Lawmakers became involved in 2000 when reports began coming in that Wasilla police were charging sexual assault victims for the kits and the forensic exams, which cost from $300 to $1,200 at the time. The kit, a package of sample containers, swabs and other medical supplies, is used to collect evidence from women after they are attacked.
Then-Gov. Tony Knowles said Thursday that Wasilla was unique in the state in charging rape victims for the cost of doing the law enforcement necessary for solving the crime.
Palin Left Wasilla $20 Million In Debt.
As mayor of Wasilla, Palin cut taxes while simultaneously expanding the town's operating budget by almost $2 million. She ended her term in 2002 with Wasilla $20 million in debt. [Anchorage Daily News 10/23/06; the Politico, 8/29]
Palin Instituted A Windfall Profits Tax On Oil Companies.
Palin Instituted A Windfall Profits Tax On Oil Companies.
In 2007, Palin raised taxes on oil company profits by $1.5 billion a year, enabling Alaska to double its oil revenue. However, in 2008 she said, "Windfall profits taxes alone prevent additional investment in domestic production." [Bloomberg, 3/8; Seattle Times, 8/10; Governor's Office Press Release]
Palin Failed To Support A Bill To Cover All Alaskans.
Palin Failed To Support A Bill To Cover All Alaskans.
While governor, Palin "did not get behind the most significant piece of health legislation offered -- a proposal to ensure that all residents have health insurance, without disrupting the coverage that many Alaskans already have." [Anchorage Daily News, 5/17/2008]
Palin Cheered On the Alaskan Independence Party.
Palin Cheered On the Alaskan Independence Party.
Six months ago, Palin "told members of the Alaskan Independence Party" -- who advocate for a vote on secession from the union -- to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'" Palin and her husband attended the party's convention in 2000, and "for all but two months from 1995 to 2002, the governor's husband was registered as an Alaskan Independence Party member." George Clark, the vice chair of the party, claims that Palin was a member of the party "before she got the job as a mayor of a small town." The McCain campaign denies the charge. [LA Times, 9/3/2008; ABC News, 9/1/2008]
Palin ousted Former State Official Accused Palin Of Pressuring Him To Fire Trooper.
Palin ousted Former State Official Accused Palin Of Pressuring Him To Fire Trooper.
Palin allegedly "tried to get a state trooper fired and she then fired the trooper's boss because he wouldn't act on her request." Palin's sister was involved in a "bitter child custody battle" with the trooper. [Anchorage Daily News, 7/18/08]
Palin's Intial Denials Of Interference In Firing Were Proven False.
Palin's Intial Denials Of Interference In Firing Were Proven False.
Palin "previously said her administration didn't exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten," but "an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister." The McCain campaign now says Palin's husband and members of her staff had made inquiries "about the appropriate Department of Public Safety procedures for dealing with someone they considered a dangerous person and rogue trooper." [Anchorage Daily News, 8/14/08, 9/02/08]
Palin's Lawyer in Investigation Is Also Her Personal Attorney.
Palin's Lawyer in Investigation Is Also Her Personal Attorney.
Thomas V. Van Flein, the lawyer Palin hired to defend her in the trooper investigation, is "representing Palin both personally and in her official capacity as governor." The AP noted, "Depending on where the investigation leads, that could put him in a difficult situation if Palin's interests and the interests of the public office diverge." [AP, 9/02/08]
Palin Has Refused To Release E-mails, Citing "Executive Privilege."
Palin Has Refused To Release E-mails, Citing "Executive Privilege."
Palin has refused to release e-mails requested by the state's trooper union, citing executive privilege. Questions have been raised, however, as to whether these documents are actually related to official business, since her husband was copied on some of them. [KTUU, 8/6/08; TPMmuckraker, 9/1/08]
Palin's Lobbyist Had 'Close Ties' To Don Young, Ted Stevens.
Palin's Lobbyist Had 'Close Ties' To Don Young, Ted Stevens.
As mayor of Wasilla, however, Palin oversaw the hiring of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh, an Anchorage-based law firm with close ties to Alaska's most senior Republicans: Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on charges of accepting illegal gifts." [9/2/08]
Palin's Lobbyist Was Part Of 'Team Abramoff.'
Palin's Lobbyist Was Part Of 'Team Abramoff.'
Steven Silver, the lobbyist Palin hired as Wasilla Mayor, also listed Jack Abramoff's lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig, as a client. Silver lobbied on issues similar to those headed up by Abramoff, including "Indian/Native American policy" and "legislation relating to gaming issues." [TPMmuckracker, 9/2/08; Washington Post, 9/2/08]
Palin Served As Director Of 'Ted Stevens Excellence In Public Service' 527.
Palin Served As Director Of 'Ted Stevens Excellence In Public Service' 527.
Palin's name was listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. She also "served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings." [Washington Post, 9/1/08]
State Employee Charged Palin With Ethics Violation.
State Employee Charged Palin With Ethics Violation.
A state employee filed an ethics complaint alleging Palin tried to secure a job for one of her supporters. The complaint accused Palin and her top staffers of "breaking executive ethics branch and hiring rules. It centers on the hiring of surveyor Tom Lamal, who once co-hosted a Palin fundraiser, for a state right-of-way agent job in Fairbanks." [Anchorage Daily News, 9/7/08]
10 comments:
RE: Palin's Intial Denials Of Interference In Firing Were Proven False.
