Palin Cronies Appointed to High-Paying Government Jobs
The New York Times is reporting today that Gov. Sarah Palin appointed close friends of hers to high-paying government jobs and offered them much higher salaries than they would be entitled to in the private sector. Many of Palin’s political appointees attended Wasilla High School, something which has led observers to note that the school yearbook could serve as a directory of state government.
Let’s look at just a few of Palin’s cronies. Palin appointed Mr. Britney, her former junior high school band mate as her legislative director. Another classmate, Joe Austermann manages the economic development office for $82,908 a year. Palin also hired her former schoolmate, Franci Havemeister to head the State Department of Agriculture. Havemeister previously worked as a real estate agent and cited her childhood love of cows as qualifications to run the agency. Ms. Havemeister earns $95,000 a year as director of the agency. Then there is Talis Colberg. Palin appointed him to be attorney general of the state. Previously, he was an assemblyman for Matanuska-Susitna Borough. If you must know, the largest city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is Wasilla. Colberg’s appointment shocked the Alaska legal community. He had been a complete unknown in the state and lived in a one-room building before his appointment. All of a sudden, he became one of the most powerful officials in the state, supervising over 500 people. Palin also hired Ms. Frye, a 27-year-old, former receptionist to be her special assistant. Lawmakers have named her ‘the babysitter’ because most of her work seems to involve taking care of Palin’s children. Ms. Frye’s annual salary is $68,664.
The article also goes on to question other aspects of Palin’s governing style. Gov. Palin only consults a small inner circle, which includes her husband Todd, and is known to be very secretive. In addition, she has repeatedly used her political power to force out or fire government employees with whom she has had disagreements.
Yes another report on Palin that directly points to her unethical behavior. It is truly amazing to me that each time a newspaper writes yet another story about Palin - regarding things she has done - the Republicans blame the Democrats for attacking her and smearing her.
So far, everything I read (including this article) points to the fact that she, and she alone, is responsible for the unethical behavior. If she was as ethical as she says she is then none of these stories would have been written. Alas, I’m sure the Repubs. will attempt to put a spin on this to make her sound like she’s good for America because she hired “ordinary” people and it wasn’t like she fired anybody to make room for them, etc., etc.
The problem here is you don’t put unqualified people who won’t challenge you into office. The sign of a great person is the one who knows there is diversity and differing opinions and welcomes those things - the sign of a weak person is the one who has to surround themselves with people who will tell you what you want to hear for fear of retribution.
I’m starting to think that her husband doesn’t know his place - he seems to be getting involved when he should be home being a house-husband. Maybe that’s her way of making him feel “involved” - big mistake!
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ivyleaf98 Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 6:15 am
How correct you are!!! Wow, this woman got skeletons..
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Eileen
13 Sep 08 at 11:18 pm
It’s always strange to see our modern age “celebrities” running for office, suddenly having campaign posters and various papers thrust in front of them for an autograph. I’m funny in that I have always been sensitive to that, and note that it suddenly puts the office-seeker in an awkward position - to comply with the request and look like some kind of over-excited and self-loving schlep lost in their own new world, or to risk seeming like a snob in denying the “celebrity” status by turning down the request or developing a policy against it.
Even more sensitive is when someone the public may feel has not yet “earned” their celebrity status, clamors to embrace it by too quickly having Sharpie in hand, ready to sign away. Let me submit the husband of Governor Palin, Mr. Todd Palin, who by viewing any number of video records one learns has no problem in diving into the crowd with his own pen. It smacks of an undeserved modern celebrity status, unless of course they are all following the gospel of Andy Worhol and enjoying their own fifteen minutes to the hilt.
It is just a strangely-managed scene, especially after McCain’s complaints about Obama’s “celebrity.” Am I the only person that thinks this looks strange?
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Wendy Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I would call it desperate.
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Pete Brown
14 Sep 08 at 4:57 am
Politicians who give posts to “loyal friends” instead of talented, qualified applicants are dirty politicians. This is a way for them to keep their power instead of having to prove merit for it.
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Jasmine in Germany
14 Sep 08 at 7:34 am
Hello? This is anything new for the Republican Party? The Bush Administration is loaded with oil executives, and the country’s current energy policy is writte by Exxon. Bush has consistently looked to the the oil industry for advice on foreign policy, energy policy and global warming; the prescription drug industry for advice on the health care crisis, and so on and so forth.
