DNC Hammers Palin For Refusing Of Stimulus Funds

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said on Thursday that she will accept just 69 percent of the estimated $930 million in federal stimulus funds that could flow to the state.

Palin's originally announced that she was accepting just over half the stimulus package funds, but that figure did not include $128 million in Medicaid stimulus money she is accepting.

Still, as the Anchorage Daily News reported:

The biggest single chunk of stimulus money that Palin is turning down is $160 million for education. There's also $17 million in Department of Labor funds (vocational rehabilitation services, unemployment services, etc.), about $9 million for Health and Social Services and about $7 million for Public Safety.

The newly-aggressive Democratic National Committee released a statement within hours, hammering Palin's move as "political posturing."

"After soliciting and accepting more federal dollars per capita than any other governor in the union, Sarah Palin's decision today to deny the state of Alaska over half a billion dollars in recovery and reinvestment funds - including millions for schools, energy and public safety - appears to be nothing more than political posturing," communications director Brad Woodhouse said. "At a time when her state is suffering, Alaska's working families cannot afford a governor that puts her political future ahead of the needs of the state and its families."

Another DNC email -- subject line "HYPOCRISY WATCH: Palin's Conversion on Federal Money" -- declared that "Palin's Never Seen a Federal Dollar She Didn't Want... Until Now." It noted that under Palin, Alaska has "solicited and received more federal dollars per capita than any other state in the union."

The former vice presidential candidate says she will accept only money without strings that will bind the state later. It's up to the Legislature to weigh in on the rest of the package.

Some GOP governors, including Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, also have rejected some stimulus money. Others, including Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Charlie Crist of Florida, have welcomed it.

With additional reporting by the Associated Press

Comments

[mollymac]

OK, Alaska has a high drop out rate, 2 of her children are high school dropouts. High rate of teen pregnancy? Her oldest dtr. is a teen mother without benefit of spouse. So far, Sarah is following the norm for Wasilla, AK. That's fine for Wasilla, no one expects much more from them. However, higher office? Even Bush's kids are educated!

[jonmonbuckeye]

Go Sarah GO!!! Please run in 2012....We need a Christian white woman in the White House to spread the gospel of prosperity!!!

Just kidding folks.... but she should do porn....

[Lillopa]

Money for education and programs for "Special Needs Children" Palin rejects from recovery package--but Palin wants to pick what fits Palin needs only! Keith O. calls Palin a hypocrite! Alaska is furious --parents etc !!!! Children are suffering and Palin does this to them and yet has the nerve to judge Pres Obama about the slip of the tongue something we all have done and are guilty of.. Keith O brings to us a reminder what Palin said on the campaign trail--"""If I were in the White House Americans would have a "" friend and advocate for children with special needs"""
Keith is right!!! Palin is a hypocrite--and who needs a friend or advocate like this in the White House--Palin who does not even care of her own people or children..Keith O said they only need Palin is worried about is her run in 2012--not children or their special needs--your right Keith O. Palin is a hypocrite--forgot to mention about Pres Obama working for all Americans and our children with special needs...Palin when judging Pres Obama

[b93950]

The only reason for Sarah Palin's existence is she has a word in the one state that has received more Federal money, from the Bush administration, then any other state in the union.

Why?

OIL!

Yes, she is an airhead puppet for the oil companies!

[kcam44]

God I can't stand this woman!! She's such a hypocrite!! I hope she gets her arse kicked in 2012 and just disappear. Everything that comes out of her mouth is strictly political and in the best interest of "her" not the people of Alaska. There is nothing genuine about her. She's such a phony and Republicans are excited (because of her looks), not her intelligence. Most people see right through her.

[Charlotte Haines]

some quotes taken from the Mudflats website about Palin rejecting the money that was for education.

Rep. Les Gara (D)

“40% of our children aren’t graduating from high school. When the President of the United States offers to help you hire teachers, and to help your kids, you say “thank you”. If it were me, I wouldn’t have looked for a way to poke a stick in his eye.”

Barb Angaiak, President of the National Education Association of Alaska (NEA-Alaska)

Palin’s decision to reject more than $160 million of federal stimulus funds for Alaska education is “logic-defying, dumb-founding, short-sighted – and a slap in the face to parents, children and educators across Alaska.”

“Governor Palin has deliberately chosen to ignore the education needs of tens of thousands of children across Alaska. Her attempt to score short term gains will have long-term, dire consequences for our students and educators,” Angaiak said. ”Her message to our children is callously blunt: ‘In the interests of my political agenda, you’re on your own.’”

40% aren't finishing high school?!?!?!?!?!?! the woman is an idiot for turning this money down in a State that so obviously needs it.

[Mag44]

So she wants to set up a fund to have folks bail her out of her legal fees, however she wants to cherry pick the stimulus? This chick is a piece of work.

[Stringer32]

More like piece of s@#t!

