Fox saying it's Palin

[Netpackrat]

So lemme get this straight, Palin is bad because she raises taxes on Alaskans to pay for things, but Ted Stevens is good, because he uses pork to get money from the rest of us to pay for things?

I've said consistently that I would rather Alaska pay its own way, and take NOTHING from the US. We can't do that as long as you are hamstringing our economy, and denying us access to our resources, as you have been for the last 100 years. Keep your noses out of Alaska, let us do our thing, and we won't need a damn thing from you people. In the meantime, since we are not able to break the stranglehold that the federal government has on us, I want my elected representatives to squeeze every last cent from you that they can. It's an inferior substitute, but that's the situation we have been given. Sarah Palin is willing to give up what scraps we can get, without so much as a hint in return that we'll be able to pursue our own resources.

Furthermore, the "40 billion" natural gas pipeline that she mentioned in her speech today is going to be nothing but a huge boondoggle, and won't bring a single cubic foot of gas to the lower 48. If it is built at all, the gas it carries will go no further than Canada, where they need it to develop their tar sands. She campaigned for governor on the promise of an "All Alaskan" gasline, and ended up giving the thing to the Canadians anyway. Fortunately, the companies that actually own the gas (ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, etc) are not waiting around to let that happen, they are pursuing their own gas line project (Denali project) that is actually in the stage of permitting and field work. There will be only one gas line built, and the producers have a head start. My fear is that as VP, Sarah Palin will be in a position to kill the Denali line, and with all the inherent problems in her gasline plan, that we will end up with no gas pipeline at all.

[mekender]

NPR - thanks for the reality check and eye-opener.

yes, it is nice to hear from someone that isnt politically connected to the news stories and knows a bit about how things have really worked out...

please be advised that i do think that she is perhaps one of the better choices that he could have made... basically i think that the whole dam .gov is full of shit... but at least shes decient to look at...

and shes not going to go too far against gun rights...

[Netpackrat]

She does have her good points. Co-worker and I were listening to the radio, and the news guy reported how she had been rear-ended while driving her Suburban. We both looked at each other, and said, "I'd like to rear end her too."

Seriously though, as I said, this could be the beginning of the end of Hillary as a potential contender for POTUS. She's no crazier than any of the other candidates, and when it comes to using the military, she literally has some skin in the game, since her oldest son will be deploying to Iraq soon. She seems to be okay on the 2nd amendment, and maybe, just maybe she can convince McCain of the need to drill for oil in ANWR. And although she's turned out to be liberal fiscally, socially she's fairly conservative.

Having an Alaskan for VP could be seriously good for the next few years, since there is a good chance that we will lose both Ted Stevens and Don Young at the same time, and a little extra influence would be a good thing for Alaska (again, I'm Alaskan first, anything else second), since Lisa Murkowski will do everything she can, but she doesn't have the seniority to do a lot on her own. I'm just afraid that Palin will get so caught up in national politics that she'll forget to stick up for Alaska, and not just for funding, but in general.

Plus, if she wins she will be your problem too, and not just ours. I just hope that somebody has the good sense to tell Todd to keep his mouth shut this time, because nobody elected him to anything. Part of the deal on the trooper thing, was Todd was supposedly calling meetings with people and calling them on the phone, and trying to get the guy disciplined and/or fired.

[mekender]

It's the fracking Cylons!!!!

[Netpackrat]

Guess I misspoke, we are totally fracked!

[Baja boy]

from Anchorage Daily News

On July 17, the Public Safety Employees Association, with Wooten's permission, released the investigative file concerning the complaints brought against the trooper by the Palins, Palin's father and others.

The internal personnel investigation began in April 2005, long before Palin became governor and months before her October 2005 announcement that she was running. The investigation into Wooten wrapped up in March 2006.

Troopers found four instances in which Wooten violated policy, broke the law, or both:

- Wooten used a Taser on his stepson

- He shot a moose without a permit, which is illegal. At the time he was married to McCann, who has a permit but never intended to shoot it herself.

- He drank beer in his patrol car on one occasion.

