Palin says, “Thanks but No Thanks” to Stimulus Money.
19 03 2009Remember back when Governor Palin was delivering the state of the state address? She got all warm and fuzzy there down in Juneau. She was so Alaskan-y… She was our great Mother. Our fearless leader. She was looking out for us in times of challenge and peril.
Today, when challenges may seem as high as Mt. McKinley, and change as constant as the mighty Yukon flows, and political events send shockwaves through our foundation like the ’64 quake – what do Alaskans do? We climb Denali, we forge the river, we rebuild a stronger foundation on higher ground. When it matters most, lesser differences fall away. Just like family, Alaskans unite.
Family. That’s it. Don’t you just love Sarah? Alaska is a family, and we’re all in this together. That’s the kind of spirit we need. All for one, and one for all!
When I took my oath of office to serve as your Governor, remember, I swore to steadfastly and doggedly guard the interests of this great state like a grizzly with cubs, as a mother naturally guards her own. Alaska, as a statewide family, we’ve got to fight for each other, not against and not let external, sensationalized distractions draw us off course.
Like a grizzly with cubs! Not the grizzly with cubs that under the new Palin administration policies will get snared and live in misery until the Board of Game comes and shoots it….the OTHER kind of grizzly. The majestic, noble kind, who guards her cubs fearlessly and lives wild and free. That’s our Sarah – Mama Grizz, head of the statewide family, ready to defend her cubs.
Today, as the head of this metaphorical family, Mom has a lot of explaining to do. Because today, our family with its hopes and dreams and kids to send to college, and Dad out of work and sick, and little ones in school, just won the lottery! And then Mom gave almost half of it back to the lottery people.
That’s right, Governor Palin just rejected 45% of Alaska’s stimulus money.
The biggest single chunk of stimulus money that Palin is turning down is $160 million for education. There’s also $17 million in Department of Labor funds (vocational rehabilitation services, unemployment services, etc.), about $9 million for Health and Social Services and about $7 million for Public Safety. The full list and the specifics aren’t available from the governor’s budget department yet.
The reason for this? Well….the reason she’s telling us?
“Simply expanding state government under this federal stimulus package creates an unrealistic expectation that the state will continue these programs when the federal funds are no longer available,” said Governor Palin.
Let’s go back to that family analogy of which Palin is so fond. So what Mom is telling the kids is that we can’t just go off half-cocked and send you older kids to college, because by the time the little ones grow up, we might not get that scholarship anymore. So, it really wouldn’t be fair now would it? Because, see, if Mommy sends you to college Janie, that creates an unrealistic expectation for little Billy here. And then later, when maybe we can’t afford to send him, it just wouldn’t be right. See what I mean, honey? So nobody gets to go.
Yes, this is our Great Mother’s brilliant and visionary strategy for the future of our family. Let’s not deal with today’s problems (education, vocational rehabilitation, and public safety) today because we might not be able to deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.
If this doesn’t make any sense to Janie, or Billy or you, there’s a good reason for that. The simple reason is because it’s not true. (gasp!) Yes, children… *whispering* Mommy lied to you.
Frankly, you’d have to have your head pretty deep in the sand to not see this maneuver for what it is – a national political strategy. The national GOP loves “fiscal conservatives,” which is a bit shocking really, when you think they came into power 8 years ago with a national budget surplus and we’re now trillions in debt. But, yes, they still like to say they like fiscal conservatives. They like that talking point, and cling to it like a favorite old teddy bear. And it is this fantasy ideal of fiscal conservatism that motivates our governor to turn away the money that her “state family” needs. Think how great it will sound when she decides to throw her hat in the presidential ring. “I turned down that federal stimulus money!” (the crowds in the stadium go wild) And, unlike that “thanks but no thanks on the bridge to nowhere” talking point, this one will actually be true.
And what about Alaska? With astronomical dropout rates, incidents of domestic violence, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, violent crime, gang membership, suicide and mental illness? We don’t need that money, says Palin.
I see.
Two things might save Palin’s political legacy in Alaska. One is that the Legislature will bail her out and accept some or all of that money. Two is that she may not even need to worry about re-election in her own state. Right now phone polls in New Hampshire and Iowa are asking the question, “Is it important to you that Governor Palin get re-elected as the governor of Alaska?” She and SarahPAC are hoping the answer is no, otherwise she wouldn’t be asking the question.
