I try to keep “who to vote for” politics pretty well off of this blog and prefer to discuss politics in general and better and worse strategies for promoting libraries in whatever political climate we happen to be in. People acutely interested in high level politics in the US who also work in libraries may be interested in this Time magazine article about Sarah Palin. I was very interested in this paragraph.
[Former Wasilla mayor] Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. “She asked the library how she could go about banning books,” he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. “The librarian was aghast.” The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn’t be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving “full support” to the mayor.
Usually I’m just happy to see libraries even mentioned in national level politics, but not like this. Mary Ellen Baker resigned from her library director job in 1999.
note: there’s some buzz being generated that says that this post contains a comment that lists the books that Palin supposedly wanted banned. The list is here, but there appears to be no truth to the claim made by the commenter, and no further documentation or support for this has turned up.
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The real question to ask is why did Palin fire the librarian who was well liked by the town and had been in her position for seven years? Loyalty test? Is that how she will govern if she is ever president of this country? Palin calls herself a pitbull, and that metaphor is very telling when we look at her history of firing personnel without cause. Pitbulls attack viciously without provocation. Is that the kind of temperment we want in a leader? Also, maybe the press should ask Palin what she thinks about the Harry Potter books and if she allows her kids to read them. If she answers along the lines of her right-wing Christian fundamentalist beliefs, then her answer may scare us all!
If you can find anyone – have them walk into the Frontiersman (the Wasilla newspaper) and ask to see the archives. There are editorials and news coverage of this – including names of the books (some). Ask one of the reporters or staffers from that era.
Response to Lori:
First of all the definition of Depression is as follows: Any time when the GDP decreases by more than 10%. Recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The GDP increased 1.9 % last quarter. You may be in a personal depression, but the country is not!!!! Yeah I spent my time getting an education when I was young not partying. Choices, is what it is all about Choices!!!!
You blame the Republicans; well Democrats have been in control of congress. Nothing gets passed with out congress. While they are on vacation right now the Republicans continue to go to the house chambers and debate economic issues. They demand a vote on economic issues that the DEMS keep blocking votes on. The housing crises is in part to legislation pushing banks to make less favorable loans, so everyone can get a house!!!! If the didn’t they faced heavy penalties. Again DEMS passed this legislation. We no you can’t afford the house because you have made bad decisions in your life but we will force the lender to give you the money. Do your research!!!!
Now let’s see a single mother of four. This may not apply to you if you are a Widow and if you are I am sorry. If not well lets see you made choices not to get along with your husband!!! Or you have multiple babies’ daddies!!! Maybe he was just a jerk and cheated on you or was a bad father. I understand there are dead beat dads. Well again you should have had better judgment in choosing a mate. Again it’s YOUR CHOICES. You are not making enough get a better education!!! Make your self indispensable. A single mother of four will have it all paid for, with child care provide. Fill out the Aid forms. There are professionals on any campus that can assist you. If you have a good education, then changes professions. It was your choice to do what you do. Again it’s all about choices. I have made bad life decisions in my life we all have. I hated my career and did not make enough, so I made a Choice!!! I WANTED A BETTER LIFE. I WORKED FOR IT!!!! I have not made the bad decisions that you have. Why should I have to pay more for people that are not willing to make the same self sacrifice in there life that I have.
I am sick and tired of people making bad choices in there life and expecting us that have made self sacrifice bail them out. By the way Stein was the incumbent she exposed for corruption, and beat. That is the only source of book banning. Of coarse he is bitter. The reference was in Time a CNN (Clinton News Network) Publication. There is NO evidence to support his claims. CNN is famous for this. Make a good decision people Palin is a great American. YOU WANT CHANGE then vote all you DEM congressmen and senators OUT.
I’ve been hearing now that the librarian was “forced” to retire by Palin so that she could be replaced with someone more in line with Palin’s belief system. I’m terrified of Palin. She truly strikes fear in my heart and makes my blood run cold. As both and author and a woman, I feel my entire life is in jeopardy if she is elected. I might as well just start my papers to move to Canada. I’m so depressed….
