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I'm gonna go with "running out of smarts" here, Deb. In the same way that Bush, Sr., thought we'd all swoon over Dan Quayle.<BR>
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I'll be amazed if she lasts through the month; every day seems to reveal something both dumb and dishonest. And it's sexist to not take her on . . . <BR><BR>Keely<BR>http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/<BR><BR><BR>> From: debismith@moscow.com<BR>> To: suehovey@moscow.com; vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:16:38 -0800<BR>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw: (Fwd) Fw: A voice from Alaska<BR>> <BR>> Wow! thanks, Sue. I am printing this and passing it on to the College <BR>> Democrats, the Pro-Choice groups, and the Coalition for Women Students.<BR>> <BR>> My question is: How did the Republican Machine not vet this person more <BR>> thouroughly? They usually cover (or cover up) every base. Are they suicidal? <BR>> Just running out of smarts? The democrats generally have difficulty getting <BR>> together on anything (not just herding cats, they have been herding canaries <BR>> until this political cycle), but the Republicans usually march in lockstep. <BR>> What happened? Sarah Palin is a liability, and Republicans usually don't <BR>> have those until say, maybe, 8 years later....Can only hope the electorate <BR>> "gets it", but with the dumbing down of the US populace, who the heck knows?<BR>> <BR>> The more things change....<BR>> <BR>> Debi R-S<BR>> ----- Original Message ----- <BR>> From: "Sue Hovey" <suehovey@moscow.com><BR>> To: <vision2020@moscow.com><BR>> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 8:32 AM<BR>> Subject: [Vision2020] Fw: (Fwd) Fw: A voice from Alaska<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> >> I received this last night. It does speak to her attempted banning of<BR>> >> library books, but does not mention the books in the email.<BR>> ><BR>> > Sue Hovey<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> >> Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2008 12:26:06 PM<BR>> >> Subject: A voice from Alaska<BR>> >><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> http://www.andrys.com/palin-kilkenny.html<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> ( Updates on general history are below Anne Kilkenny's letter. )<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> A note to all by Anne Kilkenny<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Dear friends,<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in<BR>> >>> the last 2 days that I decided to write something up . . .<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2 things in<BR>> >>> common: their gender and their good looks. :)<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email<BR>> >>> contacts with my name and email address attached, but please do not<BR>> >>> post it on any websites, as there are too many kooks out there . . .<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Thanks,<BR>> >>> Anne<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> [ Note by webadmin: This was already posted on Washington<BR>> >>> Independent comments area and was meant by the author to be read by<BR>> >>> many, but readers need sourcing. The NY Times has talked with Anne<BR>> >>> since. ]<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> ABOUT SARAH PALIN<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992.<BR>> >>> Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on<BR>> >>> a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her<BR>> >>> father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a<BR>> >>> first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more<BR>> >>> City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of<BR>> >>> the residents of the city.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular<BR>> >>> girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and<BR>> >>> won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because<BR>> >>> she is a 'babe'.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret.<BR>> >>> She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and<BR>> >>> parents for seven months.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She is 'pro-life'. She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome<BR>> >>> baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the<BR>> >>> gym.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just 'puts things out<BR>> >>> there' and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a<BR>> >>> champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly<BR>> >>> sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his<BR>> >>> work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month<BR>> >>> or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing<BR>> >>> their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been<BR>> >>> anything like that of native Alaskans.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She's smart.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about<BR>> >>> 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state<BR>> >>> with about 670,000 residents.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running<BR>> >>> this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been<BR>> >>> pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she<BR>> >>> had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which<BR>> >>> had given rise to a recall campaign.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a 'fiscal conservative'. During her 6<BR>> >>> years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by<BR>> >>> over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by<BR>> >>> the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation<BR>> >>> (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a<BR>> >>> regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she<BR>> >>> promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than<BR>> >>> they benefited residents.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration<BR>> >>> weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed<BR>> >>> money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left<BR>> >>> it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin<BR>> >>> encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure<BR>> >>> that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the<BR>> >>> city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for<BR>> >>> construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through<BR>> >>> to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear<BR>> >>> title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight<BR>> >>> of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice<BR>> >>> addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the<BR>> >>> profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds<BR>> >>> for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs<BR>> >>> without any borrowing.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office<BR>> >>> redecorated more than once.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget<BR>> >>> surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology<BR>> >>> that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as<BR>> >>> Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every<BR>> >>> individual in the state.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she<BR>> >>> recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while<BR>> >>> she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's<BR>> >>> surplus, borrow for needs.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside<BR>> >>> ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren't<BR>> >>> generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their<BR>> >>> merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly<BR>> >>> respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider<BR>> >>> removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City<BR>> >>> residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against<BR>> >>> Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and<BR>> >>> withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to<BR>> >>> oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Sarah complained about the 'old boy's club' when she first ran for<BR>> >>> Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of 'old boys'. Palin<BR>> >>> fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and<BR>> >>> as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure<BR>> >>> people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and<BR>> >>> eternally grateful and fiercely loyal--loyal to the point of abusing<BR>> >>> their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged<BR>> >>> happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he<BR>> >>> 'intimidated' her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent<BR>> >>> firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He<BR>> >>> served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him,<BR>> >>> but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to<BR>> >>> fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a<BR>> >>> State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had<BR>> >>> to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff<BR>> >>> and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to<BR>> >>> fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired<BR>> >>> with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment;<BR>> >>> when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her<BR>> >>> in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around<BR>> >>> town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City<BR>> >>> Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected<BR>> >>> Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people<BR>> >>> who didn't like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying<BR>> >>> anything publicly about her.