Bush is even willing to gut the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act for his cronies. Anyone who thinks that this dangerous attitude is limited to the current Republican President is dangerously ill informed. These corruptions are all throughout the party, and are now commonly accepted throught the conservative base thanks in large part to great advertising…just like the advertising campaign that has sold so many on the fact that global warming either does not exist or is not our own fault.
Can we get Obama elected? I think so, but we have to cry out, spread the word. Keep trying to initiate intelligent conversations with the conservative base. How can fear of gay rights and abortion rights completely overshadow the positive side of human rights, and bill of rights and the health of our planet and enviroment?
I’mm tell you one thing…whoever is elected will find me and people like me to be a burr under their saddle. I demand open government again, as it was intended to be and I plan to do whatever is in my power to help it happen. I don’t have alot of money, but a big mouth and a little writing skill goes a long way.
In fact, I am considering starting either a website or a blog of my own where all those concerned about the future of this country can talk to each other and exchange information.
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Wendy
14 Sep 08 at 7:49 am
Very scary and worrisome indeed. Sounds worse than Bush in the way she hires cronies and keeps secrets.
It appears her work/life balance of being a mayor and a mother of 5 is successful because she does not show up for work most of the time — plus hiring a personal assistant (paid with public funds) to help with the kids.
And people are all ga ga over her just because she is young, attractive, a woman and “a fresh face”. She is more ruthless than any male politician.
People who fall for her without knowing all the facts about her remind me of people who buy houses without reading all fine prints of the mortgage application and then ending up having their houses foreclosed.
People who vote for McCain-Palin do so at the risk to their own freedoms and the democracy of the US.
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Isabelle
14 Sep 08 at 11:48 am
What a scary person she is. I just hope americans will vote based on truth and not let Rep blind their eyes like they did by putting Bush in the office. By sorrounding yourself with unqualified people, does that make you a reformer. Wake up America
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Wendy Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Am I the only one noticing that there are far fewer liberal-bashers posting on this site in the last week or so (since Palin starting giving interviews, in fact).
I wonder if that’s a sign of
1). They’ve seen the light
2). They’re not worried about us anymore
3). They’re all just watching Fox News to memorize some new sound bites and talking points.
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F.T. Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I think they have a much shorter attention span and, as you said, have returned to Faux News.
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solex
14 Sep 08 at 12:08 pm
This has nothing to do with the posted article, but I want to throw it out there for comment. I’m worried about what may happen if Obama sees a resurgence in the polls.
I’m afraid that the current Administration will either magically produce Osama Bin Laden (by satellite we can see a guy smoking a cigarette on a mountain cave ledge in Afghanistan and tell you if his turban is striped or spotted, but we can’t catch Bin Laden?..GMAB) or cause a major new conflict somewhere in the world (more than likely with Russia) in order to manipulate voter fears and stampede vote to their cause.
You saw it here first.
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lee Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I see your point Wendy, but I’m hopefully that this election has taken full center stage and no matter what the Bush Administration might try and do they wont have enough time for it. Besides it seems Bush has been completely forgotten and we dont want to worry about him or his Rove type schemes.And if Bush did something like that it would only link McCain and Bush together even more.
Obama/Biden 08
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Wendy Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I wouldn’t count anything out. We’re not hearing anything about Bush because the party is not mentioning him, and Obama is not mentioning him enough.
The phrase “the future of our country is at stake” has never held more meaning. The crimes of the current administration (and by definition, the Republican Party) include torture, spying on Americans, unprovoked international aggression, obfuscation, secrecy, retaliatory intimidation of critics and even the deliberate suppression and even discrediting of scientific data about Global Warming. They angrily defend their complete emasculation of the legislative and judicial branches of our government, our bill of rights, the Clean Air Act, the Kyoto Treaty and the Endangered Species Act (just to name a few) in the name of corporate profits and win-at-all-costs partisan politics.
Open government, accountability and rational debate is frighteningly absent. It‘s been replaced with a sophisticated one-way propaganda campaign designed to raise voter fears about Barack Obama and about terrorist attacks. The terms “liberal media“ (most of whom are owned by corporate conglomerates backing the Republican Party), “angry left” and “Socialist Welfare State” are some of the most often used catch phrases of that propaganda.
