Anne Kilkenny's letter about Sarah Palin
This points to a copy of a letter about Palin that details her political history, as viewed by a city council attendee since 1992, who has negative feelings about Palin's tenure but balances the letter with some positive info also.There are almost no cites in the letter.
<---- Logo at left is used with consent of Warrior Librarian, but that site and its staff have NO association with Palin, Kilkenny, or me.
See two quite opposing points of views from Wasilla: Debbie and Jerry Frost and Butch King.
I've added, and will continue to update that page with, articles that give much more information about Palin's actual political history.
Rebuttals or corrections, with cites, for any of this are welcome. The articles that have been written since the letter appeared do have more information about some of the items, including info that shows a couple of them in a somewhat better light. And updates are linked at the bottom of the page.
It was the paragraph about the librarian that made my hair stand on end .
I've since read that it seems to have been similar to what happens in the White House when a new administration takes over, though this procedure wasn't usually used in that small town of course -- a new administration (Republican in this case) asks for resignations from admin staff of the former (Democrat Mayor Stein's) and then interviews the people who'd like to stay on. One article mentioned (I didn't make note of the URL) that the librarian had chosen to sign a loyalty oath to the former mayor, which had made things somewhat problematical, though I can't imagine why, once a new mayor was in.
What I've found so far is that Palin asked the librarian, in the interview, if she'd be willing to remove certain books (without naming any) if requested, and the librarian said "No." More detail at the main page.
Update - 9/6/08. Per former Mayor Stein, Palin mentioned some voters were concerned about 'inappropriate language.' But no one's mentioned a request to remove certain or specific books -- and as it turns out, Palin never did ask for removal or banning in her tenure there or since. I still worry about the impulse though..
UPDATES were added to the Palin-Kilkenny letter page. There was actually a lot of misinformation being distributed during the election. I've added fact-checking sites to the reference area and logged germane stories from that time and added an "Aftermath" section. There was so much interest at one point -- after I discovered the comments-area letter that pointed out her controversial history in Alaska -- that there were 53,000 separate requests for the page in one day, with an average of 40,000/day for awhile. I had linked to the letter's contents at a Daily KOS forum and one other, though I can't remember which. But I've always liked looking at which parts of any story are true and which may not be.
Permanent Link: 3:02 PM
48 Comments:
Thanks for the link. You seldom see slime being made in front of your eyes.
Kilkenny argues that Palin left the city of Wasilla in debt. For anyone familiar with finance, that statement in and of itself means nothing. Every city who builds infrastructure is in debt. The question is whether their revenues exceed expenditures,if their expenditures include debt service, and how the debt is structured. I just read the FY2002 financial report and yes, Wasilla was in debt but had a budget surplus. The debt was related to road improvements and a sports complex. The document only describes the interest rate of the debt, not its structure. You may not agree with that it was the right infrastructure projects but it was something. And Kilkenny's small town mentality would prefer the status quo to making a commitment resulting in net public good. I'll tell you this, I am thankful bureaucrats in the previous generation in my town made investments that they paid off over time and now me and my family can enjoy.
Jon, I agree.
That's one reason why I included articles that expand on the situation, as Kilkenny's letter is just a start.
The NY Times article dated 9/4 about Palin's Wasilla time offers good detail on all this. And your points are good.
Gerard, I don't see how this can be considered "slime." I would reserve that for stuff that's just made up: McCain fathered an illegitimate child, Obama's a Muslim who supports infanticide. This isn't like that at all.
Ms. Kilkenny is a real person; she is a real resident of Wasilla; she does know Palin; she really did write this letter; and the situation with the librarian really did happen. (See the Times and Snopes.)
You can certainly argue with her views and opinions, but slime it's not.
This is a REAL letter from a REAL Alaskan. Virginia is from a former Principal of one of the Downey schools. My cousin Moe worked for her often as a substitute...Tom
When John McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP I didn't know anything about her. I decided I would ask Jed Reagle who has lived in Alaska for about 40 years his opinion of Sarah Palin. For those of you who do not know Jed Reagle; he is Peggy and Harold Reagle's son. We have known Peggy, Harold and Jed since 1950 when we both moved to Downey, California and became active members of the Parent's Club of Gallatin School in Downey. Jed went to Alaska to teach for two years and never moved back to the lower 48. I valued Jed's opinion not knowing how he would answer my inquiry. I believe we have a WINNER.
