Palin: billed state for nights spent at home

[steelincotton]

More of the same. More corruption and more abuse of power. This is exactly what we do not need. It's time for a change, but Palin/McCain are NOT it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... id=topnews

Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home
Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel

ANCHORAGE, Sept. 8 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.

Before she became the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee, Palin was little known outside Alaska. Now, with the campaign emphasizing her executive experience, her record as mayor of Wasilla, as a state oil-and-gas commissioner and as governor is receiving intense scrutiny.

During her speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Palin cast herself as a crusader for fiscal rectitude as Alaska's governor. She noted that she sold a state-owned plane used by the former governor. "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for," she said to loud applause.

Speaking from Palin's Anchorage office, Leighow said Palin dealt with the plane and also trimmed other expenses, including forgoing a chef in the governor's mansion because she preferred to cook for her family. The first family's travel is an expected part of the job, she said.

"As a matter of protocol, the governor and the first family are expected to attend community events across the state," she said. "It's absolutely reasonable that the first family participates in community events."

The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."

The popular governor collected the per diem allowance from April 22, four days after the birth of her fifth child, until June 3, when she flew to Juneau for two days. Palin moved her family to the capital during the legislative session last year, but prefers to stay in Wasilla and drive 45 miles to Anchorage to a state office building where she conducts most of her business, aides have said.

Palin rarely sought reimbursement for meals while staying in Anchorage or Wasilla, the reports show, She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem.

Palin charged the state a per diem for working on Nov. 22, 2007 -- Thanksgiving Day. The reason given, according to the expense report, was the Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA college basketball tournament held in Anchorage.

In separate filings, the state was billed about $25,000 for Palin's daughters' expenses and $19,000 for her husband's.

Flights topped the list for the most expensive items, and the daughter whose bill was the highest was Piper, 7, whose flights cost nearly $11,000, while Willow, 14, claimed about $6,000 and Bristol, 17, accounted for about $3,400.

One event was in New York City in October 2007, when Bristol accompanied the governor to Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference, toured the New York Stock Exchange and met local officials and business executives. The state paid for three nights in a $707-a-day hotel room. Garnero said the governor's office has the authority to approve hotel stays above $300.

Asked Monday about the official policy on charging for children's travel expenses, Garnero said: "We cover the expenses of anyone who's conducting state business. I can't imagine kids could be doing that." But Leighow said many of the hundreds of invitations Palin receives include requests for her to bring her family, placing the definition of "state business" with the party extending the invitation.

One such invitation came in October 2007, when Willow flew to Juneau to join the Palin family on a tour of the Hub Juneau Christian Teen Center, where Palin and her family worship when they are in Juneau. The state gave the center $25,000, according to a May 2008 memo.

Leighow noted that under state policy, all of the governor's children are entitled to per diem expenses, even her infant son. "The first family declined the per diem [for] the children," Leighow said. "The amount that they had declined was $4,461, as of August 5."

The family also charged for flights around the state, including trips to Alaska events such as the start of the Iditarod dog-sled race and the Iron Dog snowmobile race, a contest that Todd Palin won.

Meanwhile, Todd Palin spent $725 to fly to Edmonton, Alberta, for "information gathering and planning meeting with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology," according to an expense report. During the three-day trip, he charged the state $291 for his per diem. A notation said "costs paid by Dept. of Labor." He also billed the state $1,371 for a flight to Washington to attend a National Governors Association meeting with his wife.

Gov. Palin has spent far less on her personal travel than her predecessor: $93,000 on airfare in 2007, compared with $463,000 spent the year before by her predecessor, Frank Murkowski. He traveled often in an executive jet that Palin called an extravagance during her campaign. She sold it after she was sworn into office.

"She flies coach and encourages her cabinet to fly coach as well," said Garnero, whose job is equivalent to state controller. "Some do, some don't."

Leighow said that the governor's staff has tallied the travel expenses charged by Murkowski's wife: $35,675 in 2006, $43,659 in 2005, $13,607 in 2004 and $29,608 in 2003. Associates of Murkowski said the former governor was moose hunting and could not be reached to comment.

In the past, per diem claims by Alaska state officials have carried political risks. In 1988, the head of the state Commerce Department was pilloried for collecting a per diem charge of $50 while staying in his Anchorage home, according to local news accounts. The commissioner, the late Tony Smith, resigned amid a series of controversies.

"It was quite the little scandal," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor from 1994 to 2000. "I gave a direction to all my commissioners if they were ever in their house, whether it was Juneau or elsewhere, they were not to get a per diem because, clearly, it is and it looks like a scam -- you pay yourself to live at home," he said.

Knowles, whose children were school-age at the start of his first term, said that his wife sometimes accompanied him to conferences overseas but that he could "count on one hand" the number of times his children accompanied him. "And the policy was not to reimburse for family travel on commercial airlines, because there is no direct public benefit to schlepping kids around the state," he said. The rules were articulated by Mike Nizich, then director of administrative services in the governor's office, said Knowles and an aide to another former governor, Walter Hickel.

Nizich is now Palin's chief of staff. He did not return a phone call seeking comment. The rules governing family travel on state-owned aircraft appear less clear. Knowles said he operated under the understanding that immediate family could accompany the governor without charge.

But during the Murkowski years, that practice was questioned, and the state attorney general's office produced an opinion saying laws then in effect required reimbursement for spousal travel.

Research editor Alice Crites in Washington contributed to this report.

[Buddy]

Just keep throwing shit up to see if anything sticks. This one won't.

[DeusTrismegistus]

So she lives 600 miles away from her place of work? That a about the same distance as it is from Indianapolis to St Paul. Its not like driving an hour home at night.

[klonk]

I always take per diems if they are in the contract.

[steelincotton]

I love how people are so willing to give Palin the benefit of a doubt in everything that has come up. It's not like any of us really knew anything about her before last week. She won't even talk to the press, so that's dubious enough and insane if you ask me. Still, she is going to talk to Charlie Gibson (who's a conservative I believe), but at this time there is nothing else scheduled.

Can you imagine what would happen if Obama said he won't be talking to the press? My gawd, it would be WWIII! Imagine if Obama had a 17 year old daughter who was pregnant and unmarried? Imagine if Michelle Obama was a registered member of the AIP? Imagine if Obama was CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION like Sarah Palin is?

The facts remain, she is more of the same old George Bush politics. Lies and deceit. Half truths. Fear and Smear. Evangelical arrogance and dangerous racist ideology. Now, it turns out, Palin's preacher and church is even more radical and hate mongering than the good Rev Wright ever could be!

Meanwhile, like Obama or not, he's been vetted for almost two years straight! There is nothing new coming about about Obama and everybody has had ample time to get to know him, his family, and his life story. BUT, we the public, and the press, aren't allowed to get to know and vet Palin with the same degree of interest? That's a joke man.

[Bill]

The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."


This means that there is no coruption or abuse of power, but don't let that stop you from misrepresenting the situation.

[steelincotton]

The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."

This means that there is no coruption or abuse of power, but don't let that stop you from misrepresenting the situation.

LOL. That's like GWB saying, "You're doing a heck of a job Brownie" - the FEMA debacle director and employee of Bush's.

Keep in mind, Kim Garnero works for Palin, but since you are so fond of using just a piece out of a complete article to spin it your way, I prefer this section from the same article. Certainly, this IS an abuse of power, and the media is picking it up. Of course, if we just left it up to FIX NEWS, we'd never hear anything about these stories would we?

"It was quite the little scandal," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor from 1994 to 2000. "I gave a direction to all my commissioners if they were ever in their house, whether it was Juneau or elsewhere, they were not to get a per diem because, clearly, it is and it looks like a scam -- you pay yourself to live at home," he said.

Knowles, whose children were school-age at the start of his first term, said that his wife sometimes accompanied him to conferences overseas but that he could "count on one hand" the number of times his children accompanied him. "And the policy was not to reimburse for family travel on commercial airlines, because there is no direct public benefit to schlepping kids around the state," he said. The rules were articulated by Mike Nizich, then director of administrative services in the governor's office, said Knowles and an aide to another former governor, Walter Hickel.

[Formosa Neijia]

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.

So this is all just BS. Typical. everything was done on official business, the capital is 600 miles away, she could have applied for more compensation but didn't. The more the pathetic "Shrub lied" crowd sling at Palin the more I swing away from Obama into her camp everyday. Keep it up and swing voters will flock to her.

