Democratic National Committee: Statement on Gov Palin's Decision to Reject Stimulus Funds

PR Newswire ^ | 3/19/09

[redk]

WASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Please find, below, the statement of Democratic National Committee communications director Brad Woodhouse on Governor Sarah Palin's decision to reject over $500 million in federal funds due the state of Alaska under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

"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. 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."

[SallyH]

Exactly my question! Gov. Palin should feel honored that the DNC felt compelled to respond to her presser that took place 4000 miles from DC. I don’t recall hearing them react to Gov. Jindal’s or Gov. Sanford’s pronouncements of refusing stimulus money made on national TV.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Sarah to the DNC “Let go of the puppet strings! There is nobody on the other end!”

[papasmurf]

Gov. Palin said she will accept 55 percent of the $930 million dollars, and leave it up to legislators to decide if they will request any, or all, of the remaining dollars.

She said she would accept money that is "timely, targeted and temporary" and does not create strings that will bind the state in the future.

"I can't attest to every fund that's being offered the state in the stimulus package will be used to create jobs and stimulate the economy, I'm requesting only those things that I know will," Palin said at the state Capitol. "Public discussion will have to ensue on all those other dollars that some will say you left on the table."

Palin said she would send a spending bill to the Legislature by the end of the day Thursday that lays out the items she is willing to accept.

The governor has until April 3 to formally request funds from the stimulus package.

Wow, imagine that? A Governor that believes that the public has a right to determine what's important...or not.

[Arizona Carolyn]

as opposed to Arnold who was practically peeing down his leg in glee over the billions coming Kalifornia’s way to tide him over until he leaves office.

[SolidWood]

Anyone on or off the Palin ping, write me.

Everytime the Dems attack her I give a dime or two to SarahPac!

[redgirlinabluestate]

The DNC unleashed negative TV ads against Gov. Sanford. Seems they are quite organized and will be hitting all of the governors who are refusing all or part of the stimulus money.

[papasmurf]

Let's not us forget, folks, that Alaska has expenses that are mandated by the Fed's over regulation and control of that State.

As well, many smaller States have a higher amount per capita due the the economy of scale that larger States enjoy.

The Federal Gov't owns 69% of Alaska, the 2nd highest in the Nation, yet the State must support the infrastructure and the people who work for or on those lands. Those lands that are Fed. owned aren't just, or mostly, Desert, like in Nevada, either, they are some of the most protected Natural Resources in our Country, and they are in isolated and very hard to traverse areas.

No other State has such an arraignment or responsibility.

I'm looking at the Earmarks spreadsheet right now. I don't know how they get that Gov. Palin "solicited these earmarks, when they say either President, Murkowski, or Young right on them.

[jla]

Everytime the Dems attack her I give a dime or two to SarahPac!

You must be very wealthy.

Donate to SarahPAC

[SolidWood]

Not anymore... LOL!

[Recovering_Democrat]

POTUS has, for a long long time, been the shorthand for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. (SCOTUS for Superme Court..)

TOTUS=TELEPROMPTER of the UNITED STATES. ‘Cause Hussein doesn’t do anything without his little friend.

[chainsaw]

Because now they can not say that Palin TOOK “Obama’s” money!!

It’s not really Obamas money. It’s the peoples money and why shouldn’t Alaska get back some of the money they paid to the Fed. Gov. in taxes? the dems are morons.

[chainsaw]

What I haven't seen yet is a response by the RNC on fiscal responsibility. Something the democrats haven't shown for years.

Steele had better resign and let someone, that's up for the job, have at it.

[Canedawg]

The libtards went after Sanford, too.

They produced a commerical denouncing his rejection of the dependency money, which i saw on youtube last week.

[euram]

So far Google Alerts has not picked this up, and I don’t think it will. A couple of weeks ago some black guy filed a federal lawsuit over Gov. Palin’s failure to issue a Juneteenth proclaimation in 2007, it was posted on PRNewswire, and Google Alerts never picked up on it, and as far as I know the whole story died. I’ve only seen one blog carry that stupid story. The DNC has most likely thrown its money away.

[American in Israel]

While saying that it is wrong, the asshat who wrote this also says its ok only if you do it more.

You just can't win with liberals. You are damned if you do and double damned if you dont. There is no logic, there is only whine.

Can this Nation survive 4 years of this till the Adults get back in charge to clean their diapers?

[American in Israel]

Not hard to do, when your state has only about 650,000 people in it.

And a large percentage of land mass of the entire rest of the states put together. There is not even a road built yet to the state capitol! DC only has to maintain their roads, not build roads and ten times longer ones than DC is wide just to get there.

As usual, the liberals only play when they can load the dice.

[thackney]

"After soliciting and accepting more federal dollars per capita than any other governor in the union..."

Not hard to do, when your state has only about 650,000 people in it.

And people outside your state keep making huge portions of it non-producing parks & refuges.

[redhead]

" There is not even a road built yet to the state capitol! DC only has to maintain their roads, not build roads and ten times longer ones than DC is wide just to get there. As usual, the liberals only play when they can load the dice."

It wouldn't be easy to build a road to Juneau because of the terrain in the area. It is on a steep, rocky coastline. In front is the Gastineau Channel, part of the Pacific Ocean, behind it the mountains that form the border between Alaska and Canada. Maybe someday...

"And people outside your state keep making huge portions of it non-producing parks & refuges."

Well, it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the Feds/Watermelons doing it, since it is largely uninhabitable and unproductive, anyway. (I always say it would be fun to iron out all the wrinkles and see just how big it REALLY is!) But you make a great point.

[thackney]

It would be nice to take places, like the coast plain of ANWR, and use it for the oil and gas production it was originally designated for when they expanded the refuge under President Carter.

It would bring in some dollars and jobs as well.