Virginia
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 12:36 PM
To: Jed Reagle
Subject: Rep. VP pick
What do you think of John McCain's pick for VP? I don't know very much about her. She seems to be a maverick as McCain. You are closer to the action in Alaska so hope you'd have an opinion.
Your opinion is appreciated. Virginia
Virginia,
Sarah Palin has done more in the past two years than her predecessors, mostly male and mostly Republican, have accomplished in the previous 20 years. They have spent their time in office cow-towing to the major oil producers who financed their campaigns. Sarah Palin's husband is a blue collar oil field worker and she does not flinch at the thought of doing what is right for the people of Alaska rather than staying friendly with companies who have earned in excess of $40B profit for the past two years.
· Introduced ethics reform for all public office holders and the legislature passed her bill. This ethics reform applies to them.
· Sold the jet that Murkowski bought for the "troopers" of which he used when they didn't "need it." She flies on Alaska Airlines whenever she can - coach. She usually travels with at least two of her kids so they take up half of a row. No Security Detail !!! Murkowski traveled only on the State owned jet, with three Suburbans full of security and his entourage.
· She raised taxes on the three major oil producers in Alaska - never done before - and the legislature passed her tax increase bill.
· She has revoked the natural gas leases that the major oil producers have held for the past 30 years and never developed (it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that as long as oil flows, they will hold onto their leases and only when the oil is gone will they begin to pump natural gas so as to avoid being in competition with themselves over energy). That revocation is tied up in court of course but my point is that they no longer hold the leases to develop at their leisure.
· She instituted a process to gather bids to build a natural gas pipeline, the legislature approved it, and a contract was awarded to Trans Canada earlier this month. It was all done out in the open, no closed door meetings or negotiations. So now the major oil producers are moving as fast as they can to try and build a natural gas pipeline before Trans Canada does. When asked it she would lose face if the oil companies build a gas line first? Her response was, "I thought the idea was to get a natural gas pipeline. I could care less who gets the credit, as long as the line is built and we can develop our resource"
As far as I am concerned if the political hoopleheads make a mockery of her maybe she will end up back in Juneau. We need her more in Alaska than America needs her in Washington DC.
She isn't perfect but she is hands above anyone else running for public office. Oh and so you know, 85% of my fellow Alaskans feel the same way about her. And 65% of registered voters in Alaska are registered as independents, not Republicans or Democrats.
Jed
After reading Anne Killkenny's report on Sarah Palin, I favor her even more. I am pro-choice and rather expected that an intelligent woman like her would allow women to make their own decision just as she had to have her children, including her last one with Down's syndrome.
I too feel like her that hate mongering and pornographic material has no place in a library.We need to think of the influence such material has on young minds.
Some of the other things Anne said of her are pure malevolent interpretations because unlike Sarah, Anne is partisan to the extreme and it is also obvious, very jealous.
I think she has all the qualifications to become president right now because she is honest and uncorruptible.
Why is it that an old movie, Fahrenheit 450, comes to mind as I read about the librarian? Very interesting!
Myra
Andrys, as an employee of the State of Alaska, I would like to shed a little more light on Anne Kilkenny's comment regarding Sarah's stance on pro-labor/pro-union. I am a member of the Alaska State Employees Association, the largest of the unions for State of Alaska employees. In the early months of 2007 the State of Alaska and ASEA were bargaining for a new contract. Between 1990 and 2006, ASEA (as well as other unions) had gone through an extended period of either no raises or small raises resulting in a decline in purchasing power of approximately 36% during that same period. At the beginning of 2007, gasoline prices had started to rise significantly and oil prices were at or above the State’s projection for that fiscal year (July 2006 – June 2007). Our union fought desperately for a decent raise that would help our members catch up with the cost of living and we finally settled on a 10% raise over the next three years or about 3.3% per year. Prior to the start of our contract negotiations the State’s commissioners and directors received a 30+% and 25+% increase respectively in their pay. Many of our union members are trying to support families with wages less than $30,000 per year. I hope that this will help define Ms. Palin’s stance on labor unions.
Can you tell us the books that Palin wanted off the Library shelves?
As a 50+ yr resident of Alaska, I am curious why Mrs Kilkenny would know this letter would probably come back to bite her, as she was only sending it to friends and relatives?
