This is another in our Daily Dose of Sarah Palin, because even if John McCain didn't think it was that important to learn a lot about the person who might be the next President should some medical event befall the 72 year old cancer survivor should he be elected, most people want more information. Previous installments here. So much material, so little time. Oh, well. Let's do the library story today, since it's tied up with her alleged small town mayor claim.
Now Sarah Palin is claiming being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, makes her a different kind of politician. Youknow, the kind who is in touch with real problems, not the slimy politician of the big cities. Indeed tiny Wasilla (half of today's size of 9000 when Palin ran for office in 1996) had the usual kind of small town political concerns: public safety, trash, etc. In the early 1990s the town didn't even have a police force and Palin first became active in town politics in helping to organize the effort to establish one. The town's mayor at the time was also part of the group, that included other members of Palin's family as well. This little group of town power brokers first got her elected to the City Council in 1992. By 1996 she was ready to turn on her former ally, Mayor Stein. She decided to displace him by raising issues professional Republican pols were finding so successful in the wake of the Republican congressional takeover the previous year:
In Stein's view, Palin's main transgression was injecting big-time politics into a small-town local race. "It was always a nonpartisan job," he says. "But with her, the state GOP came in and started affecting the race." While Palin often describes that race as having been a fight against the old boys' club, Stein says she made sure the campaign hinged on issues like gun owners' rights and her opposition to abortion (Stein is pro-choice). "It got to the extent that -- I don't remember who it was now -- but some national antiabortion outfit sent little pink cards to voters in Wasilla endorsing her," he says.
Vicki Naegele was the managing editor of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman at the time. "[Stein] figured he was just going to run your average, friendly small-town race," she recalls, "but it turned into something much different than that." Naegele held the same conservative Christian beliefs as Palin but didn't think they had any place in local politics.
"I just thought, That's ridiculous, she should concentrate on roads, not abortion," says Naegele. (Nathan Thornburgh, Time)
Once elected -- she beat her former friend in a contentious fight -- Palin started to either clean house or settle scores, depending on your viewpoint. She was sued for wrongful termination by her former pal, the police chief, who alleged she canned him at the request of the National Rifle Association (NRA) because like many police chiefs he opposed a concealed carry law. For the first time she told department heads they couldn't talk to the press without her permission. And she started to push the agenda of the Religious Right on her small town. Which brings us to the library story:
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." That woman, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor. (Time)
This isn't just rear view mirror snark. The library issue was news at the time, in 1996 just after Palin was elected mayor:
Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so.
According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, got a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for the firing. The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn't fully support her and had to go.
Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.
[snip]
In December 1996, Emmons told her hometown newspaper, the Frontiersman, that Palin three times asked her -- starting before she was sworn in -- about possibly removing objectionable books from the library if the need arose.
Emmons told the Frontiersman she flatly refused to consider any kind of censorship.
[snip]
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.
Palin herself, questioned at the time, called her inquiries rhetorical and simply part of a policy discussion with a department head "about understanding and following administration agendas," according to the Frontiersman article.
[snip]
Books may not have been pulled from library shelves, but there were other repercussions for Emmons.
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. (Rindi White, Anchorage Daily News, via Boston Herald)
As far as anyone knows, no books were removed from the library at Palin's behest. But I doubt that was the purpose. The purpose with these inquiries, as it usually is, is to intimidate, to make someone fearful of their job or position or reputation. She's a bully. As these right wing ideologues usually are.
Sorry. I mean, far right ideologue maverick change agent. She sure changed the politics of her little town.
- Log in to post comments
Anyone who would, as a mere mayor, try to fire a librarian for "not giving 'full support' to" said mayor, is the epitome of a tinhorn dictator, and certainly NOT someone we need in national politics, even aside from her proclivity to ban books. Everything I've read about Ms. Palin demonstrates that she is a dirty fighter and that she views any public office as a fiefdom and all "her" public employees as her vassals. A female tyrant with a pretty face is still a tyrant, and it's pretty pathetic how she's snookered so many based on nothing but her appearance. Geez, people, get a grip and do a little research! She's a wannabe Dick Cheney!
All employees under the administration of a Mayor are generally subject to dismissal. No vassals to it Kath.....
We had a near same dust up here in one of the local towns when a librarian failed to deliver reference materials to the mayor for a meeting....... She was history in a day. Its not dirty fighting.
To be honest. I would say that unlike Joe Biden who says he is smarter than some people that Dick Cheney IS smarter than most people. He might not fit your mold of what you want in a VP, but he is there having snookered so many Republicans and Independents. .
Hey, could you guys also make a big deal out of the plan by Frederick, Maryland, town "elders" to ban all books and audiobooks that are not in English at the county library. The librarian is threatening to leave. It doesn't make national news as much as it should. It's also censoring, and it's just not right.
I have been thinking about experience vs rigid thinking compared to youth vs irresponsibility.
It is not a lack of responsibility that is characteristic of youth, it is flexibility and ability to consider and learn new things. It is the old dogs inability to learn new tricks that makes the dog "old", not irresponsibility. It is the old dogs rigidity of neurological hardware that makes the old dog unable to learn new tricks. If your brain can't adapt to learn new ideas, then you have become old no matter what your chronological age is. If your thinking is old, you are old.
That is the essence of Conservatism, the essence of old and rigid thinking. Sarah Palin may be younger than I am, but her ideas are as old as the hills, from well before the 19th century. Teach Creationism and not teach sex education? Ban books? Open sports centers and close museums? That will prepare the next generations for the 16th century, not the 22th century.
