Palin Loves Spending Taxpayer $$$

Let's look at her record.

As mayor of Wasilla:

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6
years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over
33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. 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 benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues 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 over $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. $1m for a park. $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! 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 $5.5m for road projects that
could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office
redecorated more than once.

As governor of Alaska:

She pursued and got more federal taxpayer earmark money per person for Alaska than was received by any other state. Remember the oft-repeated line that "I told Congress thanks, but no thanks, for the bridge to nowhere." The facts are that Congress told her that she could not build a bridge with that money, but that Alaska could have the money anyway. She took the money. So much for "no thanks." So much for saving money through resolute action. She took no action to prevent that money from coming to her state, despite the growing numbers of times she asserts that she did.

Alaska pays state workers traveling on state business a per day allowance for expenses. Since Gov. Palin took office in 2006, she has billed the state about $17,000 for over 300 days of travel per diem while staying at her home, rather than at the state capital in Juneau.

She pursued and got earmarked federal funds to study crab and seal genetics, although she and John McCain now ridicule genetic studies of bears in Montana as a ridiculous example of federal waste.

Her record is pretty short, but it is clear.