Sept 13: Fact Check

I find Parnell's statement EXTREMELY insulting. He turned everything on it's head - we're not stupid, buddy. This is a non-partisan issue started by a bi-partisan group of legislators and AGREED to by the Gov prior to her VP pick. By trying to HIDE and DELAY and NAME-CALL and REWRITE history, Palin, Parnell and the McCain camp are MAKING it appear there is something REALLY BAD about Palin they don't want us to know about prior to the Nov election. They've got my attention - if there was nothing to this, would they be dancing so hard? I am PROUD of our legislators of both parties and Mr. Branchflower who have stood their ground while trying to complete a legitimate investigation started BEFORE the VP pick in the face of what appears to be immense pressure from Palin, Parnell and the McCain camp. I am embarrassed, insulted and disgusted that Alaskan figures such as Palin and Parnell are willing to sweep our Alaskan business under the rug for their political gain. This is about the TRUTH and we the Alaskan public deserve to know the truth. Palin needs to finish her business here before she goes on to VP.

Thank you for the factual synposis, and also for the reasoned responses. Government is the glue which holds society together and, as the economy gets further into the glue, then government must do more to help those citoizens who, through no real fault of their own, are getting in over their head. Roosevelt used New Deal reform and spending to restore America to prosperity in the 1930s, and government departments and employees dispensed funds through carefully planned programs to restore hope to the American economy. Roosevelt's New deal cash was spent on Americans, within America: no incentive cheques, issued willynilly, to benefit TV manufacturers in China and other Asian low-wage centres.

I recently reveiwed the State 07 budget, as I wanted to see for myself what types of things Palin approved or vetoed. I noticed that Palin had vetoed all PTA proposals. Bayshore(my kids had attended this elementary school), Oceanview, and Bowman Elementary Schools among the few. There are numerous PTA's that applied, most for computer equipment or books. I thought maybe Anchorage School District applied for the monies, but it doesn't appear to be the case. It appears all PTA's were vetoed even though Governor Palin did appear to support education and approved requests for many schools that had requested funding for books and computers, any school that allowed their PTA to apply for their funding lost out. I found the 07 budget in the State of Alaska website. The document is listed below. Capital Budget Bill(Revised 07/03/07) Transmittal Letter (Revised07/03/07)

I am not surprised that an "also ran" would have a negative blog about the "winner", but I am surprised that a "businessman" doesn't get it when talking budget. Budgets are driven by cost, not spending. In order to control spending, costs need to be controlled. Giving everyone what they want cost lots of money. So, who wants their share of gov. $$ cut. Inflation also drives up spending, its a hidden cost. Think about your own budget people. When you want to spend less, you are suddenly notified health care insurance rates are going up 12%, you go to the gas station and pay 20cents more today than if you'd bought the gas two days earlier, and so on. To maintain the same services, it cost more. Therefore spending will not decrease, but in fact may increase -- even when you cut something out of your budget you may end up spending more, just not on the things you wanted to spend it. Politicians at every level risk being called liars when they say "I will" instead of "I want to". Voters need to be rational thinkers.

..Agreed to your budgeting analysis...the difference is that one gets elected into office while promising to cut the budget (which they can't) and when they can't they simply shrug their shoulders and spend more...and the other one actually has to find a way to pay the bills. In the private sector, we're not allowed to simply shrug our shoulders and say oh well. 

Andrew, I just read from Newsweek article (http://www.newsweek.com/id/158748) that "... Palin is well aware of the awesome power of the courts. That's why, when the Alaska Supreme Court struck down a controversial abortion restriction last year by a 3-2 margin, she excoriated them for "legislating from the bench," named a new justice to the court and pushed for the passage of an even harsher version of the same law, explicitly intended—said its sponsor—"to overturn [the Alaska Supreme Court]." Governor Palin understands the fundamental tediousness of constitutional checks and balances. She knows that if a court gets it wrong, you just build a better court...." Is this fact or fiction? thanks

That is fact, except for the part about her pushing for the legislation. She supported and then complained it didn;t pass the legislature, but never pushed for it.

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of Palin-spin versus the facts. As a true fiscal conservative, I am embarrassed by the growth in government spending on both the national and state level by purported fiscal conservatives. To add insult to injury, they seem to ignore the facts regarding their fiscal excess. Palin is the worst offender. Other than cutting the capital budget -- which it wasn't hard to do since it had ballooned so out of control -- how exactly has she done anything to reduce state government. Take a close look at the increase in her own office budget. It's scary. And Alaskans will be paying for her so-called fiscal conservatism for years.

The comment by Karen Rehfeld : "Until Alaskans decide what public services they don't want us to deliver any longer as a state, any significant reduction in the operating budget is going to be difficult" squarely identifies the issue in rising operating budget costs. Nothing is cheaper today than it was even a year ago. Ms. Rehfeld is on target with her remark. The problem is that politicians like Palin know that you can get a conservative knee-jerk response by claiming "government waste" is at fault for rising budgets. Palin's own Dept. of Administration is chronically short-staffed, and many in the Div. of Finance work tons of uncompensated overtime (they're exempt) sheerly out of a commitment to keeping the state functioning financially. The court system has a built-in vacancy factor that, by internal policy, leaves any vacancy unfilled for a minimum of 30 days, because the Conference Committee routinely rejects any budget increments for personnel costs. The migration of the more skilled state employees into the private sector will only continue if state employees are perceived as culprits in wasting government money.