So, if Iowans say it’s OK with them that she doesn’t get re-elected, she’s got national permission to throw Alaskans right under the bus in the name of political aspiration, and what looks good to the party.
There are still some members of the family that just don’t want to believe Mom lied to them. But more and more are realizing the truth. And it ain’t pretty.
At least we now have a voice of reason speaking on behalf of Alaskans, and it comes from Senator Mark Begich:
“I trust the legislature will do the right thing and take Alaska’s share of the money for education in the economic recovery package,” the statement quotes Begich as saying. “We owe it to our children to give them the most opportunities possible, and this is money fairly allocated to Alaska in this stimulus package.”
Thanks, Dad.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:57 PM
The Alaskan Legislature is a bind: do they accept the funds, which is the right thing to do for their citizens, and let Palin be The Fiscal Conservative, or do nothing- and put her on the hot seat, but hurt the citizens?
In regards to SC Governor wanting to take the funds to pay down his state’s budget deficit, I think the monies are allocated to specific project areas, and can’t be reassigned…anyone know for sure?
March 19th, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Californian’s recalled Governor Gray Davis for his alleged lack of leadership. I think Governor(cough) Palin fits into that category.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:10 PM
@crystalwolf caligrl….it’s done
March 19th, 2009 at 6:27 PM
@ swe 123 – 1st of all, welcome to the insanity. As for your question about Trig etc, I seem to remember reading something about the Palins had homeschooled at some point? Can anybody set me straight?
oh… new post
March 19th, 2009 at 6:39 PM
Mr. Gara if you are reading the flats I guess you see now why we said what we did, and especially me of what I said. Not trustworthy. Now if you think of it she is playing a chess game. Her highnyness is accepting the things that could be questionable of the stimulas then saying no to the must have things. She absolutely knows that the legislators are going to look out for the welfare of the citizens and accept those critical monies. She comes off as extremely conservative because she isn’t the one accepting all the other money. So the others will take the blunt of the blame for those dastardly deadly free monies.
Personally right now Georgia’s poultry farming is taken a serious blow in these economic times so I am sure we could probably come up with enough feathers if someone else could come up with the tar? Hell we could even roast some marshmallows while we heat the tar.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:49 PM
@ in Juneau 14:43/:33
What’s happened to AK education? I had one son graduate and one son start school in Bethel. (Poor family planning!) We were also involved in Homer schools.
I was very impressed with the teachers and what my kids learned at the time (late ’70’s) Since that time, the one who started kindergarten went 3 years to GA Tech, and went back to receive his degree at UAF. Got his Masters at U of Florida (Go, Gators!) and is back living in Fairbanks. His wife is a teacher and working on her Masters at UAF. Hearing from her, they have great teachers there.
Has the education system deteriorated that much? This is sad news indeed. I have always bragged on how much my boys learned in “The Last Frontier”.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:52 PM
CO almost native: That was my understanding, that you couldn’t just take the $$$ and spend it on what you wanted to. Wasn’t Joe Biden supposed to oversee that this was complied with?
March 19th, 2009 at 6:55 PM
FW (15:27:58) : I blame this all on McCain…he created a monster.
If only I could blame him for “this one” GINO was created when she started on that road of ‘learning all she needed to know’ by playing basketball.
swe123 THANKS for the info…
March 19th, 2009 at 6:55 PM
Governor Sanford’s request to use part of the stimulus money to pay down the debt for the state was refused by the white house. Saw it on Huffington Post one day.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Everyone’s federal tax money, including that of Alaskans, is being spent on stimulous plans to help the poor and middle class people in all 50 states. If my governor refused to accept any or all of the funds available to my state, I would vote him right out of office. It is OUR money; WE should get some benefit from it. By refusing these funds, Palin is only HURTING Alaskans. Of course, she doesn’t care about anyone but herself. It is sad to see this happening. Maybe Alaskans will impeach her!
March 19th, 2009 at 7:36 PM
Good evening..Very interesting article on Politco…Greta defend husband…Ben Smith’s blog.Politico news and analysis…Soooo loving all this comig out now.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Sarah is such a goof!!! Too much time on the back porch eating moose chili and searching the sky for Putin’s plane.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:02 PM
@crystalwolf aka caligrl———-thanks…I did the colorofchange.org
@Lee323
Palin had the disinction of being the VP candidate with the highest polled “negatives” than any other VP candidate in history. A significant part of those negatives was the perception that she is poorly educated, especially for higher office.
