Palin Mourns the Loss of Soldiers from Fort Wainwright

Office of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-38

Governor Palin Mourns the Loss of Fort Wainwright Soldiers

February 25, 2009, Juneau, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her condolences to the family and friends of three Fort Wainwright soldiers who were killed in Iraq on Monday.

Corporal Michael L. Mayne, 21, of Burlington Flats, N.Y.; Specialist Michael B. Alleman, 31, of Logan, Utah; and Private First Class Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis, died of wounds suffered when their unit was attacked by small-arms fire in Balad. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Wainwright.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of these fallen heroes who served their country with great honor and dignity,” Governor Palin said. “Their dedicated service and efforts to defend our country will not be forgotten. Todd and I send our sincerest condolences to the families during this painful time.”

A state flag, along with a letter of condolence, will be sent to each family.

Poll shows Palin support still strong in AnchorageAlaska

From Alaska Dispatch by euram

A new poll by Alaska pollster David Dittman of Dittman Resarch shows that Gov. Palin still enjoys plenty of support from those who live in Anchorage. By a margin of 56% to 37%, Anchorage residents say that she should be given another term.

Here's how they answered the following question:
Do you feel that Sarah Palin has done a good enough job as governor to deserve re-election?
56% Has
37% Has not
7% Unsure

(Excerpt) Read more at alaskadispatch.com ...

Advocates for disabled call on state for support

Ronald Reagan once said;
"A Creative Society would call upon their experience and the thinking of the campus researchers and others experienced in philanthropy and public service to make a study to establish that we are doing all we can, first of all, for those who are disabled, aged and who, through no fault of their own, must depend on the rest of us. Our goal should be not only to provide the necessities of life, but those comforts such as we can afford that will make their life worth living."



The coalition goes to Juneau every year to raise awareness about people with disabilities and to improve services. (Jason Kohler/KTUU-TV)


Those at a rally Wednesday worry that lawmakers don't understand what's at stake. (Jason Kohler/KTUU-TV)


In her State of the State speech, Gov. Sarah Palin promised more support for children with special needs. (Jason Kohler/KTUU-TV)


Disability service advocate Steve Leshko says they're asking for justice when it comes to receiving proper services. (Jason Kohler/KTUU-TV)

By Rhonda McBride at KTUU - JUNEAU, Alaska

When the Key Coalition comes to town, children with special needs fill the Capitol hallway, along with people in wheelchairs and with seeing-eye dogs.

The coalition goes to Juneau every year to raise awareness about people with disabilities and to improve services. They're hard to miss, yet their friends and family say they seem to miss out
on a lot.

Advocates for people with developmental disabilities feel they have a hard time getting heard, but since the governor gave birth to Trig, her child with Down Syndrome, a lot has changed.

In her State of the State speech, Gov. Sarah Palin promised more support for children with special needs, such as giving more money to screen children with autism.

Those at a rally Wednesday worry that lawmakers don't understand what's at stake.

Hundreds of people with development disabilities are on waiting lists for services.

One child, Jonah, was born with brain damage on the left side of his brain, but he got the services he needed.

"He's living proof, because he wasn't walking, he wasn't talking and because he's had over two years of services, he's much more independent," Jonah's mother Kamah Gregory said.

But with so many children on the waiting list, other kids may not fare so well.

"All we're asking you for is one word, and that's 'justice,'" disability service advocate Steve Leshko said. "Remember the old saying that 'Justice isn't something you go out and shop for or
something you find, it's something you create.'"

Advocates are also asking for more support for home services for the elderly and developmentally disabled so it can keep them out of costly institutions.

But even with the governor's support they know that the dollars will be tough to come by, and their battle is far from over.

One of the bills the Key Coalition supports is sponsored by Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage, that would require the state to review Medicaid rates for services provided at home for the elderly and the disabled.

Nursing homes and other facilities get rate adjustments, but rates for services provided at home do not, so a lot of therapists and people trained to work with the disabled end up leaving the state.

Ellis said it would be a good investment for the state, because as the population ages, more people are going to need at-home services, which are cheaper to provide than building a new nursing home.

Alaska officials seek additional stimulus moneyPalin's reluctance to accept funds has some legislators suggesting they act on their own

By Pat Forgey at JUNEAU EMPIRE

Palin's public opposition to the federal stimulus package, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has led to concerns among legislators that she won't make full use of the money. Palin asked for $461 million, but many lawmakers think the state's share should be closer to $1 billion.

Instead, some legislators say they should consider accepting stimulus money on their own.

