Sarah Palin's Business Management and Fiscal Skills are Poor

Main List: The Ultimate Sarah Palin is Unfit to be Vice President List

Last Updated: 11/8/2008

Sarah Palin may claim she is a fiscal conservative and makes political points like selling the Governor's jet, but the reality is she has poorly managed both city and state finances and spending priorities. Her mismanagement of spending priorities as Governor would have received more visibility except that rising oil prices and increased state revenues from royalties covered her budget shortfalls.

When Palin took over as mayor, Wasilla had zero debt; when she left office 6 years later it had $20 million in debt ($3000 per resident). ^[8]

She put higher priority on a $15 million sports complex rather than a sewage treatment plant. The sports complex is now viewed as a budget-busting white elephant by local officials. ^[1] ^[74]

She proceeded with construction on the sports complex without closing on the land, ultimately costing the city $1.5 million. ^[24]

She was forced to hire a fulltime administrator as she faced a recall vote for precipitous firings. ^[1]

As Governor, she provided little guidance and direction to the Legislature on budgets. ^[2]

The Alaska budget is growing at a rate of 10% per year and the $1,200 payouts due to Alaskans in September are not consistent with restraining government growth. ^[4]

She allocated $500 million subsidy for a gas pipeline project awarded to a Canadian company, TransCanada, rather than negotiate with an existing private venture to save money. ^[23]

Palin was the first mayor of Wasilla with a full-time city administrator who did most of the actual, real work. ^[59]

Palin ignored Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich's attempts to have the state deliver promised money needed to operate city traffic lights until he threatened to go public out of anger. ^[57]

"Executive abilities? She doesn't have any," according to Nick Carney. Carney groomed Palin for her first political race in 1992 and served with her on the City Council. ^[74]

A long time borough official said, "The borough takes care of most of the planning, the fire, the ambulance, collecting the property taxes. And on top of that she brought in a city manager to actually run the city day to day." ^[74]

Palin refused to share an emergency dispatch operation with Palmer, Wasilla's town rival, so she got earmark money for her own system. "Now we have 2 expensive emergency systems and both are losing money", according to a borough official. ^[74]

Carly Fiorina, one of McCain's key economic surrogates, said that Sarah Pailn does not have the experience necessay to run a major company. ^[90]

Categories: US Elections
People: Sarah Palin

List Views: 24157

List Sources

[1]
Article: A Wasillan On Sarah Palin - The Atlantic, Tuesday, September 02, 2008
[2]
Article: About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla - Cross Cut, Tuesday, September 02, 2008
[4]
Article: Palin unqualified to serve as vice president - Fairbanks Daily News, Friday, August 29, 2008
[8]
Article: Dems armed with Palin opposition - Politico, Friday, August 29, 2008
[23]
Article: Former Alaskan governors question TransCanada plan - Anchorage Daily News, Friday, July 11, 2008
[24]
Article: End in sight on lawsuit over sports center land - Anchorage Daily News, Friday, July 25, 2008
[57]
Article: In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics - New York Times, Saturday, September 13, 2008
[59]
Article: As Mayor of Wasilla, Palin Cut Own Duties, Left Trail of Bad Blood - Washington Post, Sunday, September 14, 2008
[74]
Article: Sarah Palin's wasteful ways - Salon.com, Wednesday, September 17, 2008
[90]
Article: Fiorina: Palin doesn't have experience to run a major company. - Huffington Post, Tuesday, September 16, 2008