Governor Palin has dismissed others within her administration besides Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner Walt Monhegan. Appointed representatives serve at the governor’s will.

Since the dismissal of DPS Commissioner Walt Monegan has caught so much public attention, I find myself asking, why? Why is DPS’s union so fired up over Commissioner Monegan’s dismissal? Were there promises made that Alaskans should know about? Did Commissioner Monegan not perform as he could have?

Is Hollis French or are others motivated to maintain connections to political forces that have let Alaskans down? Are these folks trying to distract Alaskans from more important issues? What precedent exists that requires an investigation of the dismissal of a governor’s appointee? Why did the union not address the issue of Officer Wooten until after Commissioner Monegan was dismissed?

Our governor has a right and a responsibility to the people of Alaska to make changes that will best serve their needs. While DPS issues are disturbing these days, I still trust our governor to do what is right.

Good and bad exists in all areas of society. It attacks the rich, the poor, public servants, men and women. Law enforcement agencies have both good and bad among them. Let’s us rid ourselves of “bad” and keep the “good.”

Our governor has asked Alaskans to keep her accountable. She never promised to explain every decision she made, nor did she promise to disclose all of her private matters for everyone to know. Someone else decided to do that for her. If the governor had to explain every decision she made, she’d never get anything done.

Anita Halterman

Eagle River