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah<BR>> >>> got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation<BR>> >>> Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best<BR>> >>> paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of<BR>> >>> scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining<BR>> >>> in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that<BR>> >>> job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware<BR>> >>> that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of<BR>> >>> the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a<BR>> >>> gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political<BR>> >>> suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of<BR>> >>> the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron<BR>> >>> saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the 'old boys' club'<BR>> >>> when she dramatically quit, exposing this man's ethics violations<BR>> >>> (for which he was fined).<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from<BR>> >>> Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel<BR>> >>> politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the 'bridge<BR>> >>> to nowhere' after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget<BR>> >>> guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing<BR>> >>> projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative<BR>> >>> action restored most of these projects--which had been vetoed simply<BR>> >>> because she was not aware of their importance--but with the<BR>> >>> unobservant she had gained a reputation as 'anti-pork'.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party<BR>> >>> leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated<BR>> >>> them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a<BR>> >>> fiscal conservative.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.<BR>> >>> They call her 'Sarah Barracuda' because of her unbridled ambition<BR>> >>> and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly<BR>> >>> stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be<BR>> >>> made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's<BR>> >>> mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and<BR>> >>> experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of<BR>> >>> package of legislation known as 'AGIA' that forced the oil companies<BR>> >>> to march to the beat of her drum.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National<BR>> >>> Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked<BR>> >>> to global warming. She campaigned 'as a private citizen' against a<BR>> >>> state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams<BR>> >>> from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in<BR>> >>> the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the<BR>> >>> State's lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list<BR>> >>> polar bears as threatened species.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be<BR>> >>> a heartbeat away from being President.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more<BR>> >>> knowledgeable and experienced than she.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are<BR>> >>> regretting it.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> CLAIM VS FACT<BR>> >>> *'Hockey mom': true for a few years<BR>> >>> *'PTA mom': true years ago when her first-born was in elementary<BR>> >>> school, not since *'NRA supporter': absolutely true *social<BR>> >>> conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that<BR>> >>> would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships<BR>> >>> (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).<BR>> >>> *pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to<BR>> >>> promote it. *'Pro-life': mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's<BR>> >>> syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on<BR>> >>> some pro-life legislation *'Experienced': Some high schools have<BR>> >>> more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more<BR>> >>> residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other<BR>> >>> than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial<BR>> >>> experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about<BR>> >>> 5,000. *political maverick: not at all *gutsy: absolutely! *open &<BR>> >>> transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining<BR>> >>> actions. *has a developed philosophy of public policy: no *'a<BR>> >>> Greenie': no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and<BR>> >>> disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.<BR>> >>> *fiscal conservative: not by my definition! *pro-infrastructure: No.<BR>> >>> Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage<BR>> >>> treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early<BR>> >>> 20th century standards. *pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for<BR>> >>> businesses, increased tax burden on residents *pro-small government:<BR>> >>> No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's<BR>> >>> history. *pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works<BR>> >>> union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any<BR>> >>> claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> WHY AM I WRITING THIS?<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed<BR>> >>> voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting<BR>> >>> programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny +<BR>> >>> Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local<BR>> >>> government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that 'Bad things happen<BR>> >>> when good people stay silent'. Few people know as much as I do<BR>> >>> because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out<BR>> >>> of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am<BR>> >>> no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this<BR>> >>> will cost me somehow in the future: that's life.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the<BR>> >>> 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against<BR>> >>> Sarah's attempt at censorship.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid<BR>> >>> to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> CAVEATS<BR>> >>> I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in<BR>> >>> spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for<BR>> >>> Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of<BR>> >>> the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for:<BR>> >>> did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it<BR>> >>> is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City<BR>> >>> Hall--they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for<BR>> >>> the population of Wasilla, ranging from my 'about 5,000', up to<BR>> >>> 9,000. The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told<BR>> >>> me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000<BR>> >>> census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was<BR>> >>> Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the<BR>> >>> mid-90's.<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> Anne Kilkenny<BR>> >>> August 31, 2008<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> =======<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> UPDATES (relevant articles):<BR>> >>> Palin's Start in Alaska: Not Politics as Usual - NY Times, 9/3/08.<BR>> >>> Documents detail Palin's political life - Politico, 9/2/08. The<BR>> >>> Unusual Challenges Palin Faced in Alaska - NY Times, 9/4/08<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> REFERENCE:<BR>> >>> On the Issues - with quotes<BR>> >>> Books and videos<BR>> >>><BR>> >>> ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:<BR>> >>> Palin's Hometown Friends Enjoy the Show - NY Times 9/4/08 - a fun<BR>> >>> read. A funny send-up of convention speeches - NY Times 9/4/08, Gail<BR>> >>> Collins<BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>> To Home page<BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >>><BR>> >><BR>> >> ________________________________<BR>> >> Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with<BR>> >> Windows Live. See Now<BR>> >> ------- End of forwarded message -------<BR>> >><BR>> ><BR>> > =======================================================<BR>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<BR>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<BR>> > http://www.fsr.net<BR>> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> > =======================================================<BR>> > <BR>> <BR>> =======================================================<BR>> List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>> http://www.fsr.net <BR>> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> =======================================================<BR><BR><br /><hr />See how Windows connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your life. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093175mrt/direct/01/' target='_new'>See Now</a></body>
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