Sarah Palin

[Soxy]

Quite the opposite. I have a daugher who was born with Down Syndrome, and am involved with a few different support groups in our area. In one of the groups, it seems that I'm in the minority of folks (possibly the only one) who thinks that she's allowing the party to exploit him by making an issue of it. Come on, he's not a circus freak that we're paying to see! He's a child, albeit one with special needs; why make such a huge issue of it (IMHO)? But they're all gushing over it, saying how wonderful it could be. No thanks--I don't agree with using a child like that.

Huh, I'm surprised by that.

 

[jheath160]

No, the question was about funding for special needs kids, not the teen mothers housing question. She dramatically cut programs for special needs schools. I mean, a LOT.

 

Actual budget figures, all approx:

 

Pre-Palin FY2007 budget:

 

FY2005 Actual: $6.9 mil

FY2006 Plan: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Governor: $8.3 mil

 

Palin's FY2008 budget:

 

FY2006 Actual: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Plan: $3.2 mil

FY2008 Governor: $3.2 mil

 

2007:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

2008:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/08_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

The FY2009 budget is more of the same:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

So you are basically 100% wrong.

Being in the position she's now in, as the parent of a child with special needs, I wonder if she'd still feel so great about making those cuts.

 

She'll do herself in over time. The media is a fickle friend, and she's only in the beginning stages of that "friendship".

[Balta1701]

Okay, give me one republican community organizer that deserves a high ranking public office.

Ron Paul?

 

On a slightly serious note...community organizer itself clearly isn't the sole qualification you'd need for a public office. Usually you can feed from those sorts of positions though in to other positions at the local or state level that get you going.

 

Governor Palin got her start in politics, IIRC some article I read a week ago, thanks to a politically active workout club in Wasalia.

[whitesoxfan101]

Well, that statement wouldn't be inaccurate. Technically neither was Big Sqwert's.

 

Of course. But they are both ridiculous.

[lostfan]

Of course. But they are both ridiculous.

I've actually seen Obama compared to Hitler - obviously on the Internet where people are stupid - because of his speaking abilities.

 

How horribly inaccurate. Give the man some respect and give him the proper comparison - Joseph Stalin

[whitesoxfan101]

I've actually seen Obama compared to Hitler - obviously on the Internet where people are stupid - because of his speaking abilities.

 

How horribly inaccurate. Give the man some respect and give him the proper comparison - Joseph Stalin

 

I've seen Obama compared to everyone from Jesus Christ to George Washington to Hitler to the antichrist, all on more than a couple of occasions. He's a bit of a polarizing figure to say the least.

[BigSqwert]

is a bit of a polarizing figure to say the least.

 

Fixed

[whitesoxfan101]

Fixed

 

Well that's definitely true, but it seems especially the case for Obama. The people who love him REALLY love him and the people who hate him REALLY hate him, in both cases with more fervor than I've ever seen for any other candidate before.

[BigSqwert]

Well that's definitely true, but it seems especially the case for Obama. The people who love him REALLY love him and the people who hate him REALLY hate him, in both cases with more fervor than I've ever seen for any other candidate before.

 

Can I ask your age?

[whitesoxfan101]

Can I ask your age?

 

Early 20's, so I admittedly haven't seen a whole lot. If there were politicians far more polarizing than this though in the past, it must have been a different game then. Although I'm sure it was.

[EvilMonkey]

Okay, give me one republican community organizer that deserves a high ranking public office.

Just take community organizer out of that, and they still don't get elected. Jesus would have that whole immaculate conception thing get blown all over the MSM, and so on. With the invasive media culture of today, you almost have to decide you want to go into politics around age 10 and start managing your life accordingly.

[EvilMonkey]

No, the question was about funding for special needs kids, not the teen mothers housing question. She dramatically cut programs for special needs schools. I mean, a LOT.

 

Actual budget figures, all approx:

 

Pre-Palin FY2007 budget:

 

FY2005 Actual: $6.9 mil

FY2006 Plan: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Governor: $8.3 mil

 

Palin's FY2008 budget:

 

FY2006 Actual: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Plan: $3.2 mil

FY2008 Governor: $3.2 mil

 

2007:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

2008:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/08_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

The FY2009 budget is more of the same:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

So you are basically 100% wrong.

I think for now, I'll have to give you that one. I know I heard something about large parts of that department being transfered to another government body, but I can't find that at the moment. if I do, I will post it.

