Dr. June McCarroll, inventor of
pavement markings for highways.
It is time for the first ever Dr. June McCarroll Award to be given. Here is My Original Piece [click to read] about this amazing woman. After she was run off the road by a truck she came up with the idea for a dividing line to be painted down the center of roads. When she took the idea to the government they politely ignored her. She made her point, however, by painting a center line on one mile of US 99 in Indio California. Her invention was then impossible to ignore and became part of highway history.
This year's award goes to a young mother who sought to make her own community better. In 1992 she ran for city council of Wasilla, AK and served there until 1996 when she became mayor. She was appointed to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and served as Ethics Commissioner from 2003 to 2004. She resigned and exposed corruption in the commission, fingering prominent members of her own party. Her credentials as a reformer clearly established, she ran for Governor in 2006 and defeated incumbent Republican Governor Murkowski in the primary. She went on to win the general election and became, at 42, Alaska's youngest Governor in history.
Known as a foe of wasteful spending, she is famous for her vetoes of questionable expenditures. She has another unique qualification for leadership -- she is the Mother of five children! Her youngest child, Trig, was born while she was Governor of Alaska. That has to be another historic first! Her oldest son serves in the U.S. Army in Iraq.
We know her as the Vice Presidential candidate who reenergized John McCain's flagging bid for the White House. People are unnerved by her appeal to the common man and she is now routinely villified by media and entertainment 'elites.' Here's what one Alaska citizen has to say about her:
This from SaraPac.
Letter to the Editor by Elsie M. O’Bryan,
Houston, AK
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman
July 6, 2009
To the editor:
In case you’re wondering what this Alaskan thinks of Sarah stepping down before her term is up…
I know, from my own observation of the articles and editorials and multiple facetious ethics complaints that Sarah could make no move — regardless of how mundane — without constant harassment. Yes, I use the word “harassment” because I believe that is what it has been.
No political figure is immune, nor should they be immune, from questioning (those who know me know I’ve done my share of that on the local and state level over the years) of motives, proper procedures, etc. That’s part of the process.
However, when it comes to the point that a person who is attempting to do her best in the position she was elected to do cannot do so, and when the cost in time and money to the individual and to the state to defend against allegations, becomes the prudent thing to do to step away.
I think it was an unselfish move to have chosen to step away from the office of governor and I believe that it was a matter of analyzing the ability to continue to be effective and judging that with the onslaught of attacks of every move and concluding that it was time to step aside.
I believe it is time to impose a fee for filing ethics complaints, which can be refunded if the complaint is found to have merit. I believe those who filed multiple complaints, which were dismissed, were on a well-thought out campaign that cost them nothing. There needs to be a process whereby folks can continue to file complaints and expect a fair and unbiased review, yet those who use that process for a campaign for destruction are held accountable for a part of the expense.
Has she been a good governor? Yes she has. Has she been able to accomplish getting major goals accomplished through bringing thorny players together? Yes
.
Would an ugly male be treated the same way by the media? Murkowski wasn’t. Obama isn’t.
I have to agree with one commenter who stated, to the effect of “Just believe what she’s saying.” Don’t look for alligators under rose bushes.
I only hope that some of the media people and “bloggers” who pushed this to this extent can have a measure of conscience and learn that there is a line and they have crossed it.
Elsie M. O’Bryan
Houston
Rasmussen makes it clear, a lot of conservative voters have NOT written her off:
Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republican voters have a favorable opinion of Palin, even after her decision to resign as governor of Alaska, with 45% whose view of her is very favorable. Palin trails Huckabee, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Huckabee is favored by 78%, with 41% who feel very favorably toward him.
Sarah Palin represents a rebirth of that Jeffersonian ideal where people from ordinary life go up to Washington to represent us and then come home! She's no Washington insider in a grey suit. She got involved in the first place because she cares. It is with great pleasure that I nominate her to receive the first ever Dr. June McCarroll Award, given here this day, July 9, 2009.
Governor Palin in Kuwait.
HT/SWAC Girl
No comments:
Post a Comment