Palin Didn't Govern Like A Right-Wing Nut?

Yes, Sarah Palin is a Conservative Republican, but she governed somewhere in the middle as Governor of Alaska. Here are the reasons that neither the right nor the left should be worried. Here is a look at her policies while she has been Governor of Alaska.

Dependency of Foreign Oil:

Governor Palin passed a bill last month approving a gas pipeline from the Northern Slope of Alaska to the lower 48 states. This bill was in the works for years, but was never able to get passed by past administrations. Instead of automatically dealing with the three companies that dominate Alaska's oil, she opened up the pipeline discussions to outside companies. In conjunction with the Canadian government, Transcanada was awarded the pipeline contract and it passed the Alaskan Congress.

Upon becoming Governor, Palin found corruption in the deals that had previously been made with big oil companies, and renegotiated contracts with the companies. In these new contracts, she set a new level of taxes on the oil company's profits that were more fair to the Alaskan people. The result....every eligible Alaskan will receive an energy relief check for $1200 this month.

Same-Sex Marriage:

Governor Palin believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. However, she vetoed legislation that would have prohibited same-sex partners from receiving state benefits. She could have as Governor approved this bill and not given these rights to gays and lesbians. She chose the opposite and did the right thing. This is far from a right-wing position.

Taxes and Pork Spending:

In the 2008 budget alone, Governor Palin cut $268 million out of the budget. In 2007, she cut $231 million worth of pork-barrel spending from the legislature. She has protected Alaska's wealth and returned money to the people of Alaska. Can I have my check now, please?

The left wing rumor mill has stated that Palin cut services to disabled children and cut money for pregnant teens. Both claims are absolutely false. Palin revised a previous budget plan that lowered the original amount of the increase to BOTH, but they were not cuts. In fact, she increased spending for children with "intensive needs" from $26,900 per student in 2008 to $73,840 per student in 2011. This is triple the previous budget.

As for the Covenant House which helps pregnant teens in Alaska, they received an increase in funds in 2008 as well. In 2007, the center received $1.3 million and that amount was increase to $3.9 million in 2008. Again, this was triple the previous amount.

While she was the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Governor Palin reduced the property taxes that citizens paid on their homes while still managing to increase services to the residence. She has proven that she is a true fiscal conservative.

She put a link on the state government website to the Government's checkbook so that the Alaskan people could see exactly where their money was going.

Creationism vs. Evolution in Schools:

Yes, she believes in creationism and that it should be taught in schools, but that is not how she has governed. Governor Palin has not pushed her belief into the Alaskan school curriculum. She has said that should students mention creationism in class that they should be allowed to debate their beliefs. Is that called freedom of speech?

The information below is from the Alaska government website:

Under her leadership, Alaska invested $5 billion in state savings, overhauled education funding, and implemented the Senior Benefits Program that provides support for low-income older Alaskans. She created Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight and
maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure, and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska. During her first legislative session, Governor Palin’s administration passed two major pieces of legislation – an overhaul of the state’s ethics laws and a competitive process to construct a gas pipeline.

I could go on and I am sure in the future I will, but I don't see any of the actions above as being radical or far right-wing. She has worked across the aisle with Democrats and Independents. As of last week, she continues to have an approval rating of 81% in her home state. Does this seem right-wing or moderate to you....please share your thoughts....just be respectful in doing so.