Ethics is as ethics does

I heard Sean Parnell’s voicing the Palin election promises: transparency in government, ethics and new energy. That call rang hollow for the first time.

I very recently returned to Alaska after working out-of-state to find a very disappointing letter from the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on my desk.

An investigation that I caused to be undertaken ended with retention of the appointee concerned in the face of overwhelming evidence to the lack fitness of that individual to continue in the appointed position. This individual is an appointee carried over from the Murkowski administration. Nowhere in the opinion from DMVA was there any favorable comment regarding the individual’s ethics or character, the primary issues raised in my complaint.

I guess character and ethics are not a concern regarding fitness to command within DMVA or an attribute to be examined for appointment by the governor to a state office.

The individual I was concerned about (allegedly) falsified manpower and readiness reports to the commissioner DMVA, yet survived his transgressions. Further, he (allegedly) defended plagiarism of federal documents and non-compliance with the organization’s policy regarding use of firearms, going so far as to discharge the individual without cause who brought this breach of ethics to his attention. These are but a few of his transgressions against the integrity of his office and against his subordinates.

The officers who were responsible for the plagiarism and insubordination over the violation of firearms policy go unpunished and are rewarded for their (alleged) failure in command, ethics and responsibility. The individual I was complaining about protected these individuals to the detriment of the organizational integrity and honor.

I cannot express my disappointment in Gov. Sarah Palin for lacking the political courage to make good on her promise of a transparent and ethical government.

I am sick of platitudes from politicians. Either there is an ethical bent to the Palin administration, across the board, or there is not. In this case, a lack of ethics was rewarded and continues in “service” to the state.

Remember what you read here the next time Sarah Palin talks about ethics in her administration. She has serious problems that she decided to overlook in the interests of political goals. I am one who will remember this at the polls.

Larry Wood

Palmer