Posted on 09/09/2008 8:17:36 AM PDT by Yankee Sailor
The internet is abuzz with the story of Gov. Palin's per diem payments for living at home. Here are the numbers from the MSNBC story:
Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance [for 312 days], which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.
I've collected that much money on federal travel in a third of the time--she only got $54 per day.
Anyway, here';s the bottom line: how much did the state save in salaries of employees that no longer had to maintain the residence at the governor's mansion? I bet Alaskans kept three or four times what they paid Gov. Palin in the personal chef's salary alone. Never mind the plane and its air crew. Sounds like a bargain to me.
I suppose politicians and the media are entitled to try and make hay anywhere they like, but I wonder how much per diem those Washington Post reporters are getting while they're digging dirt in the wilds of Alaska. I bet it's a whole lot more than $54 per day.
A snowball has a better chance of surviving in hell than of that happening.
How about looking into Obama collecting a Senator’s paycheck while campaigning for 19 months? With only 3 years on the “job”, there’s no way he has enough leave to cover all of his absences and missed votes.
If anyone has been ripping off the taxpayers it has been Obama. But then he's a democrat.
Excellent Point!
Has ZerObama still been collecting his salary, even though he’s been on the road NOT doing anything remotely connected to the Senate?
I’m gonna guess, “Yes.”
The Capital of Alaska is Juneau. You cannot drive to Juneau, there are no roads to Juneau. The only way to get there is by plane or boat/ferry. The Governor does not need to live in Juneau year-round. Because of the road system/distances/populations/the “Bush” towns/etc........, Alaska has to be looked at in a totally different light than any other State (other than HI) when it comes to travel, “duty Stations”, scheduling, etc.... Wasilla is an hour by car to the airport in Anchorage, and it’s a 1.5 hour flight from Anchorage to Juneau. I spent more than $1412.58/month working as a rep in Alaska. Sarah Palin is the Governor.............. It amazes me how this woman terrifies so many in the media. She’s tough, she’s highly intellegent, she’s honest, she’s good-looking, she’s wildly popular in ALASKA, and she gets things done. They can try to pick her apart, but she’ll stand her ground and America is going to fall in love with her when they see more of her..........
The MSM would have preferred that Governor Palin had run Alaska the way that Governor Blanco had run Louisiana...
May be, but the staff wouldn't have to be near as large. If no one is living there, it doesn't need a daily cleaning, and the upkeep wouldn't be near as much. Might only need a dusting, etc., once a week, and if no one is using the appliances, utilities, etc, the maintenance would be minimal, as well. Definitely a cost savings.
The bottom line is that Obama has been in a full time campaign for president for 19 months and during that time he has been collecting a full time salary for supposedly working full time as a Senator. He also gets per-diems and all kinds of other perks, including an all expenses paid vacation to any country he chooses to go to for a junket.
Can’t the same thing be said for any of the candidates, including Republican candidates, including McCain?
McCain may be wealthy enough he can refuse his salary as a senator and give it back to the Treasury. Which would not be a bad ploy for him, but it may be too late for that now.
**I am waiting for the msm to do an equally picky anal exam of Joe Biden’s finances for the past 30 years.**
I bet we will wait a long time!
Indeed it can, but the MSM is only questioning Palin and Palin alone. That, my FRiend, is the point.
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