So ironic yet not surprising that she rejected $160 million for EDUCATION for Alaskans.————she’s too stupid/ignorant and thinks that if she can block education, we will be too stupid to notice her sneaky, corrupt behavior…newsflash!
March 19th, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Don’t Bother posting the quote that this is a starting point meant to foster discussion about what is right for Alaska and what might not be good for Alaska’s future. I would have thought that after the revelations of the last few days and weeks Alaskan’s might agree that it would be wise to review the fine print.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Dear Kodiakers,
Juneau how dumb she is?
Criminal dumb.
Signed,
Uncle Sam
March 19th, 2009 at 8:58 PM
WRITE ALL OF THE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ACCEPT THE MONEY!!!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:40 PM
Watching the video of her was like watching a train wreck. This woman doesn’t seem to know how to read. The Repubs are so busy jumping all over Obama for his telepromter use, well; I rather see that than watch palin attempting to read from a prepared text.
She kept looking down, made little eye contact with the camera, looked off to the side, her words at the end of (what I think were sentences) were barely audible, and she still hasn’t learned how to deliver a quote correctly.
I go to the ADN site occasionally and I find myself disliking Alaskans and then I come back to Mudflats and realized what a truly awesome bunch of folks you guys really are. Thank you for this most excellent of blogs.
March 19th, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Here’a a post I left over at ADN under the article about this:
How noble of you, Gov. Palin, to only take part of the stimulus. I’m sure this deed will inhance your run for POTUS!
By the way, the next time you are in D.C., could you please stop by Congress and drop off that $400,000,000 they gave you for the “Bridge to Nowhere?”
Thanks-a-lot!
ta ta
March 19th, 2009 at 10:57 PM
@the problem child (an aunt, also) (16:49:10) :
swe123 Good to “see” you!
To keep this on topic, I will just note for the record that I am appalled by GINO turning down ed. funds, especially special ed. funds. I guess one way to keep your state ‘Publican is to make sure no one learns to read or do math.
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read or do math — SOOOOOOOOO important for our special ed students!!! Abominable!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 11:04 PM
@Lee323 (16:54:36) :
Did none of her handlers/PR people/ ancillary brain advisors not think of how this would look when it hit the press??
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Oh wow – ‘ancillary brain advisors’ – what a great term! I can see flyinureye doing a graphic on that one!
March 19th, 2009 at 11:07 PM
@the problem child (an aunt, also) (16:55:56) :
Oh my god!!! Sheep art! OT, but amazing. Those border collies are so smart!
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OT -
Did you say ‘border collies’? OMG, now I need to look at it — we have two. Yeah, they’re too smart for our own good. But would never live with another breed.
March 19th, 2009 at 11:15 PM
@swe123 (16:44:11) :
… the education money has a lot of rules and a huge portion can ONLY be spent on special education.
———-
I’m convinced that’s Palin’s problem. She doesn’t want to deal with the complexities of accepting federal money — even IF it’s a pretty big chunk. She wants it on her terms, and if not, then ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ My view on this is that she doesn’t have the desire or the motivation to segregate the stim funds and implement the specific planning required to use the funds wisely. She just wants it all to use however she chooses.
March 19th, 2009 at 11:21 PM
deist (17:17:30) :
Perhaps a better telephone survey question for Iowa’s voters would be: if Palin were elected president, do you think she’d sell out Iowa like she’s sold out Alaska?
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That one hit it out of the park!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 11:34 PM
@Marnie (17:32:56) :
That they know already that they are not competent to budget for their state’s needs even when the state regains its normal income levels,
———
My take on it too. If they can’t handle their OWN budget, they know they’d make their states ARTIFICIALLY dependent upon federal stim funds — and they just don’t want to deal with it, or call attention to their failure.
A competent governor would segregate the stim funds, lay out a detailed plan for spending them, and do it!
March 19th, 2009 at 11:40 PM
@Tewise (18:39:46) :
I am sure we could probably come up with enough feathers if someone else could come up with the tar? Hell we could even roast some marshmallows while we heat the tar.
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ahhhh….this is another graphic for flyinureye ……
You get the feathers,
Alaskans can talk Canada into getting the tar,
and maybe Hawaii can contribute the sugar for m’mallows!
