# Guess what Alaska city charged for rape exams? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 9, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792 "2008-09-09T15:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/1 "2008-09-09T15:59:57Z")
- and when you’ve guessed what city, guess when? - and then, take a wild stab at who was mayor at the time? From the [Frontiersman](http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2000/05/23/news.txta), dated May 22nd 2000: > [@](#): > > ANCHORAGE - Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers. Well, d’oh. Obviously no one in their right mind would speak in favor of billing a rape victim for the exam. Well, yeah… > [@](#): > > While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests. > > Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams. This was in 2000. It was necessary to _pass a fucking law_ to make it clear to the cave-dwellers in Wasilla and elsewhere that, no, evidence-gathering does not come with a bill, just because it happens to take place in a hospital.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/2 "2008-09-09T16:09:29Z")
That’s horrible. Why on EARTH did Senator McCain choose Fannon to be his running mate? Oh, wait, he choose Sarah Palin, whose name is not mentioned in the article. Nor have we anything to indicate one way or the other whether charging rape victims for their exams was her call or not. It’s conceivable that it wasn’t; there are certainly municipalities in which the police chief is largely autonomous of the mayor. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/3 "2008-09-09T16:10:08Z")
> [@Spiny\_Norman](#): > > - and when you’ve guessed what city, guess when? - and then, take a wild stab at who was mayor at the time? When did the policy begin? It’s clear the policy ENDED in 2002, when Sarah Palin was mayor. Who created the policy? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/4 "2008-09-09T16:13:11Z")
Just how common is rape in this town of 9,000 that rape exams are burdening the taxpayers? Or are the police in charge of drumming up revenue? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/5 "2008-09-09T16:15:43Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > When did the policy begin? > > It’s clear the policy ENDED in 2002, when Sarah Palin was mayor. > > Who created the policy? You did happen to read the part where oit said the Governor had to sign a figgin’ law to make it happen. Now I agree that it is hard to determine what Palin knew and when she knew it, but it is a contemptible policy no matter who is responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/6 "2008-09-09T16:22:23Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s horrible. Why on EARTH did Senator McCain choose Fannon to be his running mate? > > Oh, wait, he choose Sarah Palin, whose name is not mentioned in the article. Nor have we anything to indicate one way or the other whether charging rape victims for their exams was her call or not. It’s conceivable that it wasn’t; there are certainly municipalities in which the police chief is largely autonomous of the mayor. On the other hand… Checking the Wasilla city code, available [hereabouts](http://www.codepublishing.com/ak/wasilla.html), reveals the following: [QUOTE=the magical tubes of the interweb] 2.32.010 Department established. There is established, in accordance with Title 29, the police department. Executive and administrative duties are vested in the police chief. (Prior code § 2.40.010) 2.32.020 Appointment. **The police chief shall be appointed by the mayor and serve at the pleasure of the mayor. (Ord. 01-02 § 4, 2001: prior code § 2.40.020)** [/QUOTE] Stupid intellectual honesty. Life is easier in IMHO, where I can be all evil & stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/7 "2008-09-09T16:22:58Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > When did the policy begin? > > It’s clear the policy ENDED in 2002, when Sarah Palin was mayor. > > Who created the policy? I have no idea who created the policy - does it matter? It was effective while Palin was mayor (1996-2002, IIRC). It was ended in 2000 thanks to a law passed in the state legislature. Over the protests of Palin’s appointed chief of police. These are facts. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/8 "2008-09-09T16:24:13Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > When did the policy begin? This is not an unreasonable question. If the policy did not actually begin under Palin’s tenure, then she might be excused for allowing it to continue, especially given the inertia that tends to characterize government. > [@Bricker](#): > > It’s clear the policy ENDED in 2002, when Sarah Palin was mayor. This is disingenuous in its implication that Palin had something to do with the cessation of the policy. As **Gangster Octopus** notes, the policy was only ended by legislation enacted at the state level, and signed by the Governor of Alaska. > [@Bricker](#): > > Who created the policy? This is probably an important question, although given the prominence of Sarah Palin right now, perhaps the more relevant question is: How long did this policy remain in force on her watch? We know it ended in 2000 (under state-level legislation), but it’s not clear whether it was enacted during her term as mayor. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/9 "2008-09-09T16:25:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > On the other hand… > > Checking the Wasilla city code, available [hereabouts](http://www.codepublishing.com/ak/wasilla.html), reveals the following: > > Stupid intellectual honesty. Life is easier in IMHO, where I can be all evil & stuff. Citing the Wasilla city code in contradiction of your original post? This is the pit! At least say something insulting about my mother. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/10 "2008-09-09T16:25:43Z")
> [@Spiny\_Norman](#): > > I have no idea who created the policy - does it matter? > > It was effective while Palin was mayor (1996-2002, IIRC). It was ended in 2000 thanks to a law passed in the state legislature. Over the protests of Palin’s appointed chief of police. > > These are facts. In all fairness, just the fact that it was Palin’s chief of police doesn’t mean she agreed w/his statement. And, which Chief of POlice was it, the one she canned or the guy that replaced said canned chief (assuming I’m remembering correctly that one of the scandals following her has to do w/canning her Chief of POlice) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/11 "2008-09-09T16:34:01Z")
> [@wring](#): > > In all fairness, just the fact that it was Palin’s chief of police doesn’t mean she agreed w/his statement. And, which Chief of POlice was it, the one she canned or the guy that replaced said canned chief (assuming I’m remembering correctly that one of the scandals following her has to do w/canning her Chief of POlice) Fannon was, i believe, the police chief that Palin herself appointed, after firing the previous guy. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/12 "2008-09-09T16:35:55Z")
