WARNING – Political rant follows.
1) “Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. “They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,” Ms. Kilkenny said.
The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.”
It appears Gov. Palin believes in banning books from public libraries. Of course she, or others how hold her view of morality, are the ones who should decide what books should be available for the rest of us to read.
2) “Ms. Palin also upended the town’s traditional ways with a surprise edict: No employee was to talk to the news media without her permission.”
Gov. Palin apparently does not believe that public employees have the right to express their opinions. We are not talking about the Department of Defense, we are talking about a small town in Alaska.
3) “Ms. Emmons was not the only employee to leave. During her campaign, Ms. Palin appealed to voters who felt that city employees under Mr. Stein, who was not from Wasilla and had earned a degree in public administration at the University of Oregon, had been unresponsive and rigid regarding a new comprehensive development plan. In turn, some city employees expressed support for Mr. Stein in a campaign advertisement.
Once in office, Ms. Palin asked many of Mr. Stein’s backers to resign — something virtually unheard of in Wasilla in past elections. The public works director, city planner, museum director and others were forced out. The police chief, Irl Stambaugh, was later fired outright.”
Using intimidation, and the fear of losing ones job, to bully people into supporting her may work in a small town in Alaska, it will not work in Washington. As much as I am sure Presidents would like to they can’t simply fire all the Congressmen who did not agree with them.
I don’t think Gov. Palin really wants to be President. I think she wants to be Queen, with us as her loyal subjects.
For anyone interested she was, and as far as I can tell still is, a member of the Wasilla Assembly of God, http://www.wasillaag.org/ , which is affilated with the Assemblies of God, http://ag.org/top/ . It is described in Wikipedia as a Pentecostal church.
Wkipedia states her father was a science teacher. I wonder if they argue over evolution?
12 comments
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September 4, 2008 at 8:56 am
ric booth
Actually, we’re more of an empire these days so I used the title Empress. And they’re all chasing the title of Emperor. Its a power thing.
September 4, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Indian Lake Papa
Your right – “political rant” lol – when we have lunch together someday we will have to really hug each other – I will carry that big huge Bible! lol Love you Ed! If i can find two big buttons with Sarah’s picture on them I will wear two – one for you and one for me! lol
September 4, 2008 at 1:23 pm
edfromct
Papa, just remember to practice your bowing, and Mama her curtsies, for when Queen Sarah makes it to Michigan. 🙂
I really don’t like campaign buttons, the politicians “stick it to us” enough as it is. 🙂
September 4, 2008 at 1:28 pm
edfromct
Hi Ric, if all th people in our blogging community had the power, were in charge of Washington, we would do a much better job of working together to solve our nations problems than the politicians do.
Of course because we are not politicians we have no clue as to how to lie and make promises we can’t keep. We would have no chance to get elected. 🙂
September 4, 2008 at 1:49 pm
ric booth
“We would have no chance to get elected.”
You got that right Ed! I have a nasty habit of telling the truth and answering questions, which are not the qualities of a winning politician.
September 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Indian Lake Papa
Ronald Reagan was asked: “Do you think an actor is really qualified to be a politician?” He responded: “why not? There a lot of politicians being actors.” Mama has her curtsie down pat – she does that when I walk in the room – yeah – you bet! lol
September 5, 2008 at 12:57 am
lauran
This is an interesting article.I feel sad to know that this is your last post on this issue.
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lauran
Blazeinfotech
September 5, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Robert
Ed, you and see right through this woman and what she represents.
We are all friends here and we love to joke around and that’s cool.
But kidding aside I deeply and personally disturbed by some the rhetoric emanating from the GOP…..and it’s Palin apologists. No one would be happier than I to vote for a qualified candidate whose positions that are reasoned and rational AND who is of the female gender…… I think we NEED woman in a high executive office. Sarah Palin is NOT the one.
I am raising 4 children…. the world I had to them will be greatly bettered or worsened by the decisions my generation makes. I will NOT turn back the clock as McCain and especially Palin would have us do….
R
September 5, 2008 at 2:14 pm
edfromct
Robert, of the four candidates that are running, Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin, the only one who scares me is Gov. Palin.
I think both Obama and McCain would be competent Presidents.
I see McCain as a moderate, independent Republican, who has worked with Democrats, and even voted with them on some issues.
I agree with Obama on more issues, but I am troubled by the fact he is only a first term Senator. I think he could be an inspirational leader, in the vain of JFK, but I would prefer that he had more experience in foreign policy.
I think Biden, with his experience in working with Democrats in the Senate, would be an acceptable transitional President, much as Gerald Ford was when Nixon resigned.
Palin, based on her record as Mayor of Wasilla, appears to be vindictive (the first she does when elected is fire anyone who did not support her) and a right wing ideologue (who believes in banning books from public libraries). I fear what she might do if she had the power of the Homeland Security Department at her disposable.
September 5, 2008 at 2:20 pm
edfromct
Hi Lauran, thanks for dropping with a comment.
There are so many issues to discuss I feel it is time to move on to something elses.
I try to keep current with the news and if anything important happens regarding either VP candidate I will comment on it.
What are your thoughts on Gov. Palin?
September 8, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Lori
Just a quick comment from Alaska …. Sarah has done more good than any other politician that i know of. It is easy to make judgemnt calls based solely on media reporting. I’ve been there and lived it. Just a word of caution … what you hear from the media is Spin Spin Spin.
September 8, 2008 at 9:29 pm
edfromct
Hi Lori, thanks for taking the time to stop by with a comment.
I share your skepticism regarding information coming from the major newspapers and TV coverage. I do try to spend as much time as I can in researching the claims made in national media coverage, I certainly don’t rely on the headlines.
In the case of Gov. Palin I have only her eight years as mayor of Wasilla. I have not found much regarding her actions as a first term Governor, but hopefully there will be more information coming out in the next few weeks.
I know she was very popular as both mayor and appears to be a popular Governor. Palin appears to have been an effective mayor, but it is too early to know if she will be an effective Governor, let alone President.
Do you have any information, or a source I could look up, that counters, or clarifies, my concerns mention in my post. That Palin favors censorship? That she is vindictive, fires anyone who does not support her?
My perception is that she favors confrontation over negotiations, which bothers me more on foreign policy than it does on domestic issues. That however is only a guess on my part. I really have no clue what her vision for America’s role in the world is. That is a major cause for concern for me.
I really need some idea as to how much power she thinks the Dept. of Homeland Security should have. What limits or controls, if any, should be in place over this Dept?