Sarah's letter to the editor at ADN

I love it when she fights back against the media and the "good ol' boy" politicians who try to take her down.

Letters to the editor (2/24/09)
Published: February 23rd, 2009 06:40 PM
Last Modified: February 23rd, 2009 06:40 PM

Begich stimulus claims incorrect

Now that the federal stimulus bill is signed into law and the money is being offered to states, our administration is analyzing the various funding streams to determine how Alaskans can benefit without creating new or expanded programs that eventually we can't pay for.

Suddenly, though, Sen. Mark Begich has raised the specter that I would reject all of the stimulus money and hurt Alaskans in the process. Alaskans should rest assured that where the stimulus money will help our private sector economy and provide a genuine safety net for individuals, we won't hesitate adding it to a fiscally sustainable spending plan.

I must also set the record straight on Sen. Begich's false claim that he has not been informed about my stance on this bill. I wrote to our congressional delegation twice on this subject, the first time solo on Jan. 7, and later joined by House Speaker Mike Chenault and Senate President Gary Stevens. My D.C. staff was in frequent communication with the senator's staff, including face-to-face meetings and written communications.

Furthermore, Sen. Begich did not solicit our comments about the final package, and some of the changes he helped broker actually reduced federal spending in areas where we would have preferred increases -- for example, a $70 million reduction in highway funds.

Alaskans expect the delegation and the administration to work together.

-- Gov. Sarah Palin