Rural Alaska in Crisis – The Real Tragedy of Troopergate. (Updated)
17 01 2009We’ve all been listening to Sarah Palin for the last couple days saying things like “Both the lieutenant governor and I have offered to fly out there and see what we can do personally.” And then we hear Nick Turner, the local resident whose letter and cry for help, resulted in the current media firestorm about the lack of preparation that led rural villages across the state to their current state of desperation.
“I wish I could take Gov. (Sarah) Palin and walk her around in the houses here,” he said.
Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said the governor is monitoring the scene in Emmonak but, for now, has no plans to travel to the area.
So despite her offers to fly out there and help personally, as long as it means she doesn’t actually have to do it, her staff is all bent out of shape at the accusations that she doesn’t care. Because she does care. Really.
The head of the Division of Community and Regional Affairs said she is
troubled by media coverage that Gov. Sarah Palin is sitting idle despite the cry for help in the Lower Yukon River village of 800. Palin has been very engaged in mobilizing staff and has orchestrated the response, Jollie said. “It’s a priority for her,” she said. “She’s been asking for updates and information, all week as matter of fact.”
Caring doesn’t fuel the fire, and caring doesn’t feed the belly. What this state needed was a leader who was thinking ahead, able to comprehend the impending crisis, rallying the troops and the state government to use creative solutions to keep this from happening. This was not a last minute problem. This didn’t just happen out of the blue. The Palin administration cannot claim, with any sense of veracity, that they didn’t know this was coming.
Now, let’s play a little game. I call it: Name That State Employee.
Let’s just suppose for the sake of our game, that we can turn the clock back, and the date is….oh….July 12, 2008, six weeks before Palin’s VP nomination. On that day, one of the state’s commissioners wrote a letter to the governor’s office, fellow commissioners, and state leaders including Attorney General Talis Colberg who now heads up the Governor’s new Rural Subcabinet. Here’s an excerpt:
Given the gathering storm of a questionable fishing season, and the escalating price of fuel in our state, there will be serious stress placed upon communities and residents who will struggle with the coming winter’s challenges. Last week I had asked our Troopers and Fire Marshalls to outreach both to these communities, and to your departments in a cooperative effort to mitigate issues that will arise like: theft, domestic violence, substance abuse, suicide; and, accidental death that all can come from sinking reserves of fuel, money and hope. Teamwork will never be so important.
Just let that sink in for a moment. Here’s someone who, in the first week of July, had already called for community outreach to prevent the situation that is happening now from happening in the first place. JULY. Whoever this commissioner is, he obviously knows what he’s doing. He obviously has vision and is able to look past his own nose, and see the storm coming. Here’s someone who cares deeply about the people who are in the path of the oncoming train, and has the desire and ability to help ahead of time. And what, if you were governor, might you want to do with someone like this? If you were Sarah Palin, you’d fire him.
That’s right, the commissioner in question was Walt Monegan, and the excerpt you read was from a letter he sent announcing that he had been replaced, and urging those with the power to do so to keep the crisis in rural Alaska from happening. He no longer had a job, but as he wrote this letter, he was still able to have a broader perspective, and leave with a parting request that these issues be handled properly, for the sake of these people, his fellow Alaskans on whom the storm was about to descend.
And that, my friends, is the real tragedy of Troopergate. Sarah Palin’s personal agenda, and the consuming need to get rid of a commissioner who wouldn’t and couldn’t legally fire someone she didn’t like, has brought down suffering on thousands of innocent people in this state. The fact that legislators may refuse to even issue a statement saying that the governor was wrong in firing Walt Monegan, means that this can happen again. It means that our elected representatives are turning a blind eye to the mechanism that removed this person from his office; a competent and effective leader who would have helped to curb the effects of this crisis. They are allowing middle school politics to affect matters of (literally) life and death.
So, whether or not Governor Palin flies out to Emmonak, and whether or not she ever decides to actually issue a statement on this tragedy, which she has yet to do, the fact remains that if she really cared, she would have been thinking about these people last July, like Walt Monegan was.
I asked Walt Monegan if he wanted to comment on the situation in Emmonak, and other rural communities. Here’s what he told me.
