Governor needs
to come clean 

IT IS TIME for Gov. Sarah Palin to deliver on her promise of a “clear and transparent” administration. She can start by telling Alaskans why she out-of-the-blue had her chief of staff fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, a man fully capable of being Alaska’s top cop.

Palin’s commissioners serve at her pleasure, but perhaps she also could comment on her management style, one that has her underlings doing the heavy lifting so that she does not have to get her hands dirty.

Then, perhaps she can take a few minutes between photo sessions to explain why she chose Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp . . .

(cont'd from front page) to replace Monegan, and she could tell us all what qualifications Kopp has that make him a better choice than Monegan.

Kopp, within 24 hours of being appointed to replace Monegan, was busy defending himself against sexual harrassment charges from a woman he worked with. Certainly not a great first day. The governor, of course, says she supports him.

Take all of that and then add Andrew Halcro’s reporting on the actual reasons behind Monegan’s firing, and you have a boxcar full of questions. (Our biggest question is: Where in the heck have the mainstream media been on this incredible story?)

An “open and transparent” administration is what the governor promised when she ran for office, although in practice it has not always turned out that way. Alaskans deserve to know why Monegan was fired and Kopp hired. And all the little dirty secrets in-between. That would be open and transparent.

Anything less is unacceptable. Anything less is hypocrisy.