Va. Dems Attack Palin on Criticism of D.C. Suburbs (Struck dogs yelp)

The Hill ^ | Tuesday, September 6, 2011 | Justin Sink

[kristinn]

Virginia Democrats are using part of Sarah Palin's weekend speech — in which the former governor of Alaska criticized the D.C. area and its "permanent political class" as unsympathetic to the country's economic woes — to attack Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and GOP Senate candidate George Allen.

“Her ridiculous comments about Northern Virginia are just further proof of what people already know: Sarah Palin doesn't understand what Virginia families are going through, and she doesn't care," said Virginia Democratic spokesman Brian Coy. "It shouldn't be difficult for any Virginian to condemn her absurd rhetoric, particularly for people like George Allen and Bob McDonnell, both of whom have lived in Northern Virginia and have spent much of their lives in Virginia politics.”

In her speech, Palin argued that those in favor of shrinking the size and scope of government would need to battle entrenched forces in the D.C. metro area that were unsympathetic to the recession.

"They don't feel the same urgency that we do," Palin said. "But why should they? For them, business is good. Business is very good. Seven of the 10 wealthiest suburbs are suburbs of Washington, D.C."

[samtheman]

Seven of the 10 wealthiest suburbs are suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Are Va Dems claiming to have fact-checked this statement and found it to be untrue?

[OldNavyVet]

Seven of the 10 wealthiest suburbs are suburbs of Washington, D.C.

All those "US" dollars being printed 24/7 have to go somewhere.

[John S Mosby]

Thanks for posting this.

There is Virginia and then there is the area of VA around DC limits and the beltway bandits therein. These are not the same constituencies as seen in state elections. VA would do well to move to expand the area of DC into Manassas and Fairfax and Reston, etc.

[samtheman]

yup

[Carling]

I'm just not a big fan of Sarah Palin’s variation of the class warfare blame game that Obama plays every day.

I don't see how she can run as anti-GOP establishment when just 3 years ago she agreed to be the lackey/VP for Mr. GOP Establishment himself, Juan McLame. If she is genuine in making this transformation, then she would be best to try and start her own political party, because she was a big part of the GOP establishment in 2008. Plus, if she does run for President, she going to need ground support and fundraising from the same “establishment” that she now demonizes.

[Meet the New Boss]

Government employees and dependents and businesses dependent on them have grown so powerful that they are in a position of being able to loot the rest of America in order to provide for themselves, as the rest of America withers away.

Bless Sarah for telling the truth about this.

[Lazlo in PA]

Palin is dead on calling this area out. The fact that this is all the Rats can whine about in her speech shows they are in trouble. Good luck defending these over payed Gov’t employees to a country at 9+% unemployment. Here are 2010 stats on the richest suburbs of DC.

1. County: Loudoun County, Va.

Population: 277,433
Median Household Income: $110,643.00
Percent of Residents 25 or Older with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 58

2. County: Fairfax County, Va.

Population: 1,005,980
Median Household Income: $106,785.00
Percent of Residents 25 or Older with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 60

3. County: Howard County, Md.

Population: 272,412
Median Household Income: $101,710.00
Percent of Residents 25 or Older with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 60

[Venturer]

LMAO Have we heard from Moran the Moron yet?

Praise from a Democrat suck butt like Brian Coy should be shunned.McDonnell and Allen should both shun it.

Certainly Virginia and Maryland are suffering from the recession, but not near as bad as some other states, because of the amount of Government jobs in both states.Trying to make sour grapes of the truth is the job of Democrats and they are good at it.

Remembner this attack comes from Democrats who cannot stand the truth.

[cicero2k]

If I owned real estate in the DC area, I’d think about selling. Things will be changing there soon.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Aren’t you late for a Perrywinkle thread?

[9YearLurker]

There are all sorts of measures that could get different results, but here’s the report that I’m sure Palin was referencing:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/7-of-10-richest-counties-in-dc.html

[samtheman]

Looks pretty cut’n’dried to me.

[Jess79]

I'm just not a big fan of Sarah Palin’s variation of the class warfare blame game that Obama plays every day.

You're not a big fan of Sarah Palin - period. Nothing else needs to be said.

[cripplecreek]

I agree with Sarah Palin.

Why are these suburbs so wealthy?

