I was in Alaska last May

And being who I am and being who I was with, much politics was discussed with as many people as we thought it was safe to discuss it with.

No one mentioned Palin by name but everyone mentioned hating their state government. When we were in Juneau and passed the governor's mansion (more of a governor's big suburban tract home) our tour guide (previously established as not only safe to discuss politics with but impossible to shut up on the subject) spat out some rather hard words aimed at the office in general. In Sitka, my mother engaged the physical therapist she met in the pharmacy in a conversation wherein it was revealed that health care workers in Alaska NEVER look to their state government for help under any circumstances. (He then had her experiment with a half dozen canes and taught her how to use the one he deemed best for her. My mom, what a character!) I got to talking to the woman behind the counter in the Russian tschotchke store and while the conversation started out being about the Russian government we finally got from her that she doesn't trust anyone on her state level, either. My sister chatted with the check out clerk at the pharmacy while my mother was being charmed by the physical therapist and says that the clerk had nothing but contempt for any government above her own local level.

We asked several people about the perceived need for a road into Juneau. THAT is the "road to nowhere" that we keep hearing about. It is not to be confused with the "bridge to nowhere." That road was promoted by the predecessor of the present governor; the latter then nixed the plan immediately upon taking office. Environmental concerns were a big part of the decision (someone needs to make an issue of this, you know...but I digress) but the lack of general state-wide support for the road (which would have gone to Haines, not exactly a major interstate and there still would have been a ferry involved at points. Ain't Wikipedia grand?) suggests a lack of state-wide support for their state government.

What am I getting at here? Why, nothing. {bats eyes innocently} Nothing at all. Why do you ask?

I need a cookie and I'm out of them and it's getting too dark to walk to the store. I think it's time for fried eggplant. I just made some and the smell is driving me crazy. Then I need to make pie. Mmmmmmmmmm pie!