Palin's "Biggest Project" As Mayor: A Hockey Rink With Legal Troubles

Wall Street Journal:

The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters.

The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin's legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla.

"It's too bad that the city of Wasilla didn't do their homework and secure the land before they began construction," said Kathy Wells, a longtime activist here. "She was not your ceremonial mayor; she was in charge of running the city. So it was her job to make sure things were done correctly."

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[hoopesaz]

And this is compared to Obama or Biden's biggest projects, which would be...? Suppose it follows that you can never make a mistake if you never do anything?

[Triangle1]

This article doesn't say it's Palin's fault. It says another party came into the scene and sued the city to try and wrestle away control of land. The Rink was obviously completed, and it looks pretty nice from the photo. It's not her fault someone sued the city. This is another ridiculous "non story" just trashing her because she's a Republican. It's good to see Obama followers using Obama's "high road" value set. http://mespace.wordpress.com

[MRb1000]

Who approved the building. Who did not have the lawyers take a close look at the deal. Oh that would be Sarah Palin. It not her fault its the people of that small town's fault. You sound silly. I you are the leader you have to take the blame. This is just how it goes. Next thing you be tell up it was the troop fault we are in Iraq. Please!!

[skepticalindenver]

Perhaps you should brush up on your reading comprehension skills. Seriously....you got that from the article?

[AdultFilmLegend]

We need to keep this up and contrast it with O's 143 days in the senate. We need to show them how O's legislation has changed America. We need to show them O's record in Illinois and the buildings he constructed in Chicago!

Oh.

[2bad]

AdultFilmLegend! I've heard of you. You were a fluffer girl, right???

[fishsandwichesr2good]

Come on now. He's clearly on the record as being "present".

[PUMAMA]

Everyone seems to be concerned what would happen if John Bush died in office with an inexperienced VP taking over. I am just as concerned with the probability that he DOESN'T die.

[akryan]

Her AGIA deal suffers from the same sort of problems. Ignoring all the issues about whether it will ever be built, if it is there is no agreement with the native peoples of Canada to beuild through their land yet.

[Jamie2008]

This is truly pathetic. Was this really her biggest dilemma? I'm so sorrry.....
I'm a Soccer Mom. Hillary Clinton is a Soccer Mom.
What's the difference between a Soccer Mom and a Hockey Mom?
Soccer Moms have REAL BALLS while Hockey Moms just puck around!

[tkmarket]

Their is a saying and it's a true saying if you've never believed before you better believe now.ATTENTION VOTERS of AMERICA if you remember just one thing PLEASE remember this voting REPUBLICANS means RECESSION!!!!!!! And that's a known fact !!!!!!!!!!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED !!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[PUMAMA]

Taking it a step further, voting Republicans into power while the country is IN a recession means....
the "D" word

[MissingAmerica]

She can't handle a skating rink, but McCain and the GOP put her out there to handle the country? This certainly lays the GOP agenda out for us. Let's hope this election is clean and that we will be able to throw out the GOP with the confetti.

[tkmarket]

ATTENTION!!!!! VOTERS of AMERICA their is a saying and it's a true saying if you never believed before you better believe now because the republicans or delivertly destoying the economy by lieing to you'll about things like weapons of mass destructions about lowing taxes on everybody .But the truth is they are not going lower the middle class working people's taxes they are going to raise them.You see the republicans are the undisputing kings of the dirty and lieing politics they will say and do anything and i mean anything to win the presidentcy election.And that means not only lieing about weapons of mass destructions and lieing about helping the middlle class working people ,but also their number one thing of them all that they do when they run a election against the democrats is to destroy the democratic nominee's character by telling the American voters lies about the democratic nominee every four years when they run for president and every time and i mean every time the republicans win,by scaring the American voters to for the republican presidential candidate and it always work's and it will work this garaunteed, but you've been warned remember one thing if you don't remember anything else voting REPUBLICAN means RECCESSION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And that's a Known FACT !!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

Honestly, What can you expect from a woman who named her consulting firm Rouge Cou Co. french for Red Neck Co. ,a woman who attended five different colleges in 6 years, and told the secessionist org. AIP when she addressed their convention as Governor to keep up the good work.

[MickyD10]

What's the name of the legal firm that represents her, Dewey, Cheetum & Howe?

[robXdion]

LOL!!!

[GerryS]

well, worst case scenerio, she still has her winter palace-

[mediahack]

The investigative reporting gets better and batter. Keep up the good work Huff Post!
The media needs to vet this woman, and then decide whether she should be the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. And if the media decides she shouldn't be on the ticket, then there should be a law that overturns McCain's pick, and the Republican delegates acclaimation.

[Amalek]

She will fit right in with the Bush /McCain legacy. Not a big step from building a hockey rink without due diligence to invading a country with no intelligence.

[KiwisCanFly]

For anyone interested Gov Palin is on CSpan right now, An old debate when she was running for Gov.

[Veratruth]

Oh, that's what she went home for ... so she could find something to prove she ran for governor. I'll pass ... more interesting stuff, right here. I wonder if they are busy keeping accurate tallies of the viewers. If not, they can always LIE and say 40 mil.

[Actionmac]

Stop bush sidekick (mccain) and clone (palin)

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