God sometimes gives us unexpected gifts. Our gift has been a grandson who enlivens our lives and makes retirement very different than the one we anticipated. He is a special joy. And that's "Casey." In 2006 we fulfilled our dream of living in Italy for a year. It was every bit as wonderful as anticipated. This blog begins in 2005 as we prepared for that experience. Since then we have explored many places together. That's the "Travel." And finally, I am a person of opinions--spiritually, politically, on just about anything and that's the "Other Stuff." Welcome to my blog.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Sarah--Part 2

Honesty, integrity and forthrightness should be the mark of a born-again Christian. Anything else belies that belief and negates the testimony of proclaiming Christ as Savior. And this is why I am opposed to the candidacy of Ms. Palin. In her life, ambition appears to have triumphed over faith and virtue.

MAYORAL FACTS
  • Wasilla had zero debt when Sarah became mayor. It had a $22 million debt when she left office 6 years later.
  • During her tenure, government spending increased by 33%.
  • She reduced the progressive property tax and increased the regressive sales tax, including tax on food. This effectively lowered taxes for businesses and increasing taxes for residents.
  • The property tax cuts benefited large corporate property owners to a greater degree than they benefited residents.
  • Tax increases were used to build a sports complex rather than being applied to infrastructure needs such as a sewage treatment plant or a storm drainage system.
  • She attempted to fire the city librarian who had not supported her in the election after the librarian would not agree to book censorship in the library. Note: The list that is circulating claiming to be the titles she attempted to ban is not true.
  • She fired the police chief who had not supported her in the election. She claimed he "intimidated" her.
  • She brought "big box" stores to Wasilla in opposition to environmental, ecological concerns and concern for the demise of "mom and pop" stores.
  • Contrary to her current decrying of the evil of lobbyist, she hired a private lobbying firm to secure earmarks for Wasilla, bringing in millions of dollars to this small town.

GUBERNATORIAL FACTS
  • Rather than applying the windfall from the high price of oil to investment in technologies leading to energy independence, etc, Sarah gave each Alaskan resident a several hundred dollar bonus check for being Alaskan--sort of using monies gleaned from the other 49 to enrich pockets of her constituency rather than the cause of alternative energies or to protect the environment and lands of her state.
  • She opposed the "Bridge to Nowhere" only after it had already become a dead issue. Before that she had supported it. She kept the federal pork money allocated for the project.
  • She favors and advocates drilling in the ANWR--Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
  • She is part of the lawsuit against the Department of Interior's inclusion of polar bears on the threatened species list. Protecting the bears would interfere with oil drilling.
  • She is pro off-shore drilling.
  • She has sought and obtained more per person earmark funds (pork) than any other state in the union. This year what she has asked for equals a little under $300 per person. The average for the other states in $34 per person. More

GENERAL INFORMATION
  • She is an NRA supporater--opposed to gun control.
  • She has demonstrated no pro-labor, pro-union sympathies in spite of the smoke screen about the "first dude's" union membership.
  • She is opposed to sex education other than abstinence.
  • She is opposed to environmental protection measures.
  • She has sacrificed her 17 year old daughter's privacy and exposed her to the world.
  • She is forcing a marriage between children. Seventeen and eighteen year olds are not of an age to define their lives by a mistake. Statistics are profoundly poor for teen age marriage survival.
  • She would require a child victim of incestuous rape to carry the baby to term, inured to the physical and mental damage this would cause the girl. The girl would be twice a victim.
  • Sarah claims to be a born-again Christian which implicitly requires an ethics and moral code demanding truth and honesty as well as honorable values. Her denigrating remarks insulting the value of community service and volunteer efforts to respond to needs of people are not honorable. We, as a nation, value and promote this type of service--witness the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and the fact that community service is often a requirement for high school graduation. I know of no one else, regardless of political affiliation, that finds the desire to serve and change lives something to make fun of or to be laughable. Personally, I found this to be the lowest point of her speech and the point that defined her character.
  • The blatant disrespect shown to her party's opponents misrepresents Christianity. Her twisting of truths and the selling of herself and her values for the sake of garnering a laugh bring into question her priorities--ambition or faith? This particularly upsets me as, I, too, am a born-again Christian.
I am certain that more and more will surface to indicate that Sarah is not what McCain would like us to believe. But, then, that won't be a surprise. He did not take the time to find out for himself before placing her a heartbeat away from the post of president of the United States of America. McCain's ambition has overtaken his honor.