[WCSox]

A lot of the "issues" brought up around Palin - their daughter being pregnant, for example - are pure B.S. But I must admit, things like this, and her involvement in the trooper firing, concern me. Seems she likes to use her position of power for her personal crusades and vendettas.

 

I find it odd that there was apparently no discussion of what Palin may have objected to, and that the librarian's immediate response was, "No!" It's kind of difficult for me to draw a conclusion from that, given that I don't know if Palen wanted nude photograph/artwork or the local copy of Huckleberry Finn removed.

 

As for the trooper firing, this guys has admitted to tasering a child and was apparently sanctioned (a laughable slap on the wrist) for almost two dozen violations by his department, including drinking while driving a police car. And that's on top of the alleged threats against Palin's father and sister. I know an untenured Illinois public school teacher who was fired for a picture of what appeared to be him smoking from a bong on his Facebook page, so I find it laughable that this Wooten guy is still allowed to carry a badge and a gun and that Palin is being criticized by removing the guy who refused to fire his violent/alcoholic ass. Maybe I'm biased because I support the ticket, but I don't see how Palin can be blamed for fighting obvious corruption in the police department just because her extended family fell victim to it.

Edited September 5, 2008 by WCSox

[NorthSideSox72]

I find it odd that there was apparently no discussion of what Palin may have objected to, and that the librarian's immediate response was, "No!" It's kind of difficult for me to draw a conclusion from that, given that I don't know if Palen wanted nude photograph/artwork or the local copy of Huckleberry Finn removed.

 

As for the trooper firing, this guys has admitted to tasering a child and was apparently sanctioned (a laughable slap on the wrist) for almost two dozen violations by his department, including drinking while driving a police car. And that's on top of the alleged threats against Palin's father and sister. I know an untenured Illinois public school teacher who was fired for a picture of what appeared to be him smoking from a bong on his Facebook page, so I find it laughable that this Wooten guy is still allowed to carry a badge and a gun and that Palin is being criticized by removing the guy who refused to fire his violent/alcoholic ass. Maybe I'm biased because I support the ticket, but I don't see how Palin can be blamed for fighting obvious corruption in the police department just because her extended family fell victim to it.

Those are very good points. With the librarian, frankly, I doubt that the local librarian in Wassila was trying to plaster the walls with porn or anything. I guess I lean towards no censorship in libraries at all, barring something like live sex acts or whatever.

 

The trooper was an asshole. But, its not her place to go firing her ex-brother in law. In fact, if she was smart, that would mean she would stay the heck away from that case.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Those are very good points. With the librarian, frankly, I doubt that the local librarian in Wassila was trying to plaster the walls with porn or anything. I guess I lean towards no censorship in libraries at all, barring something like live sex acts or whatever.

 

The trooper was an asshole. But, its not her place to go firing her ex-brother in law. In fact, if she was smart, that would mean she would stay the heck away from that case.

Why should she not concern herself with a rouge cop on the state force who had already threatened her sister and father, tasered a kid and done numerous other things that would get the ordinary person fired or jailed, but because of union b****ing, only got suspended 5 days? He is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[WCSox]

The trooper was an asshole. But, its not her place to go firing her ex-brother in law. In fact, if she was smart, that would mean she would stay the heck away from that case.

 

I completely disagree. If there's a documented violent alcoholic carrying a badge and a gun (who has already been found guilty and reprimanded for behavior that is grounds for dismissal) in my state, I try to remove him. I don't care who the hell he's related to or how bad it looks. At the minimum, he's a massive legal liability to the state. At the worst, he could kill somebody.

 

Also, one thing that the MSM tends to omit is that the Department of Public Safety that WAS fired, was only removed after he REFUSED a reassignment to a different department. So it's not like Palin was trying to destroy this guy's life or something.

Edited September 5, 2008 by WCSox

[EvilMonkey]

No, the question was about funding for special needs kids, not the teen mothers housing question. She dramatically cut programs for special needs schools. I mean, a LOT.

 

Actual budget figures, all approx:

 

Pre-Palin FY2007 budget:

 

FY2005 Actual: $6.9 mil

FY2006 Plan: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Governor: $8.3 mil

 

Palin's FY2008 budget:

 

FY2006 Actual: $7.9 mil

FY2007 Plan: $3.2 mil

FY2008 Governor: $3.2 mil

 

2007:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

2008:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/08_OMB/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

The FY2009 budget is more of the same:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budg...ED/comp2735.pdf

 

So you are basically 100% wrong.

