Kris Perry: $30,000 per month taxpayer funded au pair? (UPDATED)

Mr Halcro, I voted for you when you ran against Palin in 2006. I was certainly dismayed at her popularity and would chalk that up as a reaction against the Republican legislators that had been indicted for selling their souls to Bill Allen and Big Oil. I have kept track of you over the last two years and my husband and myself enjoy reading your OpEd peices. I remember so clearly a comment you made in one about a debate you and Palin had participated in up in Fairbanks. You noted she told you that all those statitics and issues you were prepared to share with the audience were really of no use to you, as the audience was "not interested in all that stuff." Prior to that I was resigned to supporting the woman if only for female solidarity. Wow, have you been vindicated after the election debacle we just witnessed. I, for one, like my politicians to be informed, intelligent and lucid. I may have been scared of her getting elected had I felt McCain had a any chance at all. It will be interesting to see her handle all the mess here at home since she was sooo snarky to the legislative investigators. I am very interested in an explanation of her aides $1000 a day bill the taxpayers will most likely have to pay. I do not care if it was for babysitting or just doing her job, it ticks me off. I am beside myself over Walt Moneghan and the thanks he's gotten for serving us hornorably for years. Please keep up the good work and don't get discouraged. People like Palin always reap what they sow. We would sure like to see you get politically active again, because Alaska needs people like you fighting the good fight. Sincerely, Janet

Is it cheaper to pay $1000 for a staff person to follow the "Governor" while she is out of state on non-state business?, or shouldn't the Lt. Governor be stepping in and taking charge? After all, he's already getting a paycheck and should be acting governor while Palin is away for extended periods, such as this. It seems to me Palin thinks the every day affairs of Alaska are trivial and don't require much effort on her part.

Palin is being paid $10,400 per month, and now Perry's salary plus $1,000 per day! Outrageous for the state to be paying either one of them. Palin should have taken a temporary leave and stepped aside while campaigning. Equally outrageous? That Alaskan's are passively accepting this.

The other kids are never in school. Is the McCain campaign paying for tutors?

. . . is the state paying for *anything* because Sarah decided to run to Vice President? I don't remember my old job paying any of my expenses when I applied for a new job. It shouldn't cost the state of Alaska a dime because Sarah is running for VP. Either the R-campaign pays or she herself pays. Why on earth should she have paid babysitters anyway? Doesn't she have a husband? Doesn't she have a salary?

She isn't the Palin's babysitter. It is completely appropriate that Kris travel with Governor while she campaigns, so there is a state person with her to act as the liaison. The Governor has two other people on the state payroll doing babysitting. Ivey Frye and Track Palin's girlfriend are the two doing the babysitting on the state dime.....not Kris Perry.

Just when you think it couldn't possibly get any worse, it gets worse. I certainly don't want to contribute to her run for vice president. Between all our crooked State politicians and Washington senators who have been convicted, and our "governor in absentia" who abuses her power, how much more can Alaska take. Am I alone in my total embarrassment? Thank goodness they put Andrew and Mr. French on TV so the Lowere 48 can see there are some educated, reasonable, honest people left in Alaska. And I know why so many people down there show up to Palin rallies ---- people always want to gawk at the car accident or train wreck.

Palin in the tradition of the truly self-absorbed lives in a world where what she says not only "goes" (with nary a complaint from those who live in her shadow), but it is also presumptively moral and ethical and honest. That is how it is even when the facts dictate otherwise. She is always right. But as we have seen time and again, she does not know from "ethical". She does not understand the law and does not care to understand it at any point unless it helps her purpose. She "takes off her governor's hat" when she wants to opine on a pending vote, despite it being contrary to what she is permitted to do under the law. She charges for her kids to travel, despite them clearly not being on state business. She did not oppose the bridge to nowhere from the start despite what she repeatedly claimed. She knew full well she was wearing expensive clothes, no woman like her would fail to notice the quality and revel in it but she lies about that too. She makes up stories left and right about her supposed reading, her record, her experience. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Huh, and I thought Ivy Frye was the special assistant/babysitter. So is the State paying for two babysitters now?