Wasilla had been growing in a very un-organized fashion before Palin was even born, and without her presence it continues to grow the same way today.
There is many of us Alaskans who feel Mrs Kilkenny is most likely a 'back biter' herself.
Apologies, the comments are moderated and I just got back. Chris didn't put quotemarks around the statements re Obama's being a "muslim" and re McCain's 'fathering' -- both, he was saying, were:
"made up" and therefore untrue
- so I'll clarify that here.
Also, this comments area was made mainly for rebuttals or corrections of statements in Anne Kilkenny's piece (as the comments area gets too unwieldy and off-topic otherwise).
For that reason I'm not including comments that are purely political opinion (even when I agree with them) as to which person should be elected and which not.
Thanks for for your comments that help us understand points made in the letter, whether correcting them or expanding on them.
And apologies for needing to tighten up the comment area.
An "Anonymous" person points us to a new slide-show made by SlateV that shows Wasilla buildings, mainly, while the narrator, Alex S., unsubtly belittles the town. The slideshow is campaign-like in tone. See slate.com for the video. Maybe they'll do one that shows the State of Alaska someday.
- Andrys (a slate.com Kindle subscriber)
Good heavens, did someone think I was saying that those things about McCain and Obama were true? I thought I made it pretty clear that they weren't by prefacing them with "stuff that's just made up:".
But I should indeed have put them in quotes, so I apologize for any confusion.
Every election reminds me of voting for class president in High School. Incumbent class officers just happened to be the school’s most beautiful, the coolest, or the most popular people, but never the smartest or the most capable. Each year, everyone would complain about the incumbent class officers, swearing that they’d never vote for them again. Nonetheless, the incumbents were always voted back-in because the other candidates were NOT the most beautiful, the coolest, or the most popular, even if the opposition were much more qualified for the job.
Face it! The issue in this presidential election is not experience versus inexperience. McCain and Hillary have more political and governance experience than either Palin or Obama combined times 10. Yet with all her experience, Hillary didn’t win her party’s nomination. Democrats aren’t looking for experience. If experience is that important, it doesn’t make any sense to elect Obama (inexperienced) as president just to prevent Palin (inexperienced) from becoming president in the event McCain (experienced) dies in office.
It's difficult to know what to believe from the media and each candidate’s campaign spin. However, Americans must be naïve to think that any Democrat or Republican candidate will change anything about Washington, or any government system, once in office. Democrat and Republican parties support only those candidates that will move the Party’s agenda forward. If something or someone opposes the Party's agenda (or the Party’s financial supporters), it won’t get done, period! Americans must be naïve to think that any one President alone can really change anything once in office – without the support of Congress. And what a Congress we have now -- America is in a serious energy crisis, and Congress goes on a long vacation!!!
Nothing will ever really change with only a 2 party system. Admit it. Each candidate has his/her weaknesses and strengths, and voters end-up settling most of the time. Even if a candidate has the best intentions, s/he can only do so much on his/her own. S/he can't even get elected without the support of either the Democratic or Republican party. America needs more than a 2 party system for things to really change.
Follow the money: http://www.opensecrets.org
Here's some more relevant info:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html
Just wanted to thank people for taking the time to add to our Palin database, pro and con, re her history. Unusual addl'l information and analyses that should be read.
Chris, no problem. I just wanted to explain why some comments from misunderstanding your post didn't show up.
Harvey, that's lousy. Just want you to know you folks aren't alone in that. We (at UC Berkeley) didn't have raises for about years and then got one for about 3%. And that's with unions also.
Dora - citing you, I used that excellent passage about experience-inexperience at talkleft.com
The issue is bigger than this. There is some anti-Palin stuff in this, but it is nowhere near enough to make me vote for Obama. Sarah Palin will not make everyone happy and this is just one unsatisfied voice. All of hr references are newspapers, and we all no how unbiased they can be. According to the todays Patriot Post, her brother-in-law, the State Trooper she tried to fire, tazered his own 10 year old son. If that is true (I trust the Patriot more than any newspaper), then I feel she was well within her rights to can this guy.
This will not sway me. This is the issue for the upcoming election:
1) Vote for Obama. He is the party of more taxes, bigger government and less personal freedom. I dare say, his party is the party of socialism and it is Un-American. Their is nothing I like about him. He has no experience, despite is legal education he doesn't know how many states are in the union, doesn't understand history, and is just plain stupid. His proposals are dangerous. Instead of thinking outside the box, he picked a Washington insider to be his VP.
