Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shocked many in the state when she called into a local radio talk show on Wednesday morning, and seemingly endorsed independent Gov. Bill Walker, took swipes at current Gov. Sean Parnell and called those who supported the current oil tax regime “crony capitalists.”
Parnell was Palin’s lieutenant governor and took over for her after she quit her job in 2009. He then was elected in 2010 and is currently running for reelection. One of his biggest victories since being governor was to change the oil tax structure, termed ACES that Palin fought hard for and enacted in 2007 on the heels of a federal corruption scandal involving oil field services contractor VECO and state legislators.
Palin appears to say on the Bob & Mark show, which has long supported Palin, that the reason Parnell changed the tax structure was because of his ties to the oil industry, including his former job as a lobbyist for ConocoPhillips.
“Bless his heart. Remember that Sean Parnell came from the oil industry…lobbying for the cause there. Perhaps that’s ingrained in him,” Palin said. (Listen to the full interview here.)
The tax structure enacted by Palin included a steep windfall tax, and bulged state coffers as oil prices rose in the last few years. The new tax regime, which is highly supported by the oil industry, takes less on the high side but is said to protect the state as prices drop.
A measure to repeal the tax will appear on the August primary ballot. The oil companies have spent more than $8 million so far fighting against the repeal effort, which is supported by Walker and by many in the Democratic Party.
Palin said that those who don’t support the repeal are “buying into the highly funded PR campaign” waged by the oil industry.
“People need to remember what crony capitalism is all about.” She also said that there are still “remnants” of the “Corrupt Bastards Club” in the state, referring to the words on some pro-oil legislators’ baseball caps, which were designed as a joke.
Bob and Mark asked Palin if she could, would she go back in time and choose a lieutenant governor other than Parnell. Instead of answering directly, Palin changed the subject and praised Walker. She said that he’s “absolutely spot on,” and that he has the “thumb on the pulse of most Alaskans.”
She also said that Alaska needs a governor who is a fighter.
Is that Parnell? they asked. She laughed and said, “I want to make sure we’re tuned into all the debates to find out who that fighter is.”
It’s been years since Palin has weighed in on state issues. However, she said that she’s happy to do so, indicating that this isn’t the last time that the state will hear from her between now and the election.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
What? “Many Alaskans” listen to Bob and Mark? I though “many Alaskans” realized that these two deliberately aim their entertainment at the lowest common denominator and laugh all the way to the bank.
Sarah Palin is right . She should have spoke up sooner . Parnell is a stooge.
Because you only sanction a project when there are gas sale contracts in place that are the used to to finance the state’s share. Unlike Walker’s plan the state will be sharing about 1/5 of the costs w the other participants. Moreover the only way to get a project sanctioned is by doing feasibility studies to obtain cost estimates which cost billions to obtain. Again the benefit of Ak LNG is that we are sharing these costs w 4 other parties. I could be wrong but it sounds like Walker wants to jump over feasibility and sanction a project without knowing the costs, permitting requirements, mitigation measures, project engineering, gas treatment, gas specifications for the pipeline, etc etc. apparently walker thinks the project has been studied enough and we can simply skip this process and hope the project costs are manageable.
Parnell has already set the stage for fiscal collapse in this state. Parnell spent the money by not enforcing fiscal discipline on the legislature which is populated by many of his fellow “fiscal conservatives”. Parnell is responsible for this fiscal crisis because he is empowered with the line item veto by the state constitution.
Now I doubt if the any pipe line project requiring state funding will be affordable so Walkers plan will remain just a plan. Yet you would have me believe that we can now afford participation the AKLNG project any more than we could afford Walker’s idea? Look at the amounts of unrestricted general fund revenues the AKLNG will require especially after Final Investment Decision. You tell me how we can afford those costs given declining projected state revenues especially while we now are in deficit spending (brought to you by guess who).