I am not buying into the list of books in which Mrs. Palin supposedly wanted banned, as many of those books were published before she was born.
Perhaps she wanted those books banned from public schools and or public libraries. Besides, not even a governor can ban books without a majority of public support.
If she wanted even one book on the list banned, if it’s true… that is disturbing.
Response to Todd –
You are under the impression that people are capable of making great choices all the time. You most likely are not capable of making great choices all the time (obviously you chose a bad career initially), but you have the benefit of having the ability/situation to get out of them.
Most people don’t have the same capabilities. If everyone were smart and capable, there would be no one to do the menial jobs you take for granted. People are going to make bad choices – and we need to take care of them. It’s our responsibility. Watching Cindy McCain talk about neighbors coming together and helping out, communities helping from halfway across the country, then wanting to cut social programs – apparently most Republicans would just as soon let people who make poor decisions perish. Look at the way society works from every angle. Most businesses would just as soon screw the customer and make more money. Most businesses are not capable of self regulation. Most people are not intelligent. Most are hardly capable of taking care of themselves, much less others.
Palin is an ultra-conservative-right-wing-religious “person” from a very small state, in charge of a very small government, and a very small budget (the 11Billion number people like to throw around – she doesn’t have ANY control over that). She would do away with abortions, even for rape victims. She would attempt to impress her views – even on reading material – on everyone in the US. Republicans decry the Middle East’s treatment of people but attempt to impose the same treatment on it’s own citizens? Who is at fault here Todd?
Before you go on the regular EMOTIONAL Republican rants – take some time to step back, look at the logic, theory, inner societal workings, and then decide which party you want to vote for.
“MV, I’m afraid you simply don’t know what you’re talking about here. Librarians are educated specifically to make those choices is a way the suits their community. Then the community is always invited to challenge the library’s selections if they should find something to be inappropriate. These challenges are a welcomed part of the process of making a library that works for the whole community. This is the way it’s done all over the country and it works. If anyone has a problem with an item in the library, the correct way to deal with it is to file a challenge. That goes for voters and mayors.”
Jen –
Please re-read my post. I didn’t attempt to describe the process, or imply anything other than what you state as standard library policy. However, other than librarians and a few that might have gone through the exercise, I doubt many people know what you point out.
What I did state is that the community-standards test has been upheld in other cases when it comes to what is and isn’t deemed obscene. As you point out, members of the community can challenge the selections made by the librarian. The librarian then sees the challenge through the process. But, ultimately, the librarian is not a dictator, and is accountable to the community, through the elected leadership that he/she reports to.
It would appear from the reported accounts that the newly elected Mayor Palin made an inquiry on a voter’s behalf regarding materials that voter deemed inappropriate. The librarian dutifully explained the challenge process. The end-result was that no books were banned, and there’s no indication from the Time, NYT or Frontier that specific titles were mentioned or discussed. In fact, at least one of the pieces states that this was a rhetorical exercise only.
It’s true that the librarian ultimately lost her job, but there’s no proof that firing was related to this discussion on challenging books available in the public library, at public expense. That’s not to say it wasn’t related, but where’s the proof? It’s just as likely that the librarian was a political-hire by the former Mayor, and was an antagonist to the new reform-minded Mayor, and earned her displacement. Again, there is no evidence presented that links the two events.
As a result, and to re-make my initial point, some people will look at this and it will reinforce their already-held thesis: Republican=bad, conservative=bad, religious=bad, gun-owner=bad. People like this cannot be reasoned with, as their minds were made up before ever seeing this.
No about that so-called “Fairness Doctrine” the Dems are pushing …
Perhaps I’m naive, perhaps I’m out of touch. But can anyone explain why Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary would be on any list of censored books? If it’s the inclusion of any particular word or words then it would seem that most comprehensive dictionaries would also be candidates for lists of this type. Maybe someone can help me here.