2) Vote for McCain. While he may be a Maverick and I don't agree with him on all issues, he does what he thinks is right for America. He has a good grasp on foreign affairs, he is proven under fire (both in Hanoi and the US Senate) and he believes is smaller government and less intrusion into our personal lives. I think McCain's VP pick was a bold move.
Given those choices the right answer, indeed the only answer, is choice #2. The unhappy ramblings of one lady in Alaska will not change my mind.
Hi Ms. Anne Kilkenny, My name is Mike and I was a USW organizer that worked on the pipeline organizing campaign in winter 06. I do not know if you know it or not but Mr. Palin's BP Oil group were some of my best supporters outside of the Valdez terminal group.
As for your letter, you as it seems,as most Alaskans'I met are proud and independant enough to speak their minds. I do not know how to thank you other than to say thank you for your heart felt and factual statement on Mrs. Palin. In my evaluation she is just a Bush,Cheney,McCail in a much easier on the eye body. But, she is still a pro Corporate "America First", pro tax cuts for the very wealthy, pro Corporate welfare, absolute power corrupts absolutly dictator. Palin fits the typical republican mold,but not all republicans(15%), thank God.
Your letter just validates my concerns and some gut feel about her.
Please keep up the good work and please write a book sometime and I will buy it and promote it.
You are blessed to live in Alaska and I truly miss it often. Good luck in your future,and know their are many in the lower 48 that feel as you do. Hope to see you someday before I leave this earth. In Solidarity Mike
Just a reminder. To keep this readable for those looking for rebuttals/corrections (with cites) to Kilkenny's letter, please don't include arguments on which way we should vote. That's on every other news-focused blog around. But there was a reaction to the info that a young boy was tazered by the trooper and most people don't know that (confirmed). See the articles on that in the updates section of the article (pro and con).
Mike, I'm not Anne, but maybe she will read it if she browses the Net...
To 'anonymous' - No books were named that anyone can remember, according to all articles I've read. Palin was asking if the librarian (Emmons) would be willing to remove any if that were wanted. The response was No.
Emmons was a very popular librarian for that town and she remained on, after the residents spoke up for her, staying until 2 months before the start of Palin's 2nd term.
A new librarian took over after that, for the next few years.
Former Mayor Stein reports that Palin was interested in how to ban books when some voters complained to her about "inappropriate language."
I was immediately upset by the whole idea of a librarian's job being in jeopardy due to unwillingness to support a mayor in possible book banning -- but no one has been able to find any indication that books were ever removed or banned, I've read.
Please disregard the last comment.
Anne Kilkenny will be on BlogTalkRadio this afternoon at 4, not 9 as originally stated.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/InMyPajamasShow/2008/09/09/Anne-Kilkenny-Author-of-Letter-to-Palin
Newsweek has an excellent article disputing the points of the letter. What really upset me was the smear that Palin cut the special ed funding, when she actually tripled it.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986
"According to Eddy Jeans at the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, funding for special needs and intensive needs students has increased every year since Palin entered office, from a total of $203 million in 2006 to a projected $276 million in 2009."
"Actually, Palin initially requested Emmons' resignation in October 1996, four days before the public discussion of censorship. That was at the same time she requested that all four of Wasilla's department heads resign. Palin described the requests as a loyalty test and allowed all four department heads to retain their positions."
Anne Kilkenny has stated that
....the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000.
Does anone have the statistic on how many of that population are REGISTERED voters. I suspect much fewer than 5000, but I haven't the facts.
I have found that in the 2007 election, Wasilla had about 4,500 registered voters, with an approximately 21+% turnout. The winners scored between 435 and 500+ votes.
Anonymous, not that many vote there! But Palin received twice the number of the usual winning votes you found for 2007. She was re-elected with 909 votes, for what that's worth.
Anon, you need to read the Newsweek/FactCheck post mosre carefully. It's not about the Kilkenny letter at all. In fact, the post says, "We'll be looking into other charges in an e-mail by a woman named Anne Kilkenny for a future story."
There's nothing in the Kilkenny letter about special ed, nor did she saying anything about Palin belonging to the Alaska Independence Party, supporting Pat Buchanan, or pushing for creationism in schools.
Anne Kilkenny refused to take any calls on her BTR segment, as the host pretended not to be able to take any.