‘Standing amidst disaster is not the time for blame, it is a time for action. Mr. Tucker’s letter was a call to arms, and everyone who can should help our fellow Alaskans. Let’s get our neighbors out of danger now and work collectively to ensure that no Alaskan ever has to face such dire choices again.’
January 18th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Some people in my camp would gladly go back to a homesteader subsistence lifestyle (living on spuds, moose and Krusteaz pancakes; heating with wood; using coal oil lamps for light; hauling water from the creek) if the redneck fundie crowd would leave the state. IMO, living like that loses it’s charm as you approach your middle years.
We always hope for yucky winters, so the weenies will leave. It’ll be interesting to see how many bail out this spring, after the long cold, then the Pineapple Express, then whatever we get between now and breakup. Someone in Homer recorded wind gusts of 113 mph last Thursday. I didn’t think it was blowing much over 50 knots. It tore a bunch of roofs off over in Halibut Cove.
“We always hope for yucky winters, so the weenies will leave.”
LMAO!!
AKM
January 18th, 2009 at 12:23 AM
Maybe Sister Sarah will use a portion of her per diem to help out with some food for the starving?
Or perhaps her strategy is to reduce the Native Alaskan suicide rate by letting them starve and freeze to death?
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/01/07/13/PalinAug.27emails.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf
Look at the bottom of the list of the Governor’s e-mails and you’ll find one from Rhonda McBride, who submitted a report to SP on the Native Alaskan suicide epidemic back in mid 2008.
I wonder where Rhonda is now?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Big Slick (00:23:29) “Or perhaps her strategy is to reduce the Native Alaskan suicide rate by letting them starve and freeze to death?”
Actually, “compassionate conservatives” are many times so detached from the reality and understanding of other cultures that the resultant policy effect looks an awful lot like a “strategy.” Their cynicism or ignorance or both….lead to the same ends.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:41 AM
I found this one tonight.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9690698
January 18th, 2009 at 12:45 AM
I believe Rhonda McBride works at KTUU. There was a story she did on DHATS, I emailed her… and told her I was disappointed in how she only told part of the story. The media isnt very good about giving full details of many stories. But, compared to ADN I think they are trying.
The people who support Palin have too much influence, and they wont come out to tell the full story of say, Emmonak, Troopergate, it is like a whole other country.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:51 AM
Isn’t there a Bill M. that works for the Governor?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:52 AM
Wow, check it out folks. http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/658642.html
January 18th, 2009 at 12:52 AM
Off to read about Brian Boru….the greatest Ard Ri of Ireland in the 10th century who fought against social extermination of the Irish by the Vikings and other usurpers.
Mr. Economic Darwinism should be happy his arse wasn’t perched in Ireland in the Dark Ages. The Norsemen had some battle axes that would have cleaved him in half from head to toe before a whine even issued from his mouth…..all because they were after his economics in his little house, including the booty of his dear wife.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:03 AM
Rhonda works for Sarah.
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=692
McBride, Rhonda
Rural Advisor (907)269-7450
Office of the Governor rhonda.mcbride AT alaska.gov
EXE-EXECUTIVE OFFICE ANCH Atwood Bldg, 550 W 7th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
Rhonda resigned form the Palin Administration effective October 23rd.
AlaskaReal has a very interesting analysis of Rhonda’s comments concerning her the reasons for her resignation and when take in the context of this crisis, it’s just one more indicator that this “Governor” is truly derelict in the way she shirks her duties to the people of Alaska.
http://alaskareal.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-palin-personnel-problem.html
In my humble opinion, of course.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Worked – past tense.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:16 AM
I wonder if Sarah Palin can say “Mike Hawker” 5 times really fast?
Of course she can!
January 18th, 2009 at 1:25 AM
Yo, Bill M. you are definitely a prime example of Social Darwinism.
http://www.darwinawards.com/
Word.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:42 AM
One last thing before I say goodnight.
