Palin rejecting federal stimulus money

[harpboy_ak]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

From Sean Cockerham in Juneau –

Gov. Sarah Palin just told reporters that she’s accepting only 55 percent of the federal economic stimulus money being offered to Alaska. The governor said that she will accept only about $514 million of the $930 million headed to the state.

“We are not requesting funds intended to just grow government. We are not requesting more money for normal day-to-day operations of government as part of this economic stimulus package. In essence we say no to operating funds for more positions in government,” Palin said.

The biggest single chunk of stimulus money that Palin is turning down is $160 million for education. There’s also $17 million in Department of Labor funds (vocational rehabilitation services, unemployment services, etc.), about $9 million for Health and Social Services and about $7 million for Public Safety. The full list and the specifics aren’t available from the governor’s budget department yet.

Read more: http://community.adn.com/adn/node/139409?mi_pluck_actio...

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Palin said she’ll work with the Legislature if it decides that it wants to go ahead and accept the money (although she didn’t rule out vetoes). But the deadline for the Legislature to decide could be April 3. Legislators from both parties said, if that is the deadline, it doesn’t leave them much time to sort through it all.

(snip)

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Les Gara suggested Palin could be pandering to voters outside Alaska and said it’s hurting the state's education, public safety and quality of life.

“I’m worried the governor is taking this sort of national political stance which is that she’s going to be the opposite of Barack Obama on everything,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich quickly issued a written statement today calling for lawmakers to accept the remainder of the stimulus money.

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Sarah once again showing that she doesn't care about Alaskans, just about her future political ambitions. The Governess is a walking ego trip.

[poiuytsister]

1. If I hear "Thanks, but no thanks" one more time

I swear I will throw up!

[tomm2thumbs]

13. ur right and this will be another case in point where the game she is playing bites her in the ass

they'll be playing that 'thanks but no thanks' to this bill as well, full knowing that if it passes and she doesn't veto it, she'll try to walk the political tightrope

[Happyhippychick]

2. Republican values at work: education isn't important.

[GCP]

3. She's banking on the legislature over-ruling her

Alaska will still get the cash, but she polishes her puke bona fides for 2012.

[glinda]

4. Maybe so as I thought they could not cherry-pick the monies apart.

[No Elephants]

5. The legislature should have impeached her ass as soon as she got it back to Alaska.

[LSparkle]

6. Isn't that a little DICTATORIAL? Only taking X percent (as decided by her)?

Of course she'd turn down education funding ... "Let 'em
home school their kids!" Queen Sarah Antoinette of the
Tundra ...

[DollyM]

10. no need to slam home schoolers . . .

We proudly home school and suggesting it is a less than appropriate form of education is prejudicial and uninformed.

[LSparkle]

14. It's not less appropriate, it's just less available as an option for many

Unless you can survive on one income (if married) or
are independently wealthy (if single), then home
schooling may not be a possibility.

[Hugin]

17. This is exactly why I would 'home church' my kids.

Far less prejudicial.

[JDPriestly]

19. Depends on who is doing the home schooling and whether the

results of the home schooling are acceptable. I have a niece who homeschools. Except for science, she does a good job. She is a fundamentalist and doesn't believe in real science much. But knowing that many of the children in my family really enjoy science, math and engineering, I suspect that, in spite of the omissions in their early education they will catch up on science later -- if for no other reason than to rebel against the limitations of fundamentalism.

[stillcool]

7. they need an up or down vote..

[Arctic Dave]

8. With monies and jobs starting to dry up, I think she may be

shooting herself in the foot. Will she tell Alaskans that are out of jobs that she thinks its better for them to suck it up until oil revenues go up again.

[Jefferson23]

9. Typical Rethuglican, screw the people, they have so little value anyway.

[reseacher]

11. Palin

yep, she sure is something!

[Grinchie]

12. Education threatens their Constituency

We the Sheeple know whats good for us by what Caribou Barbie tells us!

