In a Sunday Washington Post hit piece on Sarah Palin, “As Mayor of Wasilla, Palin Cut Own Duties, Left Trail of Bad Blood,” reporter Alec MacGillis took this inadvertently humorous shot at the growth of Wasilla during her years as Mayor, an observation that could be made just as well about many booming suburban and ex-urban areas of the lower 48:
The light hand of government is evident in the town's commercial core, essentially a haphazard succession of big-box stores, fast-food restaurants and shopping plazas.
Sounds like most of Northern Virginia outside of Washington, DC, or many other areas of the country, most with a pretty heavy hand of government-ruled zoning.
MacGillis, in the September 14 front page article, saw too little government (“the frontier philosophy”) as causing Wasilla to be uglier -- with buildings made of “corrugated metal,” hardly unusual anywhere in Alaska -- than the surrounding natural beauty:
Further constraining City Hall's role is the frontier philosophy that has prevailed in Wasilla, a town that was founded in 1917 as a stop along the new railroad from Anchorage to the gold mines further north. The light hand of government is evident in the town's commercial core, essentially a haphazard succession of big-box stores, fast-food restaurants and shopping plazas.The only semblance of an original downtown is a small collection of historic cabins that have been gathered for display in a grassy area beside a shopping center. Most residents live in ranch houses scattered through the woods. Churches, offices, stores and most other buildings are made of corrugated metal or composite materials. Standing in contrast to the utilitarian architecture are the lakes and majestic peaks.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
amazing...
September 15, 2008 - 00:37 ET by angelwing34215If it weren't for the fact that anyone could take this seriously, the Media's despiration is getting to the point where it is just funny.
Wouldn't it be better if the
September 15, 2008 - 01:23 ET by cocodrieWouldn't it be better if the buildings in Wasilla were made if dingy and dirty bricks and the whole town was dying due to a rediculously high crime and murder rate? JUST LIKE CHICAGO?
Ooh This is where I want to live
September 15, 2008 - 01:13 ET by well99Obamaland
"Obama, who has worked as a lawyer and a legislator to improve living conditions for the poor, took campaign donations from Rezko even as Rezko's low-income housing empire was collapsing, leaving many African-American families in buildings riddled with problems -- including squalid living conditions, vacant apartments, lack of heat, squatters and drug dealers.
"Eleven of Rezko's buildings were in Obama's state Senate district."
'
This leftist article is
September 15, 2008 - 01:33 ET by rbosqueThis leftist article is dripping with hatred.
More than usual.
A trail of bad blood?
September 15, 2008 - 08:43 ET by kgMight that be those that are part of the good old boys network?
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
It's hard to really decide
September 15, 2008 - 03:05 ET by jdhawkIt's hard to really decide how to answer this stupid attempt to put down Governor Palin. The first thing that struck me, because I live in a small town in the south is how much our local government could have saved if they didn't insist on "saving" the downtown of the town where I live. I don't know how many millions have been spent over the years in "revitalization" studies, "renovations", etc. If our city council and mayor had just realized that "downtown" had moved and was now centered around the largest business activity, the mall, they would have saved us taxpayers a boat load of money. I wonder how many of you have downtowns in your town that if there was more of a "frontier philosophy" countless millions would not have been poured down a rat hole in useless and wasteful "renovations" and "revitalizations."
Sounds like home
September 15, 2008 - 05:12 ET by harqmanSounds like us here in Mississippi. Without the shoes, teeth or ability to read of course.
WOW
September 15, 2008 - 05:49 ET by sentforth5I've seen desperation before, but this takes the cake!
Good grief! What is
September 15, 2008 - 05:57 ET by motherbeltGood grief! What is next!?
Oh, wait...they will probably do a genealogy search to see what they can find out. I guess I shouldn't give them any ideas!
Not in LA.....
September 15, 2008 - 05:59 ET by old cro"The light hand of government is evident in the town's commercial core,
essentially a haphazard succession of big-box stores, fast-food
restaurants and shopping plazas."
Wasn't there a ban in parts of Los Angelize against fast-food restaurants for the peoples own good?
