Rural Affairs on Anyone’s Mind?
During this year’s AFN (Alaska Federation of Natives) convention, Sarah Palin was occupied with the business of campaigning with John McCain. So, she prepared a videotaped address for attendees.
There were many matters of urgent concern for Alaska’s Native population this year, but two of the most discussed were energy and its associated costs, and the migration of Alaska Natives from their rural homes to urban centers. At the time, I reported about the videotaped message:
There was a strained reference to Native legend, trying to tie something in to a story about the Raven. Then a folksy story about two frogs stranded in a pail of milk. One gave up and died, the other kept kicking until the milk turned in to butter and then hopped out. She learned this story from embattled Attorney General Talis Colberg, who is under pressure to resign becuase of his conduct in the Troopergate fiasco, when he told state employees they didn’t need to comply with legislative subpoenas. I’m guessing this little fable is meant to let us know that no, he will not be stepping down any time soon…he’s just gonna be kickin’ away until unethical behavior turns in to butter. As a matter of fact, Sarah told us, Talis Colberg himself will be heading up a sub-cabinet on rural affairs.
That was October 23. So, what do you suppose has happened in the past two and a half months regarding this Rural Subcabinet that’s supposed to be discussing these vital and complicated issues? Let’s review the minutes of their meetings, and their plan of action, shall we? A recent article in Indian Country Today, addresses these issues:
The Rural Subcabinet formed by Governor Sarah Palin in response to what many consider a crisis in rural Alaska has reportedly met, but specific information about their activities has been difficult to find. The subcabinet is meeting under the authority of Alaska’s Attorney General Talis Colberg. Colberg said it is “expected that there will probably be an advisory group or groups of non-cabinet members.” Colberg stated that so far the subcabinet has been in preliminary meetings to look at programs that are already in place and discussing how to gather information, what topics should be focused on, how the group will be structured and what support they could rely on. The group has no fixed meeting time and the date of their next meeting is unknown.
So, does anyone feel better? Do we believe that the Rural Subcabinet headed up by AG Talis Colberg has been working their little fingers to the bone, and puzzling out solutions to these rural crises? Will we sleep better knowing that the rigorous meeting schedule is sure to engender some well thought out plans of attack? I won’t.
AFN, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (newly elected to the U.S. Senate) and Anchorage’s Superintendent of Schools Carol Comeau, had all requested in September that an emergency task force be formed to take immediate measures to address the radical population shift as villagers left home communities for the cities.
By late October, the AFN and the mayor’s office had already voiced strong disappointment at the governor’s response to their concerns about the need for culturally vibrant and healthy rural communities. The mayor and AFN both felt that a subcabinet was a less than adequate response to the immediate crisis.
And one of the questions that begs an answer is, “Why did Sarah Palin choose the Attorney General, Talis Colberg to head up this Rural Subcabinet in the first place?” I have yet to hear a cogent explanation for this, and the AG himself could not give a response when asked. Inside information and/or speculation are welcome in the comments section, because frankly, I’m stymied on this one.
And although Palin made the unofficial announcement at AFN, after the frogs churning butter story, the official announcement came a full two months later, on December 22.
If thoughts become your actions, as Gandhi once said, we should all note the lack of action on the part of the Governor and her administration to date, and deduce how much these matters are in their thoughts. Not much, it appears.
AKM – You’ve got a couple repeated paragraphs in there near the end.
Thanks. Fixed. I asked Santa for an editor for Xmas, but….nuthin’. AKM
Also, the time stamp on these comments can’t be right, can they? Is someone’s clock off?
Do you think shw really cares?
She is Palin
OK, I have nothing to offer on what Sarah Palin could be thinking. However I just can’t get the frog image out of my head. Does the first frog that dies sink to the bottom and become entombed in the butter that the second flapping frog is churning?! Not only is this disgusting, it sounds ominous…
@mde (10:05:21) :
Yeah, I commented on this issue on the last thread too. Look to be about 14-15 minutes fast. Maybe we’re being hosted by one of those time zones that’s 15 minutes skewed?
