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Palin the reformer billed Alaska for staying at home.

by TimPhelan
18 replies
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Wow, what a maverick and reformer.

washingtonpost.com

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
She also billed the state for her families travel expenses. This isn't unusual, but hardly something a "maverick" or reformer would do.
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    And a bit farther down in the article it says:

    Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Williams
      You guys are really working overtime to find something on her and this is the best you got I guess.

      I'm not taking sides, but that's a good sign for Palin.
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      • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
        Originally Posted by Mike Williams View Post

        You guys are really working overtime to find something on her and this is the best you got I guess.
        Well, here's another one that just came out that might impress you more. Newsweek just did a story about how a judge had to warn Palin and her family against making desparaging remarks against her sister ex in front of the sisters kids. The judge said this is a "form of child abuse".

        Palin Warned to Stop Disparaging Sister's Ex | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com

        This will probably put more spotlight on the troopergate deal, which the McCain/Palin campaign has been working hard to stall and stonewall.
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        • Profile picture of the author HeySal
          Just another person who abuses power in my view. For McCain to choose her isn't that much of a surprise to me. I am seeing many letters from Alaskans that indicate she is not as popular up there as they want us to believe. In McCains home state he is called a fascist, so what would we expect from him? No one is going to hire a vp that is likely to get them assassinated.
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          • Profile picture of the author Kay King
            Mike - I agree with you. Digging up perceived "dirt" on Palin seems to be the duty of the day lately.

            If the expenses charged were within the guidelines allowed by the State government, there's no problem except with those looking for something to criticize.

            Obama's income was reported increased 4x when he started running for the nomination - because his books received so much mention that sales drastically increased. The candidates that are Senators are being paid even though they are on the campaign trail - not working in the Senate.

            kay
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            • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
              Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

              Mike - I agree with you. Digging up perceived "dirt" on Palin seems to be the duty of the day lately.

              kay
              Kay, I've noticed you trying to digg up dirt on the Obama's for quite a while such as: wow, Michelle Obama said she was poor, but her house doesn't look poor to me. She was actually lower middle class, not poor. :-)
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              • Profile picture of the author HeySal
                I don't care whether the expenses are allowed by Congress or not....that is OUR money they are living high off the hog on......and if those expenses were allowed, we need to kick every one of those money grubbing financial disasters to the curb. Let em live like the rest of us have to and see if they learn to manage funds with some consideration.
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                • Profile picture of the author Kay King
                  Michelle Obama said she was poor, but her house doesn't look poor to me. She was actually lower middle class, not poor.
                  I did make that comment and provided links where I found the info. It was Michelle who said her father couldn't find work and they slept on the floor.
                  She referred to herself as a "poor Southside Chicago girl".

                  Except her father was only out of work a short time - they earned a middle class income for that time - and lived in a decent house. I think she missed a great opportunity to connect with middle class voters.

                  "Dirt" is a lot cleaner when it proves to be true. Until then, it's just "dirt".

                  One of the best sources for factual info on rumors is factcheck.org and has been for long time. The seem to point out falsehoods and rumors without any party affiliation or bias.

                  I may sound like I'm totally pro-Palin but I'm not. I was not happy when obama chose a D.C. insider as VP - and I admired McCain's guts in choosing Palin. I see everything from her daughter to her sister's divorce being used to discredit HER - but I don't see the same being done to other candidates in such a personal and hateful way.

                  It may be my own slant on what happens - I'm sure we all have our own filters.

                  kay
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                  • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
                    Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

                    She referred to herself as a "poor Southside Chicago girl".

                    Except her father was only out of work a short time - they earned a middle class income for that time - and lived in a decent house. I think she missed a great opportunity to connect with middle class voters.
                    Again you bring this up. Why is this relevant in this election? You're saying she is exagerating? Well, I think Palin has exagerated, or lied, many times more with the story about the bridge to nowhere which she keeps repeating over and over, her being against ear marks when she obviously went after them as a mayor and governer, she saying she didn't put pressure on the commissioner to fire the trooper when she obviously did etc... Plus, these issues actually matter to people. These issues are part of us trying to decide on who should be elected. Plus, I'm not talking about any rumors here.
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    • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      And a bit farther down in the article it says:
      Right, that is the travel expenses. Not unusual like I said, but I think the billing for staying in her own home is pretty bad. This all goes against her BS of being against getting earmarks, being some sort of maverick reformer and also being truthful. She keeps repeating the lie about her saying "thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge to nowhere. Even after just about major news story says it's not true.
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  • Profile picture of the author acreativetouch
    I like her, but I'm NOT impressed with her running mate. Now if SHE were running for President....I would consider voting for her.

