Gov. Palin's Rural Subcabinet

Working for the rural citizens

December 18, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin has signed an Administrative Order (AO) formally establishing a Rural Subcabinet. The Rural Subcabinet will focus its initial efforts on rural migration patterns and the cost of energy in rural Alaska.

The Rural Subcabinet will study the state of the economy, education, law enforcement and infrastructure in outlying regions, and then will make proposals aimed at creating well-paying jobs, stronger schools, safer communities and better public works facilities.

On the issue of migration, Governor Palin noted: “Some level of migration occurs naturally as certain individuals decide to leave rural Alaska for job and educational opportunities that may not exist in their small communities. I want the Rural Subcabinet to look for ways to make certain migration is a result of personal decisions, not despair or a lack of choice resulting from economic pressures or other factors.”

Commerce Commissioner Emil Notti noted that while recent school enrollment statistics did not show dramatic shifts overall, the Rural Subcabinet should continue to review the issue of relocation patterns. “Several rural school districts did see a significant decline in enrollment, and 16 Alaska boroughs or census areas lost population between 2000 and 2007, while only five showed moderate increases.”

The Rural Subcabinet is chaired by Attorney General Talis Colberg. Additional members are Commerce Commissioner Emil Notti, Health and Social Services Commissioner Bill Hogan, Labor Commissioner Click Bishop, Military and Veterans Affairs Commissioner Gen. Craig Campbell, Environmental Conservation Commissioner Larry Hartig, Education Commissioner Larry LeDoux, Public Safety Commissioner Joe Masters, and John Katz, director of the Office of the Governor in Washington, D.C.

Additionally, advisory working groups will be formed, and Alaska Natives and others will have the opportunity to participate and provide input.

While Congress Gets a Raise, Palin Says "Thanks, but no thanks"

Keep your money, Alaska. I like my Carhartt jacket.

I was just listening to the Laura Ingraham Show on my laptop, when I heard Laura briefly mention that Congress takes a raise, but Sarah Palin does not. Sarah Palin lives what she says, and she governs the state of Alaska in the same fashion. Conservatives for Palin has been on this since it first broke.

The Hill reports:

A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay. Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.

“As lawmakers make a big show of forcing auto executives to accept just $1 a year in salary, they are quietly raiding the vault for their own personal gain,” said Daniel O’Connell, chairman of The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a non-partisan group. “This money would be much better spent helping the millions of seniors who are living below the poverty line and struggling to keep their heat on this winter.”

However, at 2.8 percent, the automatic raise that lawmakers receive is only half as large as the 2009 cost of living adjustment of Social Security recipients.

Still, Steve Ellis, vice president of the budget watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense, said Congress should have taken the rare step of freezing its pay, as lawmakers did in 2000.

“Look at the way the economy is and how most people aren’t counting on a holiday bonus or a pay raise — they’re just happy to have gainful employment,” said Ellis. “But you have the lawmakers who are set up and ready to get their next installment of a pay raise and go happily along their way.”

Member raises are often characterized as examples of wasteful spending, especially when many constituents and businesses in members’ districts are in financial despair.

The rest of the story....

This certainly is not surprising. So much for the "clean house" regiment that Nancy "Bug-eyed" Pelosi was talking about when Dems took over in 2006. What a joke. So much for helping the little guy. And these are the same people who attacked those CEOs from the Big 3 automakers for flying to Washington a few weeks back. Pettiness will get people nowhere. Stupidity doesn't do much either.

Meanwhile, up there in the Last Frontier, Gov. Sarah Palin heartily rejects a much-supported pay raise of $25,000 a year. Being fiscally conservative all the while making wise monetary decisions for the state of Alaska across the board, it's no wonder Alaskans love Sarah Palin, as indicated in this new poll. Those cronies in DC can certainly learn a lesson from her. Props to the Cuda.