Not just time when "dancing was a sin and beer came in buckets", but a time when thinking was a sin. Their next step will be to make thinking a crime. Think those times won't come again?
M. Randolph Kruger -
People here are criticizing Palin's judgment, leadership philosophy and abilities, ideas about what's good for her constituents and how to get there, her honesty and integrity... and your supposed "defense" is basically, "She is allowed under the law to do these things, so stop bitching?" Talk about missing the point.
And I seriously doubt it's true that all mayors have power to summarily dismiss any city employee they want to at any time for any reason.
If you ban books, how can you keep track of who's reading them?
Doesn't she know there's a war on?
MPW-Wrongo old son. Unless they are civil service designated they can cut them like a knife. There is usually a nasty little row that goes with it lawsuits, but the bottom line is that they can as a rule. The can call it budget cuts, downsizing of departments, they can just do the usual 30 day notification per some states.
Phila. thats like making a statement to the effect of something like this, "Does Bill Clinton still sleep around?" No right answer Phila. Besides, she is sending a son to Iraq so I can guarantee you that she knows there is one going on. Pretty flip...How about packing yourself off to a far away land and going into combat? I can assure you that the experience would enlighten you as to the motives of our opponents. Maybe, just maybe I would get to see you on TV with a knife at your throat?
Be happy in knowing that even the worst conservative would lob a bomb in there to keep you from having to go thru that. Thats a pretty cheap shot Phila. But I have come to expect those.
If Revere ever found anything good in any conservative I would be shocked, absolutely shocked I tell you!
But its all about that social welfare system that would take this country down at all costs. Then what? Country even more broke than it is now... Whats the game plan Obama, apply for foreign aid?
Randy, thanks for the recent bird flu updates...
I'm really looking forward to reading Mr Niman's paradigmatic recombination perspectives on viral evolution via your info service.
I must say, there is a bit of irony here! You wrote, "[When a local] librarian failed to deliver reference materials to the mayor for a meeting....... She was history in a day. Its not dirty fighting. "
Hey Big Boy, I know you are very busy but where's the references to the newspaper article from todays info-list email!?!
Anyway, back to the issue of "theoretical library censorship". In America, Australia and in Indonesia:*)
PS: The City of Perth Library has behaved very much like the WA FOI dept -- if they pretend I don't exist then obviously I don't exist!
M. Randolph Kruger's Info List -- 2008-216 Indonesia cutting their own scientists out of the loop (Sep 7, 2008)
Excerpt from the info-list email, an unreferenced newspaper article -- Indonesia mum over bird flu (Sep 7, 2008)
JAKARTA - WITH nearly half the world's human bird flu deaths, concern is building over Indonesia's refusal to share virus samples and its health minister's increasingly strident denunciations of global 'conspiracies'...
Bird flu scientists abroad and in Indonesia have raised concerns that while Ms Supari seeks to reshape the global order [via the manipulation of domestic politics using her book 'It's Time for the World to Change: Divine Hands Behind Avian Influenza'], time is being wasted in understanding a virus that could potentially kill millions if it mutates into a form transmissible between humans...
********************************
From: "Mae-Wan Ho"
To: "jon singleton" , Perth_Library@cityofperth.wa.gov.au, etc...
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004
'Please ask them [Perth City Library] to order directly from ISIS' website. I am surprised at the "trade restriction", because it is neither out of print nor do we have problems supplying it. I hope it isn't being censored. If so, I wish to advertise it as such! -- maewan'
----- Original Message -----
From: "jon singleton"
To: , etc...
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 5:17 AM
Subject: C21 *S*E*Research -- Re: "Living with the Fluid Genome" By Dr. Mae-Wan Ho [FAQ and Glossary Version]
Hi there,
Re: City of Perth Library hardcopy letter (envelope dated 5th March, 2004) indicating that the science text, "Living with the Fluid Genome" By Dr. Mae-Wan Ho is still unavailable within the WA public library system.
Reservation Report states: "We have received a report for the item you requested. Order cancelled due to trade restrictions, supplier problems or publication out of print or cancelled."
It'd be most appreciated to know the specifics as to why this science text is still unavailable within the WA public library system...
Cheers:*)
Text info online @ http://www.i-sis.org.uk/fluidGenome.php
Sorry Jonny. Its the Sydney Morning Herald and then the Straights Times that also picked it up...
Forgiveness old friend. Now that psychotic representative of the Indon govt. is saying that the West is making viruses and giving them to Indonesians so we can sell them vaccines.
I have a better idea.....Let them get bird flu and they'll lynch the ignorant twit.
G.N. really hammers her in the local and international press. He is in Bali and is six kinds of pissed off about not being able to get any samples to study. He has the capability to do it but he wont release it even to him. .
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%
Also, be advised that 291 are down in WA with what is believed to be H1N1... Must be, cause they aint dead. But a couple of the people in OZ tell me that its not even being reported even with the graphics on the MOH page going off the scale.....
Sorry for the jacking Revere.
.
Maybe, just maybe I would get to see you on TV with a knife at your throat?
Always the voice of reason and sanity....
Be happy in knowing that even the worst conservative would lob a bomb in there to keep you from having to go thru that.
If I hadn't spent the last eight years being called a traitor and worse every time I questioned the actions or the judgment of George W. Bush, I might find this a bit more believable.
Beyond that, I suspect that you read many of the same right-wing sites I do, and that you accordingly know perfectly well that there are plenty of conservatives who'd LOVE to see a lefty's head sawed off on TV, and are not shy about expressing it.