Palin comes out against Alaska's Clean Water initiative.

[bigtree]

Friday, Aug. 22, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska-- The governor has come out against the so-called Clean Water initiative.

Gov. Sarah Palin spoke out against it earlier this week, drawing sharp criticism from a group that supports Ballot Measure 4.

It is against the law for the governor to officially advocate for or against a ballot measure; however, Palin took what she calls "personal privelege" to discuss one of this year's most contentious initiatives, which voters will decide Tuesday.

"Let me take my governor's hat off just for a minute here and tell you, personally, Prop 4 -- I vote no on that. I have all the confidence in the world that (the Department of Environmental Conservation) and our (Department of Natural Resources) have great, very stringent regulations and policies already in place," Palin said. "We're going to make sure that mines operate only safely, soundly."

Meanwhile, Alaskans for Clean Water, which supports the measure, has filed a complaint against DNR for a recently-launched state website meant to clarify the issue for voters.

The group believes the state is illegally staking its position on the proposition before Alaskans vote next Tuesday.

A spokesman for the group called Palin's comments "highly unethical."

"You can literally say that these guys in DNR are sitting there with the mining industry, taking it straight off their play book. The slideshow they had up on the screen when they announced this thing is straight from the one they use in their presentations around the state," said Art Hackney of Alaskans for Clean Water. "I think it's absolutely outrageous -- and somehow, unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me."


http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=8885438


Ballot Measure 4 -- Bill Providing For Regulation Of Water Quality
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=8730890

[KansDem]

1. WTF??? "Personal privilege"

Bush abuses "executive privilege," now Palin exerts "personal privilege?"

Is there such a thing as "personal privilege" in politics?

And doesn't KTUU have spell check on its computers? "personal privelege"?

Where do they get these rubes?

Looks like some high-school student council

This is all so bizarre!

Man, who left the flatbed unattended...