Aide says Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will accept most federal stimulus funds

[JI7]

Source: the sf examiner

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will sign bills accepting most of the federal stimulus funds available to the state, her spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said the governor changed her mind after the public weighed in during legislative hearings prior to lawmakers passing bills to seek almost all of the funding.

Palin had warned about the state having to finance projects created by the stimulus funds after the federal money runs out. She earlier called the stimulus package "an unsustainable, debt-ridden package of funds."

Alaska's Legislature conducted more than 20 public hearings on the federal stimulus package, and legislative leaders said they couldn't find any of the strings attached to the funds that Palin had warned about.

Read more: http://www.sfexaminer.com/nation/ap/48689622.html

[Gman]

1. They couldn't find those strings becaus

THERE AREN'T ANY!!

[astral]

4. Well, actually, there are.

It has to do with a thing called the International Building Code. She would not accept some of the funding because the strings attached were that ALL Alaska communities would have to conform to these uniform building rules. If you can grasp the concept that the use of honey buckets is a common theme in a lot of Alaskan communities still, people can't get 'there from here' sometimes. Not that lack of plumbing is a good thing, but then in certain circumstances an outhouse isn't so bad, nor is hauling water -- it's just a way of life. Things change when they change, not because the US government mandates that they change.

That was her point, and whatever you think of Sarah Palin, I think it was a very valid and sane point to consider.


_______________________________________
EDIT (i KNEW I was forgetting something!)
This would also take away the autonomy communities enjoy up here in making their own decisions regarding housing regulation.

[Robb]

6. Actually existing homes would be exempt

...as with every other community that has adopted IBC or UBC in the past decade. Remodel or build new, and you must follow the codes. Lived in a county that started building codes only two years earlier. Bit of a change, but really only for developers. And newcomers. Neither of which won much sympathy from the locals. :D

Edited to add: Kind of funny, our newly-hired building inspector didn't have his own vehicle when he first moved out, so he got the marshal's old cruiser for a few months. Most folks thought it was hilarious when he'd show up for an inspection, and eventually he got in on the fun and used the blue and red lights, too. :)

[No Elephants]

10. Odd. I don't remember her saying anything remotely like that when she

said she was going to reject a lot of the money. The honey bucket crap (no pun intended) sounds like a ton of backpedaling.

"Palin Rejects Stimulus Money

William Thomas Cain / Getty ImagesAnother sign that Sarah Palin is ginning up for 2012: The Anchorage Daily News reports “Gov. Sarah Palin is refusing to accept more than 30 percent of the federal economic stimulus money being offered to Alaska, including dollars for schools, energy assistance and social services.” She said she will accept money for construction projects, but not funds for government. "We are not requesting funds intended to just grow government," Palin said. "In essence we say no to operating funds for more positions in government.” According to the ADN, “The biggest single chunk of money Palin is turning down is about $170 million for education, including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students.”

Read it at Anchorage Daily News
Posted at 6:36 AM, Mar 20, 2009"

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/palin-rejects-stimulus-money/rejections/

[Gman]

11. It's never mandated that existing construction has to be brought up to code

It was built to whatever code existed (if any in your neck of the woods) at the time. If you do some work on existing construction and you contracted with someone to do the work, they will get the necessary permits, do the work to code including bringing whatever they touch up to code. Then the "governing authority" comes out and inspects.

It cannot be mandated that existing construction has to be brought up to code.

[glinda]

2. She needs meds for her hormonal imbalance from menopause

[Fearless]

3. Well gas tax revenues are going down... REALLY?

http://www.joshilynjackson.com/mt/archives/surprised!.jpeg

[tomm2thumbs]

5. of course she will - she's just a weak fumbling village idiot - how GOP of her... nt

[Mz Pip]

9. And she will manage to capture

as much TV time over the ins and outs of her decision.

[Solly Mack]

7. Snort

Idiot

[lindisfarne]

8. flip-flopper. n/t