She chose the AG because clearly he has nothing else to do except to tell her she doesn’t have to comply with court orders (she is the fairest one of all, don’tcha know)…oh, and there is the fact that she just doesn’t give a rip about Alaska’s Native population.
As long as she is allowed to get away with this kind of behavior, she will continue to add to her “executive experience” on her resume’ at the expense of Alaska citizens. She will run everything her way until she is marched down the highway.
I shudder to think of what mess we would be in if she had won that VP seat. Great…now I’ll be singing that REM tune all day long…It’s the end of the world and we know it…
…AS we know it…
Yeah, well it didnt break my heart that she didnt attend AFN in all honesty. She found it more important to pursue her fantasy of becoming a national leader.
Speaking about setting up sub cabinet, the winter is almost half over. 2 months is a long time, when you are struggling with heat. ALSO, with all the laws on fishing, it is hard to put up subsistence and paying for it, or shipping it is a whole other issue. Does Colberg even know anything about natives there?
For this problem were to be adequately addressed, a knowledgeable, culturally-aware leader would be required.
Knowledgeable? Not SP.
Culturally-aware? Nope.
Leader? I think not.
Alaska has issues that are well outside the norm. I imagine Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska and many other states do not have to juggle oil issues and native issues simultaneously. So, how about meeting with the leaders of states that have large native populations? Maybe New Mexico? Oh yeah, Richardson’s a Democrat! Oklahoma has natives, Arizona has natives, California has immigrant issues. But we all know that the gov of Alaska knows EVERYTHING since she was so qualified to be VP of the US, so definately would not need to ask for advice from other leaders.
And of course, Talis Scumberg, as an attorney who grew up and practiced in the Valley, is well-versed in Native Alaskan affairs, and is well able to handle the diversity of the peoples and their issues.
Sarah Palin is the the WORST governor in the US. As my uncle (who lives in Wasilla) said, a monkey can run Alaska when oil is high! It’s when times are tough and the chips are down that the quality of a leader is brought to the fore, and there you have seen how our gov fails. But she just keeps on “plowing through” those doors, without thought or intelligence or conscious thought. Just because she hacked through the doors with a fire ax does not mean that God meant for her to go through them.
Maybe it’s time for the legislature to step in and make some suggestions &/or recommendations. Oh yeah, they’re a bunch of sycophants. So the natives of Alaska won’t have any luck there, either.
Is it 2010 yet?
How many people have frozen to death while this “group” has their little meetings and discussions? I’m betting that they don’t hold these meetings in the rural communities where there is little heating fuel and no bottles of water or cups of hot coffee on the table. Things might move faster if “they” had to have their little discussions in the places where the people are suffering.
@Libby
How uncanny! I sang (or hummed) REM’s “End of the World” everytime I saw McCain/Palin on TV. Much to my wife’s annoyance (she’s a Palin fan….ugh!) Too funny!
Wow, I am really disturbed by this story. It’s unbelievable to me that this is happening.
I wish I could help…
As we know it…
Wonder how many more wild fish stocks will be lost to misguided pork projects shoveled to rural Alaska via Talis Colberg and the pillage and plunder Alaska Republicans? What’s a moose to do when salmon spawning and rearing grounds with their rich nutrition to willows and other forest forage materials fade away? Have no confidence in this purely political choice.
akdennis – Maybe it should have been one of McCain’s campaign songs…
SMR – I agree with you wholeheartedly. Your uncle is correct…a monkey could look good running Alaska when oil is high. I’m afraid Sarah doesn’t have what it takes now that she actually has to DO something without the surplus of funds at her disposal. What’s a girl from Wasilla to do?
Surely the poor decisions will snowball???
Sub cabinet, committee, whatever I see that as politicians pushing something aside but make it look good by saying we are doing something. The something is hoping that everyone will forget (you know we all have short attention spans) and nothing gets done and SP can focus on the only thing she cares about! Pipeline, Pipeline,Pipeline!