Dave C.

[MikeC]

I love how people are so willing to give Palin the benefit of a doubt in everything that has come up. It's not like any of us really knew anything about her before last week. She won't even talk to the press, so that's dubious enough and insane if you ask me. Still, she is going to talk to Charlie Gibson (who's a conservative I believe), but at this time there is nothing else scheduled.

I guess she'll have to wait the courtesy year and a half to get on the O'Reilly Factor, like Obama did. Ya know, until things blow over...

Can you imagine what would happen if Obama said he won't be talking to the press? My gawd, it would be WWIII! Imagine if Obama had a 17 year old daughter who was pregnant and unmarried? Imagine if Michelle Obama was a registered member of the AIP? Imagine if Obama was CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION like Sarah Palin is?

Under investigation!? Are you trying to bring her up on charges nutball?

The facts remain, she is more of the same old George Bush politics. Lies and deceit. Half truths. Fear and Smear. Evangelical arrogance and dangerous racist ideology. Now, it turns out, Palin's preacher and church is even more radical and hate mongering than the good Rev Wright ever could be!

Now I know you're seriously losing it steel. It's a good thing your room has padded walls..


Mike

[meeks]

Under investigation!? Are you trying to bring her up on charges nutball?

have you spent the last 2 weeks spankin' the net instead of surfin' it? Everyone knows she's currently under investigation for abuse of power (except you - nutball)

[Mike Strong]

As a teenager Palin's family attended a Pentacostal Church, but as an adult her family attends a Non-Denominational Bible Church ...

... keep attacking her religion, and watch how that backfires on you.






Check out the new, "Pray Away The Gay" -HYPE! thread.

[MikeC]

Under investigation!? Are you trying to bring her up on charges nutball?

have you spent the last 2 weeks spankin' the net instead of surfin' it? Everyone knows she's currently under investigation for abuse of power (except you - nutball)

Keep throwing the shit, remember, you only have until November.

[steelincotton]

Facts are facts.

#1. Palin is currently under investigation for abuse of power. The outcome is yet to be determined, but the scandal is called TrooperGate for those who don't know.
#2. Palin is a religious fundamental extremist who thinks the Iraq War is God's will and God's Plan (direct quotes).
#3. She did inquire about banning books from the Wasilla public library. No books were banned, but she did inquire if it were possible to do so, and we all know she would have if she could get her way.
#4. She is against abortion even in extreme cases of incest and rape. That is not a "moderate" position to hold by any means. Even Cindy McCain is against that position.
#5. Palin advocated for and supported the infamous "bridge to nowhere" (they have her on TV defending the project), and when Congress dumped the project because of the inherent corruption, Palin still KEPT the money for other PORK. In fact, Palin's time as Governor is so padded with Pork, I'm surprised she hasn't come down with tricanosis (sp?) or whatever that disease is.

It's amazing to me, how the right wing media (which is 90% of ALL media), is letting Palin get away with so much dirt and half-truths, it's simply un-American if you ask me. The media have stopped doing what they are suppose to do, ever since Bush took office. If this woman can't even give us some "straight talk" now, don't expect any if she becomes VP. Just another Dick Cheney in drag.

[Buddy]

"It's amazing to me, how the right wing media (which is 90% of ALL media)..."

See, it's this sort of nonsense that destroys whatever credibility you may have had. You think ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, et al are anything but liberal slants? You have lost your alleged mind.

[steelincotton]

"It's amazing to me, how the right wing media (which is 90% of ALL media)..."

See, it's this sort of nonsense that destroys whatever credibility you may have had. You think ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, et al are anything but liberal slants? You have lost your alleged mind.

I explained my pov on this subject on the other thread. Yes, I am a far left liberal person. I admit that,and to "Me" ABC, NBC, and CBS are not liberal, because they never give the real news, just the Brittany Spears stuff. I said, CNN and MSNBC are more liberal, for sure, and that's why I like them the best (for me). FOX NEWS has the highest ratings on cable news. I was specifically talking about our market here in Boston and what we get in our market. I understand the NY TIMES and The Washington Post are more liberal, but overall our media is dominated by conservatives imo. Don't judge me too harshly Buddy.