If you are sending food, I’ll suggest some that I know are good for emergency survival rations and cheaper on shipping due to lightweight packaging:
Oatmeal
Freeze-dried fruit
Beef jerkey
Powdered drink mixes with Vitamin C and/or D
Sunflower seeds (no shells)
January 18th, 2009 at 2:00 AM
What this state needed was a leader who was thinking ahead, able to comprehend the impending crisis, rallying the troops and the state government to use creative solutions to keep this from happening. This was not a last minute problem. This didn’t just happen out of the blue. The Palin administration cannot claim, with any sense of veracity, that they didn’t know this was coming.
———-
Take a look at this site from Alaska Legislative Health Caucus, “Health and Alaskan Energy Needs.”
http://www.akhealthcaucus.org/AlaskanEnergyNeeds.php
And there’s an item which is linked there–
State of Alaska Energy Policy and Strategy Recommendations Final Report provided to Governor Sarah Palin pursuant to Administrative Order #230, February 15, 2007
This was written by the outgoing Alaska Energy Policy Advisor, Nels Anderson Jr. The cover letter on pgs 4 to 8 is the crux of it, and is easy to read. He laid out the problem, made it clear there was a crisis, politely but strenuously pleaded with the governor to make this a priority, and even offered suggestions for systemic near-term fixes.
February. 2007. Nuf said?
January 18th, 2009 at 2:17 AM
[...] in distress not an offer to fly out to a town in distress? When Sarah Plain and Simple makes it, writes The Mudflats. We’ve all been listening to Sarah Palin for the last couple days saying things like “Both the [...]
January 18th, 2009 at 3:41 AM
I read this blog at least twice a day but have not posted since I found it in August or September.
I would like to know if the sentiments generally expressed here (all of which I share even though, as a Virginian, I can only use body English) represent a majority of Alaska voters’ views.
Sure hope so.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:15 AM
“Both the lieutenant governor and I have offered to fly out there and see what we can do personally.”
What’s she waiting for – and engraved invitation? Any other guv would have hopped a plane or at least sent a rep out there a week and a half ago. She’s actually missing a great photo op – think of the impression this would make: Sarah actually helping her people, surrounded by native folks needing help – much better than the background of dying turkeys!
January 18th, 2009 at 4:46 AM
I think SP is planning a stunt of some kind to go along with the Beck “interview”. Not that the MSM will break from the history making inauguration to show someone actually doing their job. She just needs some film in the can so she can later show how “compassionate” she is. GAG . Michael Moore – get up there and chase this dip-shit around with a camera !! This is right down your alley !! Has any one contacted him ?? He would stomp SP in the ground!! If Sarah thought for a second that he was coming after her, she would go over the edge!! Mr.Moore – This would be the most fun you have had in a long time- take her down!!!
January 18th, 2009 at 6:33 AM
austintx: that’s a great idea! Calling Michael Moore!! Yoohoo!!
January 18th, 2009 at 6:37 AM
Please pardon a question from the mesmerized (and normally silent) reading gallery, but if the current Alaskan governor is impeached, who would then be in charge of the state?
BTW: i read that her national approval rating is up to an alarming 49%.
http://www.redstate.com/josh_painter/2009/01/16/palin-approval-rating-rebounding/
January 18th, 2009 at 6:51 AM
Hey, AK/ANC Mudpups–
Anyone donating “stuff” to the flights, I’d be happy to pitch in some $$ if I had a way to get it to you. PLMK. You can used this email
cygnedesigns@yahoo.com since that one is public anyway
January 18th, 2009 at 6:54 AM
Oh Bible Spice, your IQ is showing!
January 18th, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Michael Moore’s email address:
mike@michaelmoore.com
This is per his website, michaelmoore.com.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:38 AM
Re: Michael Moore
I just sent him an email with the link to mudflats and that Sarah Palin has her Katrina…Emmonak.
Hopefully, that will give the issue a push.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:41 AM
To Martha Unalaska Yard Sign
& Alaska Pi
I’m breathing…hear me…sipping my tea.
I’m just glad you’re awake up there…I don’t want you to suffer 8 years!!!
I worry about her hurting you…and us!
Thanks for trying to “talk me down” as Rachel says.
To austintx…Michael Moore is a great idea!
P.S. I donated towards that plane flight…did he ever get off the ground and reach his destination? What a guy!
January 18th, 2009 at 8:14 AM
to gdwyer…thanks, I just emailed Michael Moore as well.
