From my sister-friend in AK

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Living in Alaska, For Better or Worse

Cons
1) It's now official: This has been one of the coldest summers on record. Only 2 days hit above 70 degrees.
2) The leaves are now turning color and yesterday morning we awoke to a chilly 40 degrees. Fall has arrived.
3) We usually have snow by Halloween.
4) Rising gas prices have forced airline prices up. Way up. Cost of one ticket to Colorado over Christmas: $1200

Pros
1) $2,069 Permanent Fund Dividend (largest ever) + $1,200 energy rebate check = $3,269 in free money from the government. I'll do the rest of the math for you. Family of five: $16,345.00 deposited into our bank account next week. Windfall.
2) National attention over a little known governor from a small town in Alaska (could be considered a pro or con, I guess)
3) Did I mention the free money?

So, what would you do with $16,000??

I think I might want to move to Alaska!

A quick look at what's in front of us

palin vs. obama - a side by side comparison
Published Aug. 31, 2008

Office being sought -

Palen-Vice President

Obama-President of the United States and Leader of the Free World

Full name

Sarah Louise Heath Palin

Barack Hussein Obama II

Nickname

Sarah Barracuda

Barry Obama; "The One"

Public opinion

Palin - Smoking hot in a "naughty librarian" sort of way

Obama - May be The Messiah

Age

Palin-44

Obama-48

Children

Palin-5: two sons, three daughters

Obama-2: two daughters

Religion/Church attendance

Palin-Evangelical Christian;attends Juneau Christian Center when in Juneau and grew up attending Wasilla Assembly of God

Obama-Attended Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years, a "black liberation theology" church formerly led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright and governed according to the Black Value System

Current Job

Palin-Governor of Alaska

Obama-Junior Senator from Illinois

Previous Public Jobs

Palin-Mayor of Wasilla, AK (1996-2002); President of Alaska Conference of Mayors; City Council member (1992-1996)

Obama-State Senator (1997-2004); Community Organizer

Executive Experience
Palin-Governor for 2 years; Mayor for 10 years

Obama-None

Foreign Relations experience

Palin-Governor of state that borders two foreign countries (Canada and Russia)

Obama-Chaired Senate subcommittee on Europe but never called it into session;once gave a speech to 200,000 screaming Germans
Military Affairs experience

Palin-Commander in Chief of Alaska National Guard;Son is enlisted Infantryman in U.S. Army

Obama-None

Private Sector Experience

Palin-Sports reporter;Salmon fisherman

Obama-Associate at civil rights law firm

Spouse's name

Palin-Todd Mitchell Palin

Obama-Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama

Spouse's occupation

Palin-Salmon fisherman; Former North Slope production supervisor for BP Oil

Obama-Vice President for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals;former Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago;former Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies;former Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago;former associate at Sidley Austin law firm

Reaction to spouse's political success

Palin-Quit 17-year BP oil job when BP became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with wife's administration

Obama-Promoted and given 160% pay raise by UofC hospitals within months of husband's election to U.S. Senate;Employer received $1,000,000.00 federal earmark, requested by husband, after her promotion
Coolest thing about Spouse

Most Courageous Moment in Public Service

Palin-Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman (who was also an Oil & Gas Commissioner), who was doing work for the party on public time and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.

Obama-Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002

In Current Office Because...

Palin-Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment

Obama-Republican opponent, who was leading in the polls, was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal

Theme:

Palin-Change and Clean Government

Obama-Hope and Change; "Bringing Change from Outside Washington"
What they've done to live that theme:

Palin-Replaced entire Board of Agriculture and Conservation because of conflict of interest;Resigned from position of Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose corruption among members of own party

Obama-Selected 36-year incumbent Senator as running mate

Family Affairs

Palin-May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner as part of effort to protect sister in messy divorce and child custody battle

Obama-Often says, "I am my brother's keeper";Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year

Union affiliation

Palin-Union member, married to Union member

Obama-Endorsed by a union

Iraq and Troop Support

Palin-Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq;Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany;visited AK National Guard soldiers deployed to Kuwait;Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman

Obama-Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators;almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead
Bipartisan/"maverick" credentials

