Palin's Debut

Last week's Republican speech by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, was truly impressive. She came across as personable, sincere, and straightforward, and received widespread praise from the press for her performance. She's quickly adopted the Republican mantra, and also demonstrated that she can stretch the truth with the best of them.

Take her retelling of her position on the widely-criticized Gravina Island Bridge (Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere"). Gov. Palin's version:

"I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

This might lead you to believe that Alaskans were being forced to accept federal funds for a bridge they didn't need, and that Gov. Palin insisted they return the money. The media has picked up on this little deception, and as AP, USA Today, and other media have reported, Ms. Palin supported building the bridge before it became a national symbol of wasteful spending.

Alaska also didn't return the $48 million federal earmark, but continued to build the 3-mile access highway to where the bridge would have been, and eventually "reprogrammed" the funds to repair local roads, according to the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project website.

Alaskans aren't amused by Gov. Palin's version of the truth, according to Reuters. They are justifiably proud of their ability to receive welfare payments from the federal government, along with royalty payments from Big Oil.

And they are good at it. Very good at it. In recent years, Alaskans have consistently been at the top in terms of federal payments to individual states compared to taxes collected. In 2005, Alaska residents received $1.84 from the federal government for every dollar paid in taxes, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

Alaska also ranked first in receipt of federal earmarks ($506.34 per capita) last year. Who ranked last? Residents of John McCain's home state of Arizona received a paltry $18.70 per capita. It seems McCain actually believes all the rhetoric about earmarks.

Such largesse from the federal government and Big Oil has eliminated the need for Alaskans to bother with state income taxes, sales taxes, and property taxes. This year Alaska residents will receive record payments from the state through the Alaska Permanent Fund (more on this later).

But all of this comes, directly or indirectly, at the expense of those of us in the other 49 states, so it's difficult to see how Gov. Palin's experience in Alaska is relevant to the country as a whole.

Unless, of course, she has a plan to eliminate federal income taxes, and have the government send us a check every year.