Palin Disputed In Troopergate Probe

Sept. 20, 2008(CBS/AP) Just when it seemed the Alaska investigation into
Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of a state official might have been scuttled
by the pressures of presidential politics, another turn of events has
kept it going.

Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan last July,
allegedly after pressure by her, her husband and staff members on
Monegan to fire her ex-brother-in-law was ignored, is at the center of
the investigation (known as Troopergate) into whether Palin abused her
power.

Palin originally agreed to participate in the investigation, authorized
in July by the Republican-controlled legislature. She told Alaskans,
"Hold me accountable." Once named to the McCain ticket, however, Palin
backpedaled. She has since refused to testify.

Palin has maintained that she fired Monegan not over the status of
Trooper Mike Wooten, but over budget disagreements - specifically a trip
Monegan planned to Washington which she said was unauthorized.

Earlier this week the McCain campaign released a series of e-mails
detailing the frustration several Palin administration officials
experienced in dealing with Monegan. The "last straw," the campaign
said, was a trip Monegan planned in July to seek federal money for
investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.

Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

However, Palin's chief of staff did authorize the travel to Washington.

A travel authorization document signed by Palin's Chief of Staff Mike
Nizich on June 18 approved Monegan's trip to Washington for the purpose
of meeting Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

The document's existence was first reported by ABC News on Friday.

Monegan told ABC that the travel authorization was explicitly to pursue
funding for the anti-sexual-violence program, though the document does
not state that as a reason for the trip.

McCain spokesman Taylor Griffin said Friday that the travel
authorization was for a routine trip, and that state commissioners
regularly travel to meet members of Alaska's congressional delegation.

"He was not authorized to lobby Congress," Griffin said.

The revelation came on the same day that several individuals subpoenaed
to testify in Troopergate refused to appear as ordered.

Those who refused to answer their subpoenas (including Todd Palin, the
Governor's husband; Randy Ruaro, the governor's deputy chief of staff;
and aide Ivy Frye) will be referred to the full Senate for contempt,
said Sen. Hollis French, who is heading the investigation.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.

wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.


I thought the endless mentions of "executive experience" by the Repubs
was a huge grin. After all, George W. Bush had two terms as governor of
Texas -you know, executive experience- and look at the general foch up
he turned out to be.

What matters is judgment, and it is obvious neither McCain nor Palin
have any.

WaIIy wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:59:11 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.
And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.

He wasn't fired, idiots.

He was offered a very good alternative position and resigned instead.


This is hilarious...the Republi-retards are *defending* Ms. Palin, just
as they defend Bush.

wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.


When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At one
weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase for two
hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So, after the
meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought another. I had the
power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The camera was about $125. I
have a really hard time with micromanagers.

"A Real Boater" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.


When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At one
weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase for two
hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So, after the
meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought another. I had the
power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The camera was about $125. I
have a really hard time with micromanagers.


If he was your subordinate and you could authorize and sign up to $5k, why
did he have to go before a 30 member board for a $125 capital expenditure?
Something doesn't add up.

Eisboch

On Sep 20, 4:25*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"A Real Boater" wrote in messagenews:F_6dnYJpnNmhy0jVnZ2dnUVZ_sudnZ2d@comca st.com...





wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:

Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.

And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. *WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? *Talk about micro-managing. *Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.

When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At one
weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase for two
hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So, after the
meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought another. I had the
power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The camera was about $125. I
have a really hard time with micromanagers.

If he was your subordinate and you could authorize and sign up to $5k, why
did he have to go before a 30 member board for a $125 capital expenditure?
Something doesn't add up.

Eisboch- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Let it go, man! Remember, you are trying to make sense to a narrow
minded buffoon.

Eisboch wrote:
"A Real Boater" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.
And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.

When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At one
weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase for two
hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So, after the
meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought another. I had the
power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The camera was about $125. I
have a really hard time with micromanagers.


If he was your subordinate and you could authorize and sign up to $5k, why
did he have to go before a 30 member board for a $125 capital expenditure?
Something doesn't add up.

Eisboch




He reported to me for his assignments, but he reported to the regional
administrator there for operational (non-salary & fringe) budgetary
purposes. I had authority to recommend the hiring and discipline of my
subordinates, and to direct their activities. I don't know how it works
these days, but that is how it worked back then.

The board was deep into micromanaging in those days. The problem was the
organization was emerging from its old style of governance into a more
political structure. The old way was a professional staff exec director
who ran the professional staff and an elected president and board who
ran the politics. The board more and more was intruding into staff
management. The old exec director model is gone.

Those were really the fun days of my young career in trade unionism. I
had just joined the union staff after working on two political campaigns
in Michigan and after a stint working for SW Tom's hero, Saul Alinsky. I
spent a few months on the union flying squad and then was sent to New
York to handle a few assignments.

Hehehe.

When Nixon imposed his wage-price regs, I had to fly back out to Chicago
and tell 2000 teacher leaders why classroom teachers were not going to
be exempted. Now that was a interesting presentation.

But not as much fun as dumping caskets full of books on the steps of a
board of education building.

WaIIy wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:25:49 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

"A Real Boater" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel, cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.
And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can keep
her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his itinerary
approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in Washington and her
head will explode.

When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At one
weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase for two
hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So, after the
meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought another. I had the
power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The camera was about $125. I
have a really hard time with micromanagers.

If he was your subordinate and you could authorize and sign up to $5k, why
did he have to go before a 30 member board for a $125 capital expenditure?
Something doesn't add up.

Eisboch


It's an absurd story.

Its like the time the freaking EVP wouldn't buy formatted diskettes for
74 cents each. We had to buy the the unformatted diskettes for 69 cents
each. 10,000 diskettes at 5 cents a piece was a lot of money to him.
When I pointed out that it cost more money for our technicians to format
the diskettes he threw me out of his office and bought the formatted
diskettes.

WaIIy wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:25:49 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

"A Real Boater" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:
On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:02:00 -0400, A Real Boater wrote:


Palin, saying she did not authorize the expenses for the travel,
cited
that trip as a primary example of the insubordination that led to
Monegan's firing.
And if this is an example of her "executive experience", Alaska can
keep her. WTF, the Public Safety Commissioner has to get his
itinerary approved? Talk about micro-managing. Try this in
Washington and her head will explode.

When I worked for the teacher's union, one of my subordinates in a
regional office needed a camera for some of his newsletter work. At
one weekend board meeting, the 30-member board debated that purchase
for two hours and finally turned it down. Money was not tight. So,
after the meeting, I gave him the camera I was using and bought
another. I had the power of the pen up to $5000; he did not. The
camera was about $125. I have a really hard time with micromanagers.

If he was your subordinate and you could authorize and sign up to
$5k, why did he have to go before a 30 member board for a $125
capital expenditure? Something doesn't add up.

Eisboch


It's an absurd story.

Why makes you think "absurdity" and organizational decisions are
mutually exclusive?




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