Thursday 26 March 2009

Sarah Palin's rural Alaska

Following Sarah Palin's visit to Marshall and Russian Mission with the Evangelical circus in late February, Nick Tucker, an Emmonak elder, wasn't very happy with the way his conversation with the Governor went or her answers to his questions.

Quite rightly, Mr Tucker objected to Sarah Palin's patronizing tone and her failure to address any of the problems the villagers have been facing for a long time. Sarah Palin delivered the usual insulting platitudes and that was that.



The Governor and her sidekick Sean Parnell went to Western Alaska for a photo opportunity with celebrity evangelist Franklin Graham and his Samaritan Purse. The trip had the purpose of silencing the Governor's critics about her inaction since the story broke in mid-January and promoting the Evangelical movement.

The residents of the two villages were surprised to receive food they didn't need, but were grateful just the same. Mr Tucker had to fly to Marshall to speak to the Governor.

Sarah Palin's new Rural Advisor, Mr John Moller, responded to Nick Tucker's criticism in a letter.


John Moller, Sarah Palin's Rural Advisor

Here is a snippet:

"I spoke to Mr. Tucker three times while in Emmonak, including just before he left for Marshall. At that time, Emmonak had already received thousands of pounds of food from both state and private resources. Samaritan's Purse made the right decision to deliver aid to Marshall and Russian Mission. The governor and lieutenant governor were guests and not in control of the destinations. Both had also previously made an attempt to fly to Emmonak but were weathered out."

Apart from Rep Jay Ramras efforts to send cash, boxes of food and supplies to the relevant villages, the state had not sent anything other than food vouchers.

Mr Moller ends his letter with this sentence: "The state's efforts will continue."

Mmmmmm...

Links
Jay Ramras and more details about donations in an excellent article
Nick Tucker's letter
John Moller's letter in full

Previous post about John Moller's appointment
Post about the present situation
.

2 comments:

KaJo said...

Sarah Palin mouthpiece...er, spokesman John Moller said: "At that time, Emmonak had already received thousands of pounds of food from both state and private resources".

He fails to point out that the "thousands of pounds of food" were 95% from "private resources" -- i.e. those "pajama-clad bloggers" from all over the world, primarily, but also organized efforts from a small number of church groups and school children -- and 5% was the struggle one lone state official, Alaska Rep. Jay Ramras, had to deliver the food he'd collected to send to Emmonak.

Instead of Sarah Palin allowing Rep. Ramras to use state transportation, such as requesting the Alaska Air National Guard to assist, she forced him to beg for donated air services at first, then finally she allowed the LATTER HALF of a flight from Anchorage to Emmonak via Bethel.

Anonymous said...

Well, GINO accomplished what she wanted to going to those places. She put up pictures from this trip on her face book. You should read all the fawning and atta girl doing your good deed. She's such a joke, making everyone believe that she has good hearted concern over the villages and natives. Everything about her is false. She's steals credit for what others do and then trash 'em. What a vindictive, spiteful, little BBBEEEEOOOTTTCCHHHHH she is.