    However, it's still Baldwin or Keys!

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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Gentry
    Originally Posted by TimPhelan View Post

    Wow, what a maverick and reformer.

    washingtonpost.com



    She also billed the state for her families travel expenses. This isn't unusual, but hardly something a "maverick" or reformer would do.
    I am positive you are not seeing the whole picture.
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    • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
      Originally Posted by mikeg514 View Post

      I am positive you are not seeing the whole picture.
      In what way?
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  • Profile picture of the author bendiggs
    I doubt that Palin did anything "illegal" by charging the government for the time she spent at home. That being said, not everything that is legal is moral or ethical, and very few things that are moral or ethical are encouraged by law. Is it right that she spent tax payer funds and stayed at home? Not in my world it isn't. But did she do anything illegal? Probably not.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      put pressure on the commissioner to fire the trooper when she obviously did
      I agree we're all finding our way with these candidates - but when you say something like the above as a fact others will see it and may believe it a proven fact..

      She might have done something wrong there - I don't know because the full report and investigation are still not released. I read on a news site that the court in Alaska said there was no impropriety - but an investigation was started and until it is complete (unless it was released in the past 10 hrs) we don't know if it's true or not.

      I've not been able to find the real story on the sister's divorce - but it sounds like it was a very nasty one as the custody battle is still going on over two years later. Palin and her family were ordered by a Judge (before her election I think it was) to stop "smearing" the ex-husband. Were they lying or is it a strong family standing by one of its members. I don't know.

      All Governors go for earmarks - that's politics. If we don't like it, we need to pressure congress to stop earmarks. They won't, though, as when they take that money home they get votes at home to stay in office. McCain, however, has never been an "earmark" person - so at least that's a plus.

      The Bridge one is strange - apparently she was for it but then after becoming governer she was against it. Few people, I think, realized that even after Congress disapproved the bridge (or the plan was withdrawn) due to public outrage - Congress still sent that money to Alaska to use for other projects. What a strange system.

      kay
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    The problem with Palin is, she won't talk to the press at this point in time.

    This tells me, she doesn't know what to say and is spending all of her time studying so she can answer questions in the future, but at this time doesn't have the education to face the press.

    We have a right to know NOW what her answers are to certain important questions.

    If she was nominated a week ago, she should be experienced enough to face the questions starting a week ago. I don 't want a VP that needs a few weeks to study up on her "Cliff's Notes" before she will answer our questions.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I heard Biden's comment about it through the media - but the same day the Washington Post had a story about Palin and the press bringing up the same questions

      washingtonpost.com

      and looks like Palin is starting meetings with the press beginning with ABC.

      We'll see how she does.

      kay
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      • Profile picture of the author HeySal
        I think that the "investigations" will find in her favor no matter what right now. As VP she can do much for that state and they would be foolish to see her taken out. However - the fact that a Judge told them (Palin and family) to back off, it seems they may have been illegally harassing the guy. If she was as upstanding about the matter as she wants to appear, she would have fully realized the conflict of interest and turned the issue over to the Judge or at least investigators and lawyers to look into instead of pursuing this guy on her own. That is the legal way to do things - to just go in and use your own power to ruin the man is just plain wrong, illegal, and from there, we can assume, pointlessly vengeful. If the Judge wasn't prosecuting him in the first place, and told the family to back off, the man most likely hasn't warranted punishment.

        I don't see any further outcome in this situation that would resemble unbiased - now the political money is behind the investigation, I can honestly say that either outcome will be an attempt to railroad either of the involved parties. I worked in a crisis center for this type of thing and I smell a rat in her cellar. But it can all backfire in her face now because she didn't take the proper channels considering her position in the first place. And that is why I am leary as hell of her. She used her position in a way that it shouldn't have been used whether the guy was scum or not and that alone is enough to set me off of her. I would like to see women in offices - but really want the RIGHT ones, same as men - give us a real treat and get an HONEST woman in, not a copy of the corrupt males. Here in NY we have a pretty good woman in the Senate in my district - concerned about what is constitutional and what the citizens want. Now why can't we get a female like that in the high ranks instead of one that starts out with questionable motives.
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        Sal
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