The Associated Press: Alaska says Palin owes taxes on per diem expenses (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gHkT7R2WwYtoTWwLXmC73A5GSk5QD96EA0080)

I can't believe wingers of a certain persuasion haven't posted this yet :p

She loses credibility in my eyes.

What do you other wingers think?







G&P

To me she never had any credibility to begin with! But it must be a disappointment to the republicans out there who are pinning their parties hopes on this women.

Yes a disppointment






G&P

Did you guys read... I mean READ the article?
"These issues were raised during the national campaign and as result of the national campaign the governor asked us to look into this," Kreitzer said.

She requested the full $60 a day for all but three of the 19 per diem requests. For example, on Nov. 14 when she attended a formal dinner celebrating the state's 50th anniversary, she requested $28 that day, which covered breakfast and lunch only.

I still think she is credible. Are you guys telling me that if you took a business trip, you wouldn't ask for the allotted amount? Come on.

I think it was fine that her kids went with her, I think it was necessary. Our new presidents kids and wife were with him all the time during the campaign. I don't really feel like going to look up how much they all spent. Be fair PEOPLE. She is not saying she isn't going to pay them, she wants it resolved,she doesn't want to do wrong... let it be.

The articles ends with, "Kreitzer said the ruling also affects other state employees." Which would indicate that she isn't either an exception or being singled out. I am not a tax accountant and have no idea what is going on with this, except to say that I feel certain that once the issue is decided one way or another, she will pay any taxes due.

Yes, she will. You are so right on George. Did you notice that that article was not incriminating at all? I SURE DID! Some people sure can pick the bad out of just a headline, can't they?

I guess that blows any chance she had as a cabinet member of the Obama Administration!

I wonder how much it would cost the State to have her stay at the Governor's mansion being served meals at the tax payers expense ?

Maybe someone from Alaska can chime in .I think we have a few here.

Juneau is only accessible by boat or plane . So as an alternative she works out of an office in Anchorage and commutes from her home 40 miles away. Seems to me that by doing this she is saving the taxpayers of Alaska a ton of money since not only are meals etc not being prepared for the family most of the year ;But her travel around the state would cost much more if every local trip was by boat or plane.

Sarah Palin sold her state jet and fired the state chef because she thought there wasn't justifiable need for the people to incur the cost.

Since AP and the Compost have been doing this extensive investigation since McCain selected her ;one would think given their comparative positions in the campaign... that they would've at least checked out if the daily commute VP Biden took from Washington to Delaware was on the taxpayer's dime? I'd really like to know . I already know it costs a lot more than the money in dispute with the Palin per-diem based on charges to campaign travel expenses.

Expenditures Breakdown: Travel, Joseph R. Biden Jr. | OpenSecrets (http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/expend_detail.php?cid=N00001669&excode=A10&cycle=2008&page=8)

Maybe someone from Alaska can chime in .I think we have a few here.
Sarah Palin sold her state jet and fired the state chef because she thought there wasn’t justifiable need for the people to incur the cost.
Since AP and the Compost have been doing this extensive investigation since McCain selected her...

Expenditures Breakdown: Travel, Joseph R. Biden Jr. | OpenSecrets (http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/expend_detail.php?cid=N00001669&excode=A10&cycle=2008&page=8)

The amount of flak directed at Palin could be attributed to the left's concern that she has traction with middle America; this looks like a pre-emptive strike from the purveyors of truth.

I read this a few days ago I mean really she is just another politician who is behind on paying her taxes. Who cares anymore I am starting to think none of them pay their taxes.

If she owes the money she should pay it and I’m sure she will. I’d be more concerned if she were about to head up the IRS, though.

What the article doesn’t say is this should have been reported on her W-2 (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2009/02/sarah_palins_tax_matters.html?hpid=news-col-blog) as income, making it the fault of the state.


"As a result of this review, we determined that per diem needs to be treated as income, requiring a revision of W-2 forms for any affected employees."

Otherwise the per diem seems to be the biggest outrage here and my first thought was the same as tom's, I'm sure it cost the state less for her to charge the per diem than commute to Juneau.