[Carling]

I guess I don’t see how insulting northern Virginia when the GOP has made gains there in recent years helps anybody in the conservative movement.

It’s pure demonizing. Is it deserved? Perhaps. Does that mean it isn’t a variation of class warfare? Nope.

[mo]

“Why are these suburbs so wealthy?”

Because until the New Deal..and the Great Society...DC was little more than a sleepy southern town...think Richmond...all that regulation and enforcement and taxation has to originate from somewhere and go somewhere.

IMHO..Palin should move the White House to the Heartland....St. Louis perhaps?..and Congress should meet electronically from their districts.

[toddausauras]

Why start a new party when she can co-opt the more powerful existing one?

[Argus]

If the class in question is the Permanent Governing Class, then as far as I can see it’s already at war with us.

[cripplecreek]

I think congressmen should be sequestered within their districts.

[jivin gene]

“It’s pure demonizing.”

Hey, Carling - you need to get a life. The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!

[ROTB]

I’m just not a big fan of Sarah Palin’s variation of the class warfare blame game that Obama plays every day.

You’re not a big fan of Sarah Palin - period. Nothing else needs to be said.

***

Class warfare nothing. It’s about who’s at the government teat getting an easy ride at the expense of everyone else, and who ain’t.

[SamAdams76]

If the shoe fits...

[cripplecreek]

I think its a legitimate question to ask.

What product is being produced that is producing the wealth?

Stossel actually brings that question home when he speaks about Microsoft. Before being dragged into congressional investigations and harassment, they didn’t spend a dime on lobbyists. Today they spend $100 million on lobbyists every year. There’s something really filthy about that.

[tanknetter]

Palin is dead on calling this area out. The fact that this is all the Rats can whine about in her speech shows they are in trouble. Good luck defending these over payed Gov’t employees to a country at 9+% unemployment. Here are 2010 stats on the richest suburbs of DC.

Sort of. But in doing so she's completely oversimplifying the economic drivers of the DC area (which I've lived and worked in for 20+ years).

Direct government $$$ flow into the local economies provides stability, security and cushioning in bad economic ties. But it doesn't create the kind of over-the-top wealth that Palin seems to be criticizing. Government money should be seen as a solid economic anchor and floor/foundation for the region.

The $$$ that pushes the local economies up to levels not seen elsewhere comes from the "new economy" industries that have grown up in the area. Specifically biotech in Maryland and information technology in NoVA. Nationally, biotech - anything health care related, actually - is very much a growth industry, and IT, although having cooled from the dot-com hayday, is still a very strong industry.

ANY area that has significant players in these two industries is going to be doing well. Consider that a "flyover" state like Kentucky is having its economy bolstered significantly by the success of it's locally-based health industry companies, like Humana. Then look at the economic "stimulus" that successful IT companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft pump into their bases in Washington State and California.

Then, on top of the new economy $$$, you have the "old money" pockets in the area (like out in VA's "horse country" - Loudoun/Middleburg) that continue to drive not insignificant economic growth.

So, in reading this, I tend to agree with the posting above that Palin is going a bit over the top in her class-warfare rhetoric. It's got a smidgeon of truth, and plays well to the masses, but lacks a lot of accuracy and doesn't stand up well under detailed scrutiny.

[lonestar67]

DC suburbs are the only part of America that did not suffer from the democrat created recession. Housing prices and salaries rose. The recession was an economic boom. The 6 trillion stolen from the homes of average Americans leveraged a massive infusion of wealth to the federal middlemen mediating the carefully crafted crisis.

[Jess79]

Did you actually see the speech? I’m pretty sure Sarah never said the word Virginia. The CONTEXT in which she made her comments about 7 of 10 of the richest districts being suburbs of DC was to point out the the permanent political class of both parties talk endlessly about problems in DC but never do anything about them because they are too busy protecting each other and the empire they have built (to the detriment of the rest of us). If you want to view her calling them out negatively, go for it.

[kristinn]

And their proximity to NIH and the Pentagon is strictly coincidental, right?

[Carling]

Texas also experienced both growth and rising home prices.

Plus, I’m not saying it isn’t true, but it is a variation class warfare. Obama is an expert at it, and I don’t like seeing Sarah Palin take this easy way out for applause lines. What is her solution to the problem she raises in her speeches?