Monegan For Mayor

Thanks, Sarah, for getting my name out there

From ADN:

From Don Hunter in Anchorage:

Walt Monegan just answered a phone call and confirmed he plans to file a letter of intent Friday with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

A longtime Anchorage cop who rose to become chief of police, Monegan said people have been talking to him about running for office since before he left the city.

His much-publicized ouster as the state's public safety commissioner in a dispute with Gov. Sarah Palin last summer "certainly gave me the opportunity," Monegan said.

Monegan said he didn't want to talk in any detail about his campaign plans or issues he wants to pursue until his state paperwork has been filed.

He will be entering a race that already has eight candidates, including former state Rep. Eric Croft, former West Anchorage Assemblyman Dan Sullivan, East Anchorage Assemblywoman Sheila Selkregg and former police spokesman Paul Honeman.

Why not run for Mayor of Anchorage, Walt Monegan? You are the "failed" Public Safety Commissioner under Gov. Palin, after all. Why not throw your hat into the cutthroat world of politics? Could this be a possible ploy to drum up the sympathy vote out of your feeling "pressured" by Gov. Palin to fire that low-life of a trooper in "Tasergate?" Maybe you'll be lucky enough to receive an endorsement from the CEO of Alaska herself. Don't count on it though.

Racist Obama Jokes Haunt Alaska Gov't Employees

Please, don't forward me your stupid e-mails

This would happen in Alaska of all places. Just great for the mainstream media to jump all over this nothing of a story and somehow turn it around to slam Gov. Palin again. You'll see, folks, it's coming. Just wait. Tomorrow, every mainstream media news outlet (including the hyenas on the View) will be abuzz about how awful those people in Alaska are, and somehow Sarah Palin should have known about this and condemn the actions immediately. "What's taking her so long to come to the defense of Barack Obama?" "Is she racist?" "The world is ending as we know it."

Yada, yada, yada, people.

Anyway, this is a snippet of the story via AP Obama:

Alaska officials are investigating racist jokes about President-elect Barack Obama that have been circulating on state government e-mail accounts.

One of the five e-mails obtained by The Associated Press asks about the outcome of the Democrat's victory after all the time and money invested and concludes: "Another black family living in government housing!"

State officials were unaware of the e-mails until asked about them by the AP.

Three of the racist messages were confirmed by the state's information technology division after an electronic search of the government's e-mail system, Administration Commissioner Annette Kreitzer said Wednesday.

"It's embarrassing to the state," she said.

Kreitzer said she alerted the office of Gov. Sarah Palin — the failed Republican vice presidential candidate — about the e-mails.

Bill McAllister, Palin's spokesman, said in an e-mail that the matter concerned individual actions taken by a handful of state employees among thousands.

"My understanding is that the Department of Administration is following up on this with the individuals who took action to forward the offensive e-mails," he said. "This is, of course, a confidential personnel and disciplinary matter that has nothing to do with the governor's office."

The Rev. Alonzo Patterson, state chairman of the Alaska Black Leadership Conference, encouraged Palin to address the e-mails.

"They're doing that in a state setting," he said. "She should condemn it."

Lipstick Leading the Way

Recession? No way.

Sarah Palin's budget for 2009 (FY '10) for the state of Alaska comes complete with a 7% cut in overall spending, with the operating budget for state agencies increasing by 2%. With oil prices dropping dramatically over the past few months, Gov. Palin realizes that taking the fiscally conservative approach will aid in keeping the state of Alaska with a surplus for years to come. This, unlike other states like California (Ahnold's problem) or Michigan (that's right, I'm looking at you Ms. Granholm) which have been suffering in a deep recession for quite some time, is in stark contrast to the U.S. economy as a whole currently.

From ABC News:
That just leaves one part of the country -- Alaska -- with a still-expanding economy. (The District of Columbia, with its government and government-related jobs, also still has an expanding economy.)...

Economy.com explains that what started in housing has now become a more broad-based slowdown.

