KOTZEBUE (Alaska) - GOVERNOR Sarah Palin returned to the spotlight on Tuesday with an appearance in a remote Arctic village where she stood by her perplexing decision to resign just as she tries to elevate her national profile ahead of a possible 2012 presidential run.

Ms Palin, last year's Republican presidential candidate, signed a bill in this small town 50km north of the Arctic circle that is intended to bolster law enforcement in Alaska villages.

Ms Palin defended her decision to step down after a year in which she has been bombarded with a series of ethics complaints that have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to investigate.

'You would be amazed at how much time and resource my staff and I, the Department of Law especially, spend on this every day,' she said. 'It is a waste. We are spending these millions of dollars not on teachers and troopers and roads or fish research and other things that are needed in Alaska.' Ms Palin stunned the political world when she abruptly announced on Friday that she would step down July 26.

She has not said what she will do next, but a book deal is in the works. When asked if she will run for president, Ms Palin responded, 'That's certainly not within my immediate plans.' But Ms Palin was quick to criticise President Barack Obama, a possible sign of what's to come three years from now, ripping the Democrat over his economic plans.

There has been speculation that she has some legal issue that is not yet known to the public. But her lawyer said she has no legal problems whatsoever, and simply is tired of the hostile political climate, legal bills and other distractions.

Ms Palin says the state will be better off with Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell as she gets consumed by a political climate that she considers vicious.

'I had promised no more politics as usual,' she said. 'I had promised no more ineffectiveness and inefficiencies. We will progress the state better with Sean in the governor's seat and me fighting for Alaska on the outside of government because of the conditions that have changed.'

Ms Palin's resignation has set up a free-for-all for her job when her term ends in 2010. Mr Parnell will serve out her final year and a half, but nearly a dozen people have filed letters of intent to run in 2010. -- AP