Palin Says She's "Everyday Working Class" Despite $250K Income, 5 Properties, 2 Boats, And 1 Plane

This defines being out of touch. On Hugh Hewitt's radio show, Sarah Palin calls herself "an everyday working class American" -- but the truth is that her family income is $250K and she owns five properties, two watercraft, and an airplane.

Here she was on Hewitt's show:

Todd and I, heck, we’re going through that right now even as we speak, which may put me again kind of on the outs of those Washington elite who don’t like the idea of just an everyday working class American running for such an office.

The Washington Times (who'd have thunk it?) puts the lie to her claim:

Their combined income of nearly a quarter-million dollars last year was five times the median household income for Wasilla's 7,000 residents. They own a single-engine plane, two boats, two personal watercraft and a half-million-dollar, custom-built home on a lake that is worth three times the average of other homes in town. For the future, they also have a 401(k) retirement account compliments of Todd Palin's years as an engineer with oil giant BP.

So I guess the question is: who's more out of touch, Palin or McCain?

Comments

[lonehybrid]

08:54 AM on 10/13/2008

Class isn't just about money. Just ask the Working Class Studies folks at Youngstown and SUNY who think that professors are working class.

[demnj]

07:27 PM on 10/03/2008

um.. her tax returns are out and her agi was 166K - not a lot for a family of 5. she also gave 3k to charity.
in 2006 it was in the 120K's. And that is with her husband's income. Also land is/was cheap in Alaska and a lot of people have planes because of the distance and hers is like 30 years old and probably worth less than a toyota camry.

Please - you only take away for the quality of this site by having such petty stories

[Leon72]

05:12 PM on 10/01/2008

This woman is nothing more than an opportunist, a tramp and an unfit mother. She and her brood is a step below trailer park trash

[sarale23]

06:13 PM on 10/01/2008

As low as she might be, she's at least 10 steps above you.

[mbh78213]

04:30 PM on 10/01/2008

As far as The Moose Huntress and her ilk are concerned, it's not about money. Having money -- lots of it -- is a good thing. If you don't have any, that means you're lazy or stupid and deserve no compassion. The class thing is about culture. Toby Keith versus Beethoven. Mat-Su Community College versus Harvard. American Idol versus Great Performances. Mooseburger versus arugula. That thing.

[Housewife]

03:58 PM on 10/01/2008

The Joe 6 pack crowd already had their guy. George Bush. They can go to Alaska if they want to drink with Sarah Palin.

[ravenfeathers]

03:57 PM on 10/01/2008

well, you know, compared to mccain, that's poverty....

[lvdragonlady]

03:02 PM on 10/01/2008

It is expensive to live in Alaska. That seems like a whole lot of stuff on just 250K.
Wonder if some were gifts or obtained by other means?

[obamasOHangel]

03:32 PM on 10/01/2008

Todd Palin according to Wiki:

"He has taken some college courses but does not have a degree."

And...

"Financial statements filed in 2007 show that Palin earned $92,790 from BP and fishing."

Hmm...

[Bobleblah1]

01:18 PM on 10/01/2008

$250,000 does not make her a member of the elite.
deride her for the right reasons, not BS like this.

In other words try and pretend this site is unbiased in some way.
Oh I forgot maybe thats too much to ask.

Huffpo only lets neoliberal free trade corporate whores post here.

[Lotus19]

01:47 PM on 10/01/2008

Maybe not...but how much does her husband's job pay anyway. 5 properties, 2 boats and a plane on a $250K salary? Sounds very bizarre.

[sarale23]

02:29 PM on 10/01/2008

OK: the Palins are corrupt, they stole government money to buy their properties, boats, and plane(s). They have been currently investigated by the FBI, CIA, and DEA for drug trafficking and at least 5 counts of human trafficking (their kids). Sarah Palin has also fired most of the Alaska commisioners for whatever reasons, and the State of Alaska is fully paralized. She's corrupt, corrupt, corrupt to the bottom of her heart, and so is her husband Todd, and their parents, and kids, especially the Down syndrom baby, which is nothing but a disguise to avoid paying taxes.

And you're all angels.

[obamasOHangel]

03:31 PM on 10/01/2008

According to Wiki:

"He has taken some college courses but does not have a degree."

And...

"Financial statements filed in 2007 show that Palin earned $92,790 from BP and fishing."

Hmm...

[theMightyT]

01:48 PM on 10/01/2008

the article didn't say she was a member of the elite.

she's certainly not joe sixpack.

and the fact that your post is on the top of the page kind of makes you look like a s p i t e ful f o o l, hey? or are you one of those neoliberal free trade corporate whores?

[Missmn]

01:03 PM on 10/01/2008

For the governor of any state - even one with fewer than a million residents - to claim to be working class is laughable.

[artmansd]

12:57 PM on 10/01/2008

When God passed out class she thought he said glass and she said "Heck I'll drink out of the bottle". The republicans have stopped drinking the kool aid and have taken to snorting it. OK given some of these items were acquired the old fashioned way, she married into it, that does not change the cost of upkeep on these items. Lets see mortgage, heating, taxes, insurance for the home and plane, liability insurance for the business. Storage plus maintenance for the plane, storage for the fishing boats and fishing gear for 10 months out of the year if saralee23s' numbers are correct. So I'd have to guesstimate that they are pretty tight living on their 250K annual salary. SHE IS like every other working joe out here and that why she has to cheat on her per diem.

[scorpioleidy]

12:23 PM on 10/01/2008

What's the big deal??? Don't all "everyday, working-class" people have FIVE properties, a boat and a plane???!!!! .............. :-)

[Cougarkj]

12:19 PM on 10/01/2008

And didn't they own and sell a house worth over $300,000 dollars (also waterfront) when she was mayor. (Seems I read something a few days ago about her abusing her position to change zoning laws to push the sale through).

[lvdragonlady]

11:50 AM on 10/01/2008

Why have we NOT seen her tax returns????

[YouDisgustMe]

12:59 PM on 10/01/2008

good question

[Dissident Dexter]

11:48 AM on 10/01/2008

SHE OPENED HER MOUTH AND ANOTHER LIE FELL OUT. WHY IS ANYONE SURPRISED BY THIS?

[PatriciaB]

11:32 AM on 10/01/2008

Are they overextended?? Owning 5 kids, 5 properties, 2 boats, and a plane appears to be quite of bit of cost for that annual income.

[Shellly]

12:02 PM on 10/01/2008

I watched the Greta Van Susteren interview with Todd, and he mentioned that he built their home himself along with some friends... i was wondering if they got some type of deal like Ted Stevens did for his wrap-around porch???

Where are her tax returns... if she attacks Obama like she did at the convention, the dems must demand this no excuses...

[Lotus19]

01:49 PM on 10/01/2008

Ok...so that's one property and it still costs money to build the one.

[Lotus19]

01:48 PM on 10/01/2008

I just posted the same thing above. And they didn't even include vehicles. Sounds fishy.