Nice Work If You Can Get It: Palin Paid Herself To Live At Home

[Joanne98]

The Washington Post has an article this morning on the 312 nights Sarah Palin spent in her own home -- and still charged the state for 312 days of "per diem" allowance (which is supposed to cover expenses while traveling).

The media narrative is that Palin cut back wasteful government spending in Alaska and took on her own party to do so. But that becomes less compelling when you factor in that she paid herself $16,951 to live at home. And it's not like she can toss her hair and say that "this is just the way things are done in Alaska":

In 1988, the head of the state Commerce Department was pilloried for collecting a per diem charge of $50 while staying in his Anchorage home, according to local news accounts. The commissioner, the late Tony Smith, resigned amid a series of controversies.

"It was quite the little scandal," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor from 1994 to 2000. "I gave a direction to all my commissioners if they were ever in their house, whether it was Juneau or elsewhere, they were not to get a per diem because, clearly, it is and it looks like a scam -- you pay yourself to live at home," he said.

Palin and her husband both make six-figure incomes. They don't need to be chiseling the state for this money to live, and she sure isn't entitled to be running on fiscal responsibility when she's pocketing cash in a way that has a history of being regarded in Alaska as a "scam."

http://firedoglake.com/2008/09/09/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it-palin-paid-herself-to-live-at-home/

[RobertSeattle]

1. IOKIYSP

It must have come as surprise to her when she became governor that Juneau was 600 miles south of her then home.

[karynnj]

4. This story actually clears up one mystery

I had wondered how her daughter could still attend a high school in the Wasilla area when Juneau was 600 miles away. I had wondered why she had not transfered to a Juneau school in the middle of her sophomore year. It is strange to think that the Governor basically telecommuted or worked out of a remote Anchorage office. (My Governor doesn't live in the Governor's mansion, but he is close enough to go to Trenton daily!)

As the kids' primary residence was Wasilla and she was there 311 days of the last 19 months, doesn't that mean she was away from home and kids about 40% of the time? I guess if they all went to Juneau in the summer, that would make that number go down - but would mean the Governor was in Juneau mostly in the summer. When is the legislature in session. This would suggest that the way she balanced things was to be physically away from the seat of government a huge percent of the time.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Yeah, there's no way for "per diem" to ever include eating in your own kitchen--

Are the residents of Alaska outraged that their state funds went toward Miss Mooseburgers putting fresh raspberries on her morning cereal and driving her kids to hockey practice, while still drawing the same Governor's pay?

[RobertSeattle]

5. And she would have been away from her command post if...

...The Ruskies had invaded!

[WA98070]

3. "That's Change you can believe in." It's perfectly legal because she is "away from the office." But

it is certainly outside the intent.

[ladjf]

6. If this allegation as stated can be verified it will definitely hurt

her chances in the election.