On September 5th, 2008 at 9:55 MV stated:
“It’s true that the librarian ultimately lost her job, but there’s no proof that firing was related to this discussion on challenging books available in the public library, at public expense.”
Actually, that’s not true.
Regarding the librarian in question, The Ancorage Daily News reports on September 4th, 2008:
“Emmons survived the loyalty test and a second one a few months later. She resigned in August 1999, two months before Palin was voted in for a second mayoral term.”
http://www.adn.com/politics/story/515512.html
Please, please, PLEASE consider removing the post of the list of books by Andrew Aucoin, or at the VERY LEAST edit it so that it has a disclaimer from you at the beginning in bold that subsequent posts to this thread have proven that it is not an accurate list. Other sites are linking to that post and taking it as gospel. As others have pointed out, it is obviously inaccurate (some of those books hadn’t even been published yet) and once this gets out, people will start suspecting the whole incident of Palin inquiring about doing this will be inaccurate too, by association. Librarians and anyone else who cares about freedom of speech, I am sure this is the LAST thing you want to have happen, having the general question about Palin’s actions here rejected out of hand without any serious inquiry. I have seen this happen too many times before
Please please PLEASE take just a moment of your time, Jessamyn, and add an editorial comment/disclaimer to the top of that post saying that it is quite certain this is NOT the list of books that Palin wanted banned. And please do it QUICKLY, before it’s too late. Thanks.
This is absolutely ridiculous that you Leftards are even having this discussion.
“Sarah — She’ll ban all our books!”
This is absolutely ridiculous.
While I agree…..banning ideas, stifling voices and not allowing for healthy discussion is not good, these allegations that Sarah Palin will ban your books is absolutely ridiculous.
1. While she may have asked in 1996 the Wasilla Librarian a rhetorical question about banning, censoring and/or removing (you choose your word) books, in actuality, BANNING OF BOOKS NEVER HAPPENED IN WASILLA AS A RESULT OF SARAH PALIN.
2. The Banning, censoring and/or removing of books in the United States and in Libraries is nothing new…..it happens all the time.
http://www.adlerbooks.com/banned.html
3. I can find proof, for example, that Leftards alter/write books IN OUR SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, to “educate” our children on their policies (ESPECIALLY EXAMPLES OF BOOKS ABOUT ISLAM and the “multicultural” wonders of having Islam in our country —which by the way, Islam is NOT a religion to celebrate and embrace in our country).
4. Librarians themselves censor, ban, remove books all the time…..and quite often based on their OWN personal beliefs and convictions.
But when one rhetorical question is brought up by Sarah Palin…..good god, she’s a Nazi!
Geez, the only serious censoring/stifling of voices that will be brought about in TRUE NAZI FASHION/MANNER will be done by Leftards — namely Obama, Reid and Pelosi — THAT IS THE TRUE DANGER.
If we were to believe what Leftists have been saying for 7 years, we would believe that we are the New Nazi Nation and Bush the New Hitler —-which by the way HASN’T HAPPENED.
These leftards are so friggin brain dead!
Nico Moon –
Thank you for the link and additional input. From that article:
“The stories are all suggestive, but facts are hard to come by.”
“Palin didn’t mention specific books … “
“Were any books censored banned? June Pinell-Stephens, chairwoman of the Alaska Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee since 1984, checked her files Wednesday and came up empty-handed.
“She (the librarian) resigned in August 1999 …” – NOT fired, resigned! … nearly 3 years after the initial issue.
What are the liberals so afraid of that they will twist and contort the truth so much to tarnish Gov. Palin’s image?
