A Pol is Born

On a recent reporting trip to Alaska, TNR senior editor Noam Scheiber met with Laura Chase, the former Palin city council colleague who managed her 1996 campaign for mayor. Among the campaign paraphernalia Chase gave TNR was this letter, written by Palin, in which she lays out the rationale for her campaign:

Dear Friends,

I’m running for mayor to bring positive change to Wasilla. I’m tired of “business as usual” in this town, and of the “Good ol’ Boys” network that runs the show here. I know we can make government leaner and more efficient! I have a great love for Wasilla. My roots are here. I grew up here, I attended Iditarod Elementary School & was graduated from Wasilla High. The five years I spent outside earning my college degree solidified my love for and desire for Wasilla. I’m raising my children here and I plan to live here until as long as the Good Lord allows!

The decisions made at Wasilla City Hall affect [sic] me an my kids today, and they will affect my kids twenty years from now. I’m not just hanging on until for another term until I can retire on the state’s gov’t system & head on out of here. I’m here for the long haul.

There is currently a sad state of complacency at City Hall. I have the energy, optimism and determination to lead us into pro-activity, versus the current re-activity in w mode we’re in.

Two years ago Wasilla voters, with the Mayor’s support (?), overwhelmingly voted in favor of term limits for the Mayor. The City Council adopted the added to our municipal cod that the Mayor could not serve more than two consecutive terms. Mayor Stein did not allow [sic] this addition to our code, because he is “Grandfathered” in, he can keep on running for Mayor! He’s looking at his fourth term in office … that is too long! He’s been involved in government Between all his years in Wasilla and Sitka politics, government, He has become a career politician. He has a the “government” mind set, that creates constant growth in government.

I believe in self-determination for our neighborhoods! Neighborhoods – You come to City Hall and tell us wha say tell us what you want, what is right for your area … not the other way around! City Hall shouldn’t be coming down your throat with “What’s best for you” … We City Hall hires “experts” from outside to come tell us how to re-zone our city, to make it become a mini-Seattle!

I will not support any tax increase. Our sales tax generates over 2 million dollars more than what we had projected we’d be taking in when we sold the idea sales tax idea to the public four years ago. Since proving we’d spend the sales tax on a police dept. and on getting roads paved, we’ve been growing at City Hall.

I will not support building a multi-million dollar “new, state-of-the-art” City Hall, as is called for in Wasilla’s newest comprehensive plan.

I will not accept a raise, like the current mayor recently did! A $4,000 a year pay hike, right after telling the sr. citizens center we couldn’t fund their full funds request!

I will put my foot down when dealing with a major, incorrect and unethical conflict-of-interest on city council. Councilman John Hartick’s wife, Suzanne, is the Mayor’s Secretary. This preclude [sic] Councilman Hartick from voting on any personnel issue, because his wife’s job (paycheck) is involved in personnel matters. This conflict takes away a voice of representation of the people! We do not have six councilmen now, we have five. The citizen public is getting ripped off.

I’ll not run for election more than once.

I believe in personal [indecipherable] … NRA.Ba

Click here to read the letter in the original Palin chicken scratch. Also, click here to peruse a sheet of Palin brainstorms, and here and here to see how Chase translated those doodles into bona fide campaign literature.

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