Sarah Palin has refused to lead Alaska, and she clearly doesn’t follow anything except her rush to nomination in 2012.
She has a right to both of these decisions, but she shouldn’t have been on Twitter about 6 hours ago complaining that the stimulus she blocked isn’t working. Here is her message from Twitter (using 2 Tweets):
AKGovSarahPalin More talk of #2 “Stimulus” Pkg? Please no- for so many reasons- incl the 1st one hasn’t done what’s promised, & debt forced on AKn kids is [begin second Tweet] selfish & immoral bc it robs their future opportunities!”If there is trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace ” Thomas Paine about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
On May 21, Sarah Palin slashed $80 million from Alaska state budgets, at the same time refusing $28.6 million in federal clean energy work stimulus money, claiming it would impose state-wide building codes. She did this by veto, without consulting with her own senate finance committee:
From NewsMiner.com, By Rena Delbridge, Friday, May 22, 2009
He [Sen. Joe Paskvan, D-Fairbanks] said the funds clearly do not require a state-wide building code as Palin originally protested.
?Rather, it requires efforts to implement energy standards that can be accomplished on a local basis,? he said.
Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, said he can?t figure Palin?s rationale for turning down the energy money.
?I remain dumbstruck,? he said. ?When I look at how hard we all worked to get the $7 million to $9 million in the budget for in-state gas studies that would directly benefit Fairbanks, and then to turn away twice that much?
?I don?t know how to respond. It must be nice to live in the Mat-Su Valley where you have the lowest natural gas prices in the United States. The rest of Alaska is struggling, and now they can?t access that $28 million.?
He suggested Palin?s veto could be for ?bragging rights? as she appears more frequently on the national political stage.
Sarah Palin accepted 2% of the offered stimulus money for other activities, but refused 98%, including the large clean energy work package:
Legislators were caught by surprise that Palin acted on the bills, since they hadn?t received prior notice about her veto plans. In the past, governors have notified at least Finance Committee co-chairmen as a matter of courtesy.
Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, is co-chairman the House Finance Committee. He said yesterday he?d had no contact with the governor?s office on budget matters since the legislative session ended in April. He said protocol would have meant working more closely together.
I am getting my rule book and adding another level to the making things work adage, “Lead, follow, get out of the way, or shut up about things not working.”
Life in the Third Layer 