothes have indeed been returned from Palin, "inventoried and will be appropriately dispersed to various charities." Attempts for an explanation of when and where the clothes will be donated went unanswered, and the governor's Alaska office does not comment on campaign issues.
Okay I have a couple of ideas as to why these clothes have not yet been donated to charities.
- The RNC is saving them for after the 2010 elections, when the rest of the Republican politicians lose their governments jobs and are forced to wear "Palin family hand me downs".
- John McCain is hanging onto them and collecting DNA samples so that he can finally find the answer to the question that has been plaguing him since August 2008. Just who the hell is Trig Palin's mother?
- The clothes are so tacky even the homeless refuse to wear them.
- Even after repeated trips to the laundry they just cannot seem to wash out that Wasilla Hillbilly smell.
I don't know if Sarah Palin misses all of those expensive clothes that much, but I am certain she misses her expensive hair and makeup people. I mean did you see that rats nest on her head during the SOS speech!
There is NO excuse for that. I know we have gay hairdressers here in Alaska.
Obama revokes executive order signed by Bush to keep Presidential records secret.
President Barack Obama, in his first full day in office, revoked a controversial executive order signed by President Bush in 2001 that limited release of former presidents' records.
The new order could expand public access to records of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the years to come as well as other past leaders, said Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.
"It's extraordinary that a new president would address this issue on his first full day in office," Aftergood said. "It signifies the great importance he attaches to open, accountable government. The new order suggests President Obama will take a narrow view of executive privilege and assert it in a much more limited way than what we've seen in the recent past."
"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city. This administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but with those who seek it to be known," Obama said before a gathering that included his senior staff. "The mere fact that you have the legal power to keep something secret does not mean you should always use it. Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency."
Is it really possible that we will finally learn the truth behind of what the Bush administration has been up to for eight years?
Have I mentioned just how incredibly happy I am to have Barack Obama as my new President?
The new order could expand public access to records of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the years to come as well as other past leaders, said Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.
"It's extraordinary that a new president would address this issue on his first full day in office," Aftergood said. "It signifies the great importance he attaches to open, accountable government. The new order suggests President Obama will take a narrow view of executive privilege and assert it in a much more limited way than what we've seen in the recent past."
"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city. This administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but with those who seek it to be known," Obama said before a gathering that included his senior staff. "The mere fact that you have the legal power to keep something secret does not mean you should always use it. Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency."
Is it really possible that we will finally learn the truth behind of what the Bush administration has been up to for eight years?
Have I mentioned just how incredibly happy I am to have Barack Obama as my new President?
The Hollywood Reporter claims that Sarah Palin book deal is a go. Update!
The former GOP vice presidential candidate has apparently enlisted the help of superstar Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who has brokered book deals for such political A-listers as President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.Additionally, he has handled TV deals for a lot of top anchors and reporters such as Brian Williams, Lesley Stahl, Neil Cavuto, Christiane Amanpour and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
While not an immediate option, TV news is considered an intriguing possible future career path for the telegenic Palin.
Reached by telephone late Wednesday, Barnett said he had no comment.
In the past few weeks, Palin has gone on the offensive, lashing out at the media for they way she and her family have been portrayed, potentially paving the way for her to tell her story in her own words.
The very first thought that occurs to me is who is paying for this attorney's services? And wouldn't that money be better spent to help the people of Emmonak?
It seems to me that Sarah Palin is constantly working some angle to keep her self in the spotlight, while at the same time working equally as hard not to have to do any real work.
The situation in Emmonak has still not been adequately addressed, the AGIA deal needs a ton of work to make it viable, and there are numerous other issues which also require her attention but are taking a back seat to her laser like focus on public relations.
It is almost impossible for me to believe that there is anybody who is not able to see through Palin's bullshit and realize that all she cares about is her own personal ambitions.
Alaska is only a means to an end, and she could not care less about our state or its people.
Now there is new information suggesting that Governor Palin is asking for 11 million dollars for this "Book of Lies". Now THAT is what I call the "audacity of the dope"!