"Financial market turmoil is weighing on businesses' ability to finance daily operations, and weak domestic demand and near recession-like conditions globally have brought the industry to its knees," economist Andrew Gledhill wrote on the firm's Web site. "Michigan has been in recession the longest, although its malaise was chiefly its own at that point. The national recession began last December or January in California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida and others. States across the industrial Midwest were the next to drop, and it spread from there." ...

Several state governments already face major budget shortfalls.

"The state governments are an exercise in irresponsibility. Through the property boom, they enjoyed the increase in people's assessments," Morici said. "They are just not structured to handle the cynical movements in their revenue the way they should be.

"Just like companies, municipalities can behave irresponsibly in good times, not shore up any money for bad times and then go crying to the federal government when they need cash," he added.

So, praises to you, Gov. Palin, for running the only state in the union that's in great shape economically. Hopefully others will learn from you and copy your conservative approach to using OPM (other people's money as Sarah would say).

Video: via TATSUOstudios

"When You Figure Out Love Is All That Matters After All...

... it sure makes everything else seem so small." -Carrie Underwood, 'So Small'

This montage tribute to Gov. Palin this time is like the previous one from a few days ago, just tweaked a bit to better fit the new song. Best of all, I got it on Youtube! Yay! Here ya go and enjoi, as always:

God, Politics, and Wasilla Bible Church

Arson?

We all are certainly glad to see that no one was hurt in the fire at Sarah Palin's old church, Wasilla Bible Church, over the weekend.

What is so sad is the fact that Gov. Palin possibly blames herself for what happened to the 3-year old church:

"(Palin) told an assistant pastor that she apologizes if the incident is in any way connected to the undeserved negative attention the church has received since she became a vice presidential candidate on Aug. 29. Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good."

Honestly, if some creepy people took it upon themselves to do this to this place of worship, knowing they could potentially kill people inside, all on account of it being Sarah Palin's church, they need some serious help, prayer, and should have justice promptly served. We hope the local police and firemen in the Mat-Su Valley can determine the cause (the fire was started on the outside) and find the perpetrators quickly.

What can possess people to want to destroy a place of worship where people gather to worship the Lord? Was this only because it was Gov. Palin's church and these loonies wanted to make some sort of political statement? Or was it completely seperate from Gov. Palin altogether? Whatever the case may be, some strange things have been going on up there in Alaska whether it be the powder-filled envelopes that wound up at Gov. Palin's Juneau office or now this...

Then there's the whole inevitable, "What if it had been Barack Obama's church?" question. "What if this had been a mosque, a Jewish temple, or some other place of worship that wasn't necessarily a 'Christian' place of worship?" Let's just say the mainstream media's coverage and overall outrage would be a lot more plentiful than it has been thus far over a Christian church where Sarah Palin just happened to attend, and everyone knows it. Sad but so true.

The media's caricature of Sarah Palin as some "Christian nut" is so misleading. Did anyone once ever hear Sarah Palin talk about her views on Creationism vs. Evolution on the campaign trail? Anyone? No? Are you sure she wasn't shoving her beliefs down everyone else's throats? Matt Damon obviously thought so. And these folks who did this to her church, if indeed it was because of it being her church, thought so too. Of course, this is the message that always seeps into culture, especially the culture of young people who only care to know what SNL tells them in the form of Tina Fey.

Let us pray that the Wasilla Bible Church can rebuild (you can donate to them here), and, like the Governor said, that this act of evil can be used for good and somehow give glory to the name of Jesus. Amen.

Video clip via Hot Air:

Sarah Palin: Are You Dizzy Yet?

Okay, so I tried a couple times to upload this to my YouTube, but it kept saying that the original property owners were blocking it. That's strange since every other video I've ever made hasn't had that problem. Oh well. Again, full credit and rights for videos going to C-SPAN, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, A&E, and the RNC. Song: "Dizzy" by Jimmy Eat World

Without further ado, I give you "Sarah Palin: Are You Dizzy Yet?":