"It's very clear in the package that either a governor may accept the funds, or a legislature," said Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, an influential member on budget issues. "It's not one where a governor has a right of veto over any of this."

Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said it was up to Congress to decide how much stimulus the nation needed, and he didn't share Palin's reluctance.

"The governor has been quoted in the press as saying there are some things she might choose not to accept," he said. "As I look at them, I'd be more willing to accept them."

Among those items, he said, was funding for low-income school children or special education.

States that don't accept the money, in some cases within 120 days, could see that money re-allocated to other states.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to get as much federal money as possible to help his state's huge budget deficit. House Majority Leader Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, said Alaska should do whatever it can to bring federal money to Alaska.

"I don't want the Terminator getting Alaska's money," she said.

In Washington, D.C. while attending a Council of State Governments briefing on the stimulus, Sen. Lesil McGuire described Alaska's response to the stimulus as "chaotic," which she said may stem from a communications vacuum among major players, including the House, Senate, governor and local communities.

Senate President Stevens said the Senate was working to make sure Alaska got "our share, and even if a little bit more if possible. We don't want to leave any money on the table."

He said Senate leaders were meeting with Palin in an effort to coordinate the response, but agreed with Hawker that the Legislature could act on its own if need be.

"We have the opportunity to go around the governor," he said. "If there are things the governor chooses not to apply for, we have the opportunity to apply for those things ourselves."

Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, said he didn't know what Palin's motives for declining stimulus money was.

"I can't think of any reason that money that creates jobs and advances public services for Alaskans would be left on the table," he said.

Palin has said she fears accepting federal money may obligate the state to continue programs even after funding ends. Stevens said he is unaware of any such requirements.

One area where federal money will clearly be accepted is for transportation projects. State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities officials say they've been monitoring the process closely.

State officials announced Wednesday Alaska's first stimulus-funded project, a new causeway in Gustavus. The $7.7 million project will replace a deteriorating pier and enable freighters, fuel barges, transport and sightseeing vessels to moor there, and improve access to the city and Glacier Bay National Park.

"This new causeway will create good paying jobs and will be a great benefit to the community," Palin said in a statement announcing the project.

Hawker said legislators would be trying to pull together everyone with an interest in the stimulus to ensure Alaska gets as much money as possible.

"We're all looking to work as collaboratively as possible so as to not let any of this (money) fall through the cracks," he said.

Is it 2012 already?

From The Note The Note - Washington's Original and Most Influential Tipsheet

The first Republican straw poll of the 2012 campaign got underway Thursday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.

Before the three-day gathering of conservative activists began, the straw poll's creator, Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates, would not release its wording.

But we've now got our hands on it.

As conference attendees walk into the Omni Shoreham Hotel ballroom in Washington, DC, they are invited to fill out a questionnaire.

The presidential preference question asks: "Thinking ahead to the 2012 Presidential election, who would you vote for as the next Republican nominee for President?"

It then lists ten options in alphabetical order: (1) Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, (2) former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, (3) former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, (4) former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, (5) Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, (6) Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, (7) Texas Rep. Ron Paul, (8) Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, (9) former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and (10) South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

Conference attendees are also invited to write in someone else or to indicate that they are undecided.

The questionnaire also asks conference attendees to say whether they are "generally satisfied" with the field of potential candidates or whether they "wish the GOP had a better field of potential candidates."

Six of the 10 candidates being tested for 2012 are appearing at CPAC: Gingrich, Huckabee, Paul, Pawlenty, Romney, and Sanford.

The other four -- Crist, Giuliani, Jindal, and Palin -- are not attending.

Straw Poll results will be announced on Saturday at 4:30 pm ET.

U.S.News: Claims Palin Supporters Are Smearing Gov. Jindal as ‘Secret Muslim’

by Warner Todd Huston @Red State

One has to wonder about the thought process of some people. Dan Gilgoff, Faith reporter with U.S. News and World Report and Huffington Post writer, is a perfect example of what I am talking about. After a February 23 posting on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s Catholic faith, Gilgoff followed up the next day with a post claiming that Sarah Palin fans were smearing Jindal over his supposedly “secret Muslim” faith. Where did Gilgoff get such a ridiculous idea? Why, from just two commenters that posted on his entry of the 23rd, that’s where.

That’s right, just two people claiming in the comments section of his U.S. News post that Jindal was a secret Muslim was enough for Dan Gilgoff to decide that Sarah Palin’s entire support base is smearing Bobby Jindal as a secret Muslim. Just two people. Two nuts is enough for U.S. News and World Report to slander Sarah Palin and all her followers as crazy, racist, hatemongers.

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