What pundits should be talking about when it comes to Palin

By Jedediah Bila

 While some pundits are busy calling Sarah Palin thin-skinned, claiming that there is “no space for her” in the 2012 race and incessantly speculating about her potential announcement date, some of us are sitting by laughing, sufficiently amused by typical establishment tactics that have grown tired, old and frankly a little boring.

Mark Levin addressed the pontification by pundits about a potential Palin announcement on September 3: “They’re throwing that out there because they want to create the impression that if she doesn’t announce by the third, that she’s incompetent or it’s impossible for her to win. And you have to keep in mind all these people you see on TV who are operatives or consultants, they’re working for other candidates behind the scenes. Maybe they’re not on their payroll, but they’re trying to promote them … I also believe that Rove and Dick Morris and some of the others are throwing that out there as a setup to attack her when she doesn’t.”

I couldn’t agree more.

So while the business-as-usual boys and girls play their games, I thought we could do something productive and revisit ten aspects of Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial record worth highlighting. Whether she makes a run for the presidency or not — and I personally believe that she will — let’s take a look at some things the media and the D.C./Manhattan elite haven’t quite gotten around to mentioning.

1. As governor in 2007, Palin was responsible for the largest veto totals in state history, while investing $1 billion in forward-funding education and fulfilling public safety and infrastructure necessities.

2. Palin invested $5 billion in state savings during a time of economic surplus.

3. Palin reduced spending by 9.5% from 2007 to 2010 and slashed earmark requests by over 80% during her time as governor.

4. Under Palin, Alaska’s total liabilities were reduced by 34.6% overall.

5. As governor, Palin was the CEO of the state and had substantial authority. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, “In Alaska, the Governor has line-item veto power over the budget and can only be overridden by a three-quarters majority of the Legislature.”

6. Palin’s free-market approach to AGIA (Alaska Gasline Inducement Act) featured full transparency with respect to competitors and no back-door meetings. It also unlocked the ConocoPhillips, BP and ExxonMobil monopoly and marked an enormous step toward energy independence.

7. Palin tossed out the corruption-ridden, structurally-flawed Petroleum Profits Tax of the Murkowski administration and put forth ACES (Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share), which incentivized development while seeing to it that Alaskans — resource owners as per the Alaska Constitution — would receive “A CLEAR and EQUITABLE SHARE (ACES) of the value of their commonly-owned oil and gas.” The result? Alaska was left with a $12 billion surplus. Also, as reported at Big Government, “The number of oil companies filing with the Alaska Department of Revenue has doubled, indicating that competition has indeed increased. Alaska has the second most business friendly tax set-up — up two spots since the passage of ACES. Additionally, a report from Governor Parnell’s Department of Revenue indicated that 2009 yielded a record high in oil jobs.”

8. Palin held ExxonMobil’s feet to the fire when it wasn’t abiding by a lease agreement to drill in Point Thomson. (You thin-skinned hockey mom, you!) After over 25 years of sitting on leases with no activity, ExxonMobil finally got to it.

9. Palin served as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors, chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, vice chair of the National Governors Association Natural Resources Committee and chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

10. Palin’s commitment to free-market competition and transparency is well-evidenced by her establishment of the Alaska Health Care Strategies Planning Council (HCSPC) and her introduction of the Alaska Health Care Transparency Act. The American Spectator points out that although it didn’t make it through the legislature, “The Alaska Health Care Transparency Act confirmed that Sarah Palin means it when she says she’s in politics to ‘challenge the status quo and to serve the common good.’ Moreover, her push for greater competition also demonstrates that she understands the potential of the free market to cure much of what ails American health care.”

Whether you’re supporting her for president or not, Sarah Palin is a woman who has been consistent, tough and principled. In fact, the same woman speaking out vigorously against the Obamacare mandate once spoke out just as vigorously against people being mandated to pay for weekly trash removal!

At a time when the Obama administration is directly inhibiting a successful path toward energy independence, I think there’s plenty of room for a presidential candidate who knows a thing or two about how to tap into our God-given resources in order to spur job growth and protect our national security.

So pundits, take on her record if you’d like to. Ask tough questions. Hold her accountable for what she has said and done. But how about letting her announce when she’s ready?

And as far as the “thin-skinned,” “no space for her” nonsense — give us a break.

Jedediah Bila is a conservative columnist, television commentator and author of the new book Outnumbered: Chronicles of a Manhattan Conservative. For more information on Jedediah, please visit jedediahbila.com. Follow Jedediah on Twitter.

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