DONE DEAL!
March 19th, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Sorry guys, I know I came in here at the end, but had a meeting tonight and just had to chime in – even if no one was there! Just got all fired up. Bad timing, I guess. On to next post …..
March 20th, 2009 at 12:50 AM
yukonbushgrma (23:47:01) :
Sorry guys, I know I came in here at the end, but had a meeting tonight and just had to chime in – even if no one was there! Just got all fired up. Bad timing, I guess. On to next post …..
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I got up this morning and listened to you……your posts didn’t fall on deaf ears!
March 20th, 2009 at 1:27 AM
I think that this is the best news I have heard all day!
Honestly, I’ve only been drinking BLACK coffee, and my “glaucoma” has been pretty good so I haven’t had any medicinal marijuana either.
The state legislators will be forced to vote to over rule Palins’ decision and Alaska will get the money it needs.
Palin has big plans for the future, but in the meantime she has accomplished 2 things with this.
1; Palin has just outraged the folks in Alaska, for turning down monies devoted every aspect of public service . Palin will loose public support in Alaska and the rest of the country for this.
2;Palin is forcing the legislators into a vote I’m sure they do not want to make, especially the republicans. Palin has put them between a rock and a hard place. If they want to be reelected, or further their political careers in Alaska, they cannot afford public outrage.
For the remainder of Palins’ tenure as Governor, she will be the state legislators enemy #1. When complaints are brought against Palin, to this body of angry legislators and when she needs their political cooperation/support………..lets just say no one will have to wish Palin any ill will………….you all can stop buying pins for your voodoo dolls too.
Yup, best dern news I dun heared all the live long day! You betcha
Them Alaskan younguns’ kin be a lookin ferwerd ta a fiiiiiiiiiiiine edumacation! Meybe even sum docterin an such also! Heck, meybe git ta hirin ‘nuther one a thos pOleese mens. Thankee Sarah fur goin off en shootin yerself in yer foot, by golly. Too durn bad ya went an used a duble bareld shot gun. Awwwwwww heck ya still got yurself anuther, have a moutain dew on me.
March 20th, 2009 at 2:18 AM
Hey bubbles (16:36:45) :
I’m in Manhattan also. Upper West Side. Small world, indeed.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:03 AM
tigerwine
“Has the education system deteriorated that much? This is sad news indeed. I have always bragged on how much my boys learned in “The Last Frontier”.”
Yes it has. The hard core of learning, math sicience, language(s), history are not really stressed anymore and have been way dumbed down.
But if you listen to the Repugs it all the fault of the nasty underclass that has been allowed into the upper crusts schools. Damn that socialism.
Public and private schools spend millions on stadiums, pools, auditoriums, and then cut the teacher student ratio and turn education over to the internet.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:05 AM
yukonbushgrma yup also your post didn’t fall on deaf eyes, I read them this morning too.. Maybe instead of chicken feathers we can use some of those turkey feathers….
March 20th, 2009 at 5:08 AM
she wants to shoot down that funding from a helicopter. No worries…My state will take that money, honey.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:45 AM
Martha
“Palin is forcing the legislators into a vote I’m sure they do not want to make, especially the republicans. Palin has put them between a rock and a hard place.”
This is another of the things that I believe Sarah just doesn’t get. If you burn bridges its hard to get back to the other side of the political bridge or to rebuild a relationship.
Sarah likes to step on people and stab them in the back, and she doesn’t mind embarrassing or harassing them, or blaming them for her short comings.
She’s a user and a taker. She is seemingly unable to even share.
She won’t run for a second term, if she’s politically smart, because she will risk reruns of all her “mavericky” moments and codifying her unpopularity.
Her only real support is the RepoTaliban Party, and if they choose to support her on any serious level they will beat her into shape and she will take it or get dumped back in Wasilla with her dysfunctional family and her special needs child to deal with –
for the rest of her life.
Anybody else get the feeling that she is still having great difficulty dealing with the reality of her special needs baby?
Ran like a panicked mouse in an exercise wheel during labor;
dragged him around for PR shots during the campaign but lets her 7 year old take care of him;
doesn’t discuss what she has learned about how to care for and stimulate mental and physical development in a special needs child;
hasn’t used her political position to fulfill her promise to be a supporter of special needs families (Oops. That promise was only good if she were elected VP. My bad.);
turns down freebee money to help with special needs individuals;…
Me thinks there’s a big denial thing going on with Sarah and it is hurting her family and her State. Its time got grow up Sarah!
