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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[mbh78213]

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]

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]

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

[lvdragonlady]

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]

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]

$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]

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]

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]

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]

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?

[violettefemme]

No where does it say anything about her being "elite". As a matter of fact, most of you neocons need a dictionary, so you can use that word properly, so here you go:

From Webster's online:
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French élite, from Old French eslite, from feminine of eslit, past participle of eslire to choose, from Latin eligere
Date:
1823

1 : the choice part : cream : the best of a class : the socially superior part of society d: a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence e: a member of such an elite "usually used in plural

Here's the link so you can't complain that it's fake:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elite

And here's the kick in the ass: Palin's FAR from elite in some of its definitions, and FAR too close in the wrong ways!

She just gets scarier.

While 250K is in no way "uber rich", you can't seriously think that people like me---one rented house, one old car, no boats, no lakeside home, no plane...think she's "one of us"?

Seriously?

Seriously.

[wm1066]

And what is your point? just to name call?
You got nadda and are just striking out....typical neocon response.

[DietmarorWally]

Sarah Palin is in a class of people (I think they are known as neocons) who do not recognize that they are undereducated (i.e. stupid), uninterested in anything but money and power, think that they can lead the greatest Nation on earth. Sarah Palin could not answer a basic questions like what she has been reading; since she cannot remember what she has read or maybe because she does not read, she says everything, but cannot name one paper or magazine or book), and virtually knows nothing about world history, science, and economics. Somehow this class of people also holds the greatest wealth.

[Missmn]

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

[artmansd]

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]

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

[Cougarkj]

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]

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

[YouDisgustMe]

good question

[Dissident Dexter]

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

[PatriciaB]

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]

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]

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

[Lotus19]

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

[demnj]

Actually they only have a mortgage - no credit card debt. Please let's stick to issues. This sort of stuff hurts the credibility of democrats.