Alaska's top cop loses job
Originally published Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 9:02 p.m.
Updated Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 9:12 p.m.
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired Friday afternoon.
Sharon Leighow, spokeswoman for Gov. Sarah Palin, said the governor offered Monegan a the job of executive director for the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, but when he declined, he was dismissed from the Department of Public Safety.
“Governor Palin felt there needed to be a change in the direction in management ment at DPS and she decided to move forward,” Leighow said. “She appreciates his work and wanted to keep him in the administration.”
The governor felt Monegan, originally from the small village of Nyac, would be an excellent choice to “address the alcohol crisis in rural communities,” Leighhow said.
Alaska State Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said she learned about the dismissal Saturday, the day it took effect. She referred all other questions to the governor’s office.
Deputy Commissioner John Glass, a former Wasilla police chief, has been appointed acting commissioner.
The governor has a short list of candidates for the commissioner job, and a decision is expected early in the week, Leighow said.
Monegan was appointed to the commissioner position when Palin took office in 2006. Prior to that, he was the police chief in Anchorage. Among his accomplishments were overseeing the installation of mobile computers in police vehicles, writing plans to address gang and youth violence, and establishing professional standards for Village Public Safety Officers.
Community Discussion
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Paving the way for one of her Valley Cronies. Convenient!
Wow....anyone else think there is more to this story than is being published?
She sure wants it all done her way.
It's refreshing to see an elected official that isn't afraid to make a decision without sixteen exploratory committees and a referendum. That's what she was elected to do.
Well, anyone in such a position serves at the discretion of the Gov. Just the way it is. Like it or not. Does not have to be any more to the story and does not have to be anything sinister.
Walt Monegan was a good man advocating for change within DPS. This is a crying shame. Sarah Palin has given him less than 45 minutes of her time TOTAL since coming into office. I find this to be pretty disappointing coming from a governor who said that public safety was a top priority less than a year ago.
I'm not sure what "changes in direction" Palin is looking for within DPS, but since Monegan was trying to address retention, morale and technology issues within the department I find it difficult to believe that the department will do any better with a new commissioner.
I think it is more likely that Palin will install a commissioner that will toe the line and not give her back talk about her gross ignorance.
aktreefrog
I find it incredibly difficult to believe that they have only spent 45 minutes together in all of this time.
What is your source of this info?
Out of the commissioner own mouth, via state email.
"Out of the commissioner own mouth, via state email."
Well that is very dissapointing. I would expect better from Gov Palin
It should also be noted that after his appointment he requested a meeting with her for months before he got to talk to her for the first time about the state of the department.
And while I will acknowledge that, as a member of a policing family, I am admittedly biased, it just seems like poor management to send an underling to fire one of your commissioners (she only has, what, 14 of them??) without ever giving him a reason.
The ADN article was much more illuminating than whats been published in the News Miner. Specifically when Sharon Leighow could not elaborate on what direction it was that Palin wants to take DPS, despite "a change in the direction in management at DPS" being the supposed reason she fired Monegan.
I heard the commisioner wasn't doing his job towards the end and was offered a promotion (typically what happens when a person isn't doing their job) he declined, got fired. Go Palin.
If you'll read about this in the Anchorage Daily News, you'll find that Mr. Monegan was given this news "out of the blue"; he didn't even know what was going on until he was fired. Mr. Monegan is quoted as saying, "If the governor was upset with me for one thing or another, it had never been communicated to me," If he had done something terribly wrong that warranted immediate dismissal, he wouldn't have been offered another job, it seems. This is no way to fire a person in such a position, regardless.
Here's the link: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/463... .
It seems to me that there is more to the story, at least.
Ron Warner
Aktreefrog,
Your words are meaningless without a real name to state your so-called facts. I believe the words you type are of your own interpetation and biased as you have already expressed. Perhaps the commissioner was being dishonest in his job as commissioner which would explain why he gave lies about only spending 45 minutes with the governor. You gullable fool, you are the one with gross ignorance.
easy there akka, you throw words like that at treefrog, but werent you the one that just said...
