Sarah Palin became the only governor in the United States to reject energy conservation funds from the stimulus bill. Palin has long claimed that the bill forces states to change their energy laws, but this is not true. The bill only requires that states pledge that new buildings meet energy standards by 2017.
Palin has claimed that she is rejecting the $28.6 million for Alaska because the state would have to change existing laws, “We shouldn’t have to change our local laws to accept more of this federal package, as the feds already control much of our young state, thus prohibiting our opportunities to responsibly develop.”
The problem is that the law does not require any changes. According to newsminer.com, “The federal stimulus law requires states to pledge they will meet energy efficiency standards on 90 percent of new and renovated commercial and residential square footage by 2017.” In essence, states only need to promise that they will try to meet the goal. They are not required to change existing laws in order to get the funds. This is why the other 49 governors took the money.
In Alaska it has been pointed out that the state could meet the goal by using municipal standards in Anchorage and Fairbanks. There would be no need for a state code. Palin turned down the energy conservation funds, because Mrs. Drill Baby Drill wants to run on the energy issue in 2012. She doesn’t want to agree with Obama’s alternative energy plan in any way.
In order to advance her own political career, Palin has taken $28.6 million away from Alaska. Is it any surprise that her approval rating in Alaska has fallen to 54%. She isn’t doing what is best for her state. She is using her position as governor to blatantly position herself as a candidate for president. All governors who have run in the past have done this to a degree, but very few have gone to the extremes that Sarah Palin has.
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