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

[UnbiasView]

And what was Obama's biggest project as a community organizer? Voter fraud with ACORN?

[JLopez]

Its OBAMA vs MCCain

Other commuity organizers.

Gandi
Nelson Mandela
MLK
Norma Ray

[Daly]

Jesus Christ - Community Organizer

[Heavy]

They prefer national disorganizers.

[Corncob]

My God a Hocky rink that cost this town millions, an in a legal mess------simply because her son was a Hocky player and wanted a indoor hocky rink! Thats like the chief of police Stambaugh she fired because he wasn't good enough and went from chief of police to Bosnia to train their people! And he wasn't good enough for Her! Her excuse, he didn't agree with my views, and he looked at me intimadatingly. Sense he's over 6 feet 4 in., it would be hard for him not to look intimidating, and thats a good thing for a chief of police! This womans judgement is way off folks!

[KiwisCanFly]

I didn't know about the Bosnia link.

But she actually fired him becos he wouldn't toe the line. He wanted to close the local bars at 2am rather than 5am. Drunk driving was apparently a problem.

The local bar owner was a contributor to Palin's campaign for Mayor.

Stambaugh wouldn't capitulate and his employment was terminated by the will of the Mayor.

He appealed the discrimination but lost, It was ruled that he was employed at the will of the Mayor.

[bygollymissmolly]

She is also trying desperately to move the Capitol of Alaska closer to her home base. This woman is all about "Sarah". She could care less about anyone else. That's why she fits so well with the Republicans.

[KiwisCanFly]

Glad u asked.

Mr. Giuliani said, “Barack Obama has never led anything, nothing, nada,”

But he has.

Obama for America is the largest organization Obama has ever run.

As a newby to executive experience Obama runs a tight ship with a drama-free campaign.

Can u say the same for Gov Palin?

[SherryIndianapolis]

Or McCain for that matter?

Nope. Nada. Nothing.

[KiwisCanFly]

YUP
The GOP are touting Gov Palin's executive experience as a positive.

This is mismanagement. This is a waste of tax payers money to pay litigation costs that could have been avoided by signing a contract to purchase the land at 126,000.

This is not the kind of executive experience we want in our Higher Office.

Oh yeah, GW Bush had oodles of executive experience.

[MYQUEEN7]

The untold truth of Sarah Palin is slowly making its way to the national stage. She must answer questions for the American electorate regarding her readiness to serve as the one heartbeat away from the presidency candidate. It is wonderful that she has 5 children, shoots guns, eats moose, plays hockey and rides snowmobiles. How does any of this qualify Sarah Palin for anything other than what she is currently doing....playing hockey, shooting moose, shooting guns, etc?

"How many would enjoy hunting if the deer could shoot back?"

[JLopez]

Palin's Pastor: God "Is Gonna Strike Out His Hand Against" America

He is right, with SHARA PALIN

[KiwisCanFly]

Do u think we will see these snippets looped over and over on MSM?

Where is the outrage at the anti-American pastor and his influence over Gov Palin for all the years she has attended his church?

Sound familiar?

[bygollymissmolly]

***crickets***

[SeanHannity4Obama]

now she wants to mess up the whole country like did in Wassilla (i.e. putting oil rigs on other people's land)

[OlderBudWeiser]

The article also states she eventually "took" the land by "Eminent Domain." A Cheney protogee!

[JLopez]

The same way she fooled Alaskians to vote her into the Governors Mansion is the same way that she will try to do to Americans. I just saw a large crowd in WI cheering for her and she has not mention ONE thing about how she is going to change the direction of our country.

You cant get a job without interviewing first......

[OlderBudWeiser]

She's a "Breasted American", related to Lucy Morales. Oops, was that sexist?

[mairs]

So then why do the Republicans ignore evidence of her incompetence and post here saying she has all the experience she needs and would be great as president if something happened to McCain? What is going on here? This doesn't make any sense. What are we missing and why is there this weird psychological disconnection with reality that seems to have hit the conservatives who insist she's ready? She's clearly not.

[JLopez]

Because they are REPUBLICANS. Thats what they do, LIE.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."- Einstein

Same crap with a dress

[KiwisCanFly]

YUP

My favorite is the GOP touting Gov Palin as a reform agent.

As Mayor of Wasilla (population of 5,500 when she took office) she hired a DC Lobbyist and he got her little town 27 million in earmarks.

She still managed to leave the town in debt of 22 mill. Wasilla had zero debt when she took office.

To be fair, Fred Thompson offered this pearl of wisdom, "she has political and life experience".

[JLopez]

Life experience? SHe forgot to talk to someone very close to her about sex education.
If she did not banned books maybe the kid would have read it.

[JBryan]

Contrary to what Contrary to what John McCain and the Republicans say about putting country first. They never do. They put self interest and winning ahead of country every time.

Remember just go shopping.

[Daly]

exactly what country are they putting first? Not America:

we are in debt with China/Japan owning us
we are in a capital and human expensive war based on a lie
we are loosing jobs, homes
we are told that we have health care just go to emergency

then they do as you have stated:

Remember just go shopping.

[bygollymissmolly]

What is wrong here are the "low information" voters. They are the ones who get all their news from Fox.

[bmermaid]

In a way, I feel sorry for her. She's so far out of her league. But then I feel sorry for US, that is the USA.
As if the last 8 years haven't been enough of a catastophy.

[KiwisCanFly]

U shouldn't feel sorry for Gov Palin, she is allowing herself to be exploited.

She is a big girl now, a Governor even, married and a mother of 5.

She wants to be accountable, she said so.

[Bill C]

She's right! She has more experience running a small town into a budget crisis and leaving Wasilla $2,000,000.00 in debt. She'd fit right in to Bush's Washington!

[mairs]

I thought it was 22 million in debt.

[KiwisCanFly]

YUP

22 million in debt, Wasilla zero debt when she took office.

[drayntx]

You missed a zero. The total was nearer to 20,000,000.00 dollars.

[IslandGyal]

A must read article:

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12066224

“As mayor of Wasilla, a METROPOLIS of 9,000 people, she initiated annual trips to Washington, DC, to ask for more earmarks from the state’s congressional delegation, and employed Washington lobbyists to press for more funds for her town.”

“A Rasmussen poll found that the Palin pick made 31% of undecided voters less likely to plump for Mr McCain and only 6% more likely.” (for the reepukelicans who like polls when it’s in their favor but dismiss them when not)

“Inexperienced and Bush-level incurious. She has no record of interest in foreign policy, let alone expertise. She once told an Alaskan magazine: “I’ve been so focused on state government; I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq.” She obtained an American passport only last summer to visit Alaskan troops in Germany and Kuwait. This not only blunts Mr McCain’s most powerful criticism of Mr Obama. It also raises serious questions about the way he makes decisions.”

The Economist

[Heavy]

They don't get it. It is funny that some of the pundits, or should I say shills, are still even talking about Palin having a chance to garner Hil voters, or any undecided voters for that matter.

[ZDuck]

Wonder if she built this in hopes the hockey player would be there instead of doing the wild thing with her daughter while she was at home with mono.

[southernfried]

thats not change we can believe in

[Egalitare]

An amazing piece of responsible fiscal management there, Gov. Palin.

NOT!!!!

[nerakami]

is there anything this woman put her hands on that does not have legal issues following....

she is a walking disaster. If she had so much problems running the sparsest state what the hell will she do to the rest of the USA????

[LWilkinson315]

Very scary thought indeed

[Gma11]

Sounds like Bush III.

[KiwisCanFly]

YUP

[eniobob]

There seems to be a lot of there,there.