MV, as someone who is currently seeking a library position, I don’t find it that suprising that the Wasilla librarian stayed at her job for three years. It may have taken her that long to find a new job. Ms. Emmons’ position was threatened not just once, but twice, in October 1996 and January 1997. I don’t think I would want to stay in a job where I had been threatened with being fired twice within 4 months. As part of the condition of keeping her job, she was told that she could not speak to press without the mayor’s permission, and the impression that I have (which I admit is not a proven fact) is that she was required to sign something to that effect. This may be why we have not heard from Ms. Emmons (whose name is now Mary Ellen Baker, if I’m not mistaken.) So we may never know which books were in question, or even if Ms. Palin had specific books in mind. This is all information that came from the Anchorage Daily News in a Nexis search for “sarah palin” and librarian.
However, I will leave you with another item that I found in my search. This is a letter to the editor that Ms. Palin wrote in support of the idea that parents should have access to the borrowing records of juvenile library card holders. Notice the inflammatory positioning of “my toddler’s ‘privacy rights'”, when most libraries have a juvenile card for kids of, what, 9, probably?
We may never get the whole story of the Wasilla library, but I think this is pretty indicative of Ms. Palin’s attitudes toward libraries and librarians.
Lyda Green raises voice of reason in children’s rights issue
The nonsensical and infuriating interpretation of law that decided my toddler’s “privacy rights” trump my rights and responsibilities as her parent makes it seem government purposefully makes it tough on families striving to raise happy, healthy, productive kids. Child-rearing is challenging enough without politicians opposing parents’ rights to know our kids’ business in today’s fast-moving world.
Thankfully, Sen. Lyda Green’s SB 269 lets inquiring parents know what public library materials kids have on hold, are overdue or may even be (heaven forbid!) of parental concern. As a mother of four and a former mayor, I support SB 269’s allowance for public and school libraries’ consistent policies and giving municipalities liberty to address the issue.
Perplexing SB 269 opposition, attributed to a public librarian, was based on fear that parents may wield an “iron glove” if given freedom to know their kids’ business.
A twist on that opposition that hopefully won’t give politicians any ideas is the perspective discussed by my son and his spring-fever afflicted buddies: “Dude, if government can keep library records secret from parents, then shouldn’t our report cards be ‘private matters,’ too, and government shouldn’t mail ’em home because my folks may put on iron gloves when they read mine?”
Shouldn’t happen with Lyda in the Senate protecting families and freedom by letting us do the job responsibly that we signed up for when we became parents, dude.
— Sarah Palin, former mayor
Thank you for your post Jill. Though I’m not sure what your point is. Is it that librarians should not be accountable to their communities’ interests, as represented through elected leaders? Is it that parents should not be allowed access to their minor-child’s library records?
Response to Micheal
If someone is impaired or disabled, Yes they need help. If an act of god destroys what they work for then yes they need help. It is not ouR job to continue to help people that will not help them self. Smart , smart has nothing to do with it Bill Gates and Larry Elison (founder of orcale) the two richest men in the country are collegE drop outs. They both say tht they surrounded them selfs with people smarter than them. It has nothing to do with smart. I know people in construction that make 80,000 a year roofing houses, and no they don’t own the company.
The point is that there is a way, no matter what your abilities to achieve. Some are great at sports, some look like models, some are very smart, some are average house wifes like Palin. Get up and work for your dreams dont let life pass you by, you only get one chance at this life. The point is if you are capable then you can achieve in this country and nothing has changed. Liberals just think it has. The people that want to moan about, I dont have this or that, but are cable of doing something about it and expect me to, obviously missed the american dream and thats their own fault. Some of the dubest people in the world have achieved. Look at Jimmy Carter, I live not far from his home and he is dumb. Ask anyone? You dont beleive me after this election you will find him every Sunday drinking coffee and talking to people at the same country store in Plains GA as he has for decades. I will take you and you can see what a not very smart man with amibition can acomplish. If you wake up in this country in the morning, have two arms, two legs, can hear, and see then you have it better than the rest of the world.
In addition Palins experence is far more than OBAMA has.
