Governor Sarah Palin: "I said no."

In her response to an ADN editorial criticizing her for turning down $28.6 million dollars in stimulus funds, Governor Sarah Palin explains why she said no to bureaucratic mandates from Washington. Another example of why we love her.

Stand blocked federal control of Alaskans

Talking back to the daily news

By GOV. SARAH PALIN

Published: May 29th, 2009 11:30 PM
Last Modified: May 30th, 2009 02:30 AM

In response to your May 27 editorial, let me explain why I vetoed $28.6 million of federal stimulus funds tied to adoption of universal energy building codes.

The feds required me to certify these codes "will be implemented" or pushed on local communities. My record is clear. I support conserving energy through weatherization and I'm an advocate for harnessing renewable sources of energy. But conditions here required more "big brother" government involvement than most Alaskans want and the new codes could cost Alaskans thousands of dollars per new home and renovation.

Alaskans have a strong history of independence and opposition to Washington, D.C., meddling in local issues. Our constitution ensures "maximum local self-government." Our communities have had the option to adopt building codes for decades. Most have not done so.

I've served as a city councilman and city mayor/manager. I've participated firsthand in the mandated building code debate. Anyone serving in local office knows strong deference to local communities leads to the best policies. That policy holds true with building codes.

My community went through a battle over building codes when our booming city desired more growth opportunities to allow job creation. The last thing we needed was a bureaucrat from Washington, D.C., telling us what the best policy was to adopt.

Strings were definitely attached to federal energy dollars. The stimulus law in section 410(a) (2), along with the Department of Energy's (DOE) official guidance, required certifying one of two options before Alaska could receive the energy conservation funds.

One option said the state "will implement" the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code for new homes and renovations; adopt a "building energy code [that meets or exceeds Standard 90.1-2007] for commercial buildings throughout the State"; and adopt and pay for a plan of "active" enforcement.

I could not certify this. The Legislature did not pass a bill adopting a statewide energy building code. In addition, the federal residential building code does not allow exemptions, such as we use in Alaska. When Alaska Housing Finance Corporation funds are used, building and energy codes can be waived due to the "high cost of implementation" in different areas of Alaska. One size does not fit all in Alaska.

The second option for Alaska was to certify that all "applicable units of local government that have authority to adopt building codes, will implement" the necessary energy codes and enforce them.

I could not certify this either. Alaska communities have the right to determine for themselves whether to adopt building codes.

I asked the feds to clarify their position. The Department of Energy finally admitted section 410 and their previous statements were "inappropriate" for some states but still wanted an agreement to push model codes on all Alaskan communities. I said no.

Beware of Washington, D.C., trying to cajole local community leaders to eliminate the choices Alaskans have when building or renovating homes and businesses. These new codes are so detailed they would dictate the kinds of lights that can be installed in a home in Akutan, and how thick window panes must be in Chignik.

We have hundreds of millions of dollars already budgeted for conservation, weatherization and renewable energy development. My administration will remain vigilant for Alaskans and oppose mandates or pressure to conform from Washington, D.C., bureaucrats.

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Sarah Palin is governor of Alaska.

http://www.adn.com/opinion/compass/story/813086.html

Palin to Obama: Stand Up to North Korea

Governor Sarah Palin called on Obama to protect our country from North Korea's nuclear threat. Obama has proven to be weak on defense, to the potential jeopardy of our country. With its greater proximity to North Korea than the Lower 48, Alaska is not only the most at risk of all the states but the most strategically placed for missle interception. Below is the Governor's press release.

Governor Urges President to Stand FirmAgainst North Korea Rogue Nation’s Capability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-136 Governor Urges President to Stand Firm Against North Korea Rogue nation’s capability to attack Alaska and Hawaii cannot be ignored

May 29, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin called on President Barack Obama to take a firm stand against North Korea and defend the states and territories of the United States of America and American allies on the Korean peninsula.

This morning, North Korea launched its sixth short-range missile since Monday’s nuclear test. North Korea has also stated that it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. Further, President Obama has proposed a $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency’s budget.

“The United Nations sanctions have failed to stop North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, and the Obama Administration cannot afford to be playing catch-up to an irrational dictator like Kim Jong-Il,” said Governor Palin. “Missile Defense Agency funding must be fully restored in the federal budget to guarantee our protective measures remain the best in the world. Fort Greely plays a crucial role in the nation’s security.”

Alaska is home to the largest ground-based mid-course defense missile shield in North America. Because of its geographical position and proximity to potential targets, Alaska plays a critical role in national security and in the defense of American allies.

