A letter from my cousin Elaine in Alaska

9/07/08 | Nikos Vlachos

[nikos1121]

My cousin Elaine lives in Anchorage. This is an excerpt from the letter she wrote to me:

Dear Cousin Nikos,

As an Alaskan, I’m writing to give you some information on Sarah Palin, Senator McCain's choice for VP. As an Alaska voter, I know more than most Americans about her and, frankly, I along with countless others up here are happy as a bear at the beginning of spawning season.

We're ecstatic that he picked her!

We’re hearing that a lot of people in the media think she’s a “redneck” because she hunts and fishes and runs three miles a day in a snowmobile outfit. She’s a life long member of the NRA, and I guess city folk don’t like that, but up here it’s quite normal. In fact, it’s the preferred ID card over a driver’s license. Haha.

About the only thing redneck that I know she’s done was when she drove to work one day in a Zamboni.

But seriously, Nikos, the most accurate description of her is that she's a down to earth “real” person. Isn't that refreshing for Washington?

Her husband works in the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay and races snow mobiles. She’s worked tirelessly to preserve our natural wildlife here.

Which reminds me, thanks for forwarding me that article posted in the NY TImes about some doctor, who says he works on one of the Eskimo reservations outside of Juneau.

I don't know where they found him, but all I can say is that his idea of what is fact up here sucks wet dog fur.

He says that the state is ten times worse since Sarah came in office. Among his beefs is that Sarah signed a bill that allows aerial hunting of wolves and other predatory animals and that our education system up here is the worst in the United States.

He must be one of those doctors whose medical education was paid for by the state of Alaska, in turn for him agreeing to work in some of the more remote areas for a year or more. There are quite a few docs up here, and they’re all mostly here because they want to be, and they love it. A few others, like the one in the article, can’t wait until their contracts are up so they can move back to New York or San Francisco and get a hot bath. Haha!

Aerial hunting? Yeah, she was for it along with just about everyone else up here. When the caribou and even domestic wildlife, like dogs and farm animals were being ravaged by packs of wolves, she supported a bill that allowed aerial hunting of them.

Aerial hunting of these predators from helicopters and airplanes I know, sounds like an inhumane way to kill them, but up here it's the most cost effective and safest way, for hunters, to do this.

These predators were so over populated they were threatening children and people working up here. I'll be happy to send you some information on this subject.

Before Sarah came into office, we had the lowest rate of high school graduation in the country, but she's improved that already. Sarah got the oil companies to kick in more to our state treasury. They didn't like the idea of paying more taxes, but on the other hand, Sarah streamlined the process so that they're now able to access oil and gas fields formerly not available to them. They're making more money than ever and sending oil and natural gas to Americans.

The increased revenues for the state are being used to improve our schools. And by the way, she even gave each of us $1800 when her budget was in the black at the end of the year.

In a time when our nation needs to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, she not only talks, but she takes action. She has been a strong supporter of increased drilling for oil and natural gas, but she's a strong advocate for other forms of renewable sources to. She's for wind, solar and geothermal. She's also for building more nuclear plants. She's shown that you can do this and still be environmentally sound.

Do you people in the lower 48 think we'd let someone run this state who was not a good custodian of our land and waters? If anyone tried to do that, we’d lassoo them right from their office chair and throw them in the brink for king salmon bait.

Okgottogoluvubye,

Elaine

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[petercooper]

bttt

[devane617]

Caribou Barbie...will be our next POTUS.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" They didn't like the idea of paying more taxes, but on the other hand, Sarah streamlined the process so that they're now able to access oil and gas fields formerly not available to them. They're making more money than ever and sending oil and natural gas to Americans. "

Better watch out, the DEMS/MSM will try to attack and smear Sarah Palin with this if they haven't already done so by their support of raising taxes on the oil companies... and if they do ? there is a fact that they will conveniently leave out.. she streamlined the process for oil companies to get permits for drilling and are making more money than ever.

[EverOnward]

keeping for reference

[nikos1121]

Plus the tax rates were too low to begin with...considering that they’re taking Alaskan resources...

[Tainan]

Thanks for sharing Nikos...and I like you’re sigline.

[beckysueb]

Aerial hunting of these predators from helicopters and airplanes I know, sounds like an inhumane way to kill them, but up here it's the most cost effective and safest way, for hunters, to do this. These predators were so over populated they were threatening children and people working up here.

People in the lower 48 just don't understand living in places like this. You do what you have to do. They don't live in big cities where you can just ignore the problems of overpopulation of predatory animals. You have to do something about it yourself even if it offends the senses. I bet the people of Alaska will be so glad when the stench of high falootin' reporters goes away and stops polluting their pristine state.

[tillacum]

I would like the name of the “Eskimo reservations” this so-called Doctor works for. Especially an Eskimo reservation outside of Juneau. We have one reservation in ALL of Alaska and it is south of Ketchikan, put in effect by a preacher who brought those people from Canada many years ago.

[backhoe]

To quote myself?

- the “hockey Mom who wandered in from the Alaska wilderness, baby tucked in one arm, rifle in the other” has a quixotic appeal across a wide and divergent spectrum.

Ref:
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1224051&highlight=#1224051

I will pseudo-blog this phenomenon until there is nothing more to say:

Click the picture:

But I will say this:

In 24 years of marriage, I have never seen my alleged better half so enthused, so caring, so interested in a politician, as Miss Emily is in Sarah...

Remember, this is an intelligent and well-educated woman who was horrified that NOW wanted her for a member in college, and called herself "your basic New Deal Democrat" when we got married... she's about as atypical a voter, and supporter, as you can find.

As she said the first time Sarah spoke,

"I want to vote for that woman!"

And so do I-- we need someone different from the usual gaggle of professional lawyers & lobbyists representing us in Washington...
_________________
Just an old Keyboard Cowboy...gating back out, into Cyberspace and the -Dreamtime--

[nikos1121]

That’s a great post. I saw Geraldine Ferraro on TV. She speaking the dem talking points, but I think she’ll vote for McCain when she’s in that voting booth, but never admit it to anyone until in the after life....

[backhoe]

That’s a great post. I saw Geraldine Ferraro on TV. She speaking the dem talking points, but I think she’ll vote for McCain when she’s in that voting booth, but never admit it to anyone until in the after life...

Thank you- I've never seen the like of it-- Sarah seems to cut across party lines, to some extent.

This is going to be an "interesting" contest, in the Chinese Curse sense...

[GATOR NAVY]

“snowmobiles”? “Eskimo reservations”? “$1800 rebate”?

No way this written by an Alaskan. I hate made up crap passed on in e-mails.

[nikos1121]

Everything is true..

[1035rep]

Everything is true..

Isn’t her approval rating in the 80’s. I’ve heard the news refer to her as the most popular Governor in the US.

[PapaBear3625]

Sarah should proudly use this as her theme song: Gretchen Wilson - Redneck Woman

[Northern Yankee]

Thanks...

Great story S.D.

Wanna do some aerial hunting?

[redhead]

If that doctor said there are "Eskimo reservations around Juneau" he's got no business "practicing" medicine in Alaska, or anywhere else. Eskimos populate the Arctc. They do NOT populate the Panhandle. The Native populations around Juneau are Indian: Tlingit, Tsimpsian, etc. Their villages are called "Villages," and can even be found in Downtown Juneau, as well as all over the Archipelago between Yakutat and Ketchikan.

This letter was a good glimpse of life up here. Thanks to the writer!