Palin "previously said her administration didn't exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten," but "an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister." The McCain campaign now says Palin's husband and members of her staff had made inquiries "about the appropriate Department of Public Safety procedures for dealing with someone they considered a dangerous person and rogue trooper." [Anchorage Daily News, 8/14/08, 9/02/08]
This except from your blog sounds eerily like John McCain explaining his role in the Keating Five. It worked the first time; might as well trot it out again!
If you don't think that the media is very left-wing slanted and that pointing out Palin's daughter is pregnant then you need to put down the bottle. I am an independant and don't know who I'm going to vote for yet, but it is ridiculous to me how slanted the presidential coverage is towards Obama... That makes me NOT want to vote for him because most of those votes surrounding mine will be from sheep.
Schlick, if you think there is a liberal media out there, you have been asleep longer than Rip Van Winkle. The softball job the media has done on John McCain is sad yet predictable. Most of the people I know haven't even heard about Cindy McCains drug addiction/thievery. Do you really think that would be true if it involved Michelle Obama? This old "liberal media" canard lost its credibility years ago.
This woman will be the last of the Radical Right to destroy the Republican Party, when it turns out that the Republicans are run out of office for the next 16 years (at least), because of their out of touch ways! After losing their power completely, they will finally have to reorganize and become what they once were, and throw the Religious NUTS out of the party if they are ever to have any kind of power. The era of Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, and the other CROOKS, is finally coming to an end, as is the hold of the Republican Party on peoples' lives!!! AMEN to that!!!
Did anybody see this article?
http://www.zimbio.com/Sarah+Palin/articles/565/read+Sarah+Palin+Email+yet
It's quite incriminating.
The Anne Kilkenny Email:
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because she is a "babe".
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.
She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She's smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later; to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs.
She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal; loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects; which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance; but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork."
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.
There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
"Hockey mom": true for a few years
"PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
"NRA supporter": absolutely true
Social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
Pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
"Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation.
"Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
Political maverick: not at all
Gutsy: absolutely!
Open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
Has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
"A Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
Fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
Pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th centurystandards.
Pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents.
Pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
Pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen when good people stay silent". Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall; they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s
Anne Kilkenny
August 31, 2008
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE! WHY PUT A WOMAN LIKE THAT INTO OFFICE?,WE DON'T KNOW HER.MCCAIN IS TOO OLD AND IF HE CROAKS,IT WILL BE ALL OVER.PEOPLE THIS IS THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE,I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO FILL UP MY 4 CYLINDER PROBE WITH $60.00,HECK I'M ALREADY PAYING $40.00.USE SOBER JUDGMENT AT THE POLLS.8 YEARS OF LIES IS ENOUGH,AND IF U VOTE FOR PALIN,THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK WILL SPEED UP,DON'T DO IT!!
I think Mccain/Palin should understand that it's not about making money off the poor to feed to the rich. Health insurance in very crucial. I am amazed how much better health insurance is in other countrys. I like to have our insurance better. Maybe I can get some stuff done that i needed when the insurance company said it was cosmetic and not needed. I feel like bush and mccain are the same just another person who you can nick name bush. if 90% of the time mccain has agreed with bush who in the right mind frame who even bother voting for the guy. Plus Palin we'll I don't know her for one and I don't care that she happen to sell on ebay. That doesn't tell me who she is. Plus she thought that the war in iraq was gods holy war...... wow.... I volunteer for obama and yesterday i talked to the perosn incharge of utah veterans. my brother and I are very political and we'll a question was asked on what he thought of mccain. one sentenced said it all, "Mccain is a joke." He didn't seem to bother to care that he had a history in the military or that he signed a paper dishonoring america to get out of pow camp. so I hope Obama gets in office he will greatly help this country from getting in depression cause that is were it's leading in my view. Mccain get a life. bye.
Life is simple. Use common sense! You can't spend more than what you make. The only ones very good at it are the republicans. After 8 years in office, this is what they are leaving us: 10 trillion deficit, a big mess in the middle east, unaffordable health insurances, overcrowded schools and a finacial system about to collaspe. I bet that some of his of his buddies made a few billions. John McCain, dude you need a life!!! Sarah Palin, go fight your little trooper!!!! After all you only costed 150 thousand MUCH LESS than your partner Bush!!!!! Oh yeah did Bush help you fight the little trooper cause he has enough money to even get him in jail!!!!!
I dont know how people can be so stuborn to vote Mccain/Palin just because they are republican. They hate bush, but will vote Mccain and deny all claims Mccain is to Bush. They find every reason to not vote for Obama, because he's black, muslim, democrat, has no experience. Ignorant, racist Americans is the biggest problem here.
Poeple are casting their votes based on what they hear, rather than what they read, and cant take the initiative to just go online and really study both candidates political views and economic policies. If people could be a little more open minded and stop watching FOX news all day they could see the bigger picture and know that our country needs a new administration, far away from Bush's views.
Whats even more scary than Palin possibly being President if Mccain dies, is all the talk about that Obama will be assasinated. It makes me ashamed to be an American.
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