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

[kellygrrrl]

another day - another RedneckScandal???

http://www.236.com/news/2008/09/05/were_going_with_the_rumor_trac_8767.php

http://news.spreadit.org/sarah-palin-son-track-palin-going-to-iraq-to-avoid-jail-time/

[zigzag1]

"Hockey Mom" Republican code for white woman. Rural America...­..No Minorities.

[Candyx]

you got it!! that's why rick davis said this campaign is about personalities and not about issues!!

if they can divide people on race, personalities and you being like me and sharing my values than about the issues they have a better shot!!!

[seriously29]

so true.

[MaeScott]

Heck, just look at their convention, if you need a visual aid...

[DuPageDem]

Palin raised taxes to build a hockey rink for her kids' benefit. Exactly like Bush, Cheney & McSame raiding the federal budget to benefit their corporate buddies. She's just another tax/borrow­-and-spend Republican. How, exactly, is that change?

[the964kid]

Great article into the Wall Street Journal. Her record is amazingly thin. She hasn't yet served out 1 term of anything from what I can tell. She didn't even serve out her mayoral term - only 18 months in office. It makes me wonder why all those people at the RNC 'fell in love' so fast - they only know the talking points about her, which has 6 days of distribution. This election will be about who do voters trust to bring real change AND it will be a referendum on Palin and McCain's lack of judgement. If there's any question as to which wing of the republican party would be in control of a McCain administration, look no further then the Palin pick. McCain reluctantly passed over his good friends in favor of someone he met for 15 minutes. What else do you need to know???

[blueshield]

"It makes me wonder why all those people at the RNC 'fell in love' so fast"

That's an important question: the answer is she is totally in line with the extreme right agenda quietly approved as the Republican Platform at the convention. Mc.C is not. In fact, a number of positions he's taking in his speeches contradict the Republican Platform, which is far more conservative evangelical right than B.ush's platform in 2004.

The only change she and the Republicans are talking about is right, right, right of B.ush and Che.ney.

[janicegwashington]

REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3PbiplAXTo

[the964kid]

" REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3PbiplAXTo "

Very interesting - thanks!

[jbs902]

This is telling and testifies to the truth that not even Republicans are not interested in this Dog and Pony show the Republican ELite are pushing on everyone. Anyone with good sense can see that Palin is a mouthpiece for McCain, a diversion, a WOLF in sheep's clothing. This woman is to the right of Dick Cheney and Spiro Agnew!

[Spesabsquemetu]

How could Palin have brought the corrupt to justice, when she's only been in office for 18 months, and what possible explanation can she offer to explain WHY she retained over 300 MILLION from FEDERAL AID awarded for her bridge to no-where that she supported, before it became unpopular to do so, while suggesting that it is her desire to serve all of America – yet, she kept the 3 million, and didn’t return the federal aid that struggling states, with devastating concerns could have used?

Why didn't Ms. Palin demonstrate that desire to behave in a FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER, by REFUSING TO ACCEPT the FEDERAL AID MONEY AWARDED TO ALASKA for a bridge to nowhere that Ms. Palin did not intend to build? Isn't that misleading the public across the nation, to accept funding for something you do not intend to carry out, and then keep the funds?

Does Ms. Palin think it appropriate for ALASKA to be one of the LARGEST RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL AID, when places in New Orleans, Mississippi, and elsewhere are STILL BURIED beneath hurricane Katrina? Does Ms. Palin think it appropriate to retain 3 MILLION in federal aid, while bridges and levees collapsed across America, and children lived in TOXIC trailers?

Where is Palin's demonstrated efforts to MODEL a FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE, that seeks to SERVE ALL OF AMERICA?
Why did Palin keep federal aid funds, from hard working tax payers dollars, for a venture that she never intended to carry out?

[Bluesue]

Let’s go to the original stories from the Anchorage Daily News.

The first is from October 2007
http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/9362341p-9276004c.html

Palin denies Mat-Su bias in state budgeting

When the smoke cleared after Gov. Sarah Palin's big cuts to the capital budget in June, one survivor that stood out was a $630,000 appropriation to the Wasilla Sports Complex.