I would think the people in Alaska get that she could care less about the native people of her state. Hell she could care less about most of the people of Alaska unless it is to get a vote. Seems pretty clear to me a pat on the head and see we are doing something we created a Sub cabinet! You Betcha!
SMR, you made me giggle with: “But we all know that the gov of Alaska knows EVERYTHING since she was so qualified to be VP of the US.” Reminded me of my granddaughter when she was 5, coming home from her first day in Kindergarten — when we asked how her day was, she replied “Now I know everything!” Oh the bliss of the uneducated — too bad that what she does as gov of Alaska affects so many who are in great need. But don’t ya know, she has over 80% approval rating! At least that’s what I’ve been told recently.
She spent more time planning her 2 wks. off in Feb. than on anything pertaining to the affairs of AK.
That figure keeps coming up (80%) ~and it WAS true last spring ~ but I have also seen 38%…..but not sure where I saw it….. Am hearing that she is still fooling the Lower 48 base(r) types, but that her popularity in AK has dropped considerably. Can someone substantiate this for me?
@mwThatOne.. (11:27:25) :
Last poll results I saw (I’d have to go back and find them in ADN’s archives) had her at about 60% approval, though I’m still not sure who they’re polling (prob. not anyone much here in Juneau!). I think that was around election time or maybe a bit before. I’m not sure anyone’s planning on doing any polling right now, as with no pending election there prob. isn’t much need to. Would be interesting to see what the numbers were right about now though (esp. if they polled more than just Anch. and the MadZoo).
It could be that I saw 38% drop in ratings somewhere ~ in about November. Maybe someone else will help find the #s….. OT: Heard about the festivities in Juneau for 50th celebration…sounded like great fun!
Some recent polls show some interesting trends that are not looking good for ‘Ol Sister Sarah:
http://thealaskastandard.com/?q=node/232
“A poll commissioned by TheAlaskaStandard.com and conducted by Dittman Research shows Palin would have a tough time beating Murkowski.
In fact, in a Republican primary, Murkowski would defeat Palin soundly, by a margin of 58 percent to 31 percent.”
The home page of this site promises new polling data due out later today.
Well, since Colberg apparently has no regard for legislative subpoenas, why on earth would he feel it necessary to actually produce anything via this sub-cabinet on rural affairs…it certainly doesn’t seem to be high on HIS list of priorities. And, does anyone really think that SP would try to kick start this guy to address the HUGE amount of problems these rural dwellers face?
Colberg is too busy taking care of his own butt instead of taking care of the business of Alaskans…
@mwThatOne.. (11:35:18) :
Tickets were sold out for the Statehood Ball by the time we tried to buy some, and then we missed the fireworks too, as we didn’t figure out what time and where they were going to be until 1 minute before they started (and we were a 15 minute drive away!). Oh well, we’re going to the Obama Ball on the 24th!
Colberg, as State AG, heads up the Alaska State Dept. of Law. Not the most logical selection. We also have a Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, headed by it’s own Commissioner, Mr. Emil Notti. Emil Notti, an Alaska Native and well respected leader, including a former President of AFN, would be a logical choice. This is, if one was serious about getting something accomplished.
Rhonda McBride, a well respected journalist, and a person very knowledgeable about Rural Alaska and Alaska Native culture, was appointed by the Palin to be a Rural Advisor. To her credit, she soon resigned the position, because she said she felt the job should go to an Alaska Native, and she felt she was ineffective in the position.
This Administration has all the tools and resources to do what needs to be done except one crucial component: THE WILL TO DO IT.
If you want to do nothing, the first thing you do is form a committee, and let that committee for some more “sub-committees” ad infinitum, or better, ad ad nauseam.
Sorry for all the typos in previous post. Really miss that edit feature.
She is Palin, hear her snore
No issue’s too big to be ignored
as we all go walking out that door…
So, nothing’s happened, eh? And that’s different in what way from how she usually operates?
