Sarah Palin Shoots Down Energy Efficiency
posted by: LiAnna D. 212 days ago
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin skyrocketed to the headlines when she became John McCain's surprise nominee for vice president in 2008 -- but even out of the spotlight of a national campaign, Palin continues to garner attention outside of Alaska.
Most recently, she made headlines for her take on accepting Alaska's portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- commonly called the stimulus plan. Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic does a nice job of running down her waffling statements.
But the most baffling part to me is that, of the $930 million allocated for Alaska, she only rejected the $28.6 million slated for energy efficiency measures. The New York Times explains:
The stimulus funds for states' energy offices come with other efficiency-oriented stipulations. To be eligible for the money, governors must offer assurances that their state will not only strengthen its building code, but also that they will make energy efficiency and renewable energy a priority when spending the funds. The states are also supposed to make sure that utilities have incentives to help their customers make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient...
Sounds great to me. But Palin has other ideas, claiming that "mandating universal energy building codes" was a bad idea for Alaska. The problem is, rejecting that money is an even worse idea for our environment. The future of this planet depends on everyone -- including residents of Alaska -- to start conserving energy now. And the best way to get started is through government-funded programs like the state energy grants Governor Palin just rejected.
Even fellow Alaskan Republicans agree; Alaskan Senate Resources Committee Co-Chair Lesil McGuire (an Anchorage Republican) sent Palin a letter formally urging her to take the energy efficiency funds. The Anchorage Daily News reports that Senator McGuire "said in an interview that Palin herself set a goal of Alaska receiving 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2025. 'And then to come back and reject the implementation of an energy saving code the building community hasn't rejected and that other states are readily adopting, I think it sends a hypocritical message,' McGuire said."
Agree it's hypocritical? You can let Sarah Palin know! Demand that she accepts the $28.6 million in stimulus funds for energy efficiency programs today by signing this petition.
Read more: politics, energy efficiency, sarah palin, stimulus plan
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Virginia, you are a victim of bad news sources. That was debunked a long time ago.
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To Catarina W:
As far as "HATING" Palin, PLEASE do your homework! I don't care about her politics any more, but as far as her being a WOMAN?
I have NO USE for her at all! When she was the mayor of a town in Alaska she made RAPE VICTIMS pay for their own rape kits, if you didn't have the $ well, tuff stuff the mayor said!
No other crime victim was forced to pay for their police investigations and Palin let rapists walk the street as free men to rape again if the woman didn't have the money to run the DNA tests herself.
Imagine how many families she tore apart, how many women are now among the walking wounded b/c of her stupidity.
Imagine YOURSELF as one of those victims whose children might have seen and heard the attacks and couldn't get justice or the normal police action most rape victims and their FAMILIES get after such a brutal crime, imagine yourself pregnant with a child from that attack when it could have been prevented immediately after the rape if you had the money for the rape kit. What would you do?
Imagine that you caught AIDS or some other STD from the rape; imagine that your husband couldn't handle it and left you, now free from the horror, but just as scarred as you are.
I am sure, from the tone of your post that you are completely uninformed about a candidate you voted for...this country is going to hell from stupidity, too bad it isn't painful so you'd have been too ill to make it to the voting booth.
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Most of you women sound like old cackling hens when taking your pot shots at Sarah. How can you look at someone and not like them Pam R. What an asinine remark, but most of your posts are.
The Governor's approach is politically astute. She has not 'rejected' any of the stimulus money. Rather she has 'accepted' 4$515m because she can put her hand on her heart and say that these dollars meet the stimulus criteria of new economic growth and therefore new employment growth. As regards the rest she is asying: I cannot put my hand on my heart and say that these dollars meet the stimulus criteria. Furthermore they may involve new ongoing legal and financial commitments for Alaska and Alaskans. But, before we finish I would like lawmakers and all citizens to openly discuss whether we shoild accept these dollars. If you do, can you propose how they will be funded in the long-term. In the meantime, I will keep an open mind". She's a experienced (unlike the media portrayed and unlike the bozo Prez we have now). She's also a beautiful woman. You hate her because she has it all....Go ahead and rationalize your hate fest.
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While I am not a Governor Palin supporter, I see her statements: “Alaska’s vast expanse and differing conditions are not conducive to a federally mandated, universal energy code,” she said in a statement.
“Mandating universal energy building codes throughout our state is not in Alaskans’ common or individual interests,” she added. From the New York Times.
Because if you live ina Northern state solar panels are not much help, and she is saying that in the state of Alaska they have different needs, with the sun only for six months out of the year, how could solar panels help, geothermal in most of the government building would take most of the stimulus funds, so where does the rest of the money come from? To meet that code..... the taxpayers???
I would love to make my home energy efficient but the geothermal heating would cost me more than the amount I paid for my house and it may not work if the soil is not the right mix. Grey water system would help alot with finances, solar panels will help a little in the summer and wind mills in the winter but not all of it, because I live according to the wind maps and solar maps in the lower ares for these items to make a big difference I would still need to buy resource from the city......
So for the goverment to give me only hlf of what I need to make it happen and sign something saying I would make everything happen can't do it, don't have the income......
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About the only thing more despicable than name-calling when one can't actually manage an argument, is to make baseless accusations of criminal activity.
Disgusting.
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I have to agree on one thing, I would venture to bet, she is getting money somewhere for NOT taking the stimulus funds for energy. Usually when something sounds "rotten in Denmark" as the old saying goes, you can bet it is.
Of course I cannot stand this woman... never could from the first moment I saw a picture of her, then to listen to her was even worse. Thank goodness she is NOT our VP! What a nightmare that would be.
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On the news today May 12.2009.At 6pm.In Cambridge Ontario Canada. Sarah Palin is writing a book on her tell all life story!!
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While it may be true some Alaskans protested her decisions, the last post gives the false impression that most Alaskans disagree with her, Her approval rating among Alaskans remains over 61% - significantly higher than Obama's general approval rating,
Again, it is lazy and dishonest to try to dismiss contrary positions as stupid without any argumentation. It makes you look - well, stupid.
I also wonder what conflict the posters here think they see between Palins opposition to abortion and her views on wolf hunting,
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I have always been impressed by her lack of intelligence as many Alaskans have too. Spending $400,000 of taxpayers money to fund a propaganda campaign in support of aerial killing of wolves and poisoning wolf cubs! Alaskans have protested her misuse of their taxes. Being both anti-abortion and murdering wolves doesn't make sense. She is a corrupt governor that bends over backwards to please Big Game organizations.
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I also find it curious that the author focuses only on Governor Palin when there are quite a few other states also refusing Federal money to avoid losing their state's autonomy. Was that an attempt to falsely single out the Governor as the only holdout in order to marginalize her, or merely a symptom of the hysteria Palin engenders in the far left?
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