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

[TrevorAlan]

To be fair, that's closer to average than McCain himself. She's probably seen the inside of a grocery store within this century. And if she's richer than most real people, she probably actaully talks to a few, unlike certain husbands to rich beer heiresses I could mention.

[robeson]

Are you telling me she doesn't live in a trailer park?

[Dissident Dexter]

She should.

[sarale23]

Palin has not posted her tax returns yet. Then, how do you know that her taxable income for 2007 was 250K?

Here's some math: her gubernatorial salary is 125K. Todd Palin made less than 100K from both his private fishing company and from his job as an hourly employee at the North Slope oil drilling. The airplane is model 1978, and belonged to Todd's family long before he married Sarah. Two watercraft? Wow. Are you talking about the 2 fishing boats, each one worth no more than 2K? BTW, he uses them two months a year for his commercial fishing - the rest of the time the waters are frozen. Then you claim the Palins own a 500K home. They obviously have a mortgage on it, and the lending rule is you can't afford a home more than 3 times your yearly gross income. So they could well afford a 750K home, but they don't. Reminder: they have 5 kids, so they need some space.

Now, Obama's income for '07 was $4.5 MILLION, 2 kids. Joe Biden's was 350K or so, and no underage kids. And neither of them makes their money from drilling or fishing when the temperatures are -40F.

Comments?

[FATGIRL37]

You tell them......­.They need to get the facts straight.

[Unrepentant]

Right: kickbacks, bribes and unearned income are not included in the $250k.

[TrevorAlan]

This is hardly the smoking gun that she's an elitist, but it is above "average" and should be on the record.

An airplane and a boat or two near coastal Alaska is not strange. But if you bring up her opponents single expensive houses, we can bring up Palin's running-mates ?who knows how many? houses, each of which is probably AT LEAST a $1/2 mil.

[CtJean]

Yes, how much did they steal?

Having the government pay you per diem to live in your own house? Now how many thousands was that?

Having the government pay your KIDS to travel with you? How many thousands was that?

Having your husband travel with you? How many thousands was that?

So, Saralee, any comments?

Oh, I forgot increasing the population by telling your kids to just no - how did that work out?

[milo h minderbinder]

"Palin has not posted her tax returns yet. "

So why not?

What is she afraid of?

I don't begrudge the woman for making a decent income. But I'm going to call her on the carpet when she makes that much but claims to be "Joe Six Pack".

[eanderso]

This is a specious argument. Obama's not out there saying he's "just a working class guy struggling to get by." Palin is. End of story.

[militarymomforobama]

Exactly--Obama, to the contrary, talks about how fortunate he is to have what he has and says he would be happy to pay his share of taxes.

I would LOVE to be in a higher tax bracket.

Unlike the greedy, who think they are above taxation and everyone else should just eat their crumbs.

[sarale23]

Her husband is an oil drilling worker, and a commercial fisherman. Isn't that working class?

[cacistevie]

I dunno. She gets working class points for general ignorance and being a grandmother before the age of 50. Money can't buy class!

[comacoma]

Obviously not... look at McCain.

[militarymomforobama]

Please don't equate ignorance with working class.

[jeffp26]

Since she makes $250K, she also will get a tax break under the Obama administration.

And, seriously, you guys don't all own your own plane?

[FATGIRL37]

I guess you need to work harder.

[TrevorAlan]

I'm very scared of a Palin presidency, but there's parts of Alaska not reachable without an airplane, that's not so odd for any Alaskan in the oil business with any resources.

[Oxfordian]

The saddest thing is that Palin might REALLY BELIEVE that, with a $250,000 income, a half-million dollar home and a private plane,she's really, really one of the working poor just like the rest of us "Joe Six Packs".
The scariest thing about Palin is that she really doesn't know how much she really doesn't know about life here in these United States....­.

[indi1216]

agreed.

I am struggling to pay for my mortgage, 1 kid, 2 cars, insurance, utility etc...the list goes on and on...

Plus my hobby is reading books, cheapest way to entertain yourselves­...I certainly do not go hunting...­can;t afford guns.

[KahneO]

Okay how about those tax returns...­...

Cause I'm now thinking Oil Profits...­...

[denlong]

You FORGOT:

As as John McBush said, rich starts at $5M/year. Hey $250K is the working poor!

[mizzou66]

Then I shudder to think what that makes me and my husband at less than $30,000 a year...

[TrevorAlan]

Hey yeah, does that mean I can get food stamps for making less than $50k?

[naschkatze]

While I think every American should be equal under the law, including the "Joe 6-pack" American, I do not want that icon representing America to the rest of the world or held up as some kind of ideal here at home. Nope, I want the best and the brightest, so that let's out Sarah Palin and that guy she is running with.

[proveit2me]

Well, after hanging around McMoney for a month, I bet she is feeling absolutely destitute in comparison­...

[edwarvir]

Working class people she saids like you and me. I am
going to poll all of my middle class family and friends to
find out where do they keep there planes. Sarah is so out
of touch until everytime she open her mouth I want to see
her mental history like yesterday.

[Dissident Dexter]

She has already claimed that the tanning booth in the gov mansion is to combat SEASONAL DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION???? COMBINE THAT WITH MR. ANGRY, HIS CANCER, AND THE BIG RED BUTTON? I DON'T THINK SO.

[helonias]

Just rewards for the folks not getting into the kingdom of heaven

[Dissident Dexter]

Yea, that carries as much weight as Imagination Land on South Park.

[amyinkansas]

I'm agreeing with Brigadere on this one! While I'm not voting for her, I still think it's great that she and her husband have worked hard to get the things they have. Thus she is working class, just a very successful working class. That's why this country is great. People can WORK to get things. No body is putting down Barack and Michelle for working hard to get what they have, and we shouldn't hold that against the Palins either. There are PLENTY of other things we could be putting out there, this is a nonissue.

Obama '08

[DavieB36]

The middle class, in colloquial usage, consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social influence or power. The term often encompasses merchants and professionals, academics, bureaucrats, and some farmers and skilled workers.

Social hierarchies and their definitions vary. There are many factors that can define the middle class in a society, such as money, behaviour and heredity. In many countries, it is predominantly the amount of money that determines an individual's position in the social hierarchy. In other countries, social factors may have as strong an influence. These factors include education, professional or employment status, home ownership, or culture.

[brigadere]

Ok, you still just described the Palin family. Maybe they are rich in Alaska but it surely would not be described as rich in California or New York. Additionally, we all know that although the being the governor of Alaska might be a powerful state job, it does not rank high on the list of jobs the most powerful people in the U.S. would seek out.

[militarymomforobama]

Important points--our own society has many ways of looking at these terms. I find it laughable that Sara considers herself "working class". I have no doubt that she works hard, but I would imagine that Bill Gates does too--that doesn't make him a member of the working class.

She is trying to define herself in an appealing way for the voters that she wants to reach. I don't think they're buying it.

[brigadere]

I agree that she is middle class. If there are things we should be attacking her on this is not one of them. Everything Palin and her husband have appears to be earned from hard work. She might not be the politician that us liberals would prefer her to be but she it is absolutely wrong to attack this family for building wealth from hard work. This type of class warfare is absurd and frankly a pathetic attempt to try to find fault with every aspect of this woman's life.

[gop4obama]

Take a quick look:

http://www.palinbycomparison.net

http://www.gop4obama.org

Thanks