Wow, so what is the point
September 15, 2008 - 06:08 ET by Indiana JoeWow, so what is the point of this article? Don't these MSM types realize that they're describing an average small-to-mid-size town in this era? Many towns I've been through fit this description. If this is the caliber of their "unbiased" attempts to "report" on Gov. Palin, they are so much more "out of touch" than I ever thought.
Imagine, the idea that a growing town expands, and that businesses would build efficient, utilitarian buildings, is a completely foreign concept to this mindset. Aesthetically, I agree. I'm not a big fan of the "big-box, fast-food, shopping plaza" look. "Corrugated metal" buildings are not my idea of great architecture. But there's no denying it's the way development is going, all across the country. Chicago's south side is screaming for this kind of "development." In Wasilla, it's... what?... "trashy?"
Maybe the most condescending, elitist POV expressed here is that it's the "light hand of government" that's to blame. Most of these "mall ghettoes" are the result of "government" banning development in the center of town, or just the plain fact of running out of room in small-town cores.
When will these people get a clue? We WANT government to have a "light hand." Remember? "The government that governs least," and all that? Some guy named Jefferson, I believe.
Simply unbelievable.
"... smells like... victory." - Robert Duvall
clearly their winning
September 15, 2008 - 11:26 ET by TruthMongerclearly their winning strategy now is to accentuate the insults on middle America even more every day - it's so brilliant we can't possibly understand it
Journalism is the opium of the liberals
Wasilla = Deadwood with a
September 15, 2008 - 08:10 ET by SickofLibsWasilla = Deadwood with a Walmart.
Orginial downtown?
September 15, 2008 - 09:33 ET by CobraMan"The only semblance of an original downtown"
I'd LOVE to see the "original downtown" of ANY large city. Where's the "original downtown" of New York, or Boston, or even Chicago? I can't even find the "original downtown" here in Minneapolis. It seems to me that the WaPo is just angry that Wasilla isn't some rustic ghost town that disappeared after the gold ran out. Talk about desperation! The WaPo now hates successful towns, as they know that the citizens of these small towns are going to be deciding this year's presidential election.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Great job by MacGillis….
September 15, 2008 - 10:19 ET by maggieqpublicGreat job by MacGillis…. writing an article about the trashy towns where the bitter people live… the ones who cling to their guns and religion. And they attend corrugated metal churches no less.
MacGillis’ point-of-view comes through loud and clear. Obviously, Wasilla needs a good Redevelopment Agency, and it needs to employ a liberal dose of eminent domain. Add to that millions in taxpayer dollars (as discussed by jdhawk above), and you’ve got the ultimate liberal dream city with a growing useless government.
Free Markets
September 15, 2008 - 11:19 ET by Secret ConservativeOnce again, a liberal shows his disgust with the free market. I don't know why libs are so in love with "quaint" downtown areas, with their little coffee shops, trendy restaurants and lib book stores, and they sneer at shopping centers, chain restaurants, malls and big box stores. And God Forbid there should be a WalMart! But in reality, nobody goes to the overpriced "quaint" downtown areas - not for their everyday shopping. So these places don't make money and have lots of turnover, while the "tacky" stores and restaurants where people actually WANT to spend their money thrive. The lib answer? Plow more tax money into the "quaint, trendy" areas and denigrate the places that provide value for the consumer and make money (and pay taxes!!!).
I live in Wasilla...
September 15, 2008 - 15:22 ET by Army BratAnd it looks like Anytown USA of this size.
I've diriven numerous times to Florida and back to Alaska using different routes to do it. I've seen a raft of little bergs like this and they all look the same.
Well...except where money ruled...and then only parts of the town looked like someone had a plan.
Happy Trails...
Exactly Army Brat... I
September 15, 2008 - 15:27 ET by bigtimerExactly Army Brat...
I have wondered where you've been since Palin was named....glad to see you here, I lived in Seward for nine years, Anchorage for a bit before that, had a best friend that lived in Wasilla too...these msm critters are insane with their reporting in so many ways...lol.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh