Palin's Record on Debt and Liabilities Bests the Rest of the GOP Field

Pennsylvania4Palin ^ | steebo77

[Anamnesis]

Of all current or former governors among the leading candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, no one’s record of dealing with his or her state’s debt and unfunded liabilities compares with that of Sarah Palin during her three fiscal years at the helm in Alaska.

The following analysis examines the growth of total debt outstanding and total liabilities, both on an actual and per capita basis, for Alaska under Sarah Palin, Massachusetts under Mitt Romney, Minnesota under Tim Pawlenty, Texas under Rick Perry, and Utah under Jon Huntsman.

Total Debt Outstanding

Of the five governorships examined, Alaska under Palin saw the smallest increase in total debt outstanding (12.7% cumulatively, 4.2% per year). Texas under Perry performed worst, with total debt increasing 20.5% annually, almost tripling during his term (a cumulative increase of 184.2%).

On a per capita basis, only Utah under Huntsman performed slightly better than Alaska under Palin. Utah experienced a cumulative increase of 6.8%, versus 7.4% for Alaska (1.4% per year for Utah, versus 2.5% per year for Alaska). Again, Texas under Perry ranks last, with an astonishing cumulative increase in debt per capita of 140.4% (15.6% on an annual basis).

Candidate	Beginning Debt Outstanding	Ending Debt Outstanding	Cumulative Increase/Decrease	Average Annual Increase/Decrease
Palin FY07 – FY10	$2.246 Billion	$2.531 Billion	12.7%	4.2%
Huntsman FY05 – FY10	$3.475 Billion	$4.204 Billion	21.0%	4.2%
Pawlenty FY03 – FY10	$3.474 Billion	$5.768 Billion	66.0%	9.4%
Romney FY03 – FY07	$15.963 Billion	$23.026 Billion	44.3%	11.1%
Perry FY01 – FY10	$12.561 Billion	$35.692 Billion	184.2%	20.5%

Candidate	Beginning Debt Outstanding Per Capita	Ending Debt Outstanding Per Capita	Cumulative Increase/Decrease	Average Annual Increase/Decrease
Huntsman FY05 – FY10	$1,391	$1,485	6.8%	1.4%
Palin FY07 – FY10	$3,326	$3,571	7.4%	2.5%
Pawlenty FY03 – FY10	$688	$1,090	58.5%	8.4%
Romney FY03 – FY07	$2,473	$3,543	43.3%	10.8%
Perry FY01 – FY10	$589	$1,416	140.4%	15.6%

Cumulative Change in Debt Outstanding During Governorship

Average Annual Change in Debt Outstanding During Governorship

Total Liabilities

Alaska under Palin was the only state to see a reduction in total liabilities (34.6% overall, 11.5% per year), due in large part to the Governor’s insistence that the State’s surplus be used to pay down unfunded pension obligations and forward-fund education. All other states experienced cumulative increases in total liabilities, ranging from 19.5% for Massachusetts under Romney to 60.6% for Texas under Perry. On an annualized basis, other states showed increases ranging from 4.9% for Massachusetts under Romney to 8.2% for Utah under Huntsman.

Under Palin, Alaska’s total liabilities per capita fell 37.7% (12.6% per year). All other states experienced cumulative increases, ranging between 18.7% (Massachusetts) and 34.3% (Minnesota), and annual increases, averaging between 4.0% (Texas) and 4.9% (Minnesota and Utah).

Candidate	Beginning Total Liabilities	Ending Total Liabilities	Cumulative Increase/Decrease	Average Annual Increase/Decrease
Palin FY07 – FY10	$9.847 Billion	$6.436 Billion	-34.6%	-11.5%
Romney FY03 – FY07	$37.679 Billion	$45.030 Billion	19.5%	4.9%
Pawlenty FY03 – FY10	$10.188 Billion	$14.366 Billion	40.7%	5.8%
Perry FY01 – FY10	$48.125 Billion	$77.271 Billion	60.6%	6.7%
Huntsman FY05 – FY10	$4.501 Billion	$6.351 Billion	41.4%	8.2%

