How is America to take Sarah Palin seriously when, since 1983, she and her husband have taken $125,000 from the oil companies because she has lived in Alaska?
While the rest of America has been held hostage by high gas prices, her family has actually made a profit. Big Oil, as part of an institutionalized bribe, have paid every resident including children, well over $1000 a year (average) since 1982. This is part of the Alaska program known as the innocuous sounding Permanent Fund Dividend and is the main reason why the oil companies know that Alaska residents will consistently favor oil company policies. Just like Cosa Nostra, Big Oil knows that it's easier to pay off people than convince them especially in a state like Alaska with a tiny population the size of Baltimore. By my estimate, since 1982, Sarah Palin and her husband have received $27,536.41 each and her children collectively $69,766.09 -- all just for living in Alaska and tacitly supporting the Big Oil agenda.
It's no surprise that she's in favor of drilling in ANWR. It should come as no surprise that Sarah Palin has taken every opportunity to further the interests of the oil companies in Alaska - after all, she's been taking oil money since she was on the beauty pageant circuit in 1984 and she's been taking oil money while she was a part time mayor.
While America's families have been struggling to cover the 300% rise of gas at the pump, Palin's family has made out like bandits. Since 9/11, her family has been paid $36,000 in bribes from the oil companies.
Is it normal for policy to be made by leaders who have gotten payouts by big oil? I guess if you're part of the Saudi royal family it is. But this is America. Shouldn't Americans demand that their energy policy be written by a leader who (unlike BUSH or CHENEY or PALIN) has not been supported by oil revenues their entire lives. Maybe now, for once in eight years, America can reject the influence of Big Oil in the White House.