She lives about an hour away from Anchorage, depending on how far out, maybe a bit more. I would rather her work from home or drive to the Anchorage office, than hop a plane. I am sure we can all agree on this.

In that article, I got the sense that the state and the people who did the taxes made mistakes. They even said they needed to straighten it out on other forms and with other state employees.

In that article, I got the sense that the state and the people who did the taxes made mistakes. They even said they needed to straighten it out on other forms and with other state employees.

Right, which means according to commissioner Kreitzer's statement this could affect every state employee that received per diem, not just Palin.

AND that will be ALL of them? Probably!

Has it hit anyone that the State is also paying for the upkeep on the Governor's mansion in addition to paying her so she can live at home?

In my mind, if she is Governor the job gives you a mansion to live in. If you choose not to live in the mansion, that's your business but don't expect the state to pay for that choice.

This isn't a partisan issue to me, just my opinion for any government official.

Maybe I read the article wrong, but conservatives should stick to principle and not give oone of their own a pass, just because they happen to be conservative.

After all, if we did not that would make us like liberals.

If she did not pay taxes, does that make her eligible for a cabinet position in the Obama administration?









G&P
L

AND every other politician out there. AND just because you don't agree with someone doesn't mean you should only look at her. We can't just pretend on this article that SHE is the only one doing this. Upkeep on a mansion that nobody lives in fully? Cheaper than if she did live there full-time with her huge family, right?

True, no pass... she will pay what is owed. She has no reason not to and that I think is why they were looking into it so she could get it squared away.

When you figure it all in I would think it’s cheaper for Alaska if Palin works from Anchorage. As this article (http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/521329.html) indicates, it’s likely cheaper for her to live at home than stock and staff the mansion all the time. She got rid of the plane, cut out the staff chef and records show she spends far less in travel than her predecessor.


Palin spent about $114,900 traveling in 2007, versus the $516,600 Murkowski spent the year before…

Murkowski generally refused to fly without his wife, Nancy, who spent $124,000 on airline tickets, meals and lodging bills over four years, according to the governor's office.

As of August, Todd Palin had cost the state about $14,000 in travel.

Sounds like a decent deal for the state if you ask me.

Agreed... and take into account that in Alaska things are a little more expensive there. (I lived there my whole life till about 8 years ago) Just sending a package to my sister is more expensive, let alone milk and gas.

Maybe I read the article wrong, but conservatives should stick to priciple and not give oone of their own a pass, just because they happen to be conservative.

Afterall, if we did not that would make us like liberals.

I'm not giving her a pass, but as my earlier post said this money that should be treated as income apparently should have been reported on her W-2 as income. If it wasn't, shouldn't the state take some of the blame?

Does it say that she did not report it at all? Maybe her tax guy or gal should look a little harder next time.

What pass ? When the issue was raised she had an independent audit done . Based on the conclusion she will pay taxes on the per diem as income... which BTW will not even come due until April .

Wait a minute, are you saying these aren't even back taxes? Tom, is that what you are saying?

Ah so the media may be making something out of nothing?

Same paper I read gov Patterson's ( NY) may not have paid more than 200 k in taxes over 4 years - can' t link with this phone









G&P

Chief of staff

What I'm saying is that this is clearly not tax evasion . Palin asked the office to review the tax implications of the per diem she was claiming. The office concluded that it should be treated as income, and is sending a revised W-2 form to reflect that.Based on the revised W-2 she will owe more taxes.

It's a far cry from the tax evasions that Geithner .Daschle et al did. In Geithner's case he was specifically told by his employer the World Bank that he owed the money .Geitner received money that was supposed to reimburse him for taxes he was supposed to pay and signed a document that he understood this. He didn't pay the taxes and still accepted the money.

In this case Governor Palin ASKED for the review to resolve a dispute over whether it is income or reimbursement .The decision went against her and she will pay pay her taxes based on the decision. Being told that some tax deductions aren't going to be allowed is NOT the same as "forgetting" to pay taxes on houses, employees, and income.

Thank you for clearing that up Tom. I sure like her;)