January 18th, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Have been reading this site, just an observer, and can’t not say something after reading a post by Bill M. Unbelievable that some refuse to accept the crisis in these villages and waste time discoursing on “Economic Darwinism”. Forget the WHY, and concentrate on being a good Samaritan. These children who are hungry and cold never deserved this. Can’t lump all villagers together as being complacent, or druggies either, as I’ve read earlier by some posters.
I find the commentary so un-christian, biased, and disgusting. What would Jesus do? Would he tell the family, “Well, it looks like you squandered your money, sorry, no mercy for you”.
In the NT, three passed the robber in the ditch, only the last one had mercy. He didn’t ask how it came about. He took him to an Inn and paid for it, asking that he be taken care of until he was well. But, the pharisee passed him by. Guess some in the Gov.’s administration should read that passage again. Thanks to you posters for helping in this crisis. You are
the real champs!
January 18th, 2009 at 9:48 AM
gdwyer – Thanks for the address !!! You think Sarah is hiding now…….if he and a camera crew come up there to ask her some tough questions…….they will be relentless !! Remember”Roger & Me” or “Fahrenheit 9/11″ ??? Shit – Todd might snap and start swingin’ !!! They need to come during the Leg. session and collar any Reps. that think all is fine in the Palin Parallel Universe. Micheal – duty calls !!!!
January 18th, 2009 at 10:09 AM
if what is happening is not considered a federal emergency(disaster) and Palin is aware of this, and she should be, then she really is a monster. She should have been reaching out to every AK dept, every citizen of AK and asking for help and donations a week ago.
As a governor she is required to multitask, and looks like she can’t. She needs to realize her shortcomings and ask others to step in, if nothing else for the well being of those that are suffering. Her ego needed to be put aside, but now she’ll never know that is what is needed to help her fellow Alaskans since that ego is her is too big, okay, huge, no, ginormous.
I hope Alaskans see finally through her and blast her calls, emails and visits demanding she act responsibily like so many of you are already doing.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:10 AM
If you’d actually like to ask Sarah a question, Glenn Beck is asking for help in coming up with some questions for the Gov tomorrow night…
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/20256/?ck=1
hmmm….I wonder if you have any suggestions????
January 18th, 2009 at 10:27 AM
If it is time for action then why is Blame-me Whinehouse still sitting on her butt? As I asked the other day, in a time of crisis, sending people on a fact-finding mission is not the appropriate thing to do. She’s like gw with that fly-over after Katrina. It’s not about you personally putting your Guicci shoes on the ground but in getting the appropriate aid to the people in need.
What Sarah Palin needs to do is declare an emergency at the level which allows her to activate the AK Nat’l Guard. Then, load up their cargo planes and send them off directly to the people most in need.
It’s not that difficult.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Hey, Mike from Maine… what county are you from up there? Can you post the counties that Baldacci put on emergency status for additional and speedy aid?
January 18th, 2009 at 11:30 AM
From “THE EAR” Maryline…(the beauty Queen that beat Barbie)
“Be sure to send a big shout-out to Sarah,” she said Friday. “Say, ‘Maryline says “Hey!” from Washington, D.C.’ ”
And then this:
” AND … Speaking of the inauguration, isn’t it great that the Colony High School band was chosen to march in the parade? But what’s up with all the media saying the band is from Wasilla? The last time Ear checked, the school was in Palmer.
Earwigs say the band director is from Wasilla and maybe listed his home address on the application. Really darlings, with Wasilla now a household word and offering the Obama people a delightful gotcha, who can blame him.”
Love it! TS, Gretawire,HotAir, Gov. Grifter::READ MY FINGER::
I can’t wait until Tues
January 18th, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Hey Kraut,
I’m originally from Washington, now in Waldo.
You must be speaking of the ice storm we had before Christmas. All the southern and coastal counties were affected, and declared disaster areas that weekend. Southern York county was hit the hardest and some were without power for a week.
Small potatoes compared to Emmonak’s situation, but as you suggest the governor’s response was swift.
