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Former Alaskan concerned about borders

Published on Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:55 AM MST

Dear Editor:

My claim is not to know that vice president nominee Gov-ernor Sarah Palin can or cannot handle the VP job of the United States of America. I lived and worked in Alaska as the civilian personnel officer for Eielson Air Force Base, located near Fairbanks, Alaska, during the building of the oil pipeline, Alaska’s being granted statehood by the U.S. Congress and the cold war with Russia.

People in the Lower 48 do not seem to understand what that isolated state has to deal with. Border security – we in Arizona have a tiny, tiny border. Think about the number of miles of border Alaska has. Does one think no one tries to illegally cross it? It is only a few miles to Russia’s border. Does one think the Russians have stopped trying to find a window where our radar will not detect them? Does one think the United States does not have to scramble its fighters to meet those Russian planes?

Have we read about all the Asians getting across the Canadian borders? Do we think they try to enter the United States only on the southern Canada/U.S. border? Do we here in Arizona realize how many millions and millions of acres of land Alaska has to worry about? Have we even considered the legislation and money needed to take care of transportation – roads, bridges, rail lines – many of them in unbelievable weather and terrain?

Do we realize the many state contracts Alaska has with Japan in regard to fishing, crabbing, forest products, etc., or with South Korea and the selling of coal, and on and on? Think about Alaska’s long border with Canada and the commercial trading that goes on. Maybe we know a little about the oil business, but have we thought about the U.S. and state security problems at the Alaskan ports – such as we keep reading about in the Lower 48 ports?

Yes, many of the above are federal items, but state governors are involved in all of them. A U.S. representative or senator does not get directly involved in everything to the extent a governor does.

Delphine Maxey

Safford

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Comments

27 comment(s)

voter wrote on Oct 23, 2008 10:17 PM:

" good job Delphine, She is smart, and will look good in the White House, a real change from the ugliness it has had for a good many years now..both democrats and republicans "

Fred wrote on Oct 23, 2008 8:12 AM:

" I suggest that anyone can spell anything if they went to school. Sorry bwana, I guess you would not know the spelling of , well much. And "agree", A girl as president? Thats funny. I would vote for a girl for president of the House Wives Guild (if that exists) and thats about it. "

agree sort of wrote on Oct 17, 2008 3:43 PM:

" I agree Palin shouldn't be vice president. She would be much better as the president. "

bwana wrote on Oct 14, 2008 12:48 PM:

" I strongly suggest that anyone who can spell "Hugo Chavez, Kim Jong II or Ahmadinejad" is probably a terrorist or at least a sympathizer! "

Two brothers from another wrote on Oct 13, 2008 5:14 PM:

" Sounds like BigNate is the liberal version of Fred. Good to see those special ed classes taught both of you how to blog. Now get out your crayons for a while. "

Fred wrote on Oct 13, 2008 2:58 PM:

" Is Bignate an alter ego for Hugo Chavez, Kim Jong II or Ahmadinejad? Either way, If that terrorist gets into office, we will see lots more of those people in a positive light. "

BigNate wrote on Oct 13, 2008 2:17 PM:

" OBAMA!!!!!

mccain is dumb. he's been their for 20+ yrs and hasn't really done anything. palin who? it's a nobody from a nothing state.
nobody cares about alaska. only crabs and oil come from alaska. "

Why wrote on Oct 13, 2008 10:01 AM:

" Why is it that Palin scares liberal woman so much? Is it because she is a real woman that can take care of herself and doesn't need a goverment program to do so? The attacks against her are just plain untrue. We need someone in Washington that isn't one of the gang. All three senators are part of the Washington gang. It is refreshing to see someone from the real world. "

Border Patrol wrote on Oct 11, 2008 10:22 AM:

" Does the USA not have border patrol up in Alaska? Don't tell me that the Alaskan governor is the only one protecting our borders. If out siders wanted to come in via Alaska, that would be a very simple job , we do not have enough Americans standing side by side to keep them out. Yes, I believe we need to bring home all of our troops and put them on the borders, let those foreign countries fend for themselves, we have taken care of them long enough. Think of all the money we could savethatway "

Will she make VP wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:04 PM:

" Will our choice for Vp of the Republicans be serving time for her crooked deals as governor in Alaska? Looks like McCain is doing some back tracking on some of the ideas he has been putting forth about Obama.
I say it is time for a change in America, Arizona and Graham county. By change I mean someone new in the elected political office. Of course I am a firm believer of term limits. In reading bloggs and talking with people I think the sheriff, assessor and district 3 supervisor is where the most want change. "

Looking Back wrote on Oct 9, 2008 2:26 PM:

" Yours Truly theres several things you need to think about. ONE- No one owes you Health Care go out and get your own. With Obamas plan those companies that provide Health will no longer be able to, but that ok he's going to just give to you and stick it to the Middle class on up.Two- Palin is not running for President Obama is but as far as experience she has more in the areas that should concern people. Three- Facts are facts he does associate with terroist and Anti Americans. Four- Economy termoil Thank Dodd,Obama,Frank,& Schumer "

Yours Truly wrote on Oct 9, 2008 10:29 AM:

" (cont)

Don't we have a "I would like to a beer with that guy" kind of person in the office right now? The economy is in tormoil and our foreign relations are non existence. Healthcare sucks, when does it stop?

