A political post.

I did some research this afternoon in response to a challenge by a friend. Here are the fruits of my labor :-)

He Said: I would like to discuss you dicision to vote for Sarah Palin. Number one, Sarah (if its not to formal to call her this) did not bring refom to alaska. She has gone back and forth on many policies that she signed for, Lied.
Such as the "Bridge to Nowhere". A project that the Us governmet gave the state of Alaska $422 million dolars to build. Later, when John McCain, spoke out about this, she quickly told the Government the bridge was not to be built, BUT kept the money. And people wondered why it took so long for their stimulus check to arrive?

I Said:
Bridge to Nowhere:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm889.cfm
(Oct. 2005 report on diverting funds to Louisiana and AK general funds)
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/29/did-palin-really-fight-the-bridge-to-nowhere.aspx
(In 2005 funding was pulled for bridge; at this point, Palin opposed making AK pay for it instead)
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN3125537020080901
(Palin’s claims to have opposed bridge are inflated)

Thoughts: It is interesting that so much controversy has been created over an issue that seems to have been mostly resolved before Palin began her tenure as governor in 2006. By October of 2005 Congress had decided to pull funding for the Bridge to Nowhere, at which point Palin spoke out against supplementing the amount given by the US government with AK taxpayer dollars to complete the project. The earmarked money collected by AK has been used to build and improve roads in other parts of the state. Collecting this money has absolutely nothing to do with any delay in the receipt of stimulus checks, as you have claimed. Stimulus checks were released according to a schedule that was published online long before the checks went out; anyone complaining that their neighbor received their check weeks before they did could have easily checked the published schedule.

He Said: Secondly, she hires shady people to work for her. One for instance that is a thief, being accused of not "being a tem player when in budgeting issues." Now this in it self implys alot, and the only viable reason for dissmal would have to be... Thieft.

I Said:
Troopergate:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/03/cbsnews_investigates/main4413750.shtml
(early report re: intentions of investigation)
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/18/palin-suggests-trooper-probe-tainted-by-obsessive-partisanship/
(investigation is becoming increasingly politicized)
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/17/alaska-ag-says-no-to-subpoenas/
(cooperation waning due to questionable authority of investigation)

Thoughts: No news agency has the corner on this story at this point, as the investigation is ongoing. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly tainted and politicized in the midst of the election season; whether or not the “truth will come out” before the November election is yet to be known. Palin has claimed that the official was relieved of his position due to insubordination, major disagreements, and other issues; that fact that he did not fire Palin’s former brother-in-law (who has since admitted to endangering the life of his wife and child while serving in official capacity) is only one of several reasons. The legitimacy of this claim is what the investigation originally sought to prove or disprove. If you have references regarding Palin’s hiring of “shady” characters, I’d like to see them.

He Said: Now it would seem that she had done a good job in making the income better in Alaska, but if youll look back in 2007 she took a business trip with her family. A trip that came to the grand total of $43,490. Taken for the tax payers of Alaska. That would make her a THIEF as well.

I Said:
Per Capita personal income increase during Palin’s tenure (Nov. 2006-present):
http://www.wiche.edu/Policy/FactBook/tables/tbl_58.pdf
(24,830 in 2002)
http://www.labor.state.ak.us/research/trends/nov05inc.pdf
(34,454 in 2004)
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/eco_per_inc_percap-economy-personal-income-per-capita
(35,732 in 2005)
http://ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/wages/pi_2007.stm
(from 38,138 in 2006 to 40,352 in 2007—5.8% during tenure; 0.6% more than the US average)

Thoughts: Palin WAS successful in increasing the AK per capita income during her tenure as governor; the average increased by a greater percentage than the national average between 2006 and 2007.

$43,490 2007 travel expenses:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/09/palin_per_diem_travel_expenses.html
(Expenses not unusual; often declined meal expenses)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080909/ap_on_el_pr/palin_travel_expenses
(Expenses reduced dramatically from former admin: $93,000 in 2006))
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080909112500AA3IEcK
(Conversation re: the high expense of travel in Alaska)
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-perdiem9-2008sep09,0,7637908.story
(Under state policy, par diem is allowed to be claimed for children)

Thoughts: The fact that collecting the par diem is a normative (and acceptable) practice in AK, even for family travel expenses must also be considered in the context of (1) Palin selling the governor’s jet that contributed to (2) the former governor’s extravagant travel expenses ($93,000 in 2006 alone). Within this context, Palin’s collection of a $43,490 par diem for 2007 was neither unusual nor inappropriate. Other facts to consider are (1) she lives 600 miles away from Juneau, and (2) her family members are often asked to join her on official state business trips. This amount of money was not spent on a single vacation as you have claimed; this reimbursement spanned an entire year of expenses.

He Said: If all of this doesnt scare you...
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/08/sarah_palin_with_a_gun_in_kuwa.php
...Should. Any person who is this "ok" with firing a gun made specifically for war, is not a person I want as a president.