> [@Spiny\_Norman](#): > > Citing the Wasilla city code in contradiction of your original post? This is the pit! At least say something insulting about my mother. I’m only evil in IMHO, CS, and occasionally MPSIMS. When I’m wrong, I admit it. I might point out, though, that your original argument would have been stronger with more details. Still lacking is evidence that Gov. Palin approved of the policy any way other than implicitly, or that the policy began under her watch. Of course, she still should explain her thinking on the issue. I can imagine her coming into office and not knowing about the policy right away; “Do we make rape victims pay for their own examinations & evidence gathering?” is not a question any new mayor would think to ask. But having to be forced into a change by the state legislature seems odd. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/13 "2008-09-09T16:41:34Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Fannon was, i believe, the police chief that Palin herself appointed, after firing the previous guy. A Lexis-Nexis search brings up this short piece from 1997: > [@](#): > > **Wasilla narrows field for chief** > > Four men, including three current Alaska police chiefs, will vie for the job of heading the Wasilla Police Department, city officials said Thursday. The four finalists include Kevin Clayton, DuWayne Fannon and David Sexton, who now serve as police chiefs of Cordova, Haines and Skagway, respectively. The final candidate is Milton Haken, a Sitka police officer and former police chief of Hoonah. The four were picked from a group of 20 who applied for the job after Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin fired Chief Irl Stambaugh in January. Stambaugh has since sued the city, claiming he was fired for political reasons in violation of an employment contract that prohibited firing without cause. Palin said Stambaugh served at the mayor’s pleasure and that she terminated him because she did not feel he supported her administration. Wasilla Deputy Administrator John Cramer said Thursday that he and Palin will interview the four candidates next week and hope to have a new chief chosen by the end of the month. > > _Anchorage Daily News_ (Alaska) March 7, 1997, Friday, FINAL EDITION, p. 3B ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/14 "2008-09-09T16:44:20Z")
What is the incidence of rape in Wasilla, Alaska? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/15 "2008-09-09T16:47:50Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > What is the incidence of rape in Wasilla, Alaska? I am searching for that right now. It occurs to me, however, that, since the police chief felt obliged to oppose the legislation on budgetary grounds (and since someone complained about the situation in the first place), there are likely enough rapes that paying for the examination is an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/16 "2008-09-09T17:09:37Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > What is the incidence of rape in Wasilla, Alaska? Still haven’t found specifics for Wasilla, but according to this [site](http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/akcrime.htm), the statewide incidence of rape for Alaska in 2000 was 70.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. In the 2000 census, the town had a population of 5469, according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasilla,_Alaska#Demographics). Assuming those facts are correct and that Wasilla is typical, that comes to about 3 a year. I have to go do some actual work now. When I come out of this meeting I’ll try to get some better stats, if anyone gives a damn. ---
**Author:** ![50million](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/9fc348/32.png) [@50million](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/50million)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/17 "2008-09-09T17:27:02Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] …Assuming those facts are correct and that Wasilla is typical, that comes to about 3 a year… [/QUOTE] Good guess! [http://www.city-data.com/city/Wasilla-Alaska.html](http://www.city-data.com/city/Wasilla-Alaska.html) For those that don’t care enough to click - 2001 2 rapes 2002 2 2003 1 2004 1 2005 3 2006 and 2007 aren’t listed. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/18 "2008-09-09T17:43:11Z")
Well, the other night in her speech Palin said that being a mayor is “sort of like being a ‘community organizer’, except that you have actual responsibilities!” So, since she was so responsible, I’m not inclined to cut her slack on this matter. (Although a big part of the Republican MO at the top, in the current adminstration, has been to use “responsibility” as a meaningless word, without ever accepting any kind of accountability.) Since Palin would like to force rape victims to carry their rapists’ babies to term, maybe she really doesn’t think it’s worth spending much public money on rape cases. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/19 "2008-09-09T18:26:04Z")
Just in case you think this situation is unique to Wasilla, Ak, here’s a news story annoucing the end of the practice of billing rape victims for their exams in North Carolina. [news story](http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1177105.html) Note that in North Carolina, victims with insurance will still be billed for their exams under their insurance policy. Date of news story? August 14 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792/20 "2008-09-09T20:14:06Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > This is not an unreasonable question. If the policy did not actually begin under Palin’s tenure, then she might be excused for allowing it to continue, especially given the inertia that tends to characterize government.This is disingenuous in its implication that Palin had something to do with the cessation of the policy. I apologize. I meant to convey this sentiment: Yes, Sarah Palin was involved, in that she was mayor while the policy was ongoing, since it ended in 2002. I didn’t mean to suggest that she had anything to do with ending it, but my sentence could indeed be read that way. > [@](#): > > How long did this policy remain in force on her watch? We know it ended in 2000 (under state-level legislation), but it’s not clear whether it was enacted during her term as mayor. Agreed. And I’ll certainly come out now and say that if it began under her watch, that’s disgraceful. (Well, it’s disgraceful no matter who began it, but it’s disgraceful FOR HER if it began under her terms.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-what-alaska-city-charged-for-rape-exams/462792.md?page=2)