Palin Portrait from Wasilla

This email posted on Crosscut Seattle provides a view of Sarah Palin's career in Wasilla, Alaska and more information on the potential veep than has probably appeared in the papers since McCain surprised the nation with his choice.

Palin's fiscal approach as mayor will sound eerily familiar to those who have followed the Bush Administration's fiscal policy:

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her six years as mayor, she increased general government expenditures by more than 33 percent. During those same six years, the amount of taxes collected by the city increased by 38 percent. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax, which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefitted large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenue during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list, though — borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt but left it with indebtedness of more than $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? Or a new library? No. $1 million for a park. $15 million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex, which she rushed through, on a piece of property that the city didn't even have clear title to. That was still in litigation seven years later — to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5 million for road projects that could have been done in five to seven years without any borrowing.

I wonder if Red Maryland, which has been so vocally critical of Gov. O'Malley's tax record, thinks highly of this approach. I wouldn't be so fast to give Palin kudos for balancing Alaska's budget as the State essentially floats on an oil largess unavailable to other states.

The writer on Crosscut also provides a critique of Palin's claim to hate earmarks, including the Bridge to Nowhere, as well as more information on past ethics problems facing the Republican veep nominee. Read the whole thing for yourself.