In a press conference yesterday, Gov. Sarah Palin indicated that former Attorney General Talis Colberg's resignation was a sign of pre-gubernatorial ambitions on the part of some legislators.
This is typical of Palin to blame others for her problems. Worse, why is she even continuing to publically speak about Colberg's resignation when she has soooo much on her plate? A distraction, nothing more, but typical of Sarah Palin.
Gov. Sarah Palin is sensitive to any criticism and quick to respond. She has yet to understand that the Governor's reputation and station are above petty nonsense and that she should not drag the Office of the Governor down into the muck to express her ire at every little perceived slight. The Governor’s only focus should be the people of Alaska and Alaska.
There are those who believe that she has been ill served by her advisors. This reflects poorly on
the Governor, as she made a major production of only selecting the "best and brightest" to her cabinet and as her advisors. The buck stops at her desk, not anywhere else.
With Administrative Order 238, Sarah created the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet. Climate Change Strategies, the managing entity, is funded by anti-development, pro-abortion advocates. This Climate Change Sub-Cabinet espouses the position that global warming is firm science. Alaska is now an observer to the Western Climate Initiative. WCI’s goals will definitely cost Alaskans money.
In Palin's defense, it can be stated that she had a tough row to hoe in her first two years in office. The Alaska Natural Gas Incentive Act (AGIA) to get Alaska's North Slope natural gas to market has been a compelling priority. Concurrent with that effort, is the need to get North Slope natural gas to south central Alaska and Alaska's two largest cities. Fairbanks does not have natural gas, and Anchorage and the rest of the Cook Inlet will run out of natural gas by 2012-2014.
There is also criticism that the AGIA initiative was a wasted effort. The belief among those critics is that Gov. Palin should have worked with Exxon, Conoco, and BP to get a natural gas pipeline built. Unfortunately, it does not look like Trans Canada will get any further any faster than Exxon was telling the State it would take to start construction when Frank Murkowski was governor.
The Conoco-Phillips Denali Natural Gas Pipeline project has to be a source of distraction to our Governor, given that it is competition to AGIA.
In her first year in office, trying to be everything to all people, Palin did a George Bush and submitted the largest budget in the State's history, thereby growing government. Her lack of fiscal restraint is in direct contravention to her campaign stance of being fiscally conservative and her espousing a “smaller government is better” philosophy. Neither of which appears to be true.
The State is running a $1.65 billion deficit this year due to the drop in oil prices. The Palin Administration seemingly cannot cope with that fact and submit a budget reflecting that reality.
Those wishing her to run for national office should first reflect on her lack of budgetary discipline as governor.
There is criticism by local pundits and political critics that her administration is unfocused, and only responsive to opinion polls.
The controversy over Emmonak asking for aid from the State has not helped Gov. Sarah Palin come across as focused and prioritized.
Under Palin, Alaska does not have any clear economic direction, other than the pipeline. Resource development is still rape and run. Palin has not been able to focus on trying to change a resource extraction economy to a value added resource development economy, something she campaigned on.
Myself and many other Alaskans who supported Sarah Palin are still awaiting the Sarah Palin we elected to office: fiscal conservative, small government, Alaska First!, transparency and open government. As Sarah PAC demonstrates, Sarah Palin has other ambitions.
Being just Governor Sarah Palin is not enough.
Too bad.
We were worth her time and effort.
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