Ann Kilkenny is a registered Democrat.
Sonnabend, do you know for sure she refused and there wasn't a technical problem? She's fairly open about being a Democrat. How was the rest of the program?
For the record and for balance, here are two other letters (both very positive) from Wasilla residents, which Snopes carries: a note by Debbie and Jerry Frost, whose identities I've confirmed, and one by Butch King, a proprieter of Wildman Lake Lodge there.
Andrys, I'm sure that there are plenty of people in Alaska who are supporters of Governor Palin, but, in my opinion, she needs to answer for a number of distortions in the things she's saying. It's pretty apparent that she didn't say "Thanks, but no thanks" on the bridge, no matter how many times she says she did; she didn't sell the jet on eBay; she didn't really fire the chef; and she was a big fan of earmarks when they benefitted Wasilla and Alaska.
I'm also bothered that she seems to be getting a pass on the book ban because she never actually asked for any books to be removed from the library. The fact is, she did ask about banning books. That she never asked for specific books to be removed is irrelevant because it would seem that she was considering doing so. Otherwise, why ask?
Chris, since I web-published the Kilkenny letter, there is NO reason I would not draw attention to other letters from Alaska. Would you have me stay with only one letter?
My thing is to explore. And not only in one direction. That's why I don't print purely campaign notes in this section for either side.
I know yours are real questions of your own.
As to your points:
She said 'Yes' to the bridge, while running for it and 'No' after becoming Governor and seeing there was only a bleak ending to it and kept the money for other projects.
I agree with you that she should not act as if she was always against it and should not imply she said No to the money. I am hardly for people changing their minds though. As you know, both sides are very good at this. (Or I hope you do. Obama seems to have forgotten his own changes as recent as June.)
"When the Senate had its chance to stop the Bridge to Nowhere and transfer the money to Katrina rebuilding, Messrs. Obama and Biden voted for the $223 million earmark..."
That's among one of several bridge and earmark articles I have on the site, so most things are being addressed as news comes out, if anyone continues to be interested in the entire situation.
I'm just not presenting a page that is for the election of one person or another, even though I have been getting talking-points -- similar point by point notes -- from different names, and so they don't show up here.
The (what I consider) faux-outrage over the plane reeks of desperation though, and I'm surprised to see it from you. I watched the speech, and in it she said she "put it on eBay" -- Politifact.com gives this a 100% 'True' rating. I list this fact and I also mention and link to Politifacts' rating. So you're not mentioning anything new here, for this page.
It was McCain who at a campaign stop said it was 'sold' at eBay and that was his mistake.
She and Obama were both huge fans and users of earmarks and he stopped his last year when Jim DeMint and McCain co-authored the earmark moratorium and he then co-sponsored it along with others. While the earmarks were available to the states, she got them for her state. It's what I would have done as an executive for the state.
Factcheck.org / Newsweek and other publications that are interested in the actual details (vs the many inaccurate emails and web site charges) have, yes, pointed out she did not ban any books, not even when another librarian had the job for the 2nd term and she would have had no trouble doing it if she wanted, with a new hire.
There is usually a distinction made between actually doing something, rather than asking about how it would be done because certain voters asked about certain books.
It's important to others whether or not she actually acted to remove or ban books, and the facts are that no one can find any indication she ever did.
But she DID have 'loyalty tests' for her employees -- that may be because she was a hard-driving manager who apparently got a lot done and also partially because as a Republican mayor, she replaced a 3-term Democrat. Or because she has a nasty streak. That's what we're trying to find out.
Despite all this, she was re-elected, getting twice the number of votes of other winning candidates in that city.
Now, WE might not want her philosophies for VP, but that's another matter.
Kilkenny's letter seems to reek of jealousy of Ms. Palin. Palin has an impressive 80% approval rating in Alaska. I would bet that Kilkenny's rating in Wasilla alone is nowhere near that. This is classic "backbiting". If Kilkenny feels so strongly about her opinion of Palin, why doesn't she refund her share of the gas tax and property tax reduction to the state of Alaska? I suspect she is the type of person who bites the hand who feeds her. I am a Hillary supporter, but cannot support Obama. McCain will get my vote, because of Palin. Not because she is female, but because she is a real person who unlike Obama, with Marxist views, believes in a much
smaller government.
anonymous,
While some of it is snarky and there was no reason I could see for the remarks about the husband's job and play, there's enough that would worry some and no reason not to express it. And she used her real name, something that I value when making charges, etc.
