Feds admit strings attached to energy stimulus

From Governor Palin's office:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed today there are strings attached to stimulus package funds. DOE is now inviting states to comment on a draft document that they developed for measuring and demonstrating compliance with those strings attached to universal building code provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Last month, Governor Sarah Palin vetoed the $28.6 million in federal stimulus funds tied to adoption of building codes by municipalities.

Of course the governor has been right about this all along. Read the full news release here.

Let's set the wayback machine for March 24 of this year:

Anchorage Rep. [Mike] Hawker objected to Palin saying it's a requirement for Alaska communities to adopt a uniform "building code," as she did in her statement to the press about not accepting stimulus money.

"I'm a little bit concerned there has been a myth perpetrated upon folks who are now using it. It fits on a bumper sticker very nicely and it's becoming conventional wisdom, and frankly it's just not true," Hawker said.

Now let's set the machine for May 24. Watch and listen to State Sen. Bill Wielechowsi, as he emphatically states, "There were no strings attached."

If these legislators want to take the money, can't they just own up to it? Why not just admit that there are string attached, but they don't care how much of Alaska's sovereignty they have to sacrifice to get their hands on the money?

- JP