Wealth makes Palins no ordinary Alaskans

[maddezmom]

Wealth makes Palins no ordinary Alaskans
Family owns plane, two boats

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has introduced her family to the nation as small-town common folk since she burst onto the scene as the surprise pick for the Republican vice-presidential nominee last month. A check of financial records, though, shows the Palins live anything but a common life when compared with their fellow residents of their hometown of Wasilla.

Their combined income of nearly a quarter-million dollars last year was five times the median household income for Wasilla's 7,000 residents. They own a single-engine plane, two boats, two personal watercraft and a half-million-dollar, custom-built home on a lake that is worth three times the average of other homes in town.

For the future, they also have a 401(k) retirement account compliments of Todd Palin's years as an engineer with oil giant BP.

"Gov. Palin's story is emblematic of the American dream," McCain campaign spokesman Ben Porritt said.

The Palins have been hugely successful by most standards in both their public and their private lives, according to the records.

more:http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/30/wealth-makes-palins-no-ordinary-alaskans/

Palin got zoning aid, gifts

~snip~

Two months before Palin's tenure as mayor ended in 2002, she asked city planning officials to forgive zoning violations so she could sell her house. Palin had a buyer, but he wouldn't close the deal unless she persuaded the city to waive the violations with a code variance.

The Palins, who were finishing work on a new waterfront house on Lake Lucille about two miles away, asked the city for the variance. The request was opposed by one planning official and some neighbors.

"I would ask that the Wasilla Planning Commission apply the exact same rules in this situation that it would apply to other similar requests so that our community can see that being a public figure does not give anyone special benefits," urged neighbor Clyde Boyer Jr. in a 2002 note to the city.

The Palins' house was built by the original owner too close to the shoreline and too close to adjacent properties on each side, including a carport that stretched so far over it nearly connected the two houses.

more:http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/6027924.html

[rgbecker]

1. Have we seen any tax returns yet?

[maddezmom]

2. she got a delay until after the debate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3510810

[trthnd4jstc]

3. Nothing Ordinary about Gov. Palin. n/t