I was puzzled most by her saying Palin had "hated me since...1996" but said in a recent interview that Palin had always been nice to her and to everyone in town and that Pilan was liked by all because she's "a real nice person." (!)
As for "Marxist," Obama and Hillary have extremely similar voting records and stances except that http://progressivepunch.com gives higher "progressive" ratings to Hillary and a higher ranking also. However, I guess you mean, the oft-mentioned Chicago associations, which are definitely not a subject for this page anyway. They may have been utilitarian, pragmatic.
I would like to comment on what Jon Ruiz said: "I'll tell you this, I am thankful bureaucrats in the previous generation in my town made investments that they paid off over time and now me and my family can enjoy."
At one time our city was out of debt as was Wasilla when Palin became Mayor. At one of our city council meetings, when the fact was mentioned that we had no debt, it was pointed out that a city that had no debt was a city that was not progressing.
Andrys, I wasn't trying to imply that you shouldn't post the links. My main point was that neither of them address the issues I brought up (and how could they--this is something that Gov. Palin has to do). Anyway, sorry if I gave that impression.
On this issues:
Bridge: she never really did say "no thanks" to Congress. By the time she canceled the project, it was a moot point because Congress had already pulled the plug and the money had been spent on other things.
I have no problem with the fact that she changed her mind. This whole "flip-flop" concept that pervades politics is just plain silliness. Anyone who doesn't change his or her opinion in the face of new facts is just plain pig-headed (with or without lipstick), and not someone I would want as a leader.
My problem isn't that she changed her mind, it's that she is acting as if Congress was begging her to take the money and build the bridge, and that it was her courageous decision to forgo it. That is very far from what actually happened.
Earmarks: again, I have no issues with the earmarks themselves. What bugs me is her positioning herself as a committed anti-earmarkist, when she clearly was not.
Plane: I don't agree that this is a desperation issue, and I know that it was McCain, not Palin, who said that it was sold on eBay. But Palin certainly implied that it was sold there, don't you think? "That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay." Didn't you assume, when she said that, that it was sold on eBay? I certainly did.
I really don't care where the plane was sold--that's trivia. It's the disingenousness of the statement that bothers me. There are, I think, three implications in those two masterful sentences, none of which are accurate.
Implication 1: I sold it on eBay. (It's what everyone assumed. If that wasn't the intent, why not just say "I sold it"?)
Implication 2: In my folksy hockey-mom kind of way, I said, "Hey! Let's sell the dang thing on eBay!" (In fact, it's apparently routine for Alaska to sell assets there.)
Implication 3: I alone was willing to stand up for the citizens of Alaska and sell the jet. (In fact, the jet was very unpopular, and her gubernatorial opponent had also expressed the intent to sell it.)
(Incidentally, by all accounts it was hardly a "luxury" jet. But I'll let that one go, since from my point of view any jet is a luxury jet.)
I know, it's politics and you get to do stuff like this, but I don't have to like it or to respect her for doing it.
I wanted to comment on the claim that Palin is so popular that 85% approve of her. I don't know what circles other people walk around in, but in mine she is definitely not popular and we are people who live in Anchorage.
Doesn't anyone want to question her stance on pro-life? How many people can afford a down syndrome baby? Either in time or money.
As for her so-called stand against the oil companies, Alaskans still have not seen anything actually come out to work for the public. The state legislature was already trying to force the oil companies to up the ante in paying taxes, so it is disingenuous to say that Palin was a driving force for that.
She sold Murkowski's jet to a friend for a $600,000 loss and her judgment on infrastructure choices are definitely questionable, which shouldn't be. It's a no-brainer: sports center or sewage treatment plant? She chose the sports center, I guess waste sewage is not very glamorous and won't really get much attention.
In my circle, and let me remind you we are not fond of Palin, she is referred to as a bully and popularity panderer. I come from a small village in Alaska, and growing up out there you get to know personalities real well. In school she would be the one who is kind of pretty by the standards of a small village, but is mean spirited, self-absorbed, and usually leads the mob of other kids to beat on you if you won't kow-tow to her demands. AKA a bully.
This is a small state in population and one doesn't have to know a person personally to know the type of person they are from the actions described.