Somebody in the AK leg might look at forcing Sarah to accept monies for, and offer better education and training etc for special needs and disabled under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Which is the law.
March 20th, 2009 at 7:35 AM
Re: Sp rejects fed.stimulus money for education~~~
I have always taught my daughter that if she is in a relationship with a young man who is abusive, then the relationship must be questioned– and if he hits her– the relationship is over. Happily, my daughter has never faced this situation. But apparently, the people of Alaska have been abused by GINO for awhile and now, it seems to me that she has stepped over the line. With the rejection of assistance for education in Alaska– it seems to me this would be the time to think about impeachment or recall. I’m in the lower 48 and I am sure that you’d receive a lot of help in your efforts from your sisters and brothers here. I’d even get out of my pajamas! Just let us know what you need — Cheers
March 20th, 2009 at 8:26 AM
It is way past time to set aside the business of hate and work on the business of state.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:33 AM
FYI, these are the types of funds being rejected. Strings or no, does this look responsible to you, in a state where weather is a huge issue and people are having problems buying both food AND fuel to heat inefficient homes?
Palin is turning down money for weatherization, energy efficiency grants, immunizations, air quality grants, emergency food assistance, homeless grants, senior meals, child care development grants, nutrition programs, homeless grants, arts, unemployment services, air quality, justice assistance grants and other programs.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:59 AM
It’s all bullshit. She’s still down with accepting transparently pork moneys like these: $475,000 to construct a “heritage center” in the Chilkat Indian Village; $150,000 to support private industry participation in two international fishery groups; $200,000 for investigating and prosecuting bootlegging; and $855,000 for building fairgrounds. It’s education that she doesn’t want money for. Except that she already knows the legislature will overrule her. This is classic Palin BS.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:38 AM
getreal (06:24:22) :
At a time when we should be most proud of our governor, the hate here shines through strong as ever. This is not “no strings attached” monies. It is more than prudent for the legislature to take a very hard look at every penny of this funding and make sure this is the right thing for Alaska. When I read the posts her I cant help but think how hypocritical it is that socialists have renamed their
movement “progressive” when obviously no progress can be made when people who hate so vociferously refuse to use common sense and inject personal hatred into management of the state. Grow Up
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I know that you are just a troll, but before you comment you should READ the post! As Follows;
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Let’s go back to that family analogy of which Palin is so fond. So what Mom is telling the kids is that we can’t just go off half-cocked and send you older kids to college, because by the time the little ones grow up, we might not get that scholarship anymore. So, it really wouldn’t be fair now would it? Because, see, if Mommy sends you to college Janie, that creates an unrealistic expectation for little Billy here. And then later, when maybe we can’t afford to send him, it just wouldn’t be right. See what I mean, honey? So nobody gets to go.
Yes, this is our Great Mother’s brilliant and visionary strategy for the future of our family. Let’s not deal with today’s problems (education, vocational rehabilitation, and public safety) today because we might not be able to deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Is getreal for real????????????????? Better question: Is getreal from &/or living in Alaska, or is he/she some delusional teamscara freak? This Alaskan (born & raised) former registered Republican (changed reg in Sep 08!) has no problem saying that Palin is the worst gov this state has ever had, hands down. Right now Alaskans must band together to communicate amongst themselves and with their elected officials other than the GINO, to ensure that the short- and long-term needs of Alaska are met, as they are clearly not a priority for our gov.
Support her? Take pride in her? Give me a break! Our state is fighting for its financial survival, the financial survival that she is throwing/has thrown under the Sa**hPAC bus.
Get lost getreal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For people posting with a brain — check out Andrew Halcro’s site for an interesting take on the stimulous funds as related to the Sa**hPAC issue.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:10 PM
While Palin rejects monies because of “strings attached” she has no problem having Alaska lead, as the highest per capita state in the union for earmarks, or PORK.
The National average is $22.39 per person per state, while Alaska sits at $209.71per person!!
What happened to all the Palin campaign of “no more pork”? Palin was going to be all mavericky with John McCain and do away with PORK.
How can Palin accept this huge amount of pure PORK? Palin said it was a waste of tax payer monies John McCains request for PORK this time was a big fat 0.
