Governor Palin 4 President

Juneau, Alaska - As an owner of 2 successful business The Governor understands the value of private business and established the Governor’s North Star Awards for International Excellence back in May of 2008. Today Governor Palin announced the seven companies and international organizations that won the Governor's North Star Awards for International Excellence for 2009. The awards were presented by Commissioner Emil Notti at the Export Alaska luncheon in Anchorage, attended by more than 150 Alaskans.

“I’m proud of our state’s broad range of outstanding international activity,” Governor Palin said. “From export of aviation technology to cultural exchange to the visitor industry, Alaskans know how to promote positive international relations. It’s a privilege to honor this hard-working group.
“I’m especially pleased to honor one of Alaska’s 13 Native corporations, Koniag, Inc., and the Alutiiq Museum. They persevered together for years to bring a significant collection of Alutiiq masks to Alaska from France to share with all of us.”

Full Article At:
http://gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1854&type=1

Wrangell, Alaska - Governor Palin today signed a bill into law that will suspend the experience cap for teachers.
House Bill 215, sponsored by Representative Peggy Wilson, repeals salary scale limitations for hiring new out-of-state teachers. The bill allows districts to better compete for those teachers coming into the state who bring with them years of experience. Current law limits experience-based salary adjustments to eight years of non-Alaska service. HB 215 suspends the experience cap for a two-year period. For many years, this law was irrelevant because salaries in Alaska were generally much higher than elsewhere in the country. As Alaska’s teaching salaries have become less competitive, school districts have a need for incentives to attract experienced and qualified personnel for hard-to-fill positions.
“HB 215 provides Alaska’s school districts with the ability to offer competitive salaries to attract the best, most qualified teachers,” Governor Palin told Mr. Engell’s American Government class. “This, in turn, provides Alaska’s students with the best, highest-quality education.”
The Governor signed HB 215 at Petersburg High School.

Full Article At:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1853

Governor Palin praised Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele as "bold and courageous" late Tuesday while knocking President Barack Obama as "predictable as Alaska's winter snow."
In a statement criticizing the president over General Motors' plan to sell its healthy assets to the federal government following bankruptcy, the Republican governor singled out Steele as a counterbalance to the president.
"We have another voice in Washington, D.C. — a man who understands what Alaskans believe: less centralized government control, restrained budgets, more opportunity for development and fewer taxes," The Governor said.
"Today, we have a friend in RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and his bold and courageous speech defines his leadership goals that will guide us all through this most difficult time for our nation." Speaking to an RNC meeting Tuesday in Maryland, Steele vowed to confront the president more aggressively.
"What’s the loyal opposition to do with this popular president? We are going to speak truth to power. We are going to speak directly, and we are going to take him on," Steele said. "We are going to challenge those policies that we believe are wrong, and we are going to do so without apology and without a second thought."
Turning to Obama, The Governor said "change" in the president’s administration "has meant rapid movement toward massive government growth, huge tax burdens on future generations and an unprecedented reliance upon foreign countries."
"We are now witnessing actions that will lead to a monumental shift away from free-market capitalism and the strong work ethic that built this great country," she said. "Government should not be in the auto industry business."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22750.html