Governor Sarah Palin delivers her State of the State speech. Remember that rumor that Palin hired an out of state speech writer? Yeah not so much.
(The title links to the entire transcript courtesy of Alaska Dispatch.)
How Senator Stevens and Senator Hoffman can compliment this speech with a straight face is beyond me.
The Governor threw in every poorly crafted reference to Alaska that she could think of in an attempt to appear all home spun and connected to our state and its people. And instead appeared to be desperately pandering to a group of people who are simply over her now.
I think this part was my favorite.
Today, when challenges may seem as high as Mt. McKinley, and change as constant as the mighty Yukon flows, and political events send shockwaves through our foundation like the '64 quake - what do Alaskans do? We climb Denali, we forge the river, we rebuild a stronger foundation on higher ground. When it matters most, lesser differences fall away. Just like family, Alaskans unite.
How Senator Stevens and Senator Hoffman can compliment this speech with a straight face is beyond me.
The Governor threw in every poorly crafted reference to Alaska that she could think of in an attempt to appear all home spun and connected to our state and its people. And instead appeared to be desperately pandering to a group of people who are simply over her now.
I think this part was my favorite.
Today, when challenges may seem as high as Mt. McKinley, and change as constant as the mighty Yukon flows, and political events send shockwaves through our foundation like the '64 quake - what do Alaskans do? We climb Denali, we forge the river, we rebuild a stronger foundation on higher ground. When it matters most, lesser differences fall away. Just like family, Alaskans unite.
Saturday Night Live could not have done a better job of providing parody then Palin did herself.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Anchorage station KTUU covers the crisis in Emmonak and other villages.
That video is courtesy of Dennis Zaki who many of you helped to send to Emmonak to obtain footage of this disaster. As you can see your generous donations are already starting to pay off.
I have to say it is very gratifying to see Les Gara taking the lead on this issue. And also driving home the point that this would not have happened if Palin and her administration would have just listened to the lawmakers who had the foresight to see this coming.
Is anybody else surprised that Governor Palin did not drop everything and go to help the people of Emmonak along with these other officials? Nope me either!
After all she had a book deal to work on, and what could be more important then that?
Obama signs order to close Guantanamo Bay.
On Day Two of his administration, President Barack Obama began overhauling U.S. treatment of terror suspects, signing orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, review military trials of suspects and ban the harshest interrogation methods.
Damn am I proud to have voted for this man!
He is wasting no time in helping us get OUR America back from the people who ripped the very foundation out from under it.
In related actions, Obama:
Damn am I proud to have voted for this man!
He is wasting no time in helping us get OUR America back from the people who ripped the very foundation out from under it.
In related actions, Obama:
- Created a task force that would have 30 days to recommend policies on handling terror suspects who are detained in the future. Specifically, the group would look at what do do with the 245 Guantanamo detainees.
- Required all U.S. personnel to follow the U.S. Army Field Manual while interrogating detainees. The manual explicitly prohibits threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding, a technique that creates the sensation of drowning and has been termed a form of torture by critics. However, a Capitol Hill aide says that the administration also is planning a study of more aggressive interrogation methods that could be added to the Army manual — which would create a significant loophole to Obama's action Thursday.
- Directed the Justice Department to review the case of Qatar native Ali al-Marri, who is the only enemy combatant currently being held on U.S. soil. The review will look at whether al-Marri has the right to sue the government for his freedom, a right the Supreme Court already has given to Guantanamo detainees. The directive will ask the high court for a stay in al-Marri's appeals case while the review is ongoing. The government says al-Marri is an al-Qaida sleeper agent.
How unbelievable is it that this President has to sign an order making it a requirement to follow the rules that have been followed without challenge for 200 plus years? That is how badly the Bush administration broke our country!
But now we have a wonderful President that we can ALL be proud of!
Now if only we Alaskans can do something about our Governor.
New pictures from Emmonak.
Our intrepid fellow blogger and freelance reporter, Dennis Zaki, has sent us these wonderful photos of the people of Emmonak.Dennis tells us he should be back in Anchorage some time today and will share with us all that he has discovered.