Links to other posts: Diana Diana Again

Post Script: I do not mean to or knowingly present inaccuracies. If there is proof that anything said here is wrong, please say so and it will be corrected. If you are interested, this is a good link for checking out rumors on all sides Fact Check

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yikes, she just keeps getting worse, the more I read. (I almost want to move to the States just so I can vote against her!)

Unknown said...

Jane, what a superb summary! I hope the Democrats are able to "get it together" as you have, and to show Palin as she really is. Thank you, thank you, thank you, my friend!

Texas Espresso said...

I am with you my friend. didn't I also hear she would not be questioned much by the press until she was "comfortable". surely this is a bad rumor. are you kidding - the election is 2 months away and you want to be "comfortable". I am a Christian and liberal as I believe you have a right to live the life you want even if I don't agree with it or think its immoral. I think God should be the final judgement in what I consider cloudy issues.

I also found her speech very distasteful in regards to Obama - not because i just love him, but because I found it petty and absolutely beneath someone who could have a say in our government. It scares me to think how people just love her - my own mom even. don't people see??

I don't mind sarcasm in the form of humor but not how she spouted it. the hypocrisy of most politicians, and BOTH parties I might add, really turns my stomach. I'm not sure either party really cares to do what's best for the American people but I think we have at least a better chance with the Democrats. We have a bad enough reputation as it is, don't need anymore bullheaded-not willing to see both sides or change an action even when you know its wrong -personalities. UGH so frustrating.

Diana Strinati Baur said...

Amen.
Amen
A-Amen, amen, amen.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for continuing this, Jane. With time zone and slow connection I am really behind on the details.

I still feel demoralized that someone of the status required to run for President would foist this toothy twerp on us.

Anonymous said...

Jane, here's some articles you may find interesting: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html

Here's the home page: http://www.factcheck.org/ - just some stuff on the entire library issue in the first link.

Jane said...

Hi All, I think I have found a new focus for a while. Each night I become more upset. Now S and J are claiming to be the party of family values--what about Joe Biden who has trained home every night to be with his kids? What about Obama's delightful family?

And now the worst, dirtiest, lowest political commercial of all time!

Kim, thanks for those links. I have been using them to check out rumors as I really do not want to dilute what I say with points that can be disproved. But...I am quite willing to change a statement if it can be proven incorrect. What I have said about the library issue is consistent with what that website has reported except it does not include the fact that Sarah attempted to fire the librarian and that community pressure stopped that from happening.

Valerie said...

Jane, good job! It is so frightening that this insulting person could end up being president. I say that people who bear the name "Christian" and then behave like this are taking the name of the Lord in vain.
What is scarier is that a lot of people will vote for her. I don't get it.

Kathy Wood said...

Jane, I have just now seen this and want to thank you for taking a public stand on the Palin candidacy.

I couldn't agree more--

Kathy

Anonymous said...

The saddest part of all of this is the diversion of public attention it has created.

Instead of the candidates (and the media) addressing our crises and important issues of the day, they are pointing fingers, name-calling, questioning judgment calls, and demeaning all of us.

What happened to the war? The economical precipice of a disaster that we are all living on the edge of? The lack of health care for all Americans?

Let's hope that the Democrats and Republicans can begin to address the real issues of the day, and then maybe each candidates' real qualifications will become apparent.

Jane, thank you for these two posts, and a wonderful conversation.

Anonymous said...

Love this, Jane. I feel just sick over the campaign in this new turn of new events... adding Palin to the ticket, the lies which accompany that, the pettiness, especially this whole lipstick controversy during a time when REAL problems exist in our country, and especially the lack of integrity.

I'm scared, too. I don't understand the priorities of many people in this country. Like you, I am getting more and more upset every day. Our country is falling apart but yet J & S try to divert attention away from that by focusing on "family values" and alleged sexism. UGH!!!!

Anonymous said...

Excellent, Excellent post. Thanks for part 2 and the great summary.

Jane said...

Marta, da nada.