Palin Rape Kit Controversy: New Evidence (VIDEO)

The Wasilla Project covers the Sarah Palin rape kit controversy, interviewing several Alaskans who add to the case that she knew of the policy of charging victims for their own rape kits. Eric Croft, the Democratic lawmaker who worked to overturned the practice, says its hard to believe Palin didn't know about it. Dr. Colleen Murphy, a former member of the Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board, says she was approached by rape victims who had been charged for their exams. Wasilla Project points out that while Palin said that it would be "crazy" to charge rape victims for their forensic exams, she never denied that her hometown did so while she was mayor. A Wasilla City Council member (once a Republican, now an independent) wonders why Palin's mayoral administration couldn't cover the cost of rape kits when, according to reports, she redecorated her office several times. Watch:

Comments

[Ave-Gabrielle]

I already knew about this. Not only did the Alaskan city council/government have enough money to cover the cost of rape kits, but Sarah Palin was given millions for a project called Bridge to Nowhere (it was cancelled), but she kept the millions. The governor's plane she sold on Ebay, that money came to her, so, it's not like Alaska has a high crime rate--so there is no excuse to charge victims for this cost. Any woman who has been raped and gone through the exam already knows how dreadful the exam is--so to be sent a bill is outrageous. Again, the media ignores this. And NO ONE notices that the media hasn't actually visited Alaskans to speak about their former Mayor and Governor (because she is not popular). One small story showed a population that depends largely on welfare and other areas that look like a third world. Sarah showed her big roomy house and beautiful view, but most Alaskans do not live anywhere near the level she lives on. So, her view of the average hockey Mom is from years past. She and her hubby (Todd) ONCE struggled many many YEARS ago--wake up America, don't you know when you are knee deep in it?

[BigSurf]

Wasilla, poulation 6000, has a lot of rapes under Palin's watch.

Wasilla's Meth Problem Made Palin's Borough The Meth Capital Of Alaska
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/wasillas-meth-problem-mad_n_123996.html

Now, she wants to spread these leadership skills across the country.

Why?

[loax]

Sarah Palin disgraces women period.

[JerryTheAngel]

Women in Alaska are raped 2 1/2 times more then any other state. Palin probably thinks they are asking for it when they are raped and should have to pay for the rape kit themselves. She is a lunatic.

[imworking4me]

No wonder why the "hockey mom" got roundly and vociferously booed at the Ranger's hockey game last night! Every Ranger player has a mom, and Palin's no hockey mom!!

[OneVoiceOfReason]

Palin is either stupid or incompetent, and either one of those would disqualify her.

[okdem]

Stupid and incompetent makes her the PERFECT repube candidate.

[SouthPrairie]

Ya Betcha!

[demfriend]

As mayor Palin had to do what all mayors have to do, sign the budget. The Budget outlines and is specific about what is in the budget so the signature denotes approval of all of the above. Just like the documents we sign which are upheld int he court of law, but these are the people of the township/town/city she is signing off on too. She has proven she is a tasteless mean and nasty woman who will stoop at nothing including blatent lying to get what she wants. Her claim to be religious has to be met with a laugh as one who believes in God would never directly cause such pain to women/girl­s/children who have suffered rape at the hands of another only to charge them the cost of the rape kit so that the rapist would/could be brought to justice. The other side of this issue is abortion which she claims she is againest in any form at any time. So she charges first for the rape kit and then makes sure the young child/girl/woman has to have the child as her punishment? Sure she can "claim" to be religious but her god is not the one I worship.

[haveitoldyoulately]

1996 to 2000 - there were 49 reported sexual assaults in Wasilla...operative word, REPORTED

in 2000 when Palin was mayor, Wasilla had approximately 14 rapes per year with a population of 5000, or 2.8 per 1000.

[dillsnick]

The state of Alaska has the highest rape rate in the nation, over twice the national average.

[NeoLiberal]

So it sounds like the governor should have been really focused on doing what she could to get that rate lowered.

Has anyone examined her initiatives or legislative proposals to fight crime?

[needsmustard]

I gotta (sarcastically) defend her on this one.

As mayor, she made promises to keep the budget under control. She was faced withthat pressure on one side and the fact that reported rapes were out of control tugging on her from the other side. She was in a no win situation.

She went to renew her car insurance and the rates went up so her agent told her that if she raised the deductible, her rates would go down because people with higher deductibles report less accidents.

It hit her save the city money and solve the rape problem all at once. If women have to pay for rape kits, they willreport them less and then she gets to call herself a crimefighter.

[rowzeer]

Good deductive reasoning.....she has bragged about the large jailed population in Wasilla, the meth capital of Alaska, as if it's something to be proud of.....she thinks it makes her look tough on crime...

[emmaspeaks]

This is why I am not in politics.

[1dogs2]

So why did she leave Wasilla with a $20M deficit, where prior to her term, there had been a surplus??? Especially when she brought more money per capita to her town from EARMARKS than any other mayor in America. Oh, yes, let's put HER ticket in charge of whatever is left of our money.

[nervousexpat]

I've read that the reason she doesn't want the state to pay for rape kits is that in addition to collecting forensic evidence, rape victims are given the 'morning after' pill, to stop a pregnancy that might result from the rape. As her anti-choice policy extends to victims of rape and incest, this is why she will not pay for these rape kits, as it would make her and the state complicit in providing what she sees as abortions.

