Alaska politics used to be the realm of straight talk, with leaders such as Jay Hammond, Bill Egan and Walter Hickel. But things have changed. Sarah Palin's signs proclaim, "Take a stand," but I've yet to hear her stand on virtually anything.
What I do know is that Tony Knowles would oppose oil leasing in Bristol Bay, but Palin doesn't take a stand on that issue, meaning she could support leasing.
I do know that Knowles opposes the Pebble mine; Palin doesn't say where she stands on that, which means she could support it but doesn't want to tell us (the way she didn't want to tell us where she stood on abortion).
I also know that Knowles would restore balance to wildlife management, giving all Alaskans a voice at the Board of Game, rather than just a handful of extreme, unethical hunters. Palin would likely give us the same or worse wildlife management as the Murkowski administration.
We know what Knowles stands for, and we know he has the experience to be governor. We don't know what Palin stands for, but surely she does, and she's just not being honest with Alaskans. Knowles is being honest; he's the straight talker; he's the one who is taking a stand.
---- Marybeth Holleman / Anchorage |