Palin cut funds for 40 sports-related projects around Alaska, saying sports was not an essential government service. Gone was money for baseball and soccer fields, turf improvements for Dimond and Service high schools, roof repairs to the Sullivan Arena and planning for a long-sought University of Alaska Anchorage sports arena.

Why did she build it? This article tells us.

Wasilla fought losing battle over land ownership
SPORTS COMPLEX: Cost leaped when judge ruled city did not own land.

Palin urged voters in March 2002 to approve a new half-cent sales tax that would pay off the $14.7 million sports complex bond. She reminded voters how important sports had been in her own life (Palin was a member of a state championship basketball team at Wasilla High).

--------
The measure was passed by 20 votes.

http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/9362341p-9276011c.html

[bevander1]

I think John McCain was very irresponsible for nominating someone who is obviously not qualified to be the leader of the free world. I think even Republicans secretly agree with me on this. However, Republicans are just happy to have a reason to vote for John McCain. Before Palin came into the picture, Republicans felt depressed about their presidential nominee, and rightfully so. McCain is pretending to be a conservative, but Republicans know that once he is elected, he will quickly move to the center, or even to the left of the center occasionally. Just look at McCain's record and you will see that I am right. The Republicans' best hope for the next four years is that someday Palin will be able to take the reins and lead this country drastically to the right!

[Spesabsquemetu]

Palin is hiding from the public because with all her executive experience, she can't seem to answer questions regarding allegations of corruption, abuse of power, misconduct in handling of a personnel matter, questions regarding the appearance of gross irresponsible conduct pertaining to fiscal matters of concern to the public, allegations of retaliatory conduct, as well as an explanation as to why she was building a road/runway to the bridge to nowhere, that was reportedly leading to her former liason and funding partner, now indicted under charges of corruption (Mr. Stevens), and in particular how she could claim to be responsible for having "CLEANED UP CORRUPTION" when she's only been in office for 18months, and the FBI has been investigating Mr. Stevens and company, for several YEARS.

Does Ms. Palin think it's appropriate to claim credit for work that our FBI conducted?
Is she that remiss in her ability to give credit where credit is due, as to claim for herself, the hard working efforts of the FBI that single handedly investigated the gross misuse of power by elected officials alleged to have engaged in corruption? But Ms. Palin wants the credit for this?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

How much money did Obama lose as a community organizer?

Also note that the jet that Caribou Barbie says she listed on ebay.... sold via a broker at a $600k LOSS.

[Cinnamonape]

Oh...so the courts decided against her and her "pet project"..­..so she took the property by "imminent domain"????

Doesn't that somehow go against the whole Republican mantra that's been spread about how taking land for unneccessary projects from private owners is corrupt and socialistic?

Of course Sarah was governor of a State that is essentially a Eurosocialist one. 95% of the States economy is taken from taxes and leases on oil company and redistributed back to the Alaskan public! And it works! Sadly for Palin, it was a real Mav'rick Republican Governor that introduced the Alaska Permanent Fund into the Constititution. Palin can't touch it!

[cryhavoc]

What could be more maverick? Begin building before one has title to the land. That's thinking outside of the box. She should have won Miss Originality along with Miss Congeniality.

[proveit2me]

What could possibly go wrong with such executive experience leading the nation?

Change you can deceive in.

[moonrider 73]

like it or not she has put McCain ahead in the gallup poll, thats what she was brought in for. I found out this weekend from an in- law issues don't matter, after explaining Palin's stance on a womans right to chose would prevent me and his own daughter for voting for the repulicans he asked why is that, so I asked him if my daughter, his granddaughter, were raped by some crazy uncle we didn't know was in the family, you would expect her to carry the baby if she didn't want to. Answer: at 14 are you sure shes old enough to make this decision. All I could say was with that can of thinking I will pray she never has to, since I could see he was voting to make sure she couldn't. He also thought I was nuts for thinking I was worst off than even 4 years ago since I bought a new car 1 year ago, I guess it just didn't click in that republican brain that a pickup ran a stop sign and his own daughter,my wife, wasn't hurt worse than she was. I guess it came home that were in more trouble than I thought with this election, but I will keep on butting heads with people that McCain/Palin is a bad choice. I guess if Obama wins it will be a smaller family christmas this year.

[truthynesslover]

So i guess she doing her homework NOW??