This woman-hating woman CANNOT, MUST NOT, make it to the White House. Her vitriol is dangerously divisive and her hubris is terrifying. We don't need yet another Jesus freak in power on what she and her witch doctor believe is a mission from God.

[dillsnick]

She's running on a ticket that opposes equal pay for equal work.

[Cinnamonape]

Someone needs to ask the Palin-appointed Sheriff:

"Why, after about a year of charging women directly for the rape kits did you decide to change the policy to also charging the insurance companies?"

"Was there an incident with a woman complaining that led to the change in policy?"

"Did you consider that such charges may have been either fraudulent (if charged as a health related expense) or increase the victims insurance rates?"

"Precisely how many rapes occurred in the years 1996-2000, when you had this policy?"

"Did you use "rape-kits" in investigating other sexual assaults, especially where semen or other bodily fluids might be involved?" "Did you charge victims for these kits, as well?"

"When the policy was changed did you notify the mayor, and if not who authorized the collection of fees? Wouldn't this budgetary item require the approval of the Mayor or City Council?"

"Was the policy discussed with the mayor when the State legislature introduced a bill calling on cities like Wasilla to terminate charging for "rape kits"? " "Why didn't you terminate the policy then...especially if Palin "would be crazy to charge rape victims for their own kits"?"

"If such a policy is "crazy" then were YOU the one to institute this "insane policy" without her approval?"

"Why was Wasilla specifically identified as a "problem city" in this regard?"

[IPhilFree]

Wasilla is specifically identified because the Republican VP Candidate has that on her resume as Executive experience.

Quite frankly it does not matter if one woman was rapped and had to pay for their rape kit in the town of Wasilla. The fact is that woman should not have to pay for the kit. As a woman and a mother that in itself should have outraged her. But maybe she just didn't know.

I guess since she lived in Wasilla for large part of her life and it is only a town of of less than 6000, its possible she did not know. I guess going to high school there, raising kids there, having friends there and was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, no woman, teenager or child had ever been rapped.

One could argue if someone gets rapped, why should the 'Wasilla Police Department' have to flip the bill. The 'Wasilla Police Department' is not the first national bank when it comes rape kits. And why should earmarks or taxes be raised to support rape kits so the victims do not have to. I mean unless you have the rape kit, its just 'his' word against 'hers' or even some 'childs' and in that case why report it.

I guess you can't hold her accountable as Mayor becasue how is she supposed everything going on in her town. If its not in the paper, then how can she read about these issues.

[sociocanuck]

Of course, Palin reads all the news. Anything and everything.

[rowzeer]

you mean a town in Alaska, Alaska the state the gets more earmark money per capita, can't afford to pay for rape kits....there must be alot of raping going on.

[Rog49Thomas]

How unfair.

Just 'cause some guy wrote a memo.

You expect a busy gal like the moosehuntin', hockey puck slapping down to earth pitbull to have read it? And having read it, to take action?

Why that would be just like if someone sent the President a in August memo saying that Bin Laden was going to attack soon.

I believe also the memo may have lacked specifics and was therefore unactionable.

Being a conservative means you only have to take responsibility for your imagined accomplishments. Nothing else.

[IPhilFree]

Palin Turns A Blind Eye To Alaskan Women, Teenagers and Childen - Pay For Your Own Rape Kit And Then We Can Work on Putting Your Rapist Or Child's Molestor Behind Bars.

As Mayor from 1996 to 2002 and then Governor it is ridiculous and idotic for Palien her deny that she did not know that women had to pay for rape kits. To allow this to happen to Women, Teenagers and Childern was cold and callous. It is down right shameful.

She had lived in Wasilla most of her life and it is a town of less than 6,000 to continue to deny this is beyond idiotic. As a Women and a Mother, that policy should have been addressed immediately. So what if you did not have the money to pay. Was it a "Thanks But No Thanks Policy."

The bad part is, this is not new news is old. To make matters worse Native Alaskan Women had to beg her to help them. They are raped 2 times the national average of this country. I am thankful for the Internet. Or maybe most of the women being raped were Alaskan women and so she did not really care.

[evekendall]

I saw a video yesterday of people lined up to go into one of her rallies. The person interviewing the crowd asked what they thought about Palin charging rape victims for their own test kits. One of her fans in the crowd yelled: "She should have charged them double!"

These people are sickening, yet they claim to be Christians.

[rowzeer]

These are exactly the type of people that are drawn to a hate monger like Palin

[emmaspeaks]

maybe one day they will be a victim and not get help. What goes around, comes around.

[Miravanguild]

I bet Palin thinks the rape was the victim's fault, so they should pay for the kit..

[colleen2]

"I bet Palin thinks the rape was the victim's fault"

I don't know that this is true of Mrs Palin but most socially conservative women I've spoken with about rape related issues are of the opinion that women who are raped bear primary responsibility for their situation.
She has utterly failed to supply any sort of reasonable explaination for the situation in Wasilla while she was mayor and for the statements of the police chief she appointed having fired his predecessor. Having lived in small Alaska towns I do know that the notion that she was unaware of this situation is simply not believable Every person in that town knew about it just as they knew about every rape that took place.

[rowzeer]

I have a couple of friends who are conservative but neither of them are of the opinion that some how a rape victim bears the responsibility for her situation especially since one of them was raped by her father when she was 12.