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  • Sunday, September 07, 2008

    "Bad things happen when good people stay silent."

    If you haven't already read the letter from Anne Kilkenny, a resident of Wasilla, AK who has known Sarah Palin for years, you need to read it.

    More of the same...
    Kilkenny provides her first-hand observations of Palin's political career and unravels the Republican spin on their veep choice. I was particularly surprised to learn that when Palin was mayor of Wasilla (1996-2002), she took the town coffers from debt-free to $22 million in the red. Considering the population of the town at that time was approximately 5,500 (according to the 2000 census), that's a per capita debt of $4,000. Sound familiar? Very scary. Who in this economy can afford such a public burden strapped to their backs?

    Kilkenny also debunks some more of the R rhetoric. E.g., she points out that Palin did cut property taxes (which are progressive) but raised sales taxes (which are regressive); notes that Palin has a history of seeking revenge against those who oppose her; and confirms that Trig is indeed her baby (not her daughter's).

    Bad things happen when good people stay silent.
    Kilkenny says she wrote this letter because she wanted to offer people her opinion about Palin, and, unlike many others who know Palin, she is not connected to a job or organization that would make her vulnerable to Palin's retribution. Of course, she also says that Palin has hated her since 1996, so this letter could be all about spite. Who knows what Kilkenny's motivation was..?

    If nothing else, this is another (probably better-informed and more personal than most) opinion on who Sarah Palin is. If even some small portion of this background is true, it paints Palin as power-hungry, smart, and ambitious. It also raises huge questions about how whether the public interest is truly at the heart of Palin's policy decisions.

    An interesting read.

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