I CHALLANGE ANY ONE TO NAME THREE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT OBAMA HAS ACOMPLISHED IN HIS LIFE THAT QULIFYS HIM TO BE PRESIDENT. GO ON NAME THEM!!!!!
My dad thinks the list of books is a fake. We cannot understand why a wholesome Mid-West, Middle American Wyoming ranching book like ‘My Friend Flicka’ should be included. ‘Clockwork Orange’, yes, after all, Kubrick banned his own film of the book but ‘Flicka’, surely not?
In the future she needs to be careful about her questions. They reveal what is really on her mind! The list fake or not does not matter!
I admit this is my first visit to this site, but I thought this was “librarian.net” not some political blog. I would hope that this is not the usual commentary fare?
MV, I think that others here have addressed your issue with a librarian being responsible to their community far more eleoquently than I could. One person complaining to their mayor about some book they found objectionable does not mean that the community finds it objectionable.
As for parents not having access to their children’s borrowing records, yes, I believe that children are entitled to their privacy, as does the Alaska Library Association: “However, the ethical responsibilities of library staff, as well as statutes, protect the privacy of library users. Confidentiality extends to the information sought or received and materials consulted, borrowed, or acquired and includes database search records, interlibrary loan records, and other personally identifiable uses of library materials, facilities, or services. The library community recognizes that children and youth have the same rights to privacy as adults.”
Ms. Palin’s letter to the editor speaks to the fact that she does not believe in freedom of information. It’s just a different kind of censorship, knowing that you don’t have any privacy.
Jessamyn, you said: If the comment were to be deleted then people don’t know what it said, what it looked like, and what the big deal was. It would also leave all the other comments referring to it hanging. If the comment remains, people can look at it, look at the surrounding comments and make their own estimation of how likely it looks to be true (i.e not very, as many commenters here have said).
I hear you, but people will take posts to your blog and post them elsewhere, regardless of veracity or context. At the risk of being considered a “censor”, I would respectfully ask that you at least close this thread to further posts. It does not appear to be getting any better, and I fear will only become more virulent and contentious.
Jill
The library community recognizes that children and youth have the same rights to privacy as adults.
Do you also agree then, that children should be able to surf the internet at will, and visit any sites they choose? As a parent, I must respectfully disagree that my child has the same right to privacy that an adult has. My child is not an adult. I do not snoop, and I do trust my child, but my child is a child.
I thought I’d better point out that the spurious list of books to be banned circulating has a number of titles first published after 1996 (Harry Potter?)
DGH
Jill – thanks again for your post.
I think, then, that we agree on the accountability issue. I agree that the voice of one should not override the will of the larger community (hence the challenge process for library materials). The other end of that spectrum is the librarian make decisions regardless of the larger opinion of the community. I do think it is both the right and responsibility of elected officials to follow up on constituent requests, which appears to be at least the stated motive of (then) Gov. Palin here. Once the challenge process was explained, it appears no further action was taken to remove any books or materials. In other words, the process worked.
I will respectfully disagree with you on the child issue. Until my child reaches the age of majority, I am responsible for them and their actions. It is also my duty and right as a parent to raise my child the way I believe, and to control and monitor access to any aspect of life that I find objectionable per MY values, or those shared with my spouse. I believe this is a fundamental right of a parent. Some parents will choose to exercise this right through close supervision; others will choose to let the child do what the child may. Either represents the free exercise of this parental right.
Thank you for your reasoned and reasonable discourse.
Just to clarify some things that are being described as lies, implying intentional smears. It was reported Palin was a Buchanan supporter because Buchanan said she was. It was reported she was a member of the Alaska Independence Party because the Party said she was, later retracted. There is a difference between reporting information that turns out to be untrue, but was from a credible source, and making up lies. Whether she wanted to ban books or not, there seems to be a pattern of her wanting to fire people who disagree with her. That’s my opinion, not a fact.
