See blog entry #2 here: www.boston.com
"ABOUT SARAH PALIN
"I have known Sarah since 1992. . . . It is . . . almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit. . . . During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
"During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased . . . expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years . . . taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. . . . She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
"She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! . . . While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
"She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them. . . . People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
"Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal--loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda
"She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her. . . . The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative. . . . Around Wasilla . . . call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. . . . (T)here's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
"CLAIM VS FACT . . . *"Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000. . . . *gutsy: absolutely! *open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions. *"a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR. . . . *pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents *pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history."
