Who is Sarah Palin? Still more questions than answers...

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.

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.

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.
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/3671/the-reform-candidate

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[mializa]

First Bush....now Cain and Palin?

for gods sake,wake up americans and do something right just to chance your image in the world...cuz american to us Europe...it's a shame

[TheWhiteGoddess]

Ha ha ha! You apparently haven't realized the depth of stupidity of most Americans. See, most of this country is not educated past high school like you Europeans. So, they never learned critical thinking, and they just believe whatever they want or are told to believe....

Sorry to disappoint - this country's not learning any lessons...

[NOSFERATUalu]

LOL

theyre like the exact opposite of Fox News

fair O_o and not rude and disrespectful and dont promote stupid thoughts like Obama being terrorist xDD

[phillipah7]

You have not been on playboyquan page. Talks one way then another.Language that Confusing and abash.

[artmeisterfunk]

Florida doesn't have the the oil resources of Alaska. I remember my uncle going to work on the Alaskan pipeline in the 70s and the state actually payed it's citizens $1000 a year to attract workers, I don't believe he paid any state or property taxes back then. I do know that the state distributes some of the oil wealth to citizens to this day, because it's a harsh climate and they need to keep a workforce. Practically socialist, isn't it?

[asdtech153]

Every republican and FOX associated media are blaming democrats of being sexist when they question Palin about anything, yet why was Palin selected?? To get Sen. Clinton's female votes.

CONGRATULATIONS SARAH PALIN YOU ARE JOHN MCCAIN'S LUBE AND CONDOM AS HE TRIES TO F&#K AMERICA

[ianjames67]

I think youve been talking to god toomuch

[captainLoknar]

When I first heard Sarah Palin was chosen I went to do some research (never heard of her, can you blame me?). Then I was told (FOX) this was to rally the women's vote from Clinton's supporters; TOTAL DISBELIEF. I feel off my chair. Then when I heard co-hosts of fox news were agreeing with the statement, my chair fell off me. Oh, wait.. I see the connection now: she has a vagina too! Yeah, point taken, FOX News.

[phillipah7]

Only god will decide who will be Elected if people think it is right or wrong but there is a purpose for every think done and that is for everyone to find out.

[playboyquan]

hERE'S ON ANSWER TO EVERYONES QUESTION

" who is Sarah Palin "?

A DUMB BITCH WHO DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT THE WORLD! SHE IS NO ONE

AND JOHN MC CAIN A TRUE LAME RUSHING INTO SELECTIONS TO CHOOSE SOME SLOW WANNA BE VP!

[phillipah7]

Fact Checker: Deregulate

McCain discussed a change he wants to bring to the health care market: allowing people to buy plans across state lines. "Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last

decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation,"

[phillipah7]

Fact Checker:As the mayor of the town of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, Palin did cut property taxes repeatedly: The city's property tax rate was cut by three-quarters during her tenure and eliminated after she left office. But she also raised sales taxes by one-quarter — from 2 percent to 2.5 percent — to finance a $14.7 million sports complex that remains in the red.

WoW! .5 percent higher We pay 7 percent in Florida.