Ground missile defense is the cornerstone of the Missile Defense Agency’s multi-layered architecture. It is designed to detect, track, discriminate, intercept and destroy long- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the mid-course phase of flight. The weapons system consists of land-, sea- and space-based sensors, command and control operations, and silo-based interceptors that are located at Vandenberg AFB, California and Fort Greely.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1871#tcot

Caffeinated Thoughts Honored Governor Palin as the Caffeinated Conservative of 2008

This is sixth in a series of earlier articles of Governor Sarah Palin as she emerged on the national scene. Shane Vander Hart of Caffeinated Thoughts writes an interesting article about Governor Palin and the honor that his group bestowed upon her and her response to it. There are abundant links to additional material in the original article (link below) and in the copy of the article that we have archived on the Sarah Palin Information blog.

Caffeinated Conservative of 2008: Sarah Palin

CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
Dec 29th, 2008

by Shane Vander Hart.

Human Events gave out a conservative of the year award. I thought - hey why shouldn’t CT have an award as well?! So I bring you the first ever Caffeinated Conservative award. This year I concur with Human Events that the conservative most worthy of receiving this most “prestigious” award would be Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

I choose Governor Palin for a number of reasons:

I have never thought I’d see Bush Derangement Syndrome eclipsed so quickly and with so much vitriol, as what I saw after Senator McCain selected the Governor to be his running mate. She’s got to be doing something right.

I mentioned in my endorsement of Governor Palin as a VP candidate that she is a solid conservative - socially, fiscally and with defense. I especially appreciate her putting her pro-life beliefs into practice with her fifth child, Trig, who was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome. Also seen with the news of her oldest daughter, Bristol, being pregnant - contrast that with President-Elect Obama.

Continuing to be a reformer - she is turning down a pay raise. She is the 24th lowest paid Governor, and has said that it is inappropriate for her to take a pay raise in the midst of her current term.

She absolutely rocked at the RNC. Wow! video

I believe that if it were not for Governor Palin, Senator John McCain would not have even been remotely in the race. She helped the ticket.

Her noteworthy debate against Vice President-Elect Biden.

She’s still a rock star. She is still one of Google’s top internet searches. Also her presence at rallies for Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss allowed his campaign “to peak.” He had thousands attend his rally which would have been unlikely otherwise.

She is also a great role model for girls who can see that you can be a real feminist, and pro-life. My kids and I enjoyed seeing her come speak in Des Moines.

For some not so serious reasons:

SNL was actually funny for a change. I love her line to Alec Baldwin, “Stephen is actually my favorite Baldwin.”

She taught us the difference between hockey moms and pit bulls.

Her defense against “some bloggers sitting in their parent’s basement wearing their pajamas blogging some kind of gossip.“ For the record, though I am a blogger - I own my own home so I blog in my own basement and only part of the time wearing pajamas ;).

Do you know of any other conservative who is the focus of a calendar. For anyone who wants to send me a late Christmas present or early birthday present. (HT: David Brody)

Then very fitting for being a Caffeinated Conservative - a coffee lover.

Update 1/28/09: Talking with Eric (one of the contributors here) we thought it would be fun to send her a letter to inform her of her selection for this “honor” since it was pretty unlikely she’d hear about it any other way. I included a certificate and a Starbucks gift card as a token of our appreciation (It is the Caffeinated Conservative award after all). I was pleasantly surprised by a thank you card from the Governor today when I got the mail.

“Thank you so much for the Starbucks gift card and for selecting me as your “Caffeinated Conservative of 2008″ award recipient. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. God bless.”

No, thank you Governor for your commitment to conservative principles and for being an incredible role model for young women, as well as, those who have special needs children. I wish I could do more, but I already blew my annual budget on the card, LOL. We appreciate you and wish you the best! Like I said in the letter - you can count on my prayer support.

http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/?p=1884

Thirteenth Ethics Violation Against Governor Sarah Palin Dismissed

Thirteen of the ethics complaints filed against Governor Palin have now been dismissed. The anklebiters in her home state have repeatedly filed these complaints in an effort to discredit her. It is obvious that they are trying to prevent her from running against Obama in 2012. They know that Sarah Palin has strong potential as a contender against Obama in the 2012 elections. Meg Stapleton discusses these tactics in the audio of her telephone conversation with Eddie Burke here.

Here is the Governor's press release:

Another McLeod Ethics Complaint Fails: Officially Found to Lack Merit Printer Friendly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-134 Another McLeod Ethics Complaint Fails

May 27, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin today welcomed the news that yet another ethics complaint against her has been officially found to lack merit and has been dismissed.