She has made herself a null governor as nothing she has done in that position can be called truly evil or really good for the community. She is better than her predessesors because she does for the public good, but only when it suits her and how she will look in public. And the cronyism has stopped, but only for those Juneau insiders, now we have new cronyism and you had better be from Wasilla and/or one of those bible thumping churches she attends.
Anyway, I am tired of talking about her, I am sure I have more negative things to say about Sarah Palin, but honestly I don't feel she is worth my time.
Opinion from another Alaskan: Don't vote for Sarah Palin.
pass this information forward before it's too late!
Christopher, what you have to say tracks pretty well with a lengthy article in the Times this morning, particularly the part about "new cronyism." One comment there was that the Wasilla high school yearbok "now doubles as a veritable directory of state government."
The more I learn about Gov. Palin, the less I want her to be that close to the Presidency.
chrisd, no, I take her at her own word, that she put the jet on ebay.
To want her to add that it didn't sell there (where prior jet sales did take place) but they had a private buyer after failing to gain interest at the higher price would be quite stupid in an acceptance speech.
It was a CULTURAL piece of humor, to say she put it on eBay. You're a reasonable guy and have bigger fish to fry on this.
Also, there are real problems, with Palin, for many, re a certain narrowness of mindset, and this plane thing is just preposterous to me -- furthermore, it is a distraction that detracts from people's stronger argument-sets.
I don't know how many people expect to sell any transportation vehicle, used, for as much as they paid for it.
RE Kilkenny's CLAIM VS FACT,
http://www.andrys.com/palin-kilkenny.html
(1) ”a Greenie”: no
and pro-infrastructure: No
I think the second is flat wrong and the first discounts a different kind of environmental commitment.
As Mayor, Palin improved stormwater management to protect freshwater -- got federal $ for sewer repairs -- built bike paths -- all infrastructure related to the environment
She also got federal $ for a transporation hub - infrastructure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
(2) pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
Flat wrong. Again, from Wikipedia.
Palin inherited a 2% sales tax. She
cut property taxes (that's "residents") by 75% and eliminated personal property (that's "residents") and business inventory taxes
Under "experienced" -- failed to note that Palin cut her salary (not by much, but it was a cut).
RE expansion of city government -- the town grew extensively during her six years as mayor. Logically, some parts of gov't would also grow.
kathy, thanks for your input on specific points in the Kilkenny letter.
Have enjoyed your post-partisan site.
As for this election, all I can say is that if we're lucky, all these moments will be lost in time ... like tears in rain
:-)
in more ways than a few.
Andrys, you're right, we do have bigger fish to fry than the jet-on-eBay scandal. :)
Besides, Tina Fey is doing a better job of skewering Palin than I can.
But it still bugs me.
Just FYI, I linked to your article from 13 Myths about Sarah Palin
Seems to me there's alot of holes in your story Anne Kilkenny, like reasons for all the firings. You think you know this woman, but it' s obvious you just hate her. What is the real reason?
7/9/09 Thanks for keeping the site going I am sure there will be a lot more to write about.
I think Sarah should be left alone now until she gets back into the Public arena. I think we have found out a lot about her and SHE has found out a lot about politics.It will be interesting to see if she heads back into the fray.
Over time,Sarah seems to be a nice person although I do not like her politics.
I miss Alaska,I feel better that Anne and Andrys along with people like them are watching to help keep some balance. MC
Hi again, Mike -
I'd not kept it up post-election as that important phase for her was over. I'm currently over-involved in connection with my Amazon Kindle blog.
Now that there is so much interest in whatever she could be thinking of, quitting in the bizarre way that she did (does she do anything in an unbizarre way?), I might add interesting articles from time to time that have unusual insights into what the reasons might be and world reactions.
Your summary (re what Palin and we have learned from her encounter with the world outside Alaska) is a good one.
Her viewpoints are usually the opposite of mine but there's no doubt in my mind that she and her family have also been unfairly treated. The ethics investigations going on have to do with old material discussed here and include expenses that were hundreds of thousands less than the previous governor's and so they were not given much attention before she ran on McCain's ticket.
Since they also involved family concerns (bringing the children with her and submitting their expenses), it all takes on an unusual coloring, especially when comparing it to the constant and egregious misuse of public funds by most 'public servants' today.
I know you will keep her straight as you can and the politics of Alaska out there for us,I for one appreciate you. MC
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