By Kathleen
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin greets a protester holding a sign reading "Idiot Queen" as she arrives for a clambake at a private residence in Seabrook, New Hampshire: Picture Reuters
Yet again the State of Alaska has been granted an extension to the release of the last emails involving Sarah Palin when she acted as Governor of Alaska. The latest release has been granted by the outgoing Attorney General of Alaska, John Burns, and according to the ADN has been given until February 20th.
In granting the request the ADN reports that Burns relates that "the length of time that has elapsed is troubling and should further extensions be requested they must include details on the progress made and a schedule for and resources committed to fullfilling the response."
Just what was it that Sarah Palin said when she was first elected? Oh yes, she said "hold me accountable". Ever since she or her appointees have done everything she and they possibly could to ensure that she is not "held accountable". Sarah Palin is so accountable that according to the Washington Post more than 950 emails were withheld and that over 2,300 pages of emails were redacted. The request for and grant of a further extension surely must mean that there are still a lot of redactions to carry out and this next batch of emails are likely to be just as useless as the last ones proved to be.
I wonder how "accountable" Sarah Palin can be if the State that employed her does everything in it's power to protect her? And how exactly can Alaskan citizens ever again ensure that their government will protect them from this type of behaviour when it is clear that it cannot be trusted to act on their behalf.
Andree Mcleod left a very good comment at the ADN:
Palin and Parnell get away with these shenanigans because legislators, ALL OF THEM, don't have the political will nor wherewithal to pass laws and update Alaska's public records laws re: the advent of electronic communications and technologies. They, along with Palin and Parnell, failed to protect and preserve the public's business and records.All the while, not all of Palin's emails have been retrieved (as per Judge Stowers Oct. 2008 judgment), since she mostly conducted official business using private email accounts AND networks, and her lawyers and staff made sure that the incriminating ones never saw the light of day.The culture of corrupting continues...unabated.
Andree is right. The law regarding public records in Alaska needs to be changed and the Governor's emails especially be subjected to a ruling that ensures that the use of private email accounts and networks are not permitted for conducting state business. Of course unless the government emails are also subject to being more open and transparent (ie less redactions and withheld emails of a dubious nature) the cover-ups will continue.
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UPDATE BY PATRICK:
Kathleen twittered to Stephen Hanks, who, as Bristol claimed, destroyed her Hollywood career.
Stephen Hanks replied! Enjoy:
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