AB, you can keep your eye on your kid’s internet usage while he or she is at home, but can you do that when he or she is at the library? Some libraries use WebSense or other software to block content and others don’t, and that’s all based on the same judgement of “community standards” that’s being discussed here. I think the point is, though, that the librarian is more in touch with what the users expect and need out of their library than the mayor is. If the librarian thinks they need to block X-rated content, that’s one thing. If a politician thinks it needs to be blocked and threatens a librarian with being fired because of it, that’s a problem.
“I try to keep “who to vote for†politics pretty well off of this blog and prefer to discuss politics in general and better and worse strategies for promoting libraries in whatever political climate we happen to be in…”
And IMO the blog is the better for it.
The “note” about this phony and misleading list should be both more prominent (atop post, not at the bottom) and worded more strongly.
I try to keep “who to vote for†politics pretty well off of this blog and prefer to discuss politics in general and better and worse strategies for promoting libraries in whatever political climate we happen to be in.
I don’t believe that was the case this time. If you want to promote this type of discussion, I would suggest you change the name of the blog to politicalibrarian.net (or maybe angrylibrarians.net). This kind of vitriol is beneath your profession, and does not appear to reflect an educated poster-ship very well.
Jill,
My child is 12, so is not typically at the library without my spouse or I in tow. Neither of us hang over shoulders, but it would be our perogative so to do. Although I hope that librarians are experts in their field, their field is not child rearing. I do not need, nor expect, them to police (or not) my child, nor does it take a village to rear my child. My spouse and I are attempting to do that to the best of our abilities.
I am truly disappointed that the preponderance of comment is unable to correctly restate the content of the cited Time article, the blog comment, any of the supporting documents or seems to have done any research using the libraries they serve.
(1) The Time article cites John Stein, the mayoral candidate that she defeated, as saying that she continued to introduce her religious beliefs into her mayoral position implying that the following sentence about banning books was part of this.
Reading the article, however, Stein was talking about Palin’s pro-life stand, not banning books. The Frontiersman’s Managing Editor also believed that Palin’s insertion of her pro-life opinion was inappropriate. The town’s voters obviously did not.
“Chas St. George, John Stein’s predecessor as mayor, worked on Stein’s campaign at the time and, while he says he has no reason to dispute Stein’s recollection of events, he doesn’t remember Palin’s conduct being beyond the pale. ‘Our tax coffers were starting to grow,’ he says. ‘John was for expanding services, and Sarah wasn’t. That’s what the race was about.’”
“St. George, however, points out that Palin couldn’t have seen everything through an Evangelical lens. She did, he says, notably resist calls to restrict operating hours for the bars in town. And even if faith did play an unusually large role in her decision-making as mayor, it may have only reflected the continued rise of Evangelicalism in the valley, a growth that continues to this day … The town has a very large and conservative Christian community, “’We like to call this the Bible Belt of Alaska,’ says Cheryl Metiva, head of the local chamber of commerce. Churches proliferate in Wasilla today…†(Time Magazine, Sept 2, 2008)
(2) The Time writer then continues, “She asked the library how she could go about banning books,†he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them.â€
The interesting thing is that the Time correspondent does not say that her action was based on her religious beliefs, but on the desires of her constituents. Isn’t that what our representatives in this republic are supposed to do? Further, she banned no books.
“Were any books censored banned? June Pinell-Stephens, chairwoman of the Alaska Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee since 1984, checked her files Wednesday and came up empty-handed.†(Anchorage Daily News, 9/4/08)
She never asked for any specific books to be banned in public forums where she could have made political hay if she wanted to. “When the matter came up for the second time in October 1996, during a City Council meeting, Anne Kilkenny, a Wasilla housewife who often attends council meetings, was there. Like many Alaskans, Kilkenny calls the governor by her first name. ‘Sarah said to Mary Ellen, ‘What would your response be if I asked you to remove some books from the collection?’ Kilkenny said. ‘I was shocked. Mary Ellen sat up straight and said something along the line of, ‘The books in the Wasilla Library collection were selected on the basis of national selection criteria for libraries of this size, and I would absolutely resist all efforts to ban books.’ Palin didn’t mention specific books at that meeting, Kilkenny said.†(Anchorage Daily News, 9/4/08)
(3) There is no evidence of any kind that the list of books has anything, whatsoever, to do with Palin.