Up to this point Dennis has been quite cryptic and it may take a few days to get the full story posted.
There may in fact be some information that needs to be reported to the proper authorities first, before being made public on any of our blogs.But if you stay tuned we should be able to bring you all of the pertinent information.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
State may take a year to get relief to Emmonak. Please tell me that is a typo!
State officials arrived in Emmonak on Tuesday to listen to residents describe how crushing fuel prices and the collapse of the king salmon fishery are tearing apart their village.
Like their neighboring communities, Emmonak residents want Gov. Sarah Palin to declare a disaster for villages along the lower Yukon River.
The five bureaucrats, including mid-level representatives from the divisions of Public Assistance and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said they were on a fact-finding trip that was initiated after a group of state commissioners met Monday.
But Tara Jollie, head of the Division of Community and Regional Affairs, maintained that a disaster declaration — if possible at all — would not come quickly.
That wasn’t enough for Nicholas Tucker, whose letter about families struggling to buy food and heating fuel has drawn national attention.
Tucker, a slight man with a salt-and-pepper crewcut, wasted little time in an urgent and sometimes combative tone.
“People can’t wait right now, they just cannot wait. As we talk, people are without food and heat,” said Tucker, 63.
“When you see a child with a 103-degree fever, you don’t wait to find out how he got sick. You take him to the hospital. Right now!” he said.
Anybody with young children will have no problem understanding Mr. Tucker's utter frustration at the lack of empathy from these bureaucrats.
These "State officials" were sitting in the village. They could SEE just how bad things were. Wouldn't you think that witnessing such a thing first hand would inspire them to cut through the red tape and get assistance to these people immediately!
Not in Sarah Palin's Alaska.
Jollie warned that declaring a disaster could take more than a year. State officials must follow federal guidelines and need time to gather data such as annual incomes and cost-of-living information from village officials.
“It’s not something the governor can just walk out on the front steps of her office and declare,” she said.
Are you fucking kidding me? If she can't "just walk out on the front steps of her office and declare" an emergency, then who the hell can? And why isn't that person our governor?
Emergencies don't wait for "data to be gathered"!
They don't hold off until people have time to address them!
Emergencies are called "emergencies" because they require immediate goddamn attention!
This is unconscionable! This is criminal! This is a fucking embarrassment!
Even Katrina had a faster response from the Bush administration then our citizens are receiving from their Governor. How is that for putting things into perspective?
In 1964 we had a devastating earthquake which was responsible for the deaths of 131 of our citizens and caused $300 million dollars of damage in 1964 dollars ($2.08 billion in current U.S. dollars).
Can you imagine if we had the misfortune of having Sarah Palin as our Governor back then? Would she have told my grandparents, my uncles, and my cousins to just wait for another year and help would be on the way?
No she would not have, because Alaskans back then had too much common sense to elect anybody as unbelievably inept as she is to run the state. It simply would not have happened.
So currently the only hope coming to the people of Emmonak for the remainder of this winter is coming from churches, charitable organizations, native corporations, and progressive radio hosts and bloggers.
Until Sarah Palin came along I had never known how ashamed I could be of my own state. But thanks to her I now know what that feels like.
I think it is time to start talking impeachment again. Don't you?
Like their neighboring communities, Emmonak residents want Gov. Sarah Palin to declare a disaster for villages along the lower Yukon River.
The five bureaucrats, including mid-level representatives from the divisions of Public Assistance and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said they were on a fact-finding trip that was initiated after a group of state commissioners met Monday.
But Tara Jollie, head of the Division of Community and Regional Affairs, maintained that a disaster declaration — if possible at all — would not come quickly.
That wasn’t enough for Nicholas Tucker, whose letter about families struggling to buy food and heating fuel has drawn national attention.
Tucker, a slight man with a salt-and-pepper crewcut, wasted little time in an urgent and sometimes combative tone.
“People can’t wait right now, they just cannot wait. As we talk, people are without food and heat,” said Tucker, 63.
“When you see a child with a 103-degree fever, you don’t wait to find out how he got sick. You take him to the hospital. Right now!” he said.
