My Review on Sarah Palin's Book - Going Rogue

[Pressing-On]

I'm halfway through Sarah's book, Going Rogue, and I found a part that especially expresses how I view her. Incidentally, Rush is right, it's a great policy book!

I have a few more quotes that I want to share after I locate them. I'm really enjoying this book!

The two sides of Sarah Palin:


Sarah Palin the Executive:

My feeling was that not only did PPT (Petroleum Profits Tax) need the absolute attention of the legislators, Alaskans needed to know the details weren't buried in the politics and lifestyle of a normal legislative session.

Throughout the summer, the revenue and natural resources team discussed the clearest way to put a value on our resources. We poured over options. One idea was to scrap PPT entirely and create a more transparent valuation system based on a formula that was clearly understandable and would increase public confidence. We needed to improve the state's audit function, enabling us to obtain forward-looking cost data from producers. We also felt it was critical to introduce economic information sharing between the departments of revenue and natural resources and the Alaska public, something that was sorely lacking under PPT.

After my astute team of experts put their heads together, we arrived at an entirely new way of calculating Alaska's share of revenue derived from resource development: a hybrid system that included a minimum tax on gross receipts for the North Slope's oil fields, plus part of a net profits tax to encourage new development and reinvestment in existing infrastructure via incentives we'd provide entrepreneurs keen on new exploration. It allowed for tax credits on future work, restricted captial expense deductions to scheduled maintenance, and implemented strong audit and information-sharing provisions. The new formula would incentivize the industry to produce more, while protecting the public.

Just Sarah - down to earth:

If that kind of explanation makes your eyes cross, it's because we didn't yet have a catchy name for our proposal. Everything in government attracts an obligatory acronym, it seems, so we figured the one assigned to this plan might as well be memorable and positive. Political terms are meant to paint a picture. For example, liberals prefer the term "social justice" over "welfare" and why conservatives prefer "marriage protection" amendment over "gay marrigage ban".

[Pressing-On]

More quotes that I enjoyed reading:

In local politics, your constituents are your neighbors, family, friends, and sometimes even your enemies. You see them at the grocery store, the post office, and the hockey rink. Often politicians who make it to the state and national office forget that those good people - the gas station mechanic, the local farmer, the scores of mom-and-pop shop owners who form the backbone of our economy- put them into office, and they are the ones who should be at the forefront of our minds.

I couldn't have disagreed more. For one thing, my opponents had no executive experience. And I didn't think legislative experience constituted any greater preparation, particularly in a state legislature where the trading of favors seemed to run through the ventilation system as a substitute for air.

My campaign (Alaskan Governor) theme of "change" was palpable and sincere, and we walked the walk every day of the race. While never pretending to have all the answers - which of course is a change in itself - I made it clear to voters that I would gather the information I needed and base my decisions on principle and sound ideas, not cronyism or political expediency. I ran on my record as an executive and told Alaska voters that I would govern according to conservative principles, and if I were to err, it would be on the side of those principles.

Some honesty:

The truth was, I had let the heat of politics get in the way of family. Faye would never have done that to me. In fact, even though we disagree on some issues, when I later ran for VP, she worked incredibly hard for John McCain and me, traveling around the nation to campaign for us. She and Jim helped lead successful efforts in some of the western states. But that's what politics can do to you if you don't catch yourself: the heat of battle causes a little core of self-centeredness to harden in your heart, so subtly that you're not even aware of it.

With my background, I understood the concerns of all the parties: as a free-market capitalist I understood the bottom line for the oil producers, as the spouse of an oil worker I understood the Slopers and their families' reliance on oil jobs; as a mayor I understood the communities' dependence on oil's economic contributions; as a lover of the land I understood as well the environmentalists' and Alaska Natives' concerns.

Any corporate CEO is tasked with looking out for the bottom line. My business was to look out for Alaskan's bottom line. Our state Constitution stipulates that the citizens actually own our natural resources. Oil companies would partner with Alaskans to develop our resources, and the corporations would make decisions based on the best interests of their shareholders, and that was fine. But in fulfillment of my oath, I would make decisions based on the best interests of our shareholders, the people of Alaska.

As a new Governor:

"I won't pretend to have all the answers," I told them, "and I won't micromanage you. You guys are the experts, that's why I want you here."

[Pressing-On]

This is funny. Sounds just like my husband. LOL!

Women have raced too, and someday they'll win. "I really want to run the Iron Dog," I cockily told Todd one night as he settled down for a few hours rest between 120-mph training rides by himself in the middle of the night.

"Can you wrench your own machine?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Can you get the back end of a six-hundred-pound machine unstuck by yourself with open water up to your thighs, then change out an engine at forty below in the pitch black on a frozen river and replace thrashed shocks and jury-rig a suspension using tree limbs along the trail?"

"Nope."

"Then go back to sleep, Sarah."

[Pressing-On]

Thanks for putting this on it's own thread, Renda!!!

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Thanks for putting this on it's own thread, Renda!!!

You're welcome!

[Elizabeth]

I like this!

Women have raced too, and someday they'll win. "I really want to run the Iron Dog," I cockily told Todd one night as he settled down for a few hours rest between 120-mph training rides by himself in the middle of the night.

"Can you wrench your own machine?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Can you get the back end of a six-hundred-pound machine unstuck by yourself with open water up to your thighs, then change out an engine at forty below in the pitch black on a frozen river and replace thrashed shocks and jury-rig a suspension using tree limbs along the trail?"

"Nope."

"Then go back to sleep, Sarah."

Lol!

[Pressing-On]

Probably what reporters and government elite hate about her.

Therefore, in crafting what would become the landmark Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, or AGIA, we promised to reimburse up to $500 million in matching funds for the exclusive gasline license.

Throughout the process, it was our goal to take one of the state's most historic - and most technical, buzzworded, boring-to-read - bills and boil it down to the common sense level - because that's my world. We had to articulate clearly and simply what we were doing so that Alaskans could trust us to do it right. While our gasline team crunched away on the technical issues and lawyers, economists, scientists, consultants and specialists from around the world provided drafts of potential language, the communications team - Marty, Bruce, Meg and I - would cut to the chase like Ronald Regan used to do and just talk to the people in plain language.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

I like this!
Lol!

Todd is so down to earth and CUTE!!!!

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Todd is so down to earth and CUTE!!!!

They make a great couple! She is blessed to have a husband like him for sure-

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

They make a great couple! She is blessed to have a husband like him for sure-

Yes, for sure. But, honestly, the media has me jacked up as well - I'm waiting for something really bad to happen to her or find something that was dishonest or a hidden lie. LOL! Perhaps a wary eye is a good thing, though.