Michael Geraghty, investigator for the State Personnel Board, concluded that there is no need for a hearing on the complaint filed in March by Andree McLeod, who has been a vocal critic of the governor since being denied employment with the state last year.

This is the 13th ethics complaint against the governor or her staff that has been resolved with no finding of a violation of the executive ethics act. A few more are pending.

“While the complaint process under the ethics act can be a useful tool for holding state officials accountable, it’s obvious that political opponents of the governor have been abusing the system, attempting to turn their resentments into legal issues,” said Bill McAllister, the governor’s communications director. “We’re grateful that the personnel board and its investigators have taken a rational approach to these matters, finding that the vast majority of the complaints did not even warrant the collection of evidence because they failed to assert any violation of the law.”

McLeod’s complaint, amended several times since it was first filed, made eight separate allegations against the governor. McLeod said that there were two matters showing an improper connection between the governor’s office and her political action committee; that two comments made by McAllister about the governor’s travel plans were political in nature; that the governor’s trip to Evansville, Indiana, for a right to life event used state resources, and that she improperly accepted gifts there, including chocolate, baked goods and a hockey stick from a youth hockey group; that the governor’s daughter, Bristol, used state resources in her efforts on behalf of the Candies Foundation; and that the governor’s press release concerning her selection as a vice presidential candidate was improper. Geraghty found all of the allegations to be baseless and not worthy of an investigation.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1869

John Zeigler's Crusade to Expose Media Bias

"Astonished and outraged" by the media bias in the 2008 election, John Zeigler produced the documentary "Media Malpractice" to expose the travesty. He continues his quest to make the public aware of how much the absence of objectivity in reporting by the liberal media swung the election in Obama's favor and targeted Sarah Palin.


Media bias film analyzes coverage of 2008 presidential election

By Anthony Schinella

GateHouse News Service
Posted May 26, 2009 @ 06:13 PM

In “Media Malpractice: How Obama got elected and Palin was targeted,” John Ziegler weaves together clips and information from various news outlets to make his point: That the mainstream press delivered more favorable coverage for one candidate, Barack Obama, while targeting another candidate, Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin.

Ziegler believes this influence “permeated the public consciousness” and delivered the election to the Obama-Biden ticket.

“Like a lot of people, I was astonished and outraged with the media coverage of the presidential race, from the start of the primary season,” he said Tuesday.

Ziegler was so sure that Barack Obama would win the presidency, he purchased the Web site domain www.howobamagotelected.com in June 2008 and started to think about producing a documentary.

“I was positive it was going to happen, even before Sarah Palin became a part of the equation,” he said, calling the media “biased on steroids, dangerous and unprecedented … Somebody had to correct the historical record.”

Ziegler spent about $200,000 of his own money to produce the documentary. The two major components of the film were collecting the news clips from the major networks and interviewing Palin in Alaska.

Even though $200,000 is not a lot of money by today’s Hollywood production standards, he said it was for an independent documentary film project. While he hasn’t raised money privately to finance the film like others, he hopes to make the money back from DVD sales and showings.

“Everywhere we have screened it, people have been incredible impressed and very moved … it invokes laughter and promotes thought,” he said.

Whether the film will convince liberals or moderates that the mainstream press is biased is another story. But Ziegler says there have been some interesting conversations so far.

"[Some liberals] have confessed that what they heard about Sarah Palin was not accurate,” he said. “When I meet people at screenings, they don’t have a big sign on their head saying they are liberals, but there are some people who say they are [and they] didn’t know it was nearly as bad as it is."

This is the second documentary for Ziegler, who also produced “Blocking the Path to 9-11,” a film that analyzed the political firestorm over the airing of a made-for-TV docudrama mini-series about the lead up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Ziegler said he will soon be returning to broadcasting.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/entertainment/x2085731605/Media-bias-film-analyzes-coverage-of-2008-presidential-election

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm1KOBMg1Y8&feature=player_embedded

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAGCMGpP-QM

Alaska Fund Trust - Navy Vet Gets a Thank You

Navy veteran and Alaska citizen Mark Bowers (follow Mark on Twitter) received a pleasant surprise after he donated to the Alaska Fund Trust to preserve the integrity of the Governor's Office of the State of Alaska. His donation helps to cover the legal expenses of defending against the frivolous complaints filed against Governor Sarah Palin. She surprised him with a personally written thank you note from the governor herself. See photo here.


