This story from the AP:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_el_pr/palin_family_travel
I guess this is what counts as “executive experience”. When Wal-Mart found out that their ex-CEO did stuff like that they pressed charges.
So is it OK and should be excused?
A new Sarah Palin thread! (Gomer Pyle) Suprise, suprise, suprise!
:rolleyes:
From your cite “State Finance Director Kim Garnero told The Associated Press she has not reviewed the Palins’ travel expense forms, so she could not say whether the daughters’ travel with their mother would meet the definition of official business.”
Yep, sounds like perfectly legitimate “official business” to me… :rolleyes:
Come on. A mother travels on state business and she’s expected to leave the kids at home ?
The Flying Dutchman - this is a really interesting question. I work in the finance department of a company whose employees travel extensively to Asia. I’m pretty sure none of them have taken their kids with them (or if they have, on the company dime).
I wouldn’t think that was common practice in a corporate setting - so it’s interesting to wonder if a political situation can or should be any different.
Typically they are. Palin argues that they are representing the state. The state says that they are not state employees. If they officially represent the state, then they are, in my opinion, open to any and all media scrutiny. If not then they should stay home with Dad and Palin should reimburse the state of Alaska for their travel costs.
My dad took me on business trips sometimes, but he didn’t expect his employer to pick up the extra expense. The question isn’t whether she should’ve left them at home, but whether she should’ve charged the State of Alaska to bring them with her.
Agree with this absolutely. When I have (been a part of corporate america, which I have been for years steadfastly refusing to do) gone on a business trip, it absolutely did not include any allowances for family.
Also, I remember when my dad used to take business trips. There was never any sort of allocation for family. We went along on a couple of them, but that’s only because we scrimped and saved in a big, big way (yeah, Ramen noodles!!!) so that we could afford it.
I think there may be some wiggle room here…some provision at least arguably giving the Governor the power to decide what “official state business” means, something like that. Gonna be hard to make any kind of intentional wrongdoing stick.
That said, I also think it is fair to consider her actions, and the wisdom thereof, when considering her as a candidate for office.
The lesson is clear, Mrs. Palin: Next time, keep the multi-million dollar corporate jet. Then you can haul your family all over the place and there are no pesky expense reports for the anklebiters to chew over.
You guys do realize she could have done this, right? And you also realize that in selling the jet she cut her office’s travel expenses by 80%?
I’m not sure you are right about that. I can’t give cites but I think that when you have family and/or friends go along for the ride on a State owned airplane they are suppose to pay their share of the costs. The plane is for “official business”. There have been a lot of previous examples of this type of thing and they are considered abuses.
If I save the company money I am not allowed to blow it on perks for personal use. There’s no quid pro quo in these situations.
When I was a young man in Canada I worked for a heavy construction corporation managing the engineering requirements on the sites. I was entitled to travel home once a month for a week, and my expense account was intended to cover all expenses, transportation and food en route and back. Well I reasoned that given that I was essentially homeless other than my parents home it wouldn’t cost the company any more if I used the perk to travel to different cities and play tourist. No problem for whoever reviewed my expense account.
Now if I was Palin, I would reason that it was not unreasonable to take my children with me to various public functions. After all, many of these functions aren’t exactly neccessary, yet her presence adds some intangible value for the citizens, and the presence of her children would do as well. And if that were not the case, she might just want her kids with their mom,and given the paltry sum of gov’t executive salaries compared to the private sector,might just plain feel entitled to have the state pay for it. Hell, if its wrong, The comptroller or whoever oversees the gov’t spending can order the correction. You never know until you try.
Well, you could ask ahead of time, given that you’ll be on the hook for the charges if the state doesn’t pick them up.
My company pays for me to go home every weekend. They do not mind if I use ‘go home’ to go somewhere else, provided that there is no increase in cost for my alternate destination.
I think that’s a rather fair and generous policy. I don’t think that hauling around a family member on my business trips and billing it to my employer is ethical. The same applies to governors.
Reducing costs is admirable and I agree that was a good thing to do.
Using that good thing as an excuse to do something wrong is a bad thing to do.
Well, we’ve all seen what happens when she does leave them at home…
All snarkiness aside, how many of you take your kids on business trips?
You’re starting to go way beyond reason in defending a losing Republican ticket, Sam.
Saving money on Monday is not an excuse for stealing from your employer on Wednesday. Two weeks ago I saved my company $700 by taking a flight out of Buffalