Travelgate summary

While Governor of Alaska Sarah charged the state 40 times for travel expenses for her children. 

From Mudflats

Governor Sarah Palin yesterday agreed to pay an estimated $6800 for what she charged the state for her children’s travel expenses and related costs since assuming her role as governor.

This all came about as the result of an ethics complaint filed against Palin by Frank Gwartney, a retired electrical lineman who had had enough of Palin’s hypocrisy regarding cleaning up government, and stopping abuses. The complaint, which was filed in October after new information came out about her state paid family travel, was sent to the Personnel Board and investigator…..(wait for it)…..Tim Petumenos. You remember him. He’s the one that said (despite the Legislative Investigation into the Troopergate ethics scandal, and their finding that Palin was guilty of abuse of power under the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act) that Palin was innocent of any wrongdoing. And the fact that there was contradictory testimony from Palin and Walt Monegan? Well….that just wasn’t worth pursuing in his humble opinion.

So now, after looking at FORTY examples of the state paying for Palin’s children to travel with her, he’s come up with 9 instances where he found the personal benefit outweighed the benefit to the state, and Palin has agreed to pay for these 9 occasions in exchange for getting to say “I did nothing wrong!” and for Petumenos agreeing  not to file a formal accusation or take the case to a hearing. Not a bad deal.  Palin get’s to pay a small amount in order to stop an investigation, and also gets to claim, according to her attorney that she was “exhonorated.”

The charges at issue include the cost of airfare and one meal when daughter Bristol to accompanied Palin to New York City in 2007 for a women’s leadership conference, according to the settlement agreement. State travel forms put that cost at about $1,400.

There’s also airfare and hotel costs for daughters Bristol and Piper to travel with their mother to the National Governors Association meeting in Philadelphia last July. State travel forms say the flights and hotel room at the Ritz Carlton cost more than $2,500.
Other questioned trips were in Alaska, including one last year to the start of the Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race, in which Palin’s husband, Todd, was one of the contenders.

So, what were the other 31 trips, where the presence of the Palin children had more benefit to the state than to them, or the governor personally?  I’d like to hear what compelling reasons Mr. Petumenos found, that would make me feel good enough about the benefit to the state of Alaska that I’ll pony up money to send her kids along on the trip.

And what did Palin have to say about this?  What is her justification?

“This is a big state, and I am obligated to — and intend to — keep Alaskans informed and meet with them as much as I can, from Barrow to Marshall to Ketchikan,” Palin said in a written statement. “At the same time, I am blessed to have a large and loving family, and the discharge of my duties should not prevent me from spending time with them.”

So, she thinks that her job as governor shouldn’t prevent her from spending time with her family.  And it shouldn’t keep her from living in Wasilla, rather than the state capital, Juneau. And it shouldn’t prevent her from taking per diem payments to live there and work in Anchorage.   And it shouldn’t mean she has to pay taxes on that per diem, and her state vehicle, and on and on.

Nothing works out like it should for the governor, does it?

The policy found on the official state web site says that travel expenses by a state employee’s spouse, children or companions “are not reimbursable.”  But somehow when applied to the governor, the rules become “dizzying and circular” according to Petumenos.  And the other side agrees as well that things need to be “clarified”.

Palin keeps saying she did nothing wrong.  But when one governor’s actions constantly tiptoe over the line, meaning that ethics rules need to be “clarified” and reevaluated at every turn, and when public opinion sees the obvious lack of ethics that went into the decision making process, then it means they did do something wrong.  Whatever leads a governor to say “It’s OK to charge the state to live and eat in my own home” and

“Sure, the state should pay for my huge family to travel with me everywhere because I shouldn’t have to give anything up like other people do”  shows a basic disconnect, hubris, and a sense that the person feels that they are owed something.

Sarah Palin-sexual abuse victim?

I certainly hope not, but by observing her actions and words, you have to wonder.

Sarah uses a lot of sexual innuendo. Accuses President Obama of not having the cojones to deal with immigration. Cojones is Spanish for testicles, or balls.

When David Letterman made a joke about Willow, Sarah got all pissed off about it and called him a pervert.

Joe McGinniss moves in next door to write his book on Sarah, she freaks out and accuses him of trying to look into her bedroom window.

She also called reporters limp, impotent, and gutless when they actually had the "cojones" to report criticism of her. Impotent if of course when a man cannot get aroused.

In a Vanity Fair article Sarah is quoted while getting ready for a city council meeting that she is going to wear her push up bra tonight so she can get what she wants.

She also accused Shawn Christy and others of wanting to rape her daughters.

On many occasions she has dresses very provocatively.

The Belmont stakes, wearing a push up bra:

An interview with FOX News, wearing a sleeveless dress:

Wearing leopard shoes at the Long Island speech:

Newsweek, then bitches that it was sexist:

Yet she did pose the same way for Runner's World. Did she think that was sexist?

Victims of sexual abuse are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors like promiscuity, sexual innuendo, and dressing provocatively. They also have low self esteem. Sarah has had multiple sexual relationships with Brad Hanson and Curtis Menard and she definitely has low self esteem.

Another interesting thing is her relationship with her father, Chuck Heath. He seems like a predator. He bought a shirt that said "Coldest State, Hottest Governor". What kind of father does that? My dad didn't even like me wearing Co Ed Naked T-Shirts when I was in high school and college.

He also made a comment about kids losing their underwear? Ewww!

And in Sarah Palin's Alaska he showed unusual interest in Kate's daughters.

One other aspect about Sarah is she shows callousness towards other sexual abuse victims, like making rape victims pay for their rape kits:

And she thinks rape victims should not abort their babies that were conceived during rape:

One of the reasons Sarah fired Walt Monegan as Public Safety Commissioner was over the budget. He wanted more funding to fight sexual abuse and going after rapists. Sarah said no. The other reason is obvious, he would not fire Mike Wooten.

I don't know if Sarah is a sexual abuse victim, nor is it anyone's business, but if she did she needs HELP!

I really feel bad for Piper Palin

Piper is dragged by her mother to all her speeches and campaign stops, is never in school, and her vacation got ruined.  But the name that Sarah and Todd gave her has to be the cruelest of all things done to her.

PIPER

INDY 

GRACE

 Piper's first three initials spell PIG.  That's right.  PIG.  Lipstick on a PIG.

Wrapping up the Sarah Palin One Nation Bus Tour

It was a failure!  It proved she is still not presidential material.

She and her family showed up uninvited to the Rolling Thunder Rally, then pushed her way to the front of the motorcade.

The driver of her bus is a safety menace, almost killed a bicyclist.

Daughter Piper was rude to reporters and even body checked one.

Sarah lied or was ignorant about Paul Revere and who he was warning.

Sarah also upstaged Mitt Romney while he was announcing his presidential bid.

Todd and Bristol got the hell out of Dodge as soon as they could.

Sarah and Bristol left their children at home. Bad mothers.

The only thing Sarah and her family did on this trip was confirm they are still trash.

Reason #65 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything

She has total disregard for her, her daughter's, other people's safety.

From Politico

SEABROOK, N.H. — Sarah Palin’s bus is plastered with a mock-up of the U.S. Constitution. But her entourage — both the three-vehicle motorcade that includes the bus and the smaller, two-SUV version she uses for smaller events — hasn’t been very respectful of traffic laws. They speed. They run red lights and stop signs. They make last-second lane changes to get off the highway, sometimes without signaling.

So do the reporters following them.

Journalists in the caravan trailing her “One Nation” tour bus describe the experience as harrowing, a rolling menace careening up the East Coast in hot pursuit of the former Alaska governor who declined to provide any advance itinerary of her tour over six days on the road.

As they left the clambake she attended Thursday in New Hampshire, Palin’s two-SUV caravan traveled at 52 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone as it peeled away from the hosts’ neighborhood. Both cars blew through a stop sign about a mile later. They did 70 mph in a 55 mph zone on I-95 — and then, after they got off, without signaling, flew right past a flashing sign informing them they were going 45 mph in a 35 mph zone.
And that was after they had already stormed the major cities — and just missed driving through a tornado on the road into Boston.

On Tuesday, the bus nearly hit a biker turning off of Pine Street in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, after a police escort led the bus through a closed section of the Lincoln Tunnel, the bus ran at least two red lights racing up Sixth Avenue and through Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan. Before long, a cop pulled up, pointing out to the first reporter trailing the bus how many lights they were running. The reporter apologized — but begged to stick with the bus. The perplexed cop let him go.

On Thursday, the story was much the same. Palin’s two SUVs — used for minor events and tight spaces — braved the tiny, winding streets of Boston’s North End. And when the bus joined them, the trailing car in the entourage ran two red lights after the bus barely made it through the yellow, as did the media caravan, leaving behind a traffic jam for the locals.

The reporters who are speeding, tailgating, cutting off other cars, blasting through roundabouts and passing on the right in an effort to keep up, say they have no other choice since they never know what Palin’s up to or where she’s headed — and aides typically won’t tell them anything. Once they’re on the road, they’re filing urgent updates by phone and figuring out unorthodox bathroom breaks, like the reporter who pulled over to relieve himself on the side of the highway going from Gettysburg, Pa., to Philadelphia — drawing notice from both Palin aides and the rest of the trailing press.

“It’s like paparazzi,” said one reporter who followed Palin to the Thursday evening clambake. “It’s like following Princess Diana.”

This is fucking scary!  Do you want a woman like that in charge of our military and the red phone in the oval office?  I don't.  Sarah should also be reported to Child Protection Services for allowing Piper to ride with a driver like that.

Willow and Piper Palin are brats, you can thank Sarah and Todd for that.

According to Gryphen from Immoral Minority, Willow was suspended from Colony High School for misbehavior issues.  Grandma Sally Heath rounded up some of her retired teacher friends to home school Willow but Willow was so nasty with them they all quit, and Colony refused to re-admit her, so now you can label her a high school dropout.

Piper is enrolled at Cottonwood Elementary in the Mat-Su School District, but her attendance has been very poor (gee I wonder why) and according to staff there she has quite the Diva attitude. Her attendance has been so bad Cottonwood officials may have to kick her out as well. They have an attendance policy where if you miss too much you will be dropped from their enrollment roster.

Recently during Sarah's vacation/campaign tour Piper shoved a reporter.

Raw Video: Sarah Palin In Philly: MyFoxPHILLY.com

Kids learn their behavior from their parents, and Todd is quite the bully as you can see here and here. .

Sarah did have Piper apologize however:

Reason #7 not to vote for Sarah Palin for president

The way she raises her children