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Palinomics: no conservative she

This article from Time Magazine is a pretty good outline of how Alaska is the ultimate welfare state: it receives more federal tax dollars than any other state in the union. It gives its residents handouts, thanks to a windfall profits tax on oil (a tax supported by Obama and opposed by McCain!).

And Sarah Palin has been at the forefront of making all of this happen:

Sarah Palin's Alaskanomics
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1839724-2,00.html

I've compiled a list of a few other things not mentioned in the article... with links to sources backing it all up.

- She was in favor of the "bridge to nowhere" before it become a national embarrassment; then she turned against it. But guess what? She kept the money, and spent it on other road projects (including the "road to the bridge to nowhere", which currently leads up to an empty beach).
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB122090791901411709.html
Boston Herald
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1116208&srvc=2008campaign&posit ion=12

- She didn't sell the previous governor's plane on eBay. It was posted a few times, but no one bought it. Ultimately, state officials sold it at a $600,000 loss.
Washington Post
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/05/plane_not_sold_on_ebay.html

- She didn't even fire the governor's personal chef! She just transferred her to another department in state government (where she is still a chef).
Voice of the Times - "A Conservative Voice For Alaskans"
http://www.voiceofthetimes.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&editoria l=1
Anchorage Daily News
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/288561.html

- She billed the state for a "per diem" travel allowance, for nights spent at her own home.
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnew s

- She talks about being opposed to federal pork-barrel spending. But as mayor of Wasilla, she hired a lobbyist who raked in $27 million in federal dollars for the town of 6,700 residents. (That's $4029 of our taxes given to each Wasillan.)
The Political Chase
http://politicalchase.com/2008/09/02/palin-hired-lobbyist-to-get-millions-in-earmarks/

- When she started as mayor of Wasilla, the town was debt-free. When she left, the town had $20 million in debt.
Politico.com
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12987.html

Almost her entire record as a "reformer" and a "fiscal conservative" is sheer fiction. No wonder they are not letting her do any press interviews...

(via)

photo ID required for Jet but not most magazines

photo ID required for Jet but not most magazines

photo ID required for Essence but not most magazines

photo ID required for Essence but not most magazines