A Handy Guide to Governor Palin's Accomplishments

Due in part to the ineptness of the McCain campaign in 2008 and the mischaracterization and flat out lies from the media over the 20 months, Governor Palin's gubernatorial accomplishments are largely either misunderstood or unknown. However, Governor Palin accomplished quite a lot in her 2 and a half years as governor of Alaska. As supporters of the Governor, I thought it might be a good idea to have a handy resource of Palin's gubernatorial accomplishments. This may allow us to correct the record for our friends and family who may still think that the Governor personally shot wolves from a helicopter or cut funding for special needs children. Additionally, while none of us know the Governor's political future, many of us hope that she runs for President. I feel that having something tangible that we can hand out to individuals at GOP events, Tea Parties, other political gatherings, or wherever else to let others know about the Governor's accomplishments will open the eyes of many who are skeptical or uninformed Even many conservatives and Republicans still do not have a firm grasp of what Governor Palin did while in office.

With the wonderful assistance of some of the contributors at The Palination, Conservatives4Palin, The Design Conservative and US4Palin along with other knowledgeable Palin supporters, I have put together a two page (or, ideally, one page double sided) PDF summary of Governor Palin's accomplishments while she was in office. These accomplishments range from energy issues to 10th amendment issues to budgeting and national security. Please go here to download and print or e-mail the document, and please share it as you have opportunity. Should the Governor be a candidate in any future elections, her accomplishments will speak volumes regarding her political abilities and policy chops.

More interesting facts:

Alaska has a longer coastline than all the other U.S. states combined.

Approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government.

Alaska accounts for one-fifth (20 percent) of domestically produced United States oil production.

The State of Alaska employs approximately 15,000 employees statewide.

Alaska has the lowest individual tax burden in the United States. It is one of only five states with no state sales tax, one of seven states that do not levy an individual income tax, and one of two states that has neither.

In 2008 the Tax Foundation ranked Alaska as having the 4th most “business friendly” tax policy.

Alaska’s main export product (excluding oil and natural gas) is seafood, primarily salmon, cod, Pollock and crab.

- JP

2006 Gubernatorial Election, Alaska

Republican......Sarah Palin / Sean Parnell...............114,697.....48.33 percent
Democratic.....Tony Knowles / Ethan Berkowitz......97,238... 40.97 percent
Independent....Andrew Halcro / Von Gemmingen....22,443.....9.46 percent
AIP.................Don Wright / Douglas L. Welton.......1,285......0.54 percent
Libertarian......Billy Toien / Robert Mirabal....,,............682.....0.29 percent
Green.............David Massie........................................593.....0.25 percent
Write-in candidates.....................................................384......0.16 percent

Turnout 238,307 (51.1 percent)

Found in a search:

As I watched her successful run for governor over the next six months, I was really impressed. In fact I already was impressed greatly even before that, after she resigned a good position (Alaska Gas and Oil Regulatory Commission) because a fellow Commission member (Chair of the Alaska Republican Party) misused his office and position. He was using the fax, computers, printing room and all to promote the Republican endeavors while in a state job. That is a huge no-no in any government employment position.

She resigned and made her point, and within weeks Randy Ruderich (the above bad guy) found his butt out on the street and a subsequent investigation found him guilty and he was fined $12,000. Small change actually but a giant point was made.

Next she went after our most horrible Governor ever, Governor Murkowski, and damned if she didn't beat him! All of us here in Alaska, except the Democrats, are sick of our state's corruption. That fact was shouted to the heavens after she was elected with an overwhelming point spread.

After she got into office she started going after corrupt legislators, and with the FBI's help we've put four of them in prison, indicted six more and the "Corrupt Bastard's Club" as they arrogantly called themselves (even had hats made with CBC on the front!) suddenly found it no fun anymore.

American Thinker: How Sarah Palin Handled Corruption

More details in this one:

She resigned in January 2004 as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after complaining to the office of Governor Frank Murkowski and to state Attorney General Gregg Renkes about ethical violations by another commissioner, Randy Ruedrich, who was also Republican state chairman.

State law barred Palin from speaking out publicly about ethical violations and corruption. But she was vindicated later in 2004 when Ruedrich, who'd been reconfirmed as state chairman, agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws. She became a hero in the eyes of the public and the press, and the bane of Republican leaders.

In 2005, she continued to take on the Republican establishment by joining Eric Croft, a Democrat, in lodging an ethics complaint against Renkes, who was not only attorney general but also a long-time adviser and campaign manager for Murkowski. The governor reprimanded Renkes and said the case was closed. It wasn't. Renkes resigned a few weeks later, and Palin was again hailed as a hero.

Palin, 43, the mother of four, passed up a chance to challenge Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, the then-governor's daughter, in 2004. She endorsed another candidate in the primary, but Murkowski won and was reelected. Palin said then that her 14-year-old son talked her out of running, though it's doubtful that was the sole reason.

In 2006, she didn't hesitate. She ran against Gov. Murkowski, who was seeking a second term despite sagging poll ratings, in the Republican primary. In a three-way race, Palin captured 51 percent and won in a landslide. She defeated former Democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election, 49 percent to 41 percent. She was one of the few Republicans anywhere in the country to perform above expectations in 2006, an overwhelmingly Democratic year. Palin is unabashedly pro life.

With her emphasis on ethics and openness in government, "it turned out Palin caught the temper of the times perfectly," wrote Tom Kizzia of the Anchorage Daily News. She was also lucky. News broke of an FBI investigation of corruption by legislators between the primary and general elections. So far, three legislators have been indicted.

In the roughly three years since she quit as the state's chief regulator of the oil industry, Palin has crushed the Republican hierarchy (virtually all male) and nearly every other foe or critic. Political analysts in Alaska refer to the "body count" of Palin's rivals.

"The landscape is littered with the bodies of those who crossed Sarah," says pollster Dave Dittman, who worked for her gubernatorial campaign. It includes Ruedrich, Renkes, Murkowski, gubernatorial contenders John Binkley and Andrew Halcro, the three big oil companies in Alaska, and a section of the Daily News called "Voice of the Times," which was highly critical of Palin and is now defunct.

Fox News: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP's Newest Star

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