On the heels of this report that Sarah Palin gave more to charity then Joe Biden comes this AP report in which they try to describe Sarah as elitist.
In a state where she has a 80% popularity the reporters dug long and hard to find those that despise her:
Palin and her husband, Todd, a champion snowmobiler racer, have all the trappings of that life: a coveted permit to fish salmon-rich Bristol Bay, a vast gun collection, a vintage float-plane and a fleet of gas-powered vehicles to roar through the wilderness.
~~~“Sarah’s got all the toys to be marketed as the Alaska wilderness woman, but the reality is that she’s been in that uppercrust for a while,” said John Gourley, who with his wife, Jennifer, raised three children in a generator-powered cabin near Wasilla. “Plus, she’s a trophy hunter, and I tend to respect people who shoot a moose because they need the meat.”
~~~“First Dude” Todd Palin is also a local celebrity, having won four medals in the Iron Dog, a grueling 55-hour snowmobile race that follows the 2,000-mile Iditarod Trail from Wasilla to Fairbanks.
“They’re competitive people, and you can judge their level of sport by how hard they go at it all,” said his longtime racing partner, Scott Davis. “You’re trying to raise a family and run a company and race and be in politics? That takes a lot of dedication.”
The family’s seasonal working arrangement — common to many rural Alaskans — has earned them a relatively affluent life in the sprawling Matanuska-Sisutna region 40 miles north of Anchorage, where many roads are still dirt and some houses lack indoor plumbing.
“A huge part of Sarah Palin’s appeal is that people see her as an ordinary person,” said Dianne Woodruff, the lone nonpartisan member of Wasilla’s Republican-dominated city council. “Truthfully, though, she’s been a very fortunate ordinary person.”
Considering estimates of the value of their property and investments, the Palins appear to be worth at least $1.2 million.
As governor, Palin draws a $125,000 annual salary. Todd Palin’s self-employment in 2007 brought him $66,893 in gross receipts from fishing and snowmachine racing, though tax returns released Friday show an overall net income of only $5,874 after deductions. He also earned $43,519 working part-time on the North Slope for BP Exploration.
In the past two decades, the Palins have owned 43 vehicles, including at least 17 snowmobiles. In 2000, the most recent year for which information is available, there were 33,576 registered snowmobiles for a total of 221,600 Alaskan households, which means the average household did not have even one snowmobile, according to the Division of Motor Vehicles and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Their large lakeside home — worth $526,800, according to the most recent assessment — sits on more than two acres and looks onto the jutting Chugiak Mountains and groves of white birch.
Of course the reporters overlook how big of a house Joe Biden has and even how he got the house.
Lets just say he benefited by being a Senator.
They also overlook how Obama got his house…..from a crook.
None of these shenanigans are apparent in the way Sarah and Todd brought their home and their toys. In fact it appears they brought the items the way most of us do. By working hard and EARNING it.
Instead of befriending crooks.
See author page
Her favorite food is moose stew, kind of hard to make that without the meat from a moose. So much for trophy hunting. Those that know about hunting would know that you can eat the meat and send the “trophy” part off to the taxidermist.
They gave a good chunk to charity, note they didn’t compare that to what Obama and Biden gave either. And yes, Obama broke his charity habit by giving more recently than in the past, 20 grand to that church.
I wish hubby had a collection of sleds instead of jeeps. That’s another issue. Sounds extreme, but most of the time some are used, and some are for parts. If the area they live in is as rural as where our farm is, you tend to hang on to what you can otherwise you have to drive forever to maybe find what you need or order parts which takes time and can get expensive.
Sounds like they are hard workers and deserve everything they’ve worked for, 20 years worth.
PDS. They have nothing else.
OMFG….
The people have earned what they have..
One of the very best things about this country is that if you’re willing to work and take a chance you might do well..
And these freaking morons from AP show their socialist bias in a big way!!!
Okay, Missy… got my “dream ticket”…. Palin/Nugent. I believe the Motorcity Mad Man has a terrific deer recipe. LOL
But seriously, I do love Ted. Walks the talk, generous, an award receiving environmentalist, great ideas for education, and an unmistakable conservative. No camo’s on that guy for seeing who he is and where he stands.
This article is full of jealousy. I have lived in Alaska for 18 years – my husband was born and raised here. Most people hunt for food – to suggest otherwise is crap (especially an animal as large as a moose). They have a family of at least six (including the baby who I am certain doesn’t eat moose or deer yet). Of course, they eat the meat. We hope to get a moose every couple of years too, if we’re lucky. A moose is a huge animal that can feed a household for over a year. It is the best meat. No fat. Easy to cook.
Yes, they’ve been “fortunate”. It is called hard work… working a couple different jobs (a fishery and oil worker), as governor, and yet maintaining a family through it all. The house does sound wonderful. However, Todd Palin is said to have built it with buddies. That’s not surprising, as many like to build their own homes with a contractor. And, the plane (from the Greta interview) was in the family. So was the gillnet permit. That’s not odd at all. Many in our town pass permits down to their sons. Of course, sometimes people sell their permits as well if they can make a good profit or have no one to hand it down to. It is up to the owner.
We don’t have a snow machine, but most who want one – save and buy one. The cost of living is expensive in Alaska and people must work hard and make decisions. The Palins have worked and been successful because of their own determination and abilities. They’ve earned their successes. I think it is a shame that the AP works envy and jealousy into their article instead of admiration for this wonderful family.
do you all wear white sheets as clothing? Are yous ponsored by the KKK? Any Nazi affiliations here? What about inbreeding?
Mugsy,
No, we are conservatives. If you want institutionalized hate and racism please see the national socialist left.
Thank you for showing us what a colossal ass you are though. Another National Socialist calling conservatives NAZIs…. Wow… that lie is original.
Palin/Nugent would be one exciting, energetic ticket, love it.
Liberaland would be appalled, but they enjoy being appalled.
I particularly like the description of their aircraft as “a vintage float-plane.” In other words an OLD Piper SuperCub. The comparison of how many snow machines they have owned over the last 20 years is precious as well. Todd is a racer! How many cars do you think a stock car driver (think local tracks, not NASCAR) owns over 2 decades? And their “large lakeside home— worth $526,800”? They neglect to mention that Todd built it himself. There is so much spin on this story, if you could harness it, you could power Wasilla!