Governor Diva's World: "I will model myself after those I once denounced as corrupt."

[Blue_In_AK]

From Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis http://divasblueoasis.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=333

In a previous post, we've questioned the discrepancies between the reported-news timeline and Palin Communications Director Bill McAllister's many versions of the Governor's schedule for today's trip. This latest "outside" venture sees her campaigning for the disgusting hero-slimer and racist pig Saxby Chambliss in Georgia. She'll start at a mysterious fundraiser on Sunday (that they haven't acknowledged, but it was reported by AP and the info from CNN is on Saxby Chambliss's site). Monday, she'll be campaigning with him at four stops in Georgia from dawn to dusk. Then, she'll be meeting with the National Governor's Association and President-elect Obama on Tuesday.

The questions arise as a result of the yet-to-be-updated claim from Bill McAllister that Sen. Chambliss will pay for the "side trip to Georgia."

*******************UPDATE********************

Here is the itinerary including the Sunday fundraiser, on a Conservative Georgia website whose blogmeister recieved an invitation:

- Sunday, 6:30 p.m. -- Fundraiser at the W Hotel Midtown in Atlanta. Tickets are $1,000 per couple, or $5,000 for "hosts." The invitation notes that "The Run-off is a separate election cycle and contribution limits start over."
6:30 PM Georgia time is 2:30 PM Alaska time. From Anchorage it is a 9 to 11 hour flight and costs between $1,300 to $1,800 a ticket.

So, when the first leg and two of the three days of the entire trip are in Georgia, how does it qualify as a "side trip" exactly?

**************************************************

Let's see:

- Tonight's (Sunday) fundraiser means that the trip to Georgia is first and that it encompasses her initial travel leg out of Alaska.

- The 8:30 AM to approx. 6:30 PM campaigning for Chambliss on Monday means the majority of that day will also be a wash for Chambliss.

The only thing the Governor and her entourage can claim travel-wise as going towards her trip to Philadelphia will be her travel to Philly and hotel Monday night (possibly a small percentage of per diem) and then her return travel and per diem on Tuesday or Wednesday.

My 5th grader could look at this and figure out that the Georgia political campaigning makes up over 50% of this trip.

We've experienced questionable travel ethics from a previous Governor...that would be Governor Murkowski, the person our little "reformer" replaced.

From the Juneau Empire archives:

But on three of the 28 dual-purpose trips Murkowski took during his campaign season from June through August, the governor spent more than half his time campaigning, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News. Murkowski lost his re-election bid and left office in December.

And while the Governor's staff went on about how much that did not matter, APOC at the time disagreed:

But Alaska Public Offices Commission Executive Director Brooke Miles said she thinks the amount of time spent on state business is important. The commission acts as the state's campaign-finance watchdog.

"I would say if more than 50 percent of the trip was on campaigning, then the principal purpose of the trip wasn't for state work," Miles said. "That would be my recommendation to the commission if I were making one."

What is also quite interesting is that it is NOT tradition for the state to pay for family members accompanying the Governor on trips. Governors always reimbursed the State of Alaska for the expense...until, you guessed it, Governor Murkowski:

Murkowski also broke from the policy of previous governors in failing to reimburse the state for his wife's travel on state aircraft during his four years in office.
"As a general rule if Nancy doesn't go I don't go," Murkowski had said in a handwritten explanation. "That's the way it was in the Senate for twenty-two years, and that's how it will be as long as I'm governor."

Wait, that sounds kinda familiar...

Part of my job is with the First Family...having them with me and some of these events. I'm going to continue to do my job and my family is going to continue to be a part of it.

Governor Murkowski was already heading out of office when the final reimbursements (or lack-thereof) took place. Plus, there wasn't really any firm standard to hold him to when it came to campaigning. As a matter of fact, ethics reform became a priority by the Legislature and (allegedly) by Governor Palin BECAUSE OF THOSE OUTGOING VIOLATIONS BY MURKOWSKI, which is where we got the legislation that Palin now seems to be violating!

Governor Palin, the Executive Branch Ethics Act for which you happily took the credit during your Vice Presidential campaign isn't just a fluffy piece of window-dressing you can pull out when it's "convenient":

Sec. 39.52.120. Misuse of official position.
(a) A public officer may not use, or attempt to use, an official position for personal gain,
and may not intentionally secure or grant unwarranted benefits or treatment for any person.
(b) A public officer may not
(1) seek other employment or contracts through the use or attempted use of official
position;
(2) accept, receive, or solicit compensation for the performance of official duties or
responsibilities from a person other than the state;
(3) use state time, property, equipment, or other facilities to benefit personal or financial interests;

This is NOT going unnoticed, as reported by Sean Cockerham:

This latest round of state gift disclosures comes from a records request by Anchorage activist Andree McLeod. ADN has a broader request into the state for Palin gifts and travel, and we're awaiting documents from the governor's office.

APOC, the Alaska Legislature and most of all, the Alaskan people MUST hold the Governor's feet to the fire. This is only the first of many trips where we will face exactly the same ethics violations.

Along with holding her accountable for Troopergate, it's time for some even more serious ethics reform. If the Governor is not mature enough to regulate herself than we need to do it for her.

I want to thank the folks who've been emailing and commenting on this issue. A special "hat tip" goes to the person who gave me the Juneau Empire link. Thank you all for your vigilance and keep it up!