[Mojave]

Federal Tax Burdens and Expenditures: Alaska is a Beneficiary State

Alaska taxpayers receive more federal funding per dollar of federal taxes paid compared to the average state. Per dollar of Federal tax collected in 2005, Alaska citizens received approximately $1.84 in the way of federal spending.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/11.html

[bvw]

Palin did not take office until 2007. Sher used her exceptionally high popularity to push through legislative, executive and political initiatives meant to increase Alaskan self-sufficiency.

Polls taken in 2007 showed her with 93% and 89% popularity among all voters ...

In her State of the State address on January 17, 2008, Palin declared that the people of Alaska "can and must continue to develop our economy, because we cannot and must not rely so heavily on federal government." Alaska's federal congressional representatives cut back on pork-barrel project requests during Palin's time as governor

[Wikipedia]

She has conviction, courage and a willingness to take personal political risks for better government.