Anybody with young children will have no problem understanding Mr. Tucker's utter frustration at the lack of empathy from these bureaucrats.
These "State officials" were sitting in the village. They could SEE just how bad things were. Wouldn't you think that witnessing such a thing first hand would inspire them to cut through the red tape and get assistance to these people immediately!
Not in Sarah Palin's Alaska.
Jollie warned that declaring a disaster could take more than a year. State officials must follow federal guidelines and need time to gather data such as annual incomes and cost-of-living information from village officials.
“It’s not something the governor can just walk out on the front steps of her office and declare,” she said.
Are you fucking kidding me? If she can't "just walk out on the front steps of her office and declare" an emergency, then who the hell can? And why isn't that person our governor?
Emergencies don't wait for "data to be gathered"!
They don't hold off until people have time to address them!
Emergencies are called "emergencies" because they require immediate goddamn attention!
This is unconscionable! This is criminal! This is a fucking embarrassment!
Even Katrina had a faster response from the Bush administration then our citizens are receiving from their Governor. How is that for putting things into perspective?
In 1964 we had a devastating earthquake which was responsible for the deaths of 131 of our citizens and caused $300 million dollars of damage in 1964 dollars ($2.08 billion in current U.S. dollars).
Can you imagine if we had the misfortune of having Sarah Palin as our Governor back then? Would she have told my grandparents, my uncles, and my cousins to just wait for another year and help would be on the way?
No she would not have, because Alaskans back then had too much common sense to elect anybody as unbelievably inept as she is to run the state. It simply would not have happened.
So currently the only hope coming to the people of Emmonak for the remainder of this winter is coming from churches, charitable organizations, native corporations, and progressive radio hosts and bloggers.
Until Sarah Palin came along I had never known how ashamed I could be of my own state. But thanks to her I now know what that feels like.
I think it is time to start talking impeachment again. Don't you?
Sarah Palin is bitching to the media again, about....you guessed it....the media.
Okay I have resisted making this accusation in the past, but I am becoming convinced that Governor Sarah Palin may be insane.
No I am not talking about her suffering from narcissistic personality disorder, we ALL accept the veracity of that claim. I mean that she has an actual debilitating psychosis.
She is complaining about a problem of her own creation, and is seemingly unaware of it. She is like a person who purposefully strikes herself in the forehead and then complains about her constant headaches. It is just nucking futs.
Of course it may be that there is some method to her apparent madness.
"I think she's positioning herself. She's attacking the media as a way to generate support among a base she hopes will support her," said Leonard Steinhorn, a professor of communications at American University in Washington and an expert on the presidency.
"I think she's exploiting and cultivating the anti-intellectual and anti-elitist side of the Republican party," Steinhorn said. "She's trying to salvage her reputation, so she attacks the messenger."
Perhaps that is true, but personally I don't give her that much credit for intelligence.
I think she is simply addicted to being the center of media attention and cannot stand it when she is not being interviewed or talked about.
For instance in a recent example Sarah Palin was attending her daughter's basketball game at the Wasilla Sports Center. When a freelance reporter showed up and asked her if she was willing to give an interview she only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Essentially she was drawn to the camera like a moth to a flame.
I firmly believe that ANYBODY could get a Sarah Palin interview. The next time you see her just hold up your cell phone, press record, and ask her some questions. I bet you a dollar she will respond.
If you have any doubts about my conclusions then this should help convince you:
"It's all about the family," she said. "I'm wired in a way that I can take the criticism. I can take the shots. But any mother would want to protect their children from lies and scandalous reporting."
Let me remind you that it was Sarah who trotted her kids out on stage during the McCain campaign. It was Sarah who announced to the world that daughter Bristol was pregnant to end the speculation that she was not Trig's birth mother. It was Sarah who called People magazine out of the blue to complain that Bristol and Levi were not high school dropouts (which they are), and that interview resulted in Levi losing his job as an apprentice carpenter on the North Slope.
