tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post5446115463652157388..comments2024-03-10T13:59:19.230-04:00Comments on xpostfactoid: Thrilla in Wasilla: Palin wrestles with city offiicalsAndrew Sprunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-89093507293255118322008-09-06T18:09:00.000-04:002008-09-06T18:09:00.000-04:00One can't help but wonder if Anne Kilkenney or any...One can't help but wonder if Anne Kilkenney or any of the commenters here know the difference between "debt" and "deficit." Healthy economies frequently incur long term debt. Wasilla is one of the fastest growing towns in Alaska.hombrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12670099074010641958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-57961307471069445242008-09-06T07:35:00.000-04:002008-09-06T07:35:00.000-04:00All of the info in this post is from the Anchorage...All of the info in this post is from the Anchorage Daily News on the dates cited. The archives are available on for-pay services Westlaw (which I used), Lexis-Nexis and Factiva. I believe you can go on Nexis w/out an account, do a search and pay $3.00 per clip - at least, this was possible a couple of years ago.<BR/> The $22 million debt figure is widely cited, and stems mainly from a $14.7 million bond issue for the hockey rink and $5.5 million for road construction, both issued in 2002, Palin's last year as mayor. All this is laid out in the 2002 city financial report, available on the Wasilla city website, http://www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=136. There's nothing scandalous about the debt. Palin narrowly won a referendum to raise the sales tax a half-cent to pay for the hockey rink. The sales tax accounted for 3/4 of town revenue, and 1/2 cents was a 25% increase, so all other things being equal she boosted town revenue about 19% to pay the debt service. Of course, Republicans do claim that raising taxes always crimps economic activity and therefore reduces revenue long-term, but never mind. Perhaps President Palin would impose a national VAT to pay for universal healthcare?Andrew Sprunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-91691498232066255132008-09-06T05:55:00.000-04:002008-09-06T05:55:00.000-04:00Im going to start by saying Im NOT a Palin support...Im going to start by saying Im NOT a Palin supporter or a republican. With that said, I cant check your references on this information because the Alaska Daily News web-site doesnt have any articles before 2002 in their archive. so just where did you get this information? Also I hate to agree with the Palin/Republican zombies out there, but I cant find any credible sources out there for the $22,000,000 in debt either. Call me paranoid, but I dont just believe anything without proof.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-86175733759349618512008-09-04T10:43:00.000-04:002008-09-04T10:43:00.000-04:00a town of 8+ thousand and 1000 or fewer vote for m...a town of 8+ thousand and 1000 or fewer vote for mayor?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-68029388287185443382008-09-02T16:19:00.000-04:002008-09-02T16:19:00.000-04:00Re the Wasilla debt: the source below is a longtim...Re the Wasilla debt: the source below is a longtime Wasilla resident, Anne Kilkenny, who posted a long comment in the Washington Independent at http://www.washingtonindependent.com/3671/the-reform-candidate<BR/>Note btw that debt does not equal deficit. Boomtown Wasilla is probably well able to handle this long-term debt. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6<BR/>years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation<BR/>(1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.<BR/><BR/>The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration<BR/>weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed<BR/>money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a<BR/>new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a<BR/>multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece<BR/>of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was<BR/>still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it<BR/>would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that<BR/>could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.<BR/><BR/>CAVEATS (from Kilkenny)<BR/>I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in<BR/>spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor)<BR/>from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of<BR/>Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust<BR/>for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible<BR/>for a private person to get any info out of City Hall--they are<BR/>swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.Andrew Sprunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-46360701182933143292008-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:002008-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00I've read that Wasilla had zero debt when she took...I've read that Wasilla had zero debt when she took her mayoral post. When she left, it was 22 million in debt, mostly due to the addition of a sports complex. Tis true?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-83770273108294668922008-09-02T15:24:00.000-04:002008-09-02T15:24:00.000-04:00Can you find what the budget surplus of deficit wa...Can you find what the budget surplus of deficit was when Palin left office? What about talk that the librarian was canned because she wouldn't ban certain books?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-86684160256404766532008-09-01T13:31:00.000-04:002008-09-01T13:31:00.000-04:00Welcome to small town America.Elections come and g...Welcome to small town America.<BR/><BR/>Elections come and go...and during the build-up to each one...some officals will come out and announce that this candidate is a "loser" in public and at town hall meetings...then three weeks later...the "loser" wins, and the city official has to figure how he can survive in this world. The simple truth is that you should just keep your mouth shut and vote...but they won't do that. They have to show support for their guy, thus inviting trouble.<BR/><BR/>In the case of the museum crew...this is a nice idea that the town started and basically became a town welfare-project for these three older ladies. When the town spends near $200k for an operation like this...there has to be results. I doubt if any tourist comes to this town for the museum. So the old ladies should have drawn a number...rather than get mad....that their welfare job ended. <BR/><BR/>Finally, if anyone checked across the US on cop firings...they might be rather shocked that a thousand police chiefs around the US each year...get terminated or told to leave their position. It usually comes down to a test of authority...either the town council wins or the police chief...and in some cases, they are nice enough to give the guy 60 days to find another job and just leave. This is why we all complain about small town police organizations and their various failings.Schnitzel_Republichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07661743281187855265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-25476201500815718222008-09-01T00:59:00.000-04:002008-09-01T00:59:00.000-04:00This is exactly what the rest of the country needs...This is exactly what the rest of the country needs to know about sarah and NOW....... sigh, I watch them once again USING a natural disaster to their advantage. I am so sick of McSame and Appalling. Can we just vote tomorrow? sigh....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com