In Obamas home state of Illinois, their total PORK was $140,965,682 compared to Alaska at 143,922,875. The population of Illinois is 12,215,270 more than Alaska. They have over 12 million more people in Illinois, yet their PORK bill is LESS than Alaskas. Illinois PORK per person is $10.93, While Alaskas is at 209.71!
Palin is at the top of the trough, when it comes to pork, hypocrisy and out right BS.
Ordered by Earmarks Per Capita
State Congressional Earmarks Number of Earmarks Per Capita Population (2008 est.)
AK $143,922,875 100 $209.71 686,293
ND $110,687,091 60 $172.55 641,481
HI $165,048,707 113 $128.12 1,288,198
MS $324,976,918 226 $110.59 2,938,618
SD $85,818,750 71 $106.71 804,194
WV $176,737,900 142 $97.40 1,814,468
VT $52,367,530 91 $84.29 621,270
MT $77,022,250 74 $79.61 967,440
NM $144,092,821 129 $72.61 1,984,356
AR $159,114,268 115 $55.72 2,855,390
LA $232,822,813 192 $52.78 4,410,796
AL $240,167,157 209 $51.52 4,661,900
MN $199,031,643 114 $38.13 5,220,393
IA $113,803,486 196 $37.90 3,002,555
DE $32,275,820 57 $36.97 873,092
RI $37,662,822 88 $35.84 1,050,788
NV $89,345,369 120 $34.36 2,600,167
UT $93,891,425 86 $34.31 2,736,424
KY $140,482,257 164 $32.91 4,269,245
WY $14,516,350 32 $27.25 532,668
ID $41,292,139 59 $27.10 1,523,816
WA $171,723,572 204 $26.22 6,549,224
NH $33,921,987 75 $25.78 1,315,809
MD $132,202,990 171 $23.47 5,633,597
MO $136,853,741 176 $23.15 5,911,605
KS $64,814,273 114 $23.13 2,802,134
MA $149,910,169 216 $23.07 6,497,967
OK $81,862,200 95 $22.48 3,642,361
VA $155,164,892 186 $19.97 7,769,089
OR $75,251,925 120 $19.86 3,790,060
PA $242,303,580 527 $19.46 12,448,279
WI $102,978,050 153 $18.30 5,627,967
MI $179,472,590 267 $17.94 10,003,422
NJ $150,670,750 220 $17.35 8,682,661
CT $58,231,874 125 $16.63 3,501,252
OH $187,423,884 294 $16.32 11,485,910
TN $100,880,000 89 $16.23 6,214,888
SC $70,894,872 85 $15.83 4,479,800
CA $568,730,493 733 $15.47 36,756,666
TX $370,046,650 369 $15.21 24,326,974
ME $19,947,000 52 $15.15 1,316,456
NE $26,733,050 52 $14.99 1,783,432
IN $90,040,310 139 $14.12 6,376,792
FL $251,823,596 338 $13.74 18,328,340
NC $118,796,030 173 $12.88 9,222,414
NY $245,083,122 497 $12.57 19,490,297
IL $140,965,682 285 $10.93 12,901,563
CO $46,818,025 80 $9.48 4,939,456
GA $90,163,019 150 $9.31 9,685,744
AZ $54,689,096 76 $8.41 6,500,180
Average Per Capita: $22.39
March 20th, 2009 at 12:28 PM
To the question, can the legislature go past the Gov and seek the funds? Maybe not. In a netshell: Palin is following the lead of S. Carolina Gov. Sanford and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Last week, they did what she’s doing now. With the same kind of response and suggestion that it’s transparent pandering for a 2012 presidential run.
S. Carolina authorized it’s state General Assembly to seek the stimulus funds, but they may not be able to effectively do that, due to “An interpretation . . . which provided that a state legislature could, by concurrent resolution, direct the activities of a governor, state and local entities would appear to violate the Tenth Amendment.”
Republican legislators in the state’s GOP-controlled General Assembly have advanced a measure to accept South Carolina’s share of the stimulus money.
“During this severe economic downturn, Congress and the president wanted to provide states and localities with emergency funding in order to prevent the layoffs of teachers, police officers and other vital public servants,” White House Budget Director Peter Orszag wrote to Sanford.
Orszag said: “Congress has not authorized the executive branch to waive any of the above statutory requirements governing the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. Accordingly, states’ spending . . . must satisfy the statutory requirements.”