Candidate	Beginning Total Liabilities Per Capita	Ending Total Liabilities Per Capita	Cumulative Increase/Decrease	Average Annual Increase/Decrease
Palin FY07 – FY10	$14,581	$9,079	-37.7%	-12.6%
Perry FY01 – FY10	$2,256	$3,065	35.8%	4.0%
Romney FY03 – FY07	$5,837	$6,928	18.7%	4.7%
Huntsman FY05 – FY10	$1,801	$2,244	24.5%	4.9%
Pawlenty FY03 – FY10	$2,017	$2,710	34.3%	4.9%

Cumulative Change in Total Liabilities During Governorship

Average Annual Change in Total Liabilities During Governorship

Summary

During the fiscal years for which Sarah Palin exercised budgetary authority as Governor of Alaska (FY08 through FY10)

•   Debt outstanding increased 12.7%, or 4.2% per year

•   Per capita debt outstanding increased 7.4%, or 2.5% per year

•   Total liabilities decreased 34.6%, or 11.5% per year

•   Total liabilities per capita decreased 37.7%, or 12.6% per year

During the fiscal years for which Jon Huntsman exercised budgetary authority as Governor of Utah (FY06 through FY10)

•   Debt outstanding increased 21.0%, or 4.2% per year

•   Per capita debt outstanding increased 6.8%, or 1.4% per year

•   Total liabilities increased 41.1%, or 8.2% per year

•   Total liabilities per capita increased 24.5%, or 4.9% per year

During the fiscal years for which Tim Pawlenty exercised budgetary authority as Governor of Minnesota (FY04 through FY10)

•   Debt outstanding increased 66.0%, or 9.4% per year

•   Per capita debt outstanding increased 58.5%, or 8.4% per year

•   Total liabilities increased 40.7%, or 5.8% per year

•   Total liabilities per capita increased 34.3%, or 4.9% per year

During the fiscal years for which Mitt Romney exercised budgetary authority as Governor of Massachusetts (FY04 through FY07)

•   Debt outstanding increased 44.3%, or 11.1% per year

•   Per capita debt outstanding increased 43.3%, or 10.8% per year

•   Total liabilities increased 19.5%, or 4.9% per year

•   Total liabilities per capita increased 18.7%, or 4.7% per year

During the fiscal years for which Rick Perry exercised budgetary authority as Governor of Texas (FY02 through FY10)

•   Debt outstanding increased 184.2%, or 20.5% per year

•   Per capita debt outstanding increased 140.4%, or 15.6% per year

•   Total liabilities increased 60.6%, or 6.7% per year

•   Total liabilities per capita increased 35.8%, or 4.0% per year

Sources:

Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports

State of Alaska

Fiscal Year July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007

Fiscal Year July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2003

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2007

State of Minnesota

Year Ended June 30, 2003

Year Ended June 30, 2010

State of Texas

Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2001

Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2010

State of Utah

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2005

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2010

Population Figures

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census

Preliminary Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico : April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2010

[fantail 1952]

Well now, wtc, where do you live? I'm guessing somewhere east of the Mississippi river, where the federal gov't presence is limited to basic interference with states and localities.

Fed infrastructure is to a large part counted in any particular states "receiving" rather than sending funds to the Fed., and can you name which of the states has the largest percentage of land OWNED by the federal government?

Alaska has more land "owned" by the feds than probably the whole lower 48 combined. Is it any wonder that Fed. expenses are probably the highest per capita of any state? Further, ANWR, all of it, is federal land, and that's why it isn't drilled, just like Prez Bubba's "nationalizing valuable resources in Utah, and that offshore drilling/exploration is limited by the clown princes in DC.

I appreciate your posts, because it relieves me of much thought refuting them. Dude, you're easy!

[ansel12]

Actually she was Governor for 32 months, not 30.

[Bobbisox]

Great post...thank you very much. I wish these facts were out in the public. So many people still think Sarah is not fit, not smart, not wise, not electable. Bullpucky!

Sarah is the only candidate on the horizon that can actually do...what she says she will do. EAGLES UP SARAH!

[gov_bean_ counter]

The people of Wasilla approved the bond issue you attempt to lay solely at Palin's feet. A judge reversed his own decision 8 years after the fact in the land deal you attempt to lay solely at Palin's feet. Either you know that and are intellectually dishonest or you don't and are willfully ignorant.

BTW, the current Mayor credits the resulting improvements in infrastructure for bringing 10s of thousands of shoppers to Wasilla daily from surrounding areas daily. (according to Wiki). He has no issues with the development.