Palin-Married to a non-Republican;Exposed corruption within own party;Campaigned for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell against corrupt GOP congressman Don Young;Called out Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK) to "come clean" about financial dealings that are under fed investigation

Obama-Talks about bipartisanship

Legislative Record

Palin-Passed a landmark ethics reform bill;Used veto to cut budgetary spending;Prevented "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

Obama-Voted "present" over 100 times as IL state senator

How they dealt with corrupt individuals in home city/state

Palin-Exposed legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders; Campaigned against corrupt GOP Representative;Ran against and defeated corrupt incumbent governor in GOP primary

Obama-Launched political career in home of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (and still refers to him as a part of "mainstream Democratic Chicago";Purchased home with help of convicted felon Tony Rezko
Guns

Palin-Lifetime member of NRA and avid hunter;video can be found on YouTube of Palin firing an M4 at a military firing range

Obama-Worked to pass legislation in Illinois that would prevent all law-abiding citizens from owning firearms

Earmarks

Palin-Opposed "Bridge to Nowhere" project;Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects;Campaigned against porker Don Young (R-AK) in 2008 primary

Obama-Secured federal earmarks for wife's employer and for campaign bundlers

Abortion

Palin-Pro life;gave birth to 5th child knowing that he would have Down's syndrome

Obama-Pro-choice; only IL state sen. to speak against the Born Alive Infant's Protection Act, which required medical care to be given to live infants who survived abortions
Energy

Palin-Believes energy independence is a matter of national security;For drilling in ANWR, which is in her state

Obama-Says Americans should "get tune-ups" and "check tire pressure";Says "we can't expect the world to be okay with" our use of heating and air conditioning
Environment

Palin-Chair of Alaska Conservation Commission (2003-4);Announced plans to create sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in AK

Obama-Talks about the environment a lot

Soccer Mom's can rule the world!

It's rumored that Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin will be John McCain's VP pic and I'm in awe! I've don't know much about this 40 something soccer mom from AK but I do like the idea of a conservative women getting the chance to have a say in Washington. She has a degree in Communications/Journalism and decided that what she saw in local politics needed to be changed and that she could make a difference. She was elected to local government, state government and now has the national spot light...can you believe it?! I'm inspired by her story....because it could have been me...it could have been you...you can make a difference! Soccer Mom's can rule the world! = )

Quiet Please!

Yesterday was the kid's first full day of school...and Wesley was ready to pick up the kids by 11am. We must have had a hundred conversations that went like this:


Wes: Can we go pick up the kids?
Me: No, they aren't done yet.
Wes: Yes they are.
Me: No, they are not.
Wes: Yes they are.
Me: No the bus is not there yet, we have to wait until this afternoon.
Wes: Is it afternoon yet?

And on and on it went...for hours and hours and hours.

I left a half hour early for the bus stop just because I couldn't take one more argument...he fell asleep on the way....THANK GOD! A few minutes of peace and then the bus arrived.

8am Today--he's learned to ride a two-wheeler
8:15 He rode his scooter
8:17 Asked for a snack
8:20 Asked again
8:30 Played with cars outside
8:31 Sprinklers came on and scared the cr*! out of him...now he's back in the house....TALKING TO ME about what he wants for Christmas and asking why he can't go to school?? Help Me!

Pictures are on Facebook...are you?

My Hilton Head pictures are listed on facebook...check them out if you dare. See you soon Melissa! = )

Joe Biden, really? Yuck!

When's bed time?

When we got home from vacation, Doug and I decided that since school starts in a week and a half we were going to institute early bed times so that the kids could recover from vacation and get ready for school. Great idea! Wrong!

Ever since we said, "You are going to bed on time," we have had more opportunities to go out than ever before. Baseball games, dinner parties, late night neighborhood chats and so on. I think my kids are more tired this weekend than they were last weekend when we declared the bedtime rule. Argh!!!

So, bed time starts tonight! My 11 year-old would say, "Whatever!"

I've got a good handle on my little guys bed time...7:30-8:00...seems to work well for them. It's the older two that have me a little confused. What is a good bed time for a 6th grader? He will be getting up at 6:45 in the morning. Any ideas?

We are off to Emily's first soccer game...I'd take pictures if I could find my camera, but then again I'd be posting about vacation if I could have found my camera!