Speaking of the economy ask yourself about the Keating 5. With healthcare, how is $5000 tax credit going to help you with your coverage? Premiums, co-pays, out-of-pocket, and deductibles go up every year, plus paying 20% of the bill. That's a plan for someone who has had his healthcare paid for by the taxpayers all his life! "

Yours Truly wrote on Oct 9, 2008 10:20 AM:

" Wasn't the attack on Obama that he only has been a senator for 2 years and he doesn't have enough experience. Now Palin comes to town and all of a sudden it's okay to have an outsider to run our country. Now you have these rallies with her saying "He's palling around with terrorist" WTF. Then you have people yelling in the backgroud "kill him". Yeah we need attacks like that and a person who will be second in office to fire up a mob. When you have people yelling "kill him", ask yourself who's the terrorist now. "

Two Mavericks In the White House wrote on Oct 9, 2008 9:57 AM:

" I think Palin and her fellow maverick will do a great job if elected into office! "

Scary thoughts wrote on Oct 9, 2008 7:41 AM:

" Many of you have sated that Obama is a Muslim..Wrong. I have parents and grandparents that were Methodist but I am not a Methodist, same with Obama. Now the "dumb winking cheerleader" we have running fir VP with Flip Flop McCain, her religion is scary, was that an exorcist her preacher preformed on her awhile back, having to do with the war in Irag.I voted early and I voted for the vice preient for I think that is who will be running the county in a year or two. "

Kenny wrote on Oct 8, 2008 10:59 PM:

" Great post Delphine! It is always nice to hear another perspective. I couldn't agree more regarding border security. Our great nation should be protected. I love how Palin can smile and keep things on track! Some of the others get so worked up in their politics that they forget how they want to say it. I heard a quote once: If you tell the truth you don't have to try to remember what you said. Good on ya, Delphine! "

Barack Hussein wrote on Oct 8, 2008 12:36 PM:

" We can send 2 senators who have been doing a bad job to the White House, or we can send 1 senator who has been doing a bad job and 1 outsider (Palin) as a shot over the bow. And maybe Washington will listen! But the real answer is to NOT allow politicians to have 10, 20, 30 years to lean how to steal from citizens. Any ticket with an outsider gets my vote. "

Looking Back wrote on Oct 8, 2008 8:57 AM:

" Who's preaching bwana? I'm just stateing the facts when I said this country was founded on religous principals. Our founding fathers are rolling in their graves at what the liberals in this country are doing. Aborting the innocent and protecting the terroist. When they founded and settled this country they fought their battles and I'm sure innocent lives were lost but without this we would not enjoy the freedoms we do today. I can promise you that they would have hung or shot those that knowingly aborted and innocent baby. As I said OBAMA wins this country is screwed. "

bwana wrote on Oct 7, 2008 7:53 PM:

" There you go, fear mongering again....leave it to the religious right to preach God's wrath if they don't get their way! LOL!
You people are so fond of spinning the abortion issue...How is it that you are pro war and anti abortion? Aren't they both taking of human lives? Don't you know that babies die in warfare too?
Sounds like the fascists are the ones with their heads in the sand to me! "

Looking Back wrote on Oct 7, 2008 3:51 PM:

" Bwana, You have your head so buried in the sand you have know idea of what your talking about. This great country of ours was founded on relgious principals that the far left Liberals have slowly chipped away at. Drugs, Divorce, Gay Rights, Abortion(Taking a human Life), and a free ride is all you people think and care about. This country is in Major trouble at this time thanks to the liberal influence in the Media, Entertainment, and Democratic Party. If OBAMA is elected which he probably will be. Put on your seat belts because will FALL FAST! "

bwana wrote on Oct 7, 2008 1:03 PM:

" Religious fundamentalists like Palin are more likely to be terrorists than civil rights activists like Obama.
Right wing fundamentalist extremists are all dangerous...whether they are of the christian religion or the moslem religion...Neo-Crusaders we can do without!!! "

Fred wrote on Oct 7, 2008 9:51 AM:

" I take it the anti-Palin folks will be voteing in a terrorist then? "

Voter wrote on Oct 7, 2008 6:56 AM:

" MRS Palin is like John McCain, some of us here in Arizona think McCain is the best thing since sliced bread and other know him for the crook he is. "

bwana wrote on Oct 7, 2008 5:55 AM:

" You gotta be kidding! She's worst possible choice!
She has actually claimed that the war in Iraq is "A task from God!" That's insane! Why would anyone even give a second thought to a religious nut that wants to foster a "holy war". Totally ridiculous to vote republican this time around. "

Palin is extremely wrong choice wrote on Oct 6, 2008 8:45 PM:

" Palin is a sad joke. If she ever gets anywhere near the office I'm moving to Mexico. "

Concerned wrote on Oct 6, 2008 4:51 PM:

" Point I think is Sarah Palin is the right person for the job as VP now and hopefully President in 4 years. She may not be a big time politician however she has ran a great government in Alaska from what I have researched. I think she brings freshness to the stale government we have now. God knows she really can't do much worse then were we are now. "

bwana wrote on Oct 6, 2008 10:58 AM:

" That makes one think...
What's your point? "

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