And you ask… why would she appoint an apparently unqualified Colberg to head a sub-cabinet (does she have the power to create a sub-cabinet position in the land of smaller government?) position… well, strange that you’d ask. I suspect it has something to do with saying “thank you, talis, for not getting in my way by doing your job.”
Grandma Nancy (11:20:39) :
“Oh the bliss of the uneducated.”
—————————-
You nailed it.
OT, but previous thread:
This just in from ADN:
“Johnston showed up alone for her first appearance in Palmer court this morning — no lawyer, no friends or family to support her.
Johnston asked for and received a public defender, a lawyer paid for by the state. She told Palmer Superior Court Judge Beverly Cutler she is in the midst of a divorce and living on medical disability payments and child support.”
SMR(10:35:30) :
Alaska has issues that are well outside the norm. I imagine Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska and many other states do not have to juggle oil issues and native issues simultaneously
_______________________________________________________________
I do agree that AK has unique issues, but Colorado- and North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma- have large Indian people populations, plus deal with booming oil/gas drilling (last year; this year may be much slower, thank goodness). The Denver Post did a week long award-winning story on justice issues on the reservations in our SW corner last year; real problems with jurisdictions, fed vs state vs Indian- our AG has worked very hard to make justice a real possibility (he’s a Repug, but this is good work).
AK problems are just much bigger- and maybe more neglected…
Now to go back and read the rest of the posts-)
CRFlats (13:12:01) :
OT, but previous thread:
This just in from ADN:
“Johnston showed up alone for her first appearance in Palmer court this morning — no lawyer, no friends or family to support her.
Johnston asked for and received a public defender, a lawyer paid for by the state. She told Palmer Superior Court Judge Beverly Cutler she is in the midst of a divorce and living on medical disability payments and child support.”
_______________________________________________________________________
Thanks CR-
I thought she wouldn’t hav a lawyer, but to be totally alone…that is sad. She doesn’t seem to be a good person, but that is sad.
@CRFlats,
Just saw that too. Sad but not surprised. Everyone is keeping their distance!
SMR or any other AK mudpup-
Is this neglect of AK Natives/rural populations typical? IS SP continuing a long tradition of doing nothing? In Colorado, the focus comes and goes; last couple of years the CO Legislature worked on water and economic concerns in the Four Corners area, but with the current economic downturn, I think that will be the focus this year, as well as balancing the state budget, required by our Constitution.
ANSWER: SHE OWES HIM.
The frog story is very old. I’m in my sixties and heard that story from my grandmother when I was a little kid here in NC. Don’t believe it’s a native Alaskan story.
I’m an Obama fan,but I must admit Palin and Alaskan politics fascinate me. It’s sorta like reading those true crime stories…keep trying to figure out what makes those killers tick, but never can. Just like Palin, I keep trying to figure why she tells so many lies. She just seems to tell lies for the sake of lying, just to see if she can pull one over.
In a state with such a large native population, how hard could it be to find a qualified native to head this subcabinet? Common sense tells you that would be the right thing to do.
@pearl89 (14:06:57) :
The frog story is very old. I’m in my sixties and heard that story from my grandmother when I was a little kid here in NC. Don’t believe it’s a native Alaskan story.
Yeah, esp. since I don’t think there aren’t very many frogs in AK, in number of species or number of individuals.
OK, I need that editor too (and I usually am the editor…
That should say, “…I don’t think there are very many…”
InJuneau (14:19:13) :
“Yeah, esp. since I don’t think there aren’t very many frogs in AK, in number of species or number of individuals.”
***
No, but we have DAIRIES, so maybe SOME MatMaid-made cream…!! — oh.. probably not been around long enough to have been used in ancient stories!
Actually, we have frogs down here on the Kenai Peninsula, but doubt any have fallen into a “pail of cream” lately – or, more to the point, in ancient times!
I hear a lot of blaming of the people who are suffering when this subject comes up in my RED neck of the Alaska woods. I hate to say it, but this racial and cultural bigotry is a LONG LONG-time deep dark part of Alaska’s sorrowful history, present, and, if sp has anything to say about it, future. I would give anything to find a way to work on this problem, but all I can do is complain and ache and gnash my teeth!
hope?