Below is more information about the Alaska Fund Trust. Click the image to make a donation.

The Alaska Fund Trust is the official legal fund created to defend the integrity of the Alaska Governor's Office from an onslaught of political attacks launched against current Governor Sarah Palin, the First Family, and state-employed colleagues. These baseless accusations have cost Alaska more than $1 million in public monies to defend, and Governor Palin has incurred more than half a million dollars in personal debt defending her official actions as Governor.

The Alaska Fund Trust was formed by Alaskans and will be funded by Alaskans and their fellow Americans. Our donors are everyday citizens that believe caustic political games cannot be allowed to stop the progress of the people's elected representatives. Since her Vice-Presidential nomination, the Governor has become a target for local partisans, national professional political operatives, and defenders of the status quo. They have attempted to discredit Governor Palin and limit her effectiveness in reforming government, based on her solid conservative principles.

Governor Palin, her family, and her staff had to endure a major investigation in which the Governor was cleared of any wrongdoing. However, the exoneration did not occur until hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal debt piled up for the family. In addition, countless unfounded ethics charges have been filed. Unfortunately, it is illegal in Alaska to discuss the filing of an ethics complaint, much less its merit. More troublesome is that there is no punishment for filing frivolous complaints. Therefore opponents continue to drum up ideas, file complaints, and leak them to the media. As the complaints disappear due to lack of evidence, there is no media follow-up on a blatant, costly abuse of the process.

For Alaskans, the time has come to end the siege on our government by political tricksters. Enough is enough. With the help of reform-minded advocates from across our nation, we will stand up for what is right. Your maximum contribution of $150.00 will allow the Governor, her family, and her colleagues to retire their legal debt at no cost to Alaskans and reduce the incentive for mischief by her opponents. Together, we can help Governor Palin and future elected officials turn back the tide of overtly partisan and unnecessarily personal political attacks.

Halfway through her first term as Alaska's Governor, Sarah Palin has done so much for her state and her nation. She has been a champion for much needed transparency and accountability in government. She has sought to protect the fundamental freedoms ensured by our Constitution. And she has never forgotten the importance of lowering energy costs for Alaskans and striving for energy security for America. Still, there is much left to be done, so let's help Governor Palin continue the job she was elected to do without all these petty distractions.

You can help by donating to the Alaska Fund Trust today!

Governor Sarah Palin's Busy Memorial Day

A nice article about Governor Sarah Palin's Memorial Day activities. Since the last election, media bias has been so widespread, even in Alaska, that it is a rarity to see a piece such as this.



Palin in Fairbanks for Memorial Day ceremonies, bill signings

By Rena Delbridge

newsminer.com
Published Monday, May 25, 2009

FAIRBANKS -- Gov. Sarah Palin marked Memorial Day with a trio of bill signing events in Interior Alaska, issuing a call to Alaskans to remember those who’ve died in combat as well as those still serving in the U.S. military.

Among them is her son Track, who is halfway through a deployment in Irag with the Stryker Brigade’s 1-25th, based at Fort Wainwright.

She heard from Track about a week ago, a brief call to check in as he headed off on a mission where the soldier would be out of touch.

“It really hits me when I’m up here in Fairbanks,” Palin said, noting she met a few of her son’s “bosses” at a Memorial Day event in downtown Fairbanks. They gave her a good report on Track, she said.

“Nothing could make me prouder to hear my son is a good soldier,” Palin said.
Track signed on with the Army on Sept. 11, 2007, at age 18. He deployed to Iraq in September 2008.

At a morning event commemorating Memorial Day in Fairbanks, Palin signed legislation dedicating state funds to development of a veterans' cemetery in the Interior. Scores of veterans attended, hearing remarks from the governor, representatives of Alaska's congressional delegation and veteran spokesmen.

At noon in nearby North Pole, she received a U.S. and an Alaskan flag that flew above forts in Iraq, sent by soldier Adam Schumaker. The governor signed off on six more bills at city hall, including Sen. Joe Paskvan's measure to create an electronic medical health records database. The endeavor is funded in part by the federal stimulus package.

Back in Fairbanks, Palin appeared at Compeau's, a business that sells all-terrain vehicles, boats and snowmachines, to sign off on a bill creating a lemon law for ATV and marine craft purchases. She and husband Todd Palin hopped in a red river boat for a quick blast up the Chena River, with Craig Compeau turning over the wheel to the governor as a flotilla of primary-colored kayaks glided past.

http://newsminer.com/news/2009/may/25/palin-fairbanks-memorial-day-ceremonies-bill-signi/