I was listening to local radio reaction to Sarah Palin's speech, and a caller made a point that sent me on a mental tangent -- Sarah Palin's executive experience. After reading earlier this morning on McClatchy that Sarah Palin has never issued an order to the Alaskan National Guard, I began to wonder just how much of Alaska's vast geography actually belongs to the State of Alaska.
I found my answer in no better place than the Government of Alaska website:
Below is the PDF file from the Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources:
Fact Sheet - Title: Land Ownership in Alaska - (PDF)
Disclaimer: Fact sheet is from March 2000
Here are some interesting parts of the "fact sheet":
The federal government is still the largest landowner in Alaska with 60% of the total area (222 million acres). This acreage includes national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, military reservations and the North Slope National Petroleum Reserve. More than a dozen federal agencies manage federal lands in Alaska.
The majority of federally owned lands have been set aside for public use (approximately 80 million acres).(emphasis mine)
Now, there is a small caveat which, in full disclosure, I will also post:
To date, the state has received patent to approximately 85% (90 million acres) of its total land selections. The state was permitted to select lands, from any federal land not already reserved for other uses, to provide:
- Land and resources to support the state's economy for road construction, economic development, and building houses, schools, and other public and private facilities.
- A reduction in federal control over state internal affairs by giving the state ownership and jurisdiction over its own land.
I am not an attorney nor am I a legal expert and I am certainly no expert on the principles of federalism, but exactly how much jurisdiction does the Governor of Alaska really have? One more thing:
Land in private ownership (other than Native land) comprises less than one percent of the total land in Alaska.
Does this all mean that Sarah Palin only has 40% executive experience? After all, if Alaska controls only truly 40% of its state, how strong can any Alaskan Governor be?
Let us never forget that Bill Clinton served nearly 12 years as Governor of Arkansas. Sarah Palin cannot even remotely compare to that.