My Grammy in Alabama would say “He/she would climb a tree to tll a lie” ……..
oops ……tell.
My parents once owned property in Spenard that was a sort of swamp. We used to go there summer evenings to listen to the frogs sing. It was glorious. I have no idea what kind of frogs they were.
Yeah, I know we have frogs (oh duh, the Tlingit houses of Xíxch’i Hít; what an idiot I am today). I guess I’m just not sure that there would have been “ancient” stories about them churning butter in a pail, since the dairies, even in Southeast, weren’t exactly “ancient”…
Here we go (from the Fish and Game website, http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/amphibia/amphib.php):
Two species of frogs and one species of toad are known in Alaska. These small amphibians are the spotted frog (Rana pretiosa), the wood frog (Rana sylvatica), and the western toad (Bufo boreas).
The spotted frog is rarely seen far from the water while the wood frog is frequently found away from water and in diverse habitats. The western toad is the only toad found in Alaska.
Roark!!
Is that the sound Irish frogs make?
I’ll have to go back through links on the other computer and find a fabulous website where you can hear what different animals and vehicles make in diff. languages. It was fascinating.
That was a frog demonstration in case you failed to see the significance of it.
They are fed up as well!
Yes, InJuneau.
Irish frogs gone politic.
I live in S. Ga. and I’m worried about these folks. Yes, I’m a hot house flower and hate the cold, but seriously, this is an emergency. How can she turn her back on these people when her husband is part Native American? Where is he? Why isn’t he involved in the welfare of his People, his Elders? Even if she doesn’t give a $hit, where is the public damnation? Where is her minister? Her church? Why aren’t they ministering to these people? Isn’t that what Christianity is about? This just pi$$es me off.
Oh joy, I found the animal sounds page!
http://www.flat33.com/bzzzpeek/index1.html
Lance – The Palins don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s that simple.
Lance the Boil aka Crust ScrambleNo Gravatar (15:14:03) :
I’m sure the women in her church knit little baby hats for African babies.
As for Palin and her appointed morons, let me just say THEY STINK AT WHAT THEY DO. Or at what they don’t do, more correctly, I guess. It’s 50-60 below zero in interior Alaska? People there have had trouble getting and paying for fuel for a while now? Politicians don’t want them fleeing to the cities in droves? Well then… WHY DO THEY JUST SIT ON THEIR BUTTS AND SMALLTALK INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH THE SITUATION even if it’s to their own satisfaction rather than that of the rural people???
If a foreign country lets its people suffer like that, without even making an attempt to keep them from death and mayhem while the rulers live high on the hog and focus on furthering their own interests, we condemn them. If it happens in one state in the United States of America, the rest of the country shrugs and isn’t interested? WTF?? Hello??
And now it’s been announced that Venezuela may not do the free heating oil program this year: http://community.adn.com/adn/node/136269
@CO Almost: “Is this neglect of AK Natives/rural populations typical? IS SP continuing a long tradition of doing nothing? ”
The answer is mostly, and unfortunately Yes. There is a long tradition of neglect by the State gov. The relationship with the Federal Gov. is better, mostly because it is dictated by the US Constitution, and the power of seniority vested in Ted. The exceptions: Gov. Hammond was a rural resident, and married to an Alaska Native, and a very progressive R. Gov. Knowles, D, took his time, but finally saw the light, and dropped the States lawsuit against the Rural Subsistence priority on Fed. Lands. That was a good thing, but the State has steadfastly refused to recognize any Rural preference for hunting and fishing on State owned lands. It is a HUGE divide between the State and Natives. SP has said she will not support the priority, under the guise of “must treat everyone equally”. A BS statement that only fools the uneducated.