[PoliticalAmazon]

Yet the majority of Alaskans have voted for her when she ran for mayor (after which she promptly ran the city into the ground, leaving it saddled with massive debt and an epic lawsuit over her ego-stroking sports complex, which was built on land that the city didn't even have title to), then when she ran on McCain's presidential ticket (after which she promptly both ran his campaign into the ground AND repaid McCain's giving her a chance on the national scene by criticizing him and speaking badly about him), and then governor (she is now in the process of running Alaska into the ground).

How does that old saying go? "You get the political leadership you deserve"?

[justobserve]

Oh yes, how about return the 450 million dollars for the "Bridge to Nowhere. We will pay for it ourselves"?

[CloudofUnknowing]

What are you talking about: "Bridge to nowhere"?

[peacegurl48]

Blind ambition at the expense of the people!
I live in California and our unemployment rate is over 10%! I am so thankful that our Governor intends to accept the stimulus money; our state and our people are hurting.

[swo68]

That's a little worse than Alaska. Who's blind ambition is hurting California?

[carolr51]

It's mostly the mortgage crisis and the fallout from that hurting California. But it is funny that Arnold is now having to reinstate the DMV fees that he ran his recall campaign on. Don't the Repubs ever get tired of being wrong?

[mh01]

Is anyone else getting a little worried by the massive federal influence on individual states?

Why are democrats so adamant that the federal government through this stimulus package has all the answers, and that individual states saying no to accepting certain amounts of federal (BORROWED) money is somehow "playing politics"

Why can't a state government make their own decisions about what federal assistance they want to accept, especially when they analyze the long term effects on the states budget and policy?

If the federal government wants to give me a pile of money to hire more state employees, and that money only exists for 2-3 years from the fed, what do I do with all of these employees that i hired when the federal money runs out?

If the federal government can simply impose its will on the individual states we are no longer a federalist system.

I don't know what we are in that case, but we are no longer the United States of America.

[swe123]

You are not supposed to spend the money hiring people. You can use the money for salaries for people you already have to save those jobs. The stimulus money is for infrastructure, equipment, materials, etc. Read the fine print...it's very explicit on how the money can be spent.

The whole ideas is you will be buying materials, equipment and savings jobs which lead to a demand for more goods which leads to companies hiring more people to keep up with the demands. And then guess what....those people will spend more money which leads to more of a demand for goods.

That's why they call it a stimulus.

[twinskids]

You hit the nail on the head-Palin wants the money to be spent the way she sees fit. No strings would mean she could just devirt it into her little pet projects or maybe give her house a makeover.

[Roguewolf]

What many people don't realize is a lot of those stimulus programs will cost the state a lot of money down the road. They fund a program to start it but rely on the state to pickup the funding after. If I was a Governor, I wouldn't want to put my State in that situation either, especially not knowing what the economy is going to do.

[swe123]

This is incorrect....the money has very specific ways in which it can be spent. The big chunk of money that is available for special education (a good chuck of the total education money) can only be spent on equipment, professional development, data tracking, etc. It's money that is a one shot and we have been told SPECIFICALLY not to spend it on anything that will need further funding. And we have also been told to make sure that we can account for every penny and how it was spent.

Palin is supposedly a sympathetic parent of a special needs infant and is denying services and equipment to special education students.

[MonaLisa65]

That's how I understand it. Well said.

[twinskids]

All of which cost a fortune to obtain.

Special needs kids need this. Palin is a lying jackazz.

[ModerateMouse]

Alaska is the pork capital of the world. It gets more pork per capita than any other state. This despite have a huge savings account (Alaska Permanent Fund). I say good for Palin. If you want to refuse the money on principle then refuse all of it. Pull yourself up by your own boot straps. Live up to the rugged individualist myth you are constantly trying to perpetuate. I would gladly rather have my money to to Washington or Oregon or California. Good colleges. Good culture. Good people. Alaska can have Alaska.

[WritingfromAlaska]

We are all smart enough to understand how the stimulus is supposed to work. Not helping people now isn't going to make things better for whoever will need help two years from now. Palin's decision is not logical and is destructive to our state. We have one of the largest school drop out rates in the country - and the highest rate of reported rapes, among other problems. The funds she refused ? - education, public safety and more.

[JOHND777]

Okay so by that logic next time your house is on fire, tell the fire department to go away because your insurance bill may rise in two years!

You neo-cons will do anything to destroy anything democratic. Is not the same playbook against Clinton being employed against Obama?? Listen to the charges of socialist and all the same crap when he tried to change healthcare. Watch the movie Sicko and you will hear the same worn out attacks being waged in the 90's.

The GOP is morally corrupt and intellectually lost so their only weapons are NO and attack everything but offer nothing!! Palin, Jindal, Sandford and Perry clearly are putting politics and ambition over helping the people in their respective states! Its shameful!

[Raleigh Dave]

We Don't Need No Education

[biskitdaddy]

Every time she opens her mouth is seems like she's "hammered"

[Skyhawk]

If she wants 69 then the Dems should oblige. Form a line now, when you're next your name will be called.

[xntrix]

what these Govs don't seem to get, is that even if they don't take the money that would help the people in their states, THOSE taxpayers are still going to be paying off the stimulus. As a taxpayer, I would want my fair share if I and my children will be paying anyways!