"I heard the commisioner..." blah blah blah blah blah
what are we in 3rd grade again? someone here has gross ignorance... you're right about that!
"Out of the commissioner own mouth, via state email."
Just because it was sent out "via state email" doesn't make it true.
Perhaps his public complaints about the governor or her policies through official channels was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Alaska is a at will hire and fire state. Good to see this rule applies to the uppers as well as the guy flipping burgers.
akka, at least I am honest and forthright about my bias, what is yours?
All people have a bias, it makes my words no more meaningless than yours. Since I am upfront about mine, it actually gives people a better chance for a meaningful evaluation, can you say the same?
Please explain to me your reasoning that if I don't give my name on an open message board (we have already dealt with harassment in our home in Fairbanks-don't feel the need to go there again) it somehow invalidates my opinion. But I would take it to mean (by the standards of your own making) that you've spouted nothing but tripe with every post since I doubt "akka" is your real name as well.
Also please explain to me where you are getting your information that leads you to the authoritative decision that I am a gullable fool with gross ignorance? Are you magically "in the know" more than other people? Or is your "comprehensive" knowledge of the situation based on a three paragraph article in the News Miner.
Woodman-I completely agree with you, Alaska is an at will state. However, I think that any of us in the work world would hope for a boss to come talk to us about the direction of our company and any changes they would like us to make in our behavior if they are unhappy with our performance. I mean, thats why I have to sit through those boring team meetings and performance reviews (and before anyone leaps to conclusions I work in the private sector).
I'm not saying that the governor doesn't have a right to fire a commissioner that SHE appointed, I am just saying that it is shoddy management to not listen to an employee for two years, never give them correction and then send an underling to fire them without any notice. Especially when that employee was trying to fix problems due to the gross neglect of his predecessors.
someones feet were held to the fire and apperently the feet caught on fire? Remember what they say : one year in Fort Yukon is equal to five years anywhere else. "they, (Being)the states enforcements officeres.....?sry just a ramblelenMan
When Palin was running for governor she was interviewed and asked what mistake(s) she had made as mayor that she would try to avoid as governor. Her reply was telling - she said that she made the mistake once of having someone working for her who disagreed with some of her stands. She finally fired that person so that everyone who worked for her agreed with her. That's what is going on here - her first priority is to cut government spending, regardless of the impact on public safety while Monegan's first priority was public safety, as it should be. The governor's office is nothing more than a stepping stone to Sarah Palin.
He did a good job in Anchorage, and he will do a good job addressing alcohol problems in rural Alaska.
alcohol is too Expensive any how. Rotgut whiskey costs $20 and thats from the local government!!Which is incorporated by the state of ALASKA. You guys are complaining about gas prices when it costs $14 for a gallon of milk? or $2.50 for a liter of water? hahahahahahhahahaha,Live in my town and suffer my plight.
I don't understand the surprise...if Palin's basic mission is to cut the cost of government but after working a couple years as her appointed Commissioner to support this mission, Monegan, still did not concur, who knows what else he did not agree with. If he's not going to support her goals then maybe he should have brought something to the table that would influence her to change her mind. This being Palin's halfway mark in her term where she wants to make changes going in a new direction, can you blame her if maybe she doesn't feel Monegan would not be as supportive of these changes? Further, past work history shows Monegan was asked to leave early from his position as Anchorage Police Chief by Mayor Begich. I'm guessing he did not support the Mayor's goals/direction either. Disagreements like these without providing proper justification or an alternate plan cost time and money. Good for her for moving forward!
este, he turned down the job according to the ADN.
I haven't really been a fan of Walt since I emailed him with a complaint about the gross ineptness of one of his Troopers, complete with the supporting documentation written by the Trooper himself. Neither Walt or any of his lacky's could even bother to acknowledge the receipt of the complaint. So as far as Walt going bye bye, good.
But....
I'm willing to guess that once again Sarah is going to continue showing what she is reall all about, and hire yet another Wassilite. When are people going to wake up and realize Sarah is all about Sarah and her "Friends", and not about the people of this State?
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