Sarah Palin talks about Pebble Mine during her campaign for governor:
“I am a commercial fisherman; my daughter’s name is Bristol,” said Ms. Palin, then a candidate for governor. “I could not support a project that risks one resource that we know is a given, and that is the world’s richest spawning grounds, over another resource.”
A series of events since Sarah Palin's election:
The governor appointed mining industry officials to lead her Department of Natural Resources, which regulates mines. And her environmental commissioner is a former lawyer for Red Dog, which is Alaska’s largest mine and has a history of violations of the Clean Water Act.
Ken Taylor, a former fish and game official who was Ms. Palin’s point man in her argument that global warming did not threaten polar bears, became environmental vice president for the Pebble Partnership in July.
Other moves by the Palin administration could also help Pebble. It plans to use a $7 million federal earmark — a practice she criticized on the vice presidential campaign trail — for a major upgrade of a road through the snow-capped Chigmit range, records show. There are no villages along this route, but it would form the first leg of a proposed 200-mile thoroughfare between Pebble Mine and the Pacific Ocean.
The Palin administration declined to investigate ethics concerns raised by a Republican lawmaker who says mining officials have tried to buy the loyalty of native leaders, not least by paying $25,000 per month to house workers in the homes of influential locals. One of those houses is owned by Ethel and John Adcox, the parents of a close friend of Todd Palin, the governor’s husband.
Mining companies paid to fly Mr. Palin, who grew up near there and is an unofficial adviser to his wife, on a fact-finding tour of Alaska mines.
The industry spent $12 million fighting the referendum.
The Clean Water Act, also known as Ballot Measure 4 is an initiated state statute that was aimed at stemming the discharge of toxic materials from large metallic mineral mines in Alaska. It appeared on the statewide August 26 ballot.
Sarah Palin spoke out against the measure. Her words immediately appeared in television commercials paid for by the mines, and the referendum failed.
Issues still being reviewed:
Pollution Zone - Environment - Prohibiting pollution mixing zones in salmon and other fisheries - Under review by the Lt. Governor
Protect Alaska's Clean Water Act v.3 (2008) - Environment - Restrict release of pollutants from mining - In litigation
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Sarah Palin changed her tune since her campaign to become governor of Alaska.
Either she didn't mean what she said then, her words just another series of soundbites for political purposes, or she changed her mind. If that is the case, what made her change her mind so drastically?
The industry spent $12 million fighting the referendum.
Excellent diary on Daily Kos.
New York Times article.
Issues and action: Audubon Alaska
Further resources.
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6 comments:
Another day, another palin scandal!!!!!1111
http://halcroforgovernor.blogspot.com/2009/03/another-day-another-palin-scandal.html
Halcro in 2010!!!1111!!!1111
"The Palin administration declined to investigate ethics concerns raised by a Republican lawmaker who says mining officials have tried to buy the loyalty of native leaders, not least by paying $25,000 per month to house workers in the homes of influential locals. One of those houses is owned by Ethel and John Adcox, the parents of a close friend of Todd Palin, the governor’s husband.
Mining companies paid to fly Mr. Palin, who grew up near there and is an unofficial adviser to his wife, on a fact-finding tour of Alaska mines."
Hmmm? Do I smell another "Gate" here????
I think someone needs to look into this?
This one deserves a very thorough investigation. I hope the feds are looking at this one, along with all of the rest. An excellent post.
A good review of the details:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/15/0925/81409
She publicly advocated against the measure, which is a clear violation of Alaska law, and then allowed the mining industry to use her as the centerpiece in ads and posters. Also not allowed. Palin's actions were found to be against state law and unethical by the Alaska Public Offices Commission. But somehow, that was okay.
You'd think at the very least the Federal attorney general for Alaska -- not Tal Colberg, that was Sarah's handpicked state AG lapdog -- Nelson Cohen, who's departed for warmer climes in the lower 48, leaving one of his deputies, Karen Loeffler, in charge -- would have started an investigation into this.
Or maybe he did, and one of the Wasilla Mafia got to him.
"The Palin administration declined to investigate ethics concerns raised by a Republican lawmaker who says mining officials have tried to buy the loyalty of native leaders"
DECLINED? they can decline to investigate?
Perhaps now might be a good time to revisit this Pebble Mine issue, Ballet Measure 4 Clean Water Initiative and Palin's involvement in the defeat of the Ballet Measure 4.
Personally Regina, I would love for someone to untangle this story. What does Tim Griffin have to do with defeating this measure. He said as an consultant he came to AK 20 times in 2008 and helped defeat a mining measure for the mining companies. He was under Rove in the Bush administration, he is also an attorney.
And what does American for Job Security in Virginia have to do with Tim? They are a republican attack group who go against Dems. I read on an Andrew Halcro comment, who by the way has written three articles on Ballet Measure 4, that AJS had something to do with swiftboating John Kerry and John McCain during their prev. 2004 & 2000 presidential campaigns. Well, that would involve Tim Griffin. And John McCain used him in his campaign against Obama, and now it comes out Tim Griffin is involved in defeating Ballet Measure 4 with Palin and mining industry?
Now it comes out Gibbens, the AK lodge owner who was FOR Ballet Measure 4 is now busted for illegally funneling money through AJS?
I'm baffled.
Anyway, if you could use your excellent investigative gifts and dig into this I'd love it!
It's also a perfect time to dig up the fact that Palin's actions against Ballet Measure 4 were found to be "against state law" and "unethical" by the Alaska Public Offices Commission. What the heck happened to that?
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