Here’s an article worth reading: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/64213.html
A nonpartisan congressional report released Wednesday concludes that it likely would be unconstitutional for a legislature to supplant a governor in accepting and using economic stimulus money.
Aimed at bypassing governors who oppose using deficit spending to jolt the economy, the provision authorizes a legislature to apply for its state’s share of the stimulus funds if the governor fails to do so within 45 days of the measure’s Feb. 17 enactment — by April 3.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, crafted the clause to deliver stimulus funds to states whose governors had rejected them.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford last week became the first governor to reject some of the stimulus money reserved for their states. Texas Gov. Rick Perry followed suit.
The South Carolina Senate Finance Committee voted 18-3 on Tuesday to pass a measure authorizing the state General Assembly to seek the stimulus funds if Sanford fails to act.
Sanford’s strong opposition to Obama’s stimulus package has raised his national profile among conservative activists and fed speculation that he’s eyeing a 2012 presidential run.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Right with you, In Juneau.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:38 PM
I’m pretty sure our legislators are already trying to figure out if/how they can accept the rest of the rejected $.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:08 PM
It behooves us to keep an eye on precedent being set in South Carolina. Whatever happens there will directly impact us. Let the games begin!
Too bad – our legislature now has to look for ways around the Governor?
As for that worn-out excuse that we’ll leave debt for our children for pay? Baloney. That’s a meaningless script that people say because they heard someone else say it. I think it must be leftover from the Vietnam era…
Palin is using Sanford’s rhetoric. “Strings attached” – In February he said: “But what you find when you actually begin to look under the hood is that some of those strings attached means you’ve got to go spend a lot more money that you don’t have to be eligible for the funds.” He also says stuff about unemployment compensation that Palin is quoting.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090313/ap_on_re_us/sanford_stimulus
AP – …Though South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, inserted a provision into the final stimulus bill that is meant to allow legislatures to override governors on accepting the stimulus money, Graham said Friday that the final language in the bill could be interpreted in a way that Sanford would still have to move to apply for some of the stimulus money. Under that scenario, the legislature could not override the governor.
Clyburn issued a frustrated statement in response. “I would hope the various leaders of this state would spend as much time and energy finding ways to bring relief to South Carolina’s families rather than looking for creative ways to get around the federal help that has been made available and that other states are using very effectively,” he said.
Clyburn also criticized Sanford on Thursday for a comment he made at a news conference in South Carolina likening Obama’s economic stimulus efforts to the hyperinflationary economy in Zimbabwe, one of Africa’s most corrupt governments.
“What took the man to Zimbabwe?” Clyburn said in Washington. “Someone should ask him if that’s really the best comparison. … How can he compare this country’s situation to Zimbabwe?”
“What I think’s happening here is he has made headlines again, national headlines, and that is what he is after,” said state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, a Republican who introduced a measure Thursday that would allow the Legislature to circumvent Sanford’s actions.
“It’s my intent to take every dollar we can get,” Leatherman said, calling Sanford’s efforts “tomfoolery.”
March 20, 2009, 2:49 pm South Carolina Governor Rejects Stimulus Money
Governor Sanford, a Republican, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the $787 billion stimulus act. In a statement released this afternoon, he said: “…we will not be seeking the use of these federal funds for the way they put our state even further into an unconscionable level of debt. We simply cannot afford to base 10 percent of our state budget on money that will disappear in two years’ time.”
March 20th, 2009 at 2:22 PM
The troll has been dispatched. That’s an old troll from long ago that must have wiggled out of the mudflats and come back to play. Let’s try again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>SPLAT!<
(wipes hands)
March 20th, 2009 at 8:55 PM
@InJuneau
I’m pretty sure our legislators are already trying to figure out if/how they can accept the rest of the rejected $.
============
If your legislators accept the money, palin will keep her ‘upstanding’ maverick status with her followers…if your legislators don’t accept the money, then Alaska suffers, BUT palin goes down in flames!
Is this correct? what to do…what to do.
March 21st, 2009 at 8:02 AM
Grab some popcorn and enjoy;
Kieth Olberman slams Sarah Palin over stimulus and suggests impeachment rather than AK legislators overruling her desicion!
Palin’s stimulus ploy
March 20: The Nation’s Chris Hayes talks about the real reasons why Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, chose to accept only some of the stimulus money for her state.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/29806127#29806127