Public Safety is way overrated, unless it's for the Governor's Security Squad.

[TheEuclideanOne]

15. The last person that should turn down education money is Sarah Fucking Palin

Since two of her kids dropped out of high school, I guess it is not a high priority for her. Just like all of the other scum, she will probably use the following as an "out"

"Palin said she’ll work with the Legislature if it decides that it wants to go ahead and accept the money"

[benld74]

16. I am so effin sick of seeing her name in print I could crap!

Whoever got her into the mainstream political mess to be the little shrimps running mate should be boiled in oil! I cannot stand her, her name or her g*d D*Mn state! I CANNOT wait until she sinks into the effin netherworld NEVER to be seen or heard from again.

[harpboy_ak]

22. Don't hold her against Alaska Dems!

I can tell you who was to blame, it was the Juneau Repuke Party maven, Paulette "Dragon Lady" Simpson, who introduced Bill Kristol to Palin when he was in Alaska on a conservative pundit theme cruise in '07. Kristol then gushed about her in his useless newspaper columns.

Don't blame the state, and certainly don't blame the increasing number of Alaska Dems for her idiocies.

[elshiva]

23. Yes, I don't like the anti-Alaskan sentiment expressed by some DUers.

Yes, it's a red state and Palin is awful, but it's not like all Alaskans are to blame.

[cooolandrew]

34. I don't hold her against Alaska but probably they will hold this decision against her. Apparently >

she's run up major debts to cutting back taxes and the oil revenue cheques dried up due to reduced Oil profits.

[JDPriestly]

18. Alaska does not need the stimulus money. It has the oil royalties and

should use them instead.

[Gin]

20. so...they can pick and choose what they want? I thought it was all or nothing at all.

when did that change?

[Tempest]

31. The governors can turn down portions of the money

But it has to be approved by the state legislatures.

So far no majority leader of any state legislatures have said they will turn down the money, just a few Repug governors who know their legislatures will ignore them. Palin and the other governors are only political posturing.

[Bandit]

26. Alaska uses all the "Oil Royalties" to run the state. all of them

You must be quite confused as to the difference between their "permenent Fund" which is a huge bank account and the oil royalties that are used by the state to run state government. There is a big difference. Just because the fund was originated twenty five years afo from oil doesn't mean it uses oil now. In fact the fund lost ten billion dollars last year thanks to Republicans.

[Tempest]

30. Oil royalties are put into the permanent fund every year

So all the royalties are not being used to fund the government.


Even with the budget deficit, Alaska is still putting money into the fund from oil royalties.

Of the $9.7 billion, it included $1.8 billion in federal funds, $2.8 billion in general funds and $5.1 billion in other state funds, which includes nearly $2 billion for Alaska Permanent Fund dividends and inflation-proofing the fund.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/491962.html

[LynnTheDem]

21. Well gee, here's a shocker...

"Palin is turning down is $160 million for education"

Keepin' em dumb as...well, as Palin'...that's the rightwing's cunning plan!

[mindwalker_i]

24. Palin rejecting stimulus?

That's a first.

[xchrom]

25. it oughta be 'all of it or none of it'. nt

[Bandit]

27. In JUneau eighteen teachers are being laid off and the schoold district

had great hopes this stimulus money would keep those jobs, but Palin is the anti-stimulus Governor it would appear. Alaska does have until April 3rd for the Legislature to overrule her but it is majority Republican so I have little hope.

[Endangered Specie]

28. Fine, I know Bev Purdue here in NC will take it off her hands!

[Tempest]

29. Palin's PAC is conducting polls in Iowa and New Hampshire

http://www.themudflats.net/2009/03/19/palin-is-robo-pol... /

She's pandering to lower 48 voters while ignoring her own.

[Tempest]

32. The responses are coming in, and they're all negative

http://www.themudflats.net/2009/03/20/response-to-palin... /

[cooolandrew]

33. Oh WOW did we miss out on her becoming President. =o *major sarcasm*