Democracy Has Prevailed.

September 9, 2008

Mavericky!

David already blogged on the new Barack Obama ad which points out how non maverick McCain-Palin really are when it comes to earmarks and spending taxpayer dollars, but here's a new twist.

While on the one hand, the Palin half of the McCain-Palin Republican ticket billed her state for nights she spent at home:
Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home
Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel

By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, September 9, 2008; Page A01


ANCHORAGE, Sept. 8 -- 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.

[snip]

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

[snip]

In the past, per diem claims by Alaska state officials have carried political risks. In 1988, the head of the state Commerce Department was pilloried for collecting a per diem charge of $50 while staying in his Anchorage home, according to local news accounts. The commissioner, the late Tony Smith, resigned amid a series of controversies

"It was quite the little scandal," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor from 1994 to 2000. "I gave a direction to all my commissioners if they were ever in their house, whether it was Juneau or elsewhere, they were not to get a per diem because, clearly, it is and it looks like a scam -- you pay yourself to live at home," he said.
On the other hand, the police chief Palin hired Charged Victims for Their Own Rape Kits (with no apparent disagreement from Palin).

What a fiscal maverick!

Now that's change we can believe in!
.

14 comments:

Sherry Pasquarello said...

oh god , just, "oh god."

that's all i can manage.


i have to send people over to read that.

EdHeath said...

That particular article also mentions $43,000 to fly her husband and children around.

And n wonder she fired the Governor's cook, she is rarely in Juneau to take advantage of said cook. She works from a state office building in Anchorage.

John K. said...

John K: And what is worse, Palin's husband works in the oil industry that brings the oil from the ground to make the fuel to fly Hussein Obama around on his campaign plane. Oh my!

John K. said...

John K: Remember Hussein Obama brought home 3 billion in pork and Murtha has brought home the most defense dollars to his district to support a war he is opposed to. McCain/Palin are the only two who will oppose pork.

John K. said...

John K: Anyone got a poll to reference? Just asking?

Sherry Pasquarello said...

oh, the cook? she isn't fired. they changed her job title.

palin really works the system.

John K. said...

John K: Well what a little research does. It appears that Obama and Biden both voted for the Bridge in question. The Sen. Coburn introduced a bill to rescind the funds. Gov Palin supported that initiative. But Obama and Biden then, and this is funny, voted for the bridge a 2nd time. LOL LOL Don't yah just find that so funny. Those two box of rocks voted for the bridge twice. LOL

Bob said...

Vote Obama

Bob said...

Isn't it illegal for Palin to have not used the money on the intended project without returning it, and then using it for something else?
Isn't this, at minimum, reason to be removed from office?

EdHeath said...

Coburn. Thomas Coburn. I was trying to think of his name. He is apparently a true conservative's conservative. He protested the unedited showing of Schindler's List on Network TV (becuase of nudity,violence and profaity),; he later said he handled it badly.

Coburn has be fighting against earmarks since January 2005, but he still accepts them for his state. If he wants to fight them, he has to be in office, and the only to stay in office is to accept them.

If we actually think John McCain is going to turn on his old colleagues and get them voted out of office by killing all earmarks, then we deserve to elect McCain. Which looks moderately likely, given the polling data and the fact we let people like John K. make shit up, like 3 billion in earmarks for Obama alone. Now, apparently Obama may well have accepted nearly one billion in earmarks (I looked at website set up by his people, and one year's worth of requests was around 320 million, so nearly a billion over nearly four years seems about right). But not three billion.

Alaska has recieved over 400 million in earmarks since Palin has been Governor.

Gewurztraminer said...

When someone holds an opinion so tightly the real data is unimportant, facts have no value, and the conclusions are already reached, then any data supporting the opinion is golden and any data contradicting it is propaganda, fabrication, exaggeration, or conspiracy. In such an environment, truth is unimportant and discussion is useless. You can't be wrong in guessing to whom the statement applies.
-ROHNBO

John K. said...

John K: Obama and Biden voted for the bridge twice. Palin had the good sense to work against it the 2nd time around.

EdHeath said...

So she flip-flopped?

And apparently still took the money.

Maria said...

Say it with me:
She keeps LYING about what she did.