[cripplecreek]

In a real sense its the home of our permanent unelected government.

I’d love to find a searchable database to find where people like Jamie Gorelick, Sandy Burger, and other notables live.

[wac3rd]

I grew up in Fairfax and have many relatives and friends from back there and yes, their businesses have grown stronger, restaurants open, cars are flying off the lots and real estate agents are seeing multiple bids over asking for areas with good schools.

Government workers have grown in number and in pay...and their retirements allow most of them to remain in their homes for 10-20 years before truly downsizing into an apartment or nursing home/assisted living facility.

Wasting $5 trillion in borrowed money has to end up somewhere, and typcially Montgomery, PG, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and the District end up the happy recipients of North Dakota’s or Mississippi’s portion of the national debt.

[nuvista]

I respect your opinion and vantage point. But you seem to have conveniently ignored the unprecedented (The One’s favorite word, no?) expansion of the Federal leviathan that has occurred over the last 3 years. Record expansions in all Fed depts (except the military, of course). Record expansions in salaries. Even in limousines, for Pete’s sake!
This is more than the “baseline floor” you referred to. The explosion in #s of federal employees, their increased salaries and their prime benefit packages all affect the regional economy (they spend their $ somewhere).
Palin, IMHO, was only trying to point out that the feds, via expropriating $ from the rest of us as well as printing more $ when that runs out, have created a personal environment for themselves that is in stark contrast to most of the rest of the country. And, yes, one can find pockets of growth in other areas around certain industries. But those folks aren’t making policy for us. When the policy makers create an environment for themselves that is significantly more lucrative than that of their “subjects”, one can rightfully argue that they might be a bit removed from the reality that their policies are creating.
I believe it’s a valid argument and is NOT, as you branded it, “class warfare”. She never said they are evil for making a great living. Her point was they are detached from what is going on outside their local world and also that - by expanding the leviathan - their policies are, in part, formulated to perpetuate their very comfortable situations. I don’t believe that one can argue that there is a “permanent political class” that always seems to take care of themselves but frequently is tone-deaf to the rest of us.

[OldMissileer]

Stafford County

Population: 120,219 (2008)
Median Household Income: $90,586 (2011, 15th in the nation)
Percent of Residents 25 or Older with Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 36%

[OldPossum]

Why are these suburbs so wealthy?

Did you notice the educational level?

Of course, it's not only that; these counties are populated by high-level government employees and the infamous Beltway Bandits (those in the private sector who have lucrative government contracts).

[SaraJohnson]

I lived in the DC area as a kid. It is true that recessions don’t touch DC. They are government workers and special interest workers, government contractors (especially defense) and their dough rolls in no matter what “fly over country” is going through. They have steady a base of wealth.

This is why our elected officials lose contact with the rest of the country so fast. Nothing makes sense to them at home while they live in a permanent state of economic comfort - at fly over’s expense.

[SaraJohnson]

I agree. She was up the Lead Lacky’s you know what in the last election, too. She’s a slick talker.

She also went for McLame’s/Gore’s global warming agenda, too. That was before she denounced the Supremes for striking down “hate speech” laws when those laws were directed at banning the speech she hates - the anti-war freaks protesting at funerals. She does not have the sense to understand that the Left would use a decision like that to ban the hate speech they hate... Or maybe she does.

She’s either stupid or a socialist, in my opinion.

[tanknetter]

And their proximity to NIH and the Pentagon is strictly coincidental, right?

Biotech, sure. But I think we'd all be hard pressed to justify NOT having a significant private-sector biotech presence in close proximity to NIH. The synergies in research and development make such highly desirable. Just because proximity to the government provides the seed for successful growth, doesn't mean that the growth is being accomplished off of the public teat.

As to IT in NoVA, we really need to thank the Conservative, Reaganesque, pro-growth policies of Governors Allen (R) and Gilmore (R) that provided tax and other incentives that resulted in NoVA (and particularly the Dulles Corridor) earning the nickname "Silicon Valley of the East". These are the exact kinds of policies that Conservatives have been championing for DECADES now, and if anything Palin should be pointing to them as great examples of how Conservative economic-growth policies successfully work.