If Palin had REALLY wanted the press to stop accusing her of not being Trig's mom she would have produced a birth certificate and perhaps a picture of her holding her newborn while in a hospital bed. (Every proud mother has one of those.) But instead she focused the bloggers and media's attention on the pregnancy of daughter Bristol Palin.
Which of course brings up the next unresolved question about Palin and her family.
Supposedly Bristol gave birth to a little boy named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, but nobody I have talked to (and trust me I have talked to EVERYBODY!) has seen this child! And so far, as of today January 21st, there is not ONE photograph of this mystery baby.
So let me call bullshit on Sarah Palin's whining about unfair coverage of her family.
If she really wanted it to stop she could have made it stop any damn time she wanted.
What she really wants is requests for interviews, newspaper articles written about her, and blog posts like this one.
If Sarah Palin would like the opportunity to confront the one person who is most responsible for all of her negative coverage, then I suggest she walk into one of the bathroom of her Wasilla home and look in the mirror.
There Governor, that is the culprit!
No I am not talking about her suffering from narcissistic personality disorder, we ALL accept the veracity of that claim. I mean that she has an actual debilitating psychosis.
She is complaining about a problem of her own creation, and is seemingly unaware of it. She is like a person who purposefully strikes herself in the forehead and then complains about her constant headaches. It is just nucking futs.
Of course it may be that there is some method to her apparent madness.
"I think she's positioning herself. She's attacking the media as a way to generate support among a base she hopes will support her," said Leonard Steinhorn, a professor of communications at American University in Washington and an expert on the presidency.
"I think she's exploiting and cultivating the anti-intellectual and anti-elitist side of the Republican party," Steinhorn said. "She's trying to salvage her reputation, so she attacks the messenger."
Perhaps that is true, but personally I don't give her that much credit for intelligence.
I think she is simply addicted to being the center of media attention and cannot stand it when she is not being interviewed or talked about.
For instance in a recent example Sarah Palin was attending her daughter's basketball game at the Wasilla Sports Center. When a freelance reporter showed up and asked her if she was willing to give an interview she only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Essentially she was drawn to the camera like a moth to a flame.
I firmly believe that ANYBODY could get a Sarah Palin interview. The next time you see her just hold up your cell phone, press record, and ask her some questions. I bet you a dollar she will respond.
If you have any doubts about my conclusions then this should help convince you:
"It's all about the family," she said. "I'm wired in a way that I can take the criticism. I can take the shots. But any mother would want to protect their children from lies and scandalous reporting."
Let me remind you that it was Sarah who trotted her kids out on stage during the McCain campaign. It was Sarah who announced to the world that daughter Bristol was pregnant to end the speculation that she was not Trig's birth mother. It was Sarah who called People magazine out of the blue to complain that Bristol and Levi were not high school dropouts (which they are), and that interview resulted in Levi losing his job as an apprentice carpenter on the North Slope.
If Palin had REALLY wanted the press to stop accusing her of not being Trig's mom she would have produced a birth certificate and perhaps a picture of her holding her newborn while in a hospital bed. (Every proud mother has one of those.) But instead she focused the bloggers and media's attention on the pregnancy of daughter Bristol Palin.
Which of course brings up the next unresolved question about Palin and her family.
Supposedly Bristol gave birth to a little boy named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, but nobody I have talked to (and trust me I have talked to EVERYBODY!) has seen this child! And so far, as of today January 21st, there is not ONE photograph of this mystery baby.
So let me call bullshit on Sarah Palin's whining about unfair coverage of her family.
If she really wanted it to stop she could have made it stop any damn time she wanted.
What she really wants is requests for interviews, newspaper articles written about her, and blog posts like this one.
If Sarah Palin would like the opportunity to confront the one person who is most responsible for all of her negative coverage, then I suggest she walk into one of the bathroom of her Wasilla home and look in the mirror.
There Governor, that is the culprit!
The Daily Show has some fun with the Obama inaugeration. It sure feels good to laugh WITH your President rather than AT him.
Samantha Bee tries to raise the level of discourse to match the maturity of this new Presidency, but Jon is not quite able to go there yet.
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