The Bob and Mark Show is just a joke–Palins decide who they interview and it is almost always a phone call from Sarah or her Dad or Brother or Bristol or someone who Palins have invited up to Alaska to give Sarah more self promotion. Pot calling the kettle black–this week alone she has made comments about hoping Hillary Clinton wakes up now that Chelsea is pregnant and takes a stand against abortion. Then there were her ridiculous comments about water boarding being the Christians way of baptizing terrorists. This was a slam against John McCain and his opinions regarding torture; and was a slam against Christian leaders and their beliefs about baptism. Now she is claiming to be an expert about the oil industry (through cronyism she served less than one year as the lay member on the Board of Oil and Energy — and quit before her term was up). Seems like she is carrying a grudge against Sean Parnell, who had to clean up her mess when she quit mid-term as Alaska’s Governor. She can brag in her books and on the talk shows about what an expert she is when it comes to understanding oil and energy–but this is the Bimbo who doesn’t believe in climate changes and she put no funds into the proper repair and maintenance of the Pipeline. Governor Palin spent a lot of State money promoting herself; billing the State for extravagant travel expenses for herself and her family–believing in her own mind that she was a member of the Royal Family and should be treated accordingly. Alaskans are very happy that she has moved on to her mansion in Arizona but wonder why she still signs up for Government money for filming in Alaska and is first in line for applying for the oil money checks for each person in her family. Sarah Palin gets a lot of attention for biting the hand of the people who have helped her get rich and powerful–but she gets no respect when they call her the pitbull in lipstick or Sarah Barracuda. Both of these names are words to show scorn and lack of any respect for how she always places herself #1 in terms of importance.
And yet Walker wants to have the state kick Exxon, BP, and CP to the curb and build a $45 billion pipeline on its own. What do you think that will do to the state’s finances?
I felt like you did when Parnell assumed power. Now almost five years later I certainly don’t feel that way. Alaska Government cannot run on promises of yet another mega project and slogans.
Despite Sean Parnell knowing we depend on non-renewable resources for revenue, and his having line item veto power over state budget expenditures he simply allowed too much money to be spent from a revenue stream that cannot be sustained because we directly spent the earnings from oil not the revenue from those oil earings. . Now we (more specifically our children) are in very serious fiscal trouble and another four years of the status quo is not acceptable.
Gubernatorial candidates don’t choose their running mate. People decide to run for Lt. Gov. all by themselves. If they win the primary they are the running mate of the person who won the gubernatorial primary. This year the person winning the Republican Lt. Gov. primary will then win in November. Governor Parnell doesn’t choose that person.
Alaska is very lucky that this process happened to bring a Lt. Gov. in Parnell who could step in when Palin abruptly quit. The Lt. Gov. of the late 1990’s would have been a disaster as Governor, and there have been Lt. Gov. candidates that were completely crazy. The Lt. Gov. we have right now is a one-world, climate-change apologist who impresses me only with how much he can get away with spending on travel.
We all voted for Palin because the alternative was Tony Knowles. Given that choice, Palin would easily win again. Remember, the Departments and consultants urged Knowles for 8 years to replace the ELF but he would not; Frank Murkowski replaced ELF with a profits-based tax and Palin increased the tax rates (which she called ACES).
I voted for Sarah when she ran for Governor. Today, I’m sickened by her self-inflated view of herself. She cares about little but herself. As far as I am concerned, Palin has become irrelevant. She was the worst Governor Alaska has ever had. Walker must be emmbarrassed to have her support.
As if from a time warp she emerges. Where was her testimony on the subject of oil taxes during the legislative debate? Talk about not caring for Alaskans? Her condemnation or endorsement of any issue or any individual means nothing. She has no credibility and is now about as interesting to listen to as a droning gasoline generator.
Amanda,
You should put time-stamps on your posts.
Thx,
Daily Reader
She was always right on oil taxes. Even a broken clock…
Thank you for my evening laugh.
Pssst, hey Quitter, remember you quit. You got no say in this game. YOU QUIT on ACES.
But hey if you want to duke it out with the guy who had to take over for ya, fine, but your a half a decade late.
Gross.
I sure hope the “endorsement” of Bill Walker by the half term, half wit is not the kiss of death for his campaign. $he is running four for four endorsements in the L48 — every candidate she endorsed has lost.
No one in Alaska wants to be associated with $creech in any way.
So heartbreaking! For Palin to accuse Parnell of being motivated by loyalty to “Big Oil” means one of two things. She really is stupid or her heart is so hard that if anyone disagrees with her policy she will accuse them of having bad motives. Either scenario is not pretty!