This is far bigger than just George Bush and Karl Rove. The Republican Party’s plan of continuing manipulation of power includes getting John McCain elected as President. It worked for Bush Sr. when he manipulated the Iran hostage crisis to get Reagan elected….it could very easily happen again.
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Wendy Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Bush is the end of it. The Republican party’s agenda is far reaching and deep rooted. Just because chimpy will be out of the WH does not mean that they will not continue to work toward their goal of amassing total power over citizens, the legislature and the judiciary. They almost had it…until the 2006 elections. Our country’s future is in the balance.
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Wendy
14 Sep 08 at 2:42 pm
The hypocrisy of our democracy is on display for the entire world to see and the world is LAUGHING at us because the true face of the US electorate is appalling. We need to look in a big mirror and ask ourselves how any of this is possible. Is Sarah Palin our collective PUNISHMENT from the Republicans for not having Hillary? We are through the looking glass.
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Wendy Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
“The essential principles of our Government are the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. Should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety” - Thomas Jefferson
“But faith, fanatic faith, once wedded fast to some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last” - Thomas Jefferson
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ssk9
14 Sep 08 at 6:43 pm
The framers of the Constitution did not consider those things that did not exist - lobbyists, BIG government for a BIG country, PACs, etc. These are the things we need to start with and if you look at the root of each one of these you’ll find it is high-dollar corporations. I, for one, do not want my company running the show in D.C. but they are so powerful that they are able to control who does and does not get into office (for the most part). Somehow we need to force that a line be drawn and keep them out of politics and get democracy back “for the people”.
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Wendy Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Two-way conversations between government and the citizenry have fallen away with the advent of radio and television and the decline of the written word. Advertising takes the place of open communication.
The internet continues to play a role in the re-emergence of two-way communication and the exchange of ideas. It’s very nature forces reading and writing to take the place of mindless entertainment disguised as legitimate information.
When news commentators use polls AND blogs to gauge public opinion, it gives me hope that the public can reconnect with their government.
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Eileen
15 Sep 08 at 7:38 am
This is just a clear example of judgement or lack thereof. I think the Palin first poor decision was even accepting post haste the vice presidency as a possibility. She never considered the welfare of her family and knows full well she is not capable of leading our country. If someone offers you a job of this magnitude and your credentials are nowhere near the range necessary, insight and country first should prevail. McCain has some sort of animosity for his country, as a true leader would have chosen someone ready to be president and also not make our election process the laughing stock of the world. Would Palin choose her basketball teammates to be in her cabinet, maybe make her husband Secretary of State. Are we in Oz yet?
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Wendy Reply:
September 17th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Scariest of all…watch then together and tell me if I’m wrong……..they really don’t seem to have an easygoing comfortable relationship. He ALWAYS stands behind her, with an uncomfortable little smile and a clap or two…when they hug, she keeps her distance. They really NEVER are seen talking to each other, or even smiling at each other.
I think even McCain is uncomfortable with her and it’s starting to show. How on earth would they ever work together?
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susan s
17 Sep 08 at 3:38 pm
The trouble with our schools is ciriculum. instead of Greek myths, and dinosaurs. we need to teach our kids how to spot a bull%%%*&$$ and science lots of it. I wounder if china teaches 10 years of greek myth ect
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will
18 Sep 08 at 10:29 am
McCain is a very angry man.Does he suffer from PTSD
due to his war/prison mistreatment?
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nettie
22 Sep 08 at 3:24 pm
I think Governor Palin is very wise to appoint people she trusts to her administration. If you bring in people you din’t know they could be running a different agenda. They could be out to get you, stab you in the back and leak important information to your political enemies. You whingers on this forum obviously have never run a political office before otherwise you would know all this. You will notice Obama has also picked his friends to run his admin. Some of them are tax cheats but probably they would be loyal to Obama. Loyalty is top importance in a political organisation.
Look how Kathleen Wallace leaked lies about Palin and set her up in a bad interview with Couric. Disloyal aides can cause you a lot of trouble.
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Liz Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more
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Oliva
9 Feb 09 at 4:05 am