(4) While the article says “reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving ‘full support’ to the mayor.â€, the librarian was neither threatened with being fired over the banning question issue nor fired period. She was put on notice as were other public officials that Palin questioned with respect to support of her programs. You will note that Mary Ellen Baker (Emmons was her maiden name) was publicly against Palin’s candidacy during the preceding campaign.
“Four days before the exchange at the City Council, Emmons got a letter from Palin asking for her resignation. Similar letters went to police chief Irl Stambaugh, public works director Jack Felton and finance director Duane Dvorak. John Cooper, a fifth director, resigned after Palin eliminated his job overseeing the city museum. Palin told the Daily News back then the letters were just a test of loyalty as she took on the mayor’s job, which she’d won from three-term mayor John Stein in a hard-fought election. Stein had hired many of the department heads. Both Emmons and Stambaugh had publicly supported him against Palin.†(Anchorage Daily News, 9/4/08)
This is what every manager reorganizing and turning around a sick company does. Clean sweep and only keep those that work to help.
(5) She was not fired in 1996 when all this happened and retired from the position to immediately take another job almost four years later in 1999.
“Mary Ellen Baker, who recently resigned as director at the Wasilla Public Library, joined the staff at the Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library as Public Services Manager. Mary Ellen replaced Jack Rasmussen who took a partial retirement and continues to work as a part-time reference librarian.†(Pacific Northwest Library Association, PNLA Quarterly Spring 2000)
I do not believe in censorship. I do believe in the right of people in a specific community to determine the function and content of their public services. Even, when, I don’t agree. If my conversation with a community is unable to carry the day, then it is my logic and reasoning that has failed and not the community. People have a right to live in an environment of their choice, and the hatred, disinformation, outright lies and made up facts quoted here in the name of librarians is sad. It would be even more sad if they are right about the final issue of Ms. Palin’s suitability as vice-president.
Ken Happel,
Hear, hear!
As a Media Specialist I am horrified at the very possibility that Ms. Palin even asked “how she could go about having specific books banned”. That is censorship. That is simply wrong. People’s jobs should not be in jeopardy simply because they do not share the same political beliefs. This is scary. I don’t think this is what we want in our top officials. I say “Thanks, but no Thanks” to Palin. Stay in Alaska and secede from our country. With leaders like Palin, we don’t need them as part of the United States.
Dear Cecilia Yates,
She didn’t ask that. The very least you can do is quote her correctly. The issue was not the banning of books, the issue was the use and content of a publicly funded library by its constituancy. Who are paying for its existance.
Her job was NOT threatened because of her political beliefs.
BTW, your last sentance is almost exactly what the Nazis said to every who disagreed with them. How funny that a seeming defender of the public right to freedom of opinion is themselve a bigot.
I can not verify the following information, but it seems genuine and was provided by a resident of Wasilla, Ann. There is nothing in this description that seems off. I am sure it could be tracked won to Ann, as needed.
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.
She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or
so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She’s smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a
multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyer involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it
would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents
rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded
for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some
undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to
nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.
There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
*”Hockey mom”: true for a few years
*”PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
*”NRA supporter”: absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
*”Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation
*”Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on
supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
*”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
*pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne, last name redacted, Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000”, up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.
You can find here full name – Anne Kilkenny and her letter here as well –
http://www.thepresidentialcandidates.us/about-sarah-palin-a-letter-from-anne-kilkenny/741/
I did verify that there is an Anne Kilkenny living in Wasilla, AK. Of course, this is still just one person’s opionion, but it seems well considered and insightful.
