Monegan says Palin administration and first gentleman used gove...

Kreitzer is considered the Commissioner of Commissioners. The Commissioners couldn't just march down the the Governors office without going through Kreitzer. Kreitzer has a lot of power and weilded it, with direction from the Governor, during the 2007 and 2008 contract negotiations with various State Employee Unions.

The Governor has demonstrated that she would rather save money than do the right thing. There is no reason why she couldn't approve a $900,000 supplemental funding bill for the Troopers when she is sitting on $10,000,000,000 in the bank.

Education and Public Safety are both important priorities, but when the Governor throws millions and millions at Education and then asks the Troopers to cut their budget just shows her lack of understanding, lack of commitment and questionable decision making.

How does Governor Palin expect the Troopers to provide quality Public Safety to Alaskans when we know the following:

State Population in 1990 - 550,000
Number of Troopers in 1990 - 400

State Population in 2008 - 640,000
Number of Troopers in 2008 - 300

Why is that the State Trooper Recruitment Department is always broke and out of funds to travel and recruit to a similar level as a department of similar size like APD? AST Recruitment Booths are weak, under funded and the one recruiter has recruiting resources similar to that of a small town department.

Trooper Jobs are challenging, require a person with unique skills and an adventurous attitude, but AST will never recruit enough qualified applicants if it does not close the gap in compensation with other Alaska Law Enforcement Departments. Troopers make about 35% less than several municipal law enforcement agencies in Alaska and this is after we signed the new so called great contract offered by the State.

Why are VPSO's making almost the same as Troopers when they have 10% of the responsibility and training, but live and work in the same places?

This Governor appears to have it in for the Troopers and has gone out of her way to smash DPS and AST like a bug.

Guess the Palin family will not be taking up residence at Annapolis where the Vice President usually resides in a very nice house... I do understand loyalty to family but there is also loyalty to the people .. they shot themselves in the foot and should not be surprised to find themselves hobbled from here out

If Palin was trying to use her position as Governor to re move a trooper, who was accused of misconduct by a third party, she was out of order. All complaints against law enforcement should have the same paradigm, no matter who the plaintiff is. This keeps the process within the light of public scrutiny.

Trooper Wooten is abully and hid behind his badge and gun. He should be terminated. I remember another Trooper who had attained the rank of Col and Commissioner of public safety who met his fate at the end of a gun barrel for his devious methods cheating and lying using his political position to do harm to others.

     This is such an obvious witch hunt against our Govenor Palin.  Monegan demonstrated poor judgement in not firing Wooten for tazering an 11 year old child.  Frankly, charges for assault and child abuse should be filed against Wooten. It's scary to have a Trooper who has such poor judgement to taser a child. This is a seriously violent act against a child.  The Trooper's union is demonstrating poor judgement in defending him. 

So what do we think of her and her family's judgement. I guess we hold it pretty high huh!She does whatever she please 's and we turn around and kiss her on the cheek .Do you think maybe she needs a hug too? I wonder why nobody has mentioned the State plane that is not here for her and the family to use. I know that was also a big deal for her ever since we found out that our money was going for airfare for all her family. Hmm wonder what else we don't know. Hey but at least we voted for a Prom Qween Right!!

A few points of clarification -

The Wooten episodes and discipline occurred under the Murkowski administration with Tandeske as the Public Safety Commissioner and Col. Julia Grimes - Monegan would have not been able to provide any new discipline to Wooten because of double jeopardy. If Monegan would have ordered further discipline to Wooten such as termination, a judge would have ordered Wooten back to work and his lawsuit would have made him a rich man.

Monegan is as honorable as they come - if he says something, you can take it to the bank.

Monegan really has no dog in this fight - he retired after a very honorable 30+ year law enforcement career prior to his appt., and now he is retired again. It is more likely that the only reason he has spoken up is to purely and unselfishly bring needed attention to the plight of the understaffed, under equipped, under paid troopers. In the end, Sarah and the legislature will have to help the troopers in order to appear that they care. If Walt had walked away quietly, nothing would have changed, now there is a chance.

Bravo Walt!

"These senators [politicians] are so corrupt now, they won't stay bought" - Mark Twain

I don't think she'll be too upset to lose the next election over this as I'm sure TransCanada will have a great job waiting for her! Why else is she pushing so hard for them?

I always thought some of the dumb descisions she made were due to ignorance but now I think she just not as polished as the big name scammers.

Note to Alaska politicians: If done right using your public office to increase your bank account or please your family is cool. But don't blow it over just trying to screw over the ex in law or to pay your credit card bills. Hold out for the big stuff like a nice house in Girdwood! And remember that along the way you have to do big things for the state like Uncle Ted. I honestly don't give a rats butt that Ted might have played some dirty pool because I know this state is better off than if Begich gets in. Slap him on the wrist if you want but Ted needs to stay where he is.

A little tipsy as I write this so don't give me grief if I misspelled anything!

yes, abuse of power is always bad and should only be used to protect your family .. i guess a sister is family, right?

Whoever wrote this article needs to go take some writing classes. Information was spread out all over the place like the writer threw all the pieces of a puzzle into the air and whichever piece landed in whatever order was the way the story was written.

Have a starting point. Build the story. Have a direction. Instead, the writer had too many directions. And then conclude with a ending that is unbiased and lets us know that there is more to come and to keep reading. Don't end abruptly...that leaves the readers with...WTF?!!!

Ooops wrote:

Guess the Palin family will not be taking up residence at Annapolis where the Vice President usually resides in a very nice house... I do understand loyalty to family but there is also loyalty to the people .. they shot themselves in the foot and should not be surprised to find themselves hobbled from here out

The vice president doesn't live in Annapolis, Maryland at the Naval Academy. The veep lives on the grounds of the Naval Observatory on Observatory Circle in Northwest Washington, DC, one of the higher points of the city. Please get your facts straight. Those of us who pay attention to our government would appreciate it.

I'm Democrate by heart but I support Gov. Palin she does truly love Alaska, and it's people. Sadly I know now that she is gonna be running for V.P people are gonna be digging all kind of dirt on her they can and it's sad!! Trying to ruin and discredit such a good person as OUR Gov.

another say anything to get elected candidate...nice...America is lucky...do they have character or are they characters....

Well said BigSalmon!
Didn't she run on the platform of public safety and truth and transparency? I haven't seen either of these where she is concerned. She is great at saying hold me accountable but how are we ever going to get to do that when she has so many fall guys?
And she doesn't know a darn thing about what goes on in her administration since she didn't have knowledge about anything such as the pressure on Monegan to fire Wooten or the Kopp incident.
The department of corrections didn't see anything either from her. She's all words and no action. She has shown that if you do what she wants there are rewards and if you don't she will throw you to the wolves.
It is embarrassing everytime she makes a statement and someone has proof of what did happen and she has to change her story yet again. Nope, no truth and transparency as far as she is concerned. Drag your feet and keep saying hold me accountable and I'm willing to cooperate. What the heck they are only words just as her platform she ran under was. I'm insulted that she thinks we are all that brain dead. Sad. Sad. Sad.
Rest assured though that I will continue to watch all videos, keep racking up the lies and keep reminding people to do their research. I sure hope this ends soon and she has some character and or conscience and drops out. Personally I doubt she has either.

One last thought, how is she gonna get around the other 4 investigations involving her and her administration?

Please post your information on huffingtonpost.com there is so much here on Palin. Huffingtonpost.com is read by millions, you guys have information that the press needs to get out.

Just how much is Todd involved in all of this. I am thinking it is much deeper than one would think.
Wisconsinite