Governor Palin's Staff Addresses Expenses Issues

Office of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin ^ | Office of Governor Palin

[SolidWood]

Governor’s Staff Addresses Expenses Issues on News Media Coverage of Per Diem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-35

Governor’s Staff Addresses Expenses Issues

February 23, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Staff for Governor Sarah Palin today responded to persistent news media coverage of the per diem the governor has collected while working away from her official duty station of Juneau, while pointing out significant savings the governor has achieved in regard to the way she has discharged her official duties.

“The news media have been focused on the $8,500 the governor has collected in per diem annually while working in Anchorage, almost 50 miles from her home in Wasilla,” said Bill McAllister, director of communications for the governor. “But aside from the fact that the governor is legally entitled to these payments, the media have missed the larger point that the governor actually has saved the state money by not living year-round in the official residence in Juneau.”

Expense reports for per diem, lodging and travel for the governor and the first gentleman show a savings of more than $900,000 for calendar years 2007 and 2008, compared with the last two years of the previous administration. More than $100,000 of that is attributable to lower costs at the Governor’s House.

“Except for the previous governor’s much-derided purchase and use of a jet, this is not intended as criticism of the previous administration,” McAllister said. “But it does show that the governor’s Anchorage-based per diem was offset many times by reductions in other spending associated with her official duties.”

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about the taxability of the governor’s per diem for days in Anchorage. An internal review has determined that this per diem is taxable. Kim Garnero, the state finance director, reported that last week new W-2 forms were issued to the governor for tax years 2007 and 2008.

“The governor has relied upon expert advice in how she handles these matters, and with this clarification of the per diem issue, she will make the necessary tax adjustments and comply with all pertinent IRS rules and regulations,” McAllister said. “However, this tax matter is a personal issue, and is not subject to public disclosure. Any future per diem payments, of course, will be a matter of public record.”

Questions also have been raised about whether travel by the First Family to state government-related events amounts to taxable income. An internal review has determined these expenses are not taxable. McAllister noted that first families of previous governors have been involved in state government-related events and that Governor Palin believes it’s an important role for her family as well. For more information, contact Kim Garnero, 465-3435, 723-3707, or Bill McAllister, 269-7446, 306-5201.

Links to charts comparing expenditures among administrations can be found at:

http://gov.state.ak.us/pdf/GovernorTravelExpenseReport_Feb2009.pdf http://gov.state.ak.us/pdf/Murkowski_Palin-Compare_Feb2009.pdf

[SunkenCiv]

Palin to reimburse state for family travel
Anchorage Daily News | Feb. 24, 2009 | Lisa Demer
Posted on 02/24/2009 3:11:55 PM PST by Al B.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2193176/posts

[Rodney Dangerfield]

It’s time someone in the GOP grows a pair and goes after Obama and his wife and all the freebies and quid pro quos they benefited from.

How much did this latest investigation of Palin cost taxpayers?

[Valentine_W]

Well, if the economy doesn't pick up in another year or so, there is a great possibility Obama won't get re-elected. I think he must have a lot of shortsighted political advisers, because he really needed to have a bipartisan stimulus bill, and they went ahead without making important political compromises necessary to make the bill successful, IMHO. People can say what they want about Bush, but he was smart enough to realize that he needed bipartisian consensus when we went to topple Hussein's regime in Iraq...the issue was too important to not get both Republicans and Democrats to essentially agree on it. The same can be said of the stimulus bill, but Obama wasn't smart enough to gut the bill himself to get it passed by Republicans in Congress.

Now if the bill is not successful, every piece of bad legislation and every piece of pork is going to be shoved back in his face in 2012, and not even the Democrats will be able to blame the Republicans for that doozy of a bill.

BTW, why don't you think folks in the South would vote for Jindal?

[yongin]

John Zeigler, Palin ally and producer of the DVD “HOW OBAMA GOT ELECTED”, says the media will do everything in its power to re-elect Obama and the damage the media did to Palin will not repair in 4 years. He sugguested Palin spend the next 8 years rehab herself and then run for President in 2016.

I think Palin should take Zeigler’s advice.

[techno]

Palin, I believe, will run in 2012. She is keeping her powder dry for now.