This just in from an Alaskan coastal village where I spent the holidays with my family:
Milk = $9.00/gal
10 pound bag of rice = $19.75
7 bananas= $7.00
Gas for truck, outboard motor, chainsaw = $5.56/gal
Fuel oil = $5.87/gal prepaid or credit card only
It was cold. It was snowy. The wood had to be thawed and dried before it would give off any heat when it was burned. My family was not buying much fruit or vegetables because of the cost. I shopped the local general store for Christmas dinner. They had a turkey already as a gift from an employer and planned only on a very basic meal and dessert. There were 8 of us. It cost $120 to shop for that meal and a few extras like laundry detergent and paper towel.
Though I lived there from 1978 to 2006, I was shocked. The downturn was palpable economically and psychologically.
Fair to say, this state has real issues that need attention and needs to come up with real answers, and fast. We have the money, all that is needed is the WILL TO DO SOME THING ABOUT IT NOW. Our Ship of State has lost it’s rudder in a choppy sea. The skipper is drunk on fame, and the crew (legislature) is, well, incompetent. Hope we can ride this one out before too many run off in the life boats.
AustintxNo Gravatar (15:50:14) :
Lance – The Palins don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s that simple.
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Damn, that’s sad. I know it’s true, but my brain freezes when I realize, once again, how shallow and self-serving many of our ‘representatives’ have become. And then I mentally kick myself in the ass for staying silent for so long.
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ira2No Gravatar (15:55:54) :
If a foreign country lets its people suffer like that, without even making an attempt to keep them from death and mayhem while the rulers live high on the hog and focus on furthering their own interests, we condemn them. If it happens in one state in the United States of America, the rest of the country shrugs and isn’t interested? WTF?? Hello??
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Yeah, and the Appalachians are another poverty/meth hotspot. Where’s Bono when we need him? (Yeah, that was snarky, sorry.) I think Bono does great things, along with Oprah, and the Brangelinas (Brad seems to be doing good with his Katrina shelters), I’m sure there are countless others, but when did we stop taking care of our own?
My sweet Momma volunteers with a mission outreach in my hometown (in S. Ga) and she sees homeless people who have made the conscious decision to move to S. Ga because they know they can survive the winter temps in spite of having no place to live.
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Mother Who ThinksNo Gravatar (16:14:34) :
Those prices boggle my mind.
CRFlats (12:25:21) :
(from http://ykalaska.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/rhonda-mcbride-appointed-rural-advisor-to-gov-palin/)
Palin promised a rural sub-cabinet in her first state of the state, Jan 2007.
Rhonda McBride was appointed as rural advisor instead in 25 October 2007
Rhonda McBride quit as rural advisor, 14 October 2008
Palin promises a rural sub-cabinet at AFN, 27 October 2008
The rural advisor, like so many other state offices, did NOT have a toll-free number to call. It costs 5 (five) times more to call Anchorage or Juneau from rural Alaska than it does to call Washington, DC. (as measured by calling card minutes)
======================
Dollars to donuts, maybe the AG was appointed because as everyone in Anchorage knows, illegal activity is “THE” problem with rural Alaska??
alcohol, drugs
domestic violence
sexual abuse
All we really need is more law officers and more alcohol control (on the secular side) to solve everything.
^–^
The reaction of this administration is just an extension of the last. Knowles was a little better. At least, I think, he cared he just didn’t know what to do and was unwilling to use the political muscle to get it done. The villages have been going downhill for 30 years, that I know personally. But up until the last few years they were able to keep their pride, but today that is starting to go. The part that urban Alaska doesn’t understand is that the villages are the basis of the urban economy. Anchorage is a service center and without the rural areas there is nobody to service. We’ll all be reduced to selling stuff to each other and that won’t support an economy. The oil and gas industry and the mining, timber and fishing industries offer some support, but they can easily bypass the local suppliers and buy directly. It is also would makes us culturally strong. Without the Alaska Native culture, we wouldn’t have much culture. It is the only thing that gives texture to the smooth fabric of Alaska. SP represents one of the other major cultural legs in Alaska, and we see how well that works.
Just in. A photoshop expert has an opinion
http://palinpics4truth.t35.com/
Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!