I Said: Obviously, you and I have major ideological disagreements regarding the war in Iraq, which I respect. To me, this video represented the fact that not only has Sarah Palin been a member of the NRA and avid hunter for most of her life, but she has also taken an interest in what out military ACTUALLY DOES. I doubt that Obama can say that he has had any hands-on experience with military weaponry like this. This video also represents to me the fact that the US military is armed well. This may not mean very much to someone who considers shooting a military weapon to be an act of unjust aggression and murder (as you seem to—correct me if I’m misrepresenting your view of war), but to me, it means that the volunteer who make up our army are suitably armed to not only protect our country, but also to advance freedom in parts of the world in which that freedom is suppressed. This is important to me because I love our country and I want all people to have the ongoing freedom to choose who governs them. After several years of studying political philosophy, I believe that democracy, although imperfect, is the governmental structure in which this best can happen. Iraq is(surprisingly) moving more and more toward a democratic system and the people are starting to take power away from insane dictators and extremist sectarians who want to kill them. If our guns help that happen (which they have done and are doing), I say go for it. But we can debate the war at a different time. Also, let’s not forget that Palin’s son has been deployed to Iraq as of two weeks ago. She is certainly not indifferent to the concerns of military families, nor does she believe that her son is fighting a war in vain.

He Said: She wants to BUILD A WALL on the Mexico-Us border (sound like BERLIN).

I Said:
On immigration:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm
(tightened restrictions on illegal driver’s licenses)

Thoughts: Uh…can’t find anything on a Berlin Wall between the US and Mexico. Do you have a source for this statement? A fence/wall is already in the process of being built under the Bush administration, although I have not seen much proof of its ability to restrain illegal immigrants from crossing the border. Whatever the method, the next presidential administration needs to come up with a pretty stellar plan to restrain illegal immigration; Palin already opposed handling out drivers licensees to illegal immigrants (a really nice little liberal idea), but as far as I can see has not set out a plan of her own regarding immigration. Let’s not forget that she’s going for the VP spot; what you should be looking at is McCain’s plan on immigration if you want to oppose something. (As a side note, the Berlin Wall was built to divvy-up a country after its defeat in a world war, so as to prevent its regaining of power. A wall between the internationally-recognized national borders of the US and Mexico would be more like the Great Wall of China, built to keep out invaders from the north.)

He Said: She wants to remove sex-ed from schools, that or teach abstinence.

I Said:
On public school sex education
http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm
(opposed “explicit” sex ed. Programs, wants to give parents more control over their own child’s curriculum, “parents know best”)
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-73417
(editorial re: palin’s non-support of explicit sex ed programs)

Thoughts: Most people don’t know that public school sex education today has deep roots in a very clear historical agenda to indoctrinate Americans into a view of sexuality that is completely void of any moral boundaries. Brief history lesson: Kinsey began to conduct highly unethical research into human sexuality in the 1940’s. He subsequently founded the Kinsey Institute to conduct the research. Soon after it lost its institutional funding due to its refusal to adhere to ethical standards, but was thereafter fully funded by HUGH HEFNER, founder of Playboy (who has considered it his life mission to abolish any and all moral boundaries on sexuality and sexual practice). The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) grew out of the Kinsey Institute, and now acts as the major certification body of sex therapists and educators in the US. In order to teach sex ed in American public schools, teachers must comply with the guidelines set out by AASECT, including their staunch disapproval of suggesting that ANY boundaries be placed around sexuality or sexual practice. This is not simply moral neutrality; this is a clear agenda to advance all sorts of sexually dangerous and immoral behavior (including, but of course not limited to, “consentual” sex between adults and children). I highly suggest that you read The Kinsey Corruption by Susan Brinkmann to gain a greater appreciation of this history. Today, the average kid in the average public school is learning not just about the maturation of their body, puberty, the physical mechanics of intercourse, and contraceptive methods, but they are being encouraged to experiment with their sexuality, and are given explicit ideas of how to do so “safely” (including, but not limited to, how to masturbate and how to give and receive oral and anal sex). When Sarah Palin opposed “explicit” sex education, THIS is what she’s talking about. While she does support abstinence education, I am not convinced that this would be the ONLY type of sex education that would be supported by McCain/Palin. As you can read, she is not opposed to contraception, but values the life of both the mother and the unborn baby, and so opposed abortion in all cases except when the mother’s life is in danger. It is clear to me that sex ed in public schools needs MAJOR reform, and I am personally not bothered by the rather extreme stance of Palin in this area.

He Said: And wants to reinstate the draft.

I Said:
On reinstating a military draft:
http://www.tooprogressive.com/2008/08/20/mccain-would-work-to-reinstate-a-military-draft/
(Where is the rest of McCain’s response?!)

Thoughts: Again, no evidence. Prove it to me.


He Said: Please, as I said, I would like to discuss this with you. Now what good do you see? I havent seen any, but thats because I dont watch CNN.

I Said: With all this being said, I am glad that you are taking this election so seriously and are challenging those who do not share your views. I am so thankful that we live in a country where we each get a vote, even if yours and mine cancel each other out.

P.S. I don't watch CNN either.