Is the FOX interview happening in Anchorage or have the Palin’s already caught the plane out of town?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:11 PM
My sister pointed out something to tell the conservatives4palin and the social darwin ass. All of these people live in communities with police, fire departments, road maintenance, libraries, blah blah blah, all the many services that government supplies to them all of the time and that they simply take for granted. Most of these villages have none of those services. That means in my book that the villages have a service “credit” coming to them, and this is a good chance for government to pay that credit.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Why have no national or international media outlets run this story?
The Anchorage Daily News must have AP connections…and I’ve read where CNN will run the story when they get video.
But c’mon now.
Do we really need Sarah Palin, (in a stunning white beluga whale-skin coat, with Arctic Fox trim), driving a snowmobile out of the back of C-147 hauling a sled of food stuffs and oil and toys for the good girls and boys to make it news worthy?
Or, seriously, is there a benchmark of credibility that needs to be established first?
January 18th, 2009 at 1:15 PM
If you are going to send something, also send shortning (crisco, what ever).
they need that too.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:48 PM
The Beck interview is on FOX at 5 PM Eastern tomorrow. They asked for questions (not to bother with questions about her wardrobe!!), so I sent one in re: Emmonak. It will be interesting to see if they even mention this emergency.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Is Nick’s name “Turner” or “Tucker”- or, are they two different people? I’m confused because he’s referred to by both last names.
I’m appalled by both governor’s lack of response to this issue. Does Palin seriously think we are believing the statements her “office” is issuing? This woman becomes more delusional by the day. I feel as stressed out now as I did since the day she was nominated for VP. I had a good month- I calmed down in December- but now I’m anxious again, needing her out of office NOW before she can inflict any more damage, damage that may not be able to be fixed.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Why Blamey Whinehouse cannot admit that there is an emergency:
Because then Blamey Whinehouse would have to own up to the fact that she does not want to be aware, does not prepare and does not care.
Hey that´s a slogan: Aware, prepare and care
YES WE CAN
PS Any of you do not have a blog yet, why not get one? Wordpress.com is free and really easy to use. Save rural America (from Blamey Whinehouse)!
January 18th, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Please Alaskans…let Beck know what your concerns are.
I don’t think we 48ers should muddy the waters too much.
You know the state issues …ask em.
Submit a question:
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/20256/?ck=1
I will be very interested after the show whether your statewide concerns were respected and questioned by FOX & Beck or whether they too, along with SP (Self Promotion) have their sights set on the national stage.
The interview should be very telling in that respect.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Mike from Maine – I agree – and thanks for putting the link to the Beck questionnaire.
January 18th, 2009 at 3:39 PM
MikefromMaine – Love your visual on Sarah coming to the rescue !! I don’t really think you are far off the mark. This is gonna be a remote/satellite interview.I wrote earlier that I think she is gonna pull a stunt. I still think she is up to something. It’s TOO quiet for such a serious matter.While she is playing Santa Claus/Easter Bunny she’ll be saying the bloggers have it all wrong…….”I am doing my job!!”
January 18th, 2009 at 6:54 PM
It will be interesting to hear about what SWWNBN has to say tomorrow. (Don’t plan to watch it; may watch clips when they become available). Anxious to hear more from the roving documentarian, assuming he gets out of Anchorage. Does SP plan to go to Juneau by Tuesday, or is she going to handle the Leg session by remote satellite too? Keep up the good work AKM.
January 18th, 2009 at 10:43 PM
@BigSlick (00:23:29) :
I believe Rhonda has gone (back?) to work for KTUU and word is she may be the reporter sent to Juneau to cover Session. Should be interesting if so…
January 19th, 2009 at 4:27 PM
When Palin first came on the scene at the convention, she gave me pause for concern. Here was a dynamic speaker who, at first glance, posed a threat to the type of change America needed. But as time goes by I see she is a threat only to those Must suffer her. Those who empowered her to lead and watch over them. But all of this comes as no surprise given that this is the Republican party at its best. Look at the parallels leading to 911. Rice was warned about bin Laden as soon as she took office. Bush was briefed as part of the National Threat Assessment. Richard Clarke, who warned of the impending predicament, like Walt Monegan, is no longer with the government. Then the towers fell.
See what’s next?
January 19th, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Is there anyway you can put the letter from monegon in the dennis/emmonak documentary??? That would be just grand.