[jla]

In defense of Mrs Palin it is obvious that she does not 'play the class warfare game'.
In her emphasis on DC suburbs she was referring to those areas occupied not by John and Jane Doe but rather by Senators, Congressmen, high level White House staff, lobbyists, etc etc.
I reside in the ol' Dominion I took no offense whatsoever at her words. Actually I concurred with the lady.

[tanknetter]

I respect your opinion and vantage point. But you seem to have conveniently ignored the unprecedented (The One’s favorite word, no?) expansion of the Federal leviathan that has occurred over the last 3 years. Record expansions in all Fed depts (except the military, of course). Record expansions in salaries. Even in limousines, for Pete’s sake! This is more than the “baseline floor” you referred to. The explosion in #s of federal employees, their increased salaries and their prime benefit packages all affect the regional economy (they spend their $ somewhere).

The question then for me is, where is the "record expansion" of the Federal workforce really taking place?

For instance TSA, an agency that didn't exist 10 years ago, has about 50,000 screeners that (mostly) weren't Federal employees 10 years ago.

Now, we can discuss (and, I assume, agree on) the problems with TSA as a separate issue. But in terms of how the growth of the Federal government has enhanced the economy o the DC region it's hard to make a case that TSA's growth really played a role ... because the vast majority of those screeners aren't deployed to the three DC-area airports.

Can the same be said, therefore of the other areas (ICE, CBP, FBI) where the Federal government has experienced record growth? My guess is that it could, and we'd find that a heck of a lot of the growth is happening in various agency/dept field offices outside the DC area.

[lonestar67]

Home prices declined everywhere except DC— including Texas.

Study of a variety of indicators shows a shocking acceleration of affluence in DC SINCE 2008.

It makes perfect sense for everyone in DC to say the stimulus has worked flawlessly. The harsh recession has been a beautiful economic bounty for the dc area.

I can’t really fathom how this is some insult to Virginia. The polar reality of this brazen theft is apparent even in that state. The explosion of blue suburbs around d.c. Was thought to have permanently insulated the democratic establishment of the state. The larger rural sections of Virginia dismissed like so many other flyover Neanderthals rose up in a revolt. The blue suburbs were caught flat footed and overwhelmed.

[Friendofgeorge]

I do not believe she will need or want money from GOP Establishment

[lonestar67]

What does palin suggest?

1. Drill baby drill. Extracting natural gas coal and oil could broadly increase national wealth and reduce funding for terrorism. Why can we not do this? Oh the USFG says it’s illegal.

2. Reduce taxes. The USFG is stealing huge sums of money. Fannie Mae & Mac stole huge sums playing this mortgage market. This happened when congressional dems deregulated the entities. Changing the senate would be a huge help.

3. Stop the democratic party everywhere.

[Carling]

Perhaps not money, but support at the local level? You can betcha that she’ll need it to win over Obama states. Again, if her idea is to run as some anti-establishment Maverick, she needs to do it as an independent. She was the VP lackey for our last so-called “Maverick”, Juan McLame.

[nuvista]

Quick google search of “expansion of federal government under Obama” yields tons of data and examples.
Wash Examiner editorial from July 2011 summed it up nicely. O’s added > 100,000 fed jobs since being immaculated. Avg fed job salary is well over $100K, nearly 2X avg private sector salary.
TSA was functioning and populated prior to O.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/obama-pro-growth-government

[CharlesWayneCT]

I live in one of those wealthy suburbs of DC, and we have a lot of good conservatives here. Robert Duvall lives fairly nearby. Mark Levin is in the area. Ken Cuccinelli used to be a senator from this area, and my state representative is the guy who authored our Marriage Amendment.

But I didn’t take Sarah Palin’s speech as a slap at us. I understand political rhetoric. It’s hilarious that after the Hoffa speech, a democrat would dare to complain about people not apoligizing for someone else’s speech.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Our home prices in the DC area dropped in half. Maybe there were places in DC itself that didn’t drop as much, but the Virginia counties around DC were crushed by the real estate bubble like everybody else.

I’m not complaining, the feds provide a steady source of labor. On the other hand, compare Maryland and Virginia, and you’ll see that what makes Virginia great isn’t just proximity to DC, but also our conservative leadership and Virginia values. (Even when we have a democrat in charge, they govern in a more fiscally conservative manner than some liberal republicans from the north).

I don’t work for the government, but I do benefit from being in an area where others do.