When is our legislature going to start calling her on some of these issues? she demands open and transparency from everyone but herself. AND....where are those medical reports she said she would release last week? Something to hide, Sarah?

This is a unique situation, and I would rather have the Governor have adequate assistance on the campaign trail than leave the state in the lurch. Someone has to convey messages to the Governor and be there to act as a secretary/assistant. Certainly Todd would not be an acting secretary. She is entitled to support staff, and personally, although I have had problems with the handling of the workers comp issue with Mike Wooten, she needs all the help she can get while outside. The questions is when all this is over, she will either be VP, or come home to once friendly Democrats who have skewered her while she was gone, and may have burned bridges with the few Republican friends she had here. Has anyone been investigating the contract and phone records of Harbor Adjustors and the Administration? Harbor has a nice little set up.

don't forget we have to pay her hotel room and her per diem plus incidentals (cab fare?). I don't think Kris is staying in any holiday inn, I suspect she's got higher priced lodging. It wouldn't surprise me if its costing the state, not $1,000 for the plane per day of use but something like $1,300 perhaps even more.

Back when Jane Swift was governor of Mass. there were allegations that she used her staff as babysitters. Swift was also accused of using a State Police helicopter instead of her usual driver to commute back and forth between Boston and her home in the Berkshires.

Babysitter or aide to Palin, Perry has no business being with Palin on the state dime. I think the state ethics code does a fair job of spelling it out. Chapter 39.52. ALASKA EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS ACT Article 01. DECLARATIONS Sec. 39.52.010. Declaration of policy. (a) It is declared that (1) high moral and ethical standards among public officers in the executive branch are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this state; (4) a fair and open government requires that executive branch public officers conduct the public's business in a manner that preserves the integrity of the governmental process and avoids conflicts of interest; 7) compliance with a code of ethics is an individual responsibility; thus all who serve the state have a solemn responsibility to avoid improper conduct and prevent improper behavior by colleagues and subordinates. Article 02. CODE OF ETHICS Sec. 39.52.110. Scope of code. (a) The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust. Sec. 39.52.120. Misuse of official position. (a) A public officer may not use, or attempt to use, an official position for personal gain, and may not intentionally secure or grant unwarranted benefits or treatment for any person. (3) use state time, property, equipment, or other facilities to benefit personal or financial interests; (4) take or withhold official action in order to affect a matter in which the public officer has a personal or financial interest; (6) use or authorize the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for partisan political purposes; this paragraph does not prohibit use of the governor's residence for meetings to discuss political strategy and does not prohibit use of state aircraft or the communications equipment in the governor's residence so long as there is no charge to the state for the use; in this paragraph, "for partisan political purposes" (A) means having the intent to differentially benefit or harm a (i) candidate or potential candidate for elective office; or (ii) political party or group; Take your pick, appears to me Perry and Palin are in violation of all of them. Who want to be first to file the complaint.

As I learned that the state is paying for Palin's babysitter, I was thinking that Obama doesn't even have his children traveling with him. His kids are at home (I imagine) continuing to live (fairly) normal lives while Dad is out working. He doesn't put them on display at every rally. (Regardless of whether people like Obama, he's made a good decision here). It appears that Palin wants her kids by her side for show and I just can't believe that we're footing the bill for the sitter. Give me a break. I think her newborn needs consistency as any newborn does! It's really not fair to him now is it??? At any price, right Palin?

Alaska has to pay for Sarah Palin to run for VP? Unless Sarah Palin is on official business for the state of Alaska when she is at John McCain rallies, she should not be seeing a nickel of reimbursement from the people of Alaska. I have had enough of her acting as though the treasury of Alaska is her and her family's personal piggy bank.