Half truths are all you have. If there is any truth to your bio, one would expect better.

Why so dishonest?

[grey_whiskers]

It beats the living sh*t out of your lover, Barry Soetoro.

[grey_whiskers]

She said it when recommending him for Governor, not President.

Troll.

[WVNan]

Well, now I understand your unceasing urge for a fight at the drop of a hat. My husband’s family roots are out of Donegal also. The Irish temper is impossible to deal with. I learned a long time ago to just walk away and shake my head. Tend to be bloody chauvinist also.

[grey_whiskers]

Here's an idea, while you're running numbers.

Let's look at the governors before and after Palin and compare how well *they* did, with the same windfall tax and the same Fed $$$ flowing in.

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

Here you go, troll-boy.

In 2008, Alaska received some $346 million in federal money.

In absolute terms, that's a drop of warm spit in the bucket, compared to total liabilities of about $6.5 billion.

Source

Cheers!

[Gargantua]

"A partial term as Alaska’s governor isn’t enough to definitively say what Palin will or won’t do."

What a delightful spin that was!

In other words, that Sarah accomplished in half a term as Governor (during which she also ran for VP and had a baby...) ten times what Perry has done in several terms as Governor is no fair measurement.

You got that much right! Stack any other Governor in the History of the Nation up against Sarah Palin and they all look like helpless, drooling imbeciles who haven't the slightest clue what they're doing.

Give it a break. She's a phenomenon. A force of nature. You're a zestuschnaltic. Zestuschnaltic! Admit it. Or not. Either way, you lose.

8^D

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Suck on THIS, weasel!

Governor Palin Retweets Article Rick Perry Almost Tripled Texas’ Total Debt

[Gargantua]

Palin's citizens in Wassilla voted for big spending construction projects (which she advised against) which incurred that debt. For you to pretend Sarah did that as one of her acts as Mayor is a flat out lie, you dishonest gnat.

Go peddle your PDS vomit elsewhere, we already know all yout stupid tricks.

Winkie Touching Clown.

;^\

[Hoodat]

Looks like jla just got pwn3d.

[Hoodat]

No other state has more of its available land shut down by the Federal government than Alaska. The Feds should be paying Alaska rent on all the land they control.

[Gargantua]

When will these PDS homo's (from the Latin homo sapiens) figure out that they're throwing spitballs at a battleship? Does the tiny, truly pointless and insignificant sense of having accomplished absolutely nothing actually provide them with enough "satisfaction" (!?!) to keep them coming back time after time after time the way that they do?

It's alot like watching lemmings sprint off the cliff into the freezing brine, drag themselves back up onto the rocks, crawl on their yellow bellies back up the escarpment, screw up their misguided sense of 'courage,' and then sprint off the cliff into the freezing brine again.

What fun, huh? I guess it fills the empty hole for those who have no other scintilla of something resembling a life...

:^O

[fantail 1952]

Why don’t you tell them how you really feel?

Rep;u pf the day.....

[fantail 1952]

Why don’t you tell them how you really feel?

Reply of the day.....

[fantail 1952]

Damn this new keyboaed........

[jla]

Oooh, look! The western VA outhouse cleaner called me a "weasel" on the Internet! Does your ma & pa know how brave you are?

Now, let me explain something to you. What she retweeted was not specific to Rick Perry. But a retweet of a link to the article on performances of several governors.
Though what is especially telling, is that you Drones are wetting yourselves over making this out to be a Palin rebuff of Perry when in fact if this were so it would mean Palin is nothing but a lying, two-faced hypocrite. (You know, like you & your white trash cohorts here).
Unless of course you would care to explain how one logically goes from “He does what is right regardless of whether it is popular. He walks the walk of a true conservative" to publicly maligning him for increasing Texas' debt.

So, ridgerunner, go sit back down in your corner, close your eyes real tight and keep whispering. 'please Sarah, please be my girlfriend!'.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I’m confused why they include 4 years of alaska’s information, when Sarah was Governor for 2.5 years.

If Alaska is like the rest of the country, those last 1.5 years were worse than the time she was Governor; I would expect her numbers would look even better if they didn’t include the part filled by her successsor during the Obama administration.

It would be interesting to see how much worse Alaska did after she left office.