Sister Sarah Sinks Stimulus

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin becomes the next contestant on "So You Want Obama's Job" by kicking out 30 percent of her state's stimulus (which happens to include $160 million in education money).

Following the lead of the other 2012 GOP presidential contenders, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) announced today that she would reject nearly half the $930 million Alaska was set to receive from the economic stimulus package. Like Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), Palin is set to further cripple the state’s education system:

The biggest single chunk of stimulus money that Palin is turning down is $160 million for education. There’s also $17 million in Department of Labor funds (vocational rehabilitation services, unemployment services, etc.), about $9 million for Health and Social Services and about $7 million for Public Safety.

During the press conference announcing her decision, Palin asked, “Will we chart our own course, or will Washington (D.C.) engineer it for us?” She also quoted Thomas Jefferson and complained about “the strings attached” to the stimulus funds. “What we think we need is kind of a time-out, where we back up, we pause, and we really think about what we’re doing here,” Palin said.

What we're doing here, with all due respect Madam Governor, is running for 2012 by taking chunks out of the money meant to help your hard-working Alaskan constituents for no other reason than it looks good to the psycho TAXEN CUTTEN UBER ALLES jagoffs running your party.

How many teachers and public safety workers and HHS case workers are going to get laid off because of your ego? Oh, and guess what, your constituents are pissed off as I mentioned in today's StupidiNews.

The biggest single chunk of money that Palin is turning down is about $170 million for education, including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students. Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau said she is "shocked and very disappointed" that Palin would reject the schools money. She said it could be used for job preservation, teacher training, and helping kids who need it.

Palin said she's sure that her decision on the education money will draw the most heat, and that she wouldn't be surprised if the Legislature tries to change it. "It is a matter of discussing with our lawmakers if the expansion there is something we're willing to pick up the tab for when the federal dollars dry up, when they no longer flow into Alaska," Palin said.

Yeah, so Trig's mom is turning down money meant to help other special needs kids like Trig Palin. What a shining example of compassionate motherhood.

"To me it's a bribe," Palin said.

And to thousands of Alaskans, it's a job. But I guess it's better to have them out of work and collecting unemployment from the state than working, spending, and helping the economy. That's fiscal prudence!