OK, here it is. The difference in the budget was that the Alaskan Challenge Youth Academy was removed from that department, and had it's own seperate budget. $6 million for 2009. That's why when you look at the 2008 budget, it manages to say "An INCREASE in the base student allocation will provide funding for additional outreach services for the SESA." under the signifigant changes section. An increase. Add that $6 million into the $3+ million and you have over $9 million, an increase.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budg...ED/comp2837.pdf

 

 

[jackie hayes]

I think for now, I'll have to give you that one. I know I heard something about large parts of that department being transfered to another government body, but I can't find that at the moment. if I do, I will post it.

Nope, you're right. One of the programs (Alaska Challenge Youth Academy) was moved to a different budget area (not a different program, just an accounting change). The other programs, cumulatively, were cut, but only slightly (a school for the deaf and an educational program for patients of a psychiatric hospital received exactly the same funding, while an outreach program for severely disabled students was cut by about 1%).

 

Still not a great record for being an advocate, but my facts were wrong.

[NorthSideSox72]

Why should she not concern herself with a rouge cop on the state force who had already threatened her sister and father, tasered a kid and done numerous other things that would get the ordinary person fired or jailed, but because of union b****ing, only got suspended 5 days? He is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

I completely disagree. If there's a documented violent alcoholic carrying a badge and a gun (who has already been found guilty and reprimanded for behavior that is grounds for dismissal) in my state, I try to remove him. I don't care who the hell he's related to or how bad it looks. At the minimum, he's a massive legal liability to the state. At the worst, he could kill somebody.

 

Also, one thing that the MSM tends to omit is that the Department of Public Safety that WAS fired, was only removed after he REFUSED a reassignment to a different department. So it's not like Palin was trying to destroy this guy's life or something.

 

I think my point was missed - I probably didn't describe it well. If the cop was guilty of those things, then he should be fired. I have zero issue with that. What I have issue with is the governor stepping in to act in her personal interests when it fits her needs.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Nope, you're right. One of the programs (Alaska Challenge Youth Academy) was moved to a different budget area (not a different program, just an accounting change). The other programs, cumulatively, were cut, but only slightly (a school for the deaf and an educational program for patients of a psychiatric hospital received exactly the same funding, while an outreach program for severely disabled students was cut by about 1%).

 

Still not a great record for being an advocate, but my facts were wrong.

See post above yours.

[EvilMonkey]

I think my point was missed - I probably didn't describe it well. If the cop was guilty of those things, then he should be fired. I have zero issue with that. What I have issue with is the governor stepping in to act in her personal interests when it fits her needs.

So if her interests and the state's interests are the same, she should ignore it? Call in the DOJ?

[NorthSideSox72]

So if her interests and the state's interests are the same, she should ignore it? Call in the DOJ?

Call in someone who acts on those sorts of things (Alaska's state government is a little weird, so, might be DOJ, or someone else, I don't know). And leave your personal biases out of it.

 

 

[jackie hayes]

OK, here it is. The difference in the budget was that the Alaskan Challenge Youth Academy was removed from that department, and had it's own seperate budget. $6 million for 2009. That's why when you look at the 2008 budget, it manages to say "An INCREASE in the base student allocation will provide funding for additional outreach services for the SESA." under the signifigant changes section. An increase. Add that $6 million into the $3+ million and you have over $9 million, an increase.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budg...ED/comp2837.pdf

Hmm...like I said, the numbers were wrong. But, I don't see any actual change in the SESA budget, except that it decreases from $2.072 mil to $2.055 mil from FY2007 to FY2008.

[WCSox]

I think my point was missed - I probably didn't describe it well. If the cop was guilty of those things, then he should be fired. I have zero issue with that.

 

If the cop wasn't fired, and Palin suggested that he be fired, why did the Department of Public Safety head refuse? Would you have kept this guy on the force after he pulled all of this crap and your boss had suggested that he be let go?

 

What I have issue with is the governor stepping in to act in her personal interests when it fits her needs.

 

So, Palin should've tied her hands and refused to protect the public because this guy happens to be her ex-brother-in-law?

 

I have an issue with blatant corruption being grossly overlooked. This guy got a freaking five-day suspension for committing almost two dozen violations. If that's not a Good Ole' Boy's network of corruption, I don't know what is.

Edited September 5, 2008 by WCSox

[HuskyCaucasian]

she's on CNN right now. i really want to ad a "Dont scha know" at the end of all her sentences. lol