- He told others that his father-in-law - Palin's father, Chuck Heath - would "eat a f'ing lead bullet" if he helped his daughter get an attorney for the divorce.

Wooten's 10-day suspension was reduced to five after his union filed a grievance.

[Netpackrat]

The internal personnel investigation began in April 2005, long before Palin became governor and months before her October 2005 announcement that she was running. The investigation into Wooten wrapped up in March 2006.

The controversy isn't over the investigation, it is because it looks as though Palin used her power to try and get him fired AFTER the investigation had run its course. I'm not saying that the internal investigation or the punishment was sufficient, only that the chief executive of the state intervening against an employee because of a personal dispute is grossly inappropriate.

Troopers found four instances in which Wooten violated policy, broke the law, or both:

- Wooten used a Taser on his stepson

Supposedly, the kid wanted to know what it felt like and was asking to be tasered, and the stepdad gave in. I'm not defending it, but it wasn't exactly as it has been represented in the media. It is my understanding that all taser armed cops go through a similar experience as a part of their training. Again, stupid thing to do to a kid even if he wants it, but far from what has been implied.

- He shot a moose without a permit, which is illegal. At the time he was married to McCann, who has a permit but never intended to shoot it herself.

This is the hunt in in which Sarah and Todd are supposed to have participated. In Alaska, it is typical for whole families to apply for moose permits, so that hopefully at least one member will be drawn. McCann was drawn, went on the hunt with her husband and the Palins, and when the moment came, for whatever reason she refused to shoot the moose, so her husband shot it. It is against the law, but it happens all the time in Alaska and usually nobody really cares, so long as a member of the hunting party had a permit, and the animal was otherwise legal. What is telling about this incident, is that the Palins also apparently had no problem with it, and even shared in the meat (remember, Sarah loves moose meat). It wasn't until after the sister split up with Wooten that they felt it necessary to file a complaint.

- He drank beer in his patrol car on one occasion.

- He told others that his father-in-law - Palin's father, Chuck Heath - would "eat a f'ing lead bullet" if he helped his daughter get an attorney for the divorce.

He should have been fired and thrown in jail if the last two were shown to be true, and I hope that he would have been. It is my understanding that other than the taser and the moose thing, they found the other claims, including these last two, to have been unsubstantiated. Maybe he did those things, maybe he didn't, it is their word against his, and we are innocent until proven guilty in this country. Again, I suspect strongly that Wooten is every bad thing that has been said about him, but that isn't the issue. The issue is the Governor of the state possibly having used her power to target a state employee over a personal dispute. Hopefully the investigation will get to the bottom of it. I hope for the country that the investigation exonerates her, even though I personally think that she did abuse her influence.

[HTRN]

I've said consistently that I would rather Alaska pay its own way, and take NOTHING from the US. We can't do that as long as you are hamstringing our economy, and denying us access to our resources, as you have been for the last 100 years. Keep your noses out of Alaska, let us do our thing, and we won't need a damn thing from you people. In the meantime, since we are not able to break the stranglehold that the federal government has on us, I want my elected representatives to squeeze every last cent from you that they can. It's an inferior substitute, but that's the situation we have been given. Sarah Palin is willing to give up what scraps we can get, without so much as a hint in return that we'll be able to pursue our own resources.

You keep saying that we're "hamstringing" you.. How? By making you play by the same rules as everybody else? As for the whole "the feds are stealing from us, so it's okay to steal from you" - well, my mommy taught me two wrongs don't make a right.. Like it or not, the feds stick their nose in EVERYBODYs business.


HTRN

[Aglifter]

AK's hamstrung the same way the Western states are -- DC has "claimed" to own vast chunks of their territory and resources, tremendously hindering both their development, and hurting their ecology. (BLM land is about as abused as it can be, w.o. being a toxic waste dump.)

[mekender]

AK's hamstrung the same way the Western states are -- DC has "claimed" to own vast chunks of their territory and resources, tremendously hindering both their development, and hurting their ecology. (BLM land is about as abused as it can be, w.o. being a toxic waste dump.)

but when the feds go hands off, things like San Francisco develop and you start having naked male gay sex in the streets... surely there is a balance somewhere in the middle?