Governor Palin's Accomplishments

By Whitney Pitcher
08/06/2010

With the continued smearing and editorialization of Governor Palin and her record and the propagation of false claims that Governor Palin is a polarizing figure, perhaps it's time to for us to re-visit Governor Palin's accomplishments while she was Governor. She currently shows her policy prowess and acuity through her television appearances, speeches, and Facebook posts. However, even now, a year following her decision to step aside from the governor's office and nearly two years after her presentation on the national scene,

Governor Palin's accomplishments are largely unknown to the general public and even to the politically observant. As supporters of Governor Palin, we have the opportunity to set the record straight. Below is a two sheet (or double sided) flyer that you can share with people to show all that Governor Palin accomplished in her two and a half years as Governor. This document includes (non-violence inciting) bullet points to outline her accomplishments. These achievements are categorized into the following groups: energy independence, development, and environmental stewardship; fiscal conservatism; walking the walk on fiscal responsibility; 10th amendment advocacy/promotion of the state constitution; national defense/veterans; transparency/anti-corruption; health care; and sanctity and dignity of all life.

Energy Independence, Development, and Environmental Stewardship
 
 Governor Palin’s cornerstone accomplishment is AGIA (Alaska Gasline Inducement Act). During the Palin administration, TransCanada and Exxon formed an alliance to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the Lower 48. Under
Governor Palin’s governance, the project was expanded and revised from what previous governors had proposed with an open policy process for the Alaskan people. More progress was made on this effort than in the previous 30 years. This is the largest private sector infrastructure project in North American history and helps put us on the path to energy independence.

 Governor Palin’s administration opened up drilling for oil and natural gas at Pt. Thompson for
the first time in decades.

 Governor Palin created the Alaska’s Petroleum Integrity Office to oversee all aspects of energy development and a Climate Change Subcabinet to comprehensively and honestly evaluate climate change.
Fiscal Conservatism

 Governor Palin reduced earmark requests for the state of Alaska by 80% during her administration, requesting only
earmarks that would benefit the country as a whole.

 Governor Palin reduced spending in her budget for Fiscal Year 2010 by more than one billion dollars from the previous governor’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget, a 9.5% real reduction in spending. Her FY2010 budget was $10.57 billion compared to Governor Murkowski’s FY2007 budget of nearly $11.7 billion. At the same time, she fulfilled her campaign promise to forward fund education, allowing districts greater flexibility and predictability in their planning.

 Governor Palin opposed much of the
“stimulus”, wanting only to accept 55% of the money allocated to Alaska, specifically only dollars dedicated to infrastructure [projects. Although the Alaskan legislature ultimately overturned her veto, she stood firm on her commitment to help Alaska to become more self-sufficient while not adding to not add to the skyrocketing national debt.

 Governor Palin invested $5 billion in state savings.
Walking the Walk on Fiscal Responsibility

 Governor Palin sold the private jet purchased by
the previous governor. She stated it was an unnecessary financial burden on the state, and it was impractical and unable to land on many of the state’s landing strips.

 To cut costs that would be incurred by using a personal driver, the governor drove herself from Wasilla to her office in Anchorage. She also dismissed the governor’s
personal chef at the Executive Mansion.
“Will we chart our own course, or will Washington engineer it for us? –Governor Palin

 Governor Palin accepted less state per diem for herself and her family than her predecessors even though she had a larger family.

10th Amendment Advocacy/Promotion of State Constitution

 Showing that she is a strong supporter of the 10th amendment, Governor Palin advocated for the sovereignty of the state of Alaska.

 Governor Palin’s administration sued the federal government for placing the polar bear on the endangered species list, as this restriction affected energy development which would increase energy costs.

 A Constitutionalist, Governor Palin signed Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES) bill into law. The Alaska constitution states that the Alaskan people own the oil and other resources. This law ensures that the “owners”, the people of Alaska, receive a clear and equitable share of oil profits. This bill also made Alaska a welcoming place for oil companies to develop.

National Defense/Veterans

 Governor Palin supported ground-based missile defense Ft Greely and other Alaskan Bases around to protect America from America’s enemies. She criticized the Obama administration for cuts that they made to this national defense system.

 Governor Palin, with Senators Murkowski and Begich, fought for retirement benefits from the federal government that were due to the Alaska Territorial Guard members who fought during World War II. These benefits were eventually rewarded to these veterans by the federal government.

 Governor Palin visited Alaskan soldiers in Kosovo and Kuwait.
Transparency/Anti-Corruption

 Governor Palin signed bipartisan ethics reform legislation into law that helped to hold both the legislative and executive branches accountable.

 Governor Palin put the state checkbook online, allowing all constituents to see how state money was being spent.

Health Care

 Governor Palin introduced health care transparency legislation which aimed at putting information in the hands of consumers about cost and quality of health care as a means of making health care consumer driven and accessible.

Sanctity and Dignity of All Life

 Governor Palin strongly supported both parental consent and parental notification legislation.

 Governor Palin increased educational funding for special needs’ children.

 Governor Palin implemented the Senior Benefits Program to support low income seniors.

Positions Held while Governor

 Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

 Vice Chair of the National Governors Association Natural Resource Committee.

The role of government is not to perfect us but protect us—to protect our inalienable rights.
–Governor Palin, Going Rogue

This document can emailed or printed off to share at Tea Parties, GOP events, with friends or family, etc. If you would like a more extensive look at Governor Palin's gubernatorial achievements, please see her governor's office archives. Inevitably, discussion of Governor Palin's time as governor will often lead to people to question her resignation. For those who cannot grasp the idea that one can relinquish a title while still maintaining leadership, Nicole has already provided ways to counter such discussions. It also must be noted, that just as a point guard's talent is not only measured by assists, points, and steals, but also in intangibles (Matto points for any Fighting Illini fans out there), so Governor Palin's accomplishments are also not only measured by legislation, reforms, and prudent budgets, but my the intangibles of leadership.

Governor Palin took on the Corrupt B*****s Club of Alaska and the Oil Companies. She stood strongly to protect and uphold the Alaska Constitution. She took on the Establishment GOP and won because she stood for principle over party. Those are the kinds of things that people look for in a leader that cannot be bullet pointed, but still speak volumes.

Governor Palin has stated that she has our back. Let us have her back and help dispel the lies and affirm the truth of her accomplishments.

Conservatives 4 Palin