The budget story has been confirmed widely.
Bob Bowser,
You say, I can not verify the following information, but it seems genuine…
If you can’t verify it, then don’t post it.
I did verify that there is an Anne Kilkenny living in Wasilla, AK.
Yes, but did she write this? Many “actual” people are quoted as having said things everyday (check Snopes.com), but they didn’t actually say it.
Bob,
Thanks for posting Anna’s recollections.
Of the five thousand some odd inhabitants of the town, a firm majority, who also experienced all these events firsthand, do not agree. Anna has a clearly evident point of view. She obviously vehemently disagrees with those in her community that wish a different policy. As a representative of those who voted for her, Palin was doing what she was elected to do.
You will also notice that, while the political position of saving Baker, was placed on the banning of books, the fact is that she was actually not fired as others were, who received resignation notices at the same time and for the same reasons (having nothing to do with censorship).
The fact that Anne believes that the firing motivation was the banning of books is her opinion and is otherwise unsubstantiated. I’ll bet the real issue was the Evangelical community’s desires to not have public resources cripple their efforts to raise children according to their beliefs. Anne really disagrees with the fundamental beliefs of a portion of her community.
The fact is that Baker was not fired the first time or the second. The fact that the community reelected her, given all the protest, means they were satisfied with Palin’s actions. That’s the way it works.
Good lord did this thread take off. Greetings, people of the internet!
STILL NO ONE CAN COME UP WITH THREE THINGS THAT QULIFY OBAMA TO BE PRESIDENT!!!!!!
AB & MV, I do understand your concern for your children, but I think that you are viewing this only through the lens of a parent. You have a duty to your children; a librarian has a duty to possibly hundreds of children. It sounds like you are both very committed parents who take your job as parents seriously, but there are children out there who have problems that might be able to be solved through the materials at the library. It’s an extreme example, but a child who has been abused may be able to find solace or help from a library book—one that they might not necessarily want their parents to see they had checked out. This is the reason that the Alaska Library Association and the American Library Association treat children’s privacy the same as adults. You want to protect your children from material that might contain sex or profanity or violence, and that’s understandable. But there are parents out there who want to keep information away from their children that is vital. You view it as interference with your parenting, but a librarian views it as protecting your child (and everyone else’s) from a violation of their rights.
We may be bound to disagree on this. I don’t have children, so I can’t claim to view it from your point of view. But when you compare the risk that your child might see something that they aren’t old enough to see, to the risk that another child might want to check out a book about abuse and not check it out because they know that their mom will find out about it…
I wish I could think of some other examples, because I feel like that one is a little far-fetched. But can’t you imagine some instance in which your kid might not feel comfortable talking to you about something? Like when they’re a little bit older and they want to know about sex, wouldn’t it be better if they got a book from the library that you didn’t know about, rather than relying on their friends or something? Yeah, you’d obviously prefer for them to talk to you, but what if they just won’t?
So, there are two examples. I’m certain there are more. But it’s important to remember that not all parents are good parents, and librarians are trying to look out for all kids, not just yours.
And still Todd can’t type the word qualify!!! Let’s try to stay on topic, Todd. Jessamyn posted this because it’s about censorship, a topic that interests librarians very much. She didn’t tell anyone not to vote for McCain. She brought up something about Palin that librarians would be interested in discussing.
Also, Ken, there are articles in the Anchorage Daily News from 1996 and 1997 that do recount Ms. Emmons being fired and then being reinstated. It’s a tangled narrative, because the Anchorage paper was probably not overly concerned with what happened to a Wasilla librarian, but I believe that in the second instance, in January 1997 that Ms. Emmons was terminated, instead of just being asked for a resignation. Ever hear of Godwin’s Law? Once you compare someone to a Nazi, no one can take you seriously.
More information:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/51821.html
Smith Says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:47
“I don’t think Time or the NYT are credible sources to begin with.”
How pathetic.