This has been known for years.
Sarah is pro-oil development. But she is anti big-oil corruption.
In Alaska, there were corrupt dealings between the crooked Republicans and the big oil companies. Exxon was sitting on vast oil reserves and refusing to develop them, because they hoped for bigger profits after the world ran out of oil.
Sarah made it clear that either they developed the oil and a pipeline, or they would lose their lease.
The taxing issue is somewhat similar—merely correcting earlier corrupt deals between politicians and big oil.
Sorry, I should have said natural gas. But it was all part of the same corrupt system that needed to be broken down.
To 8 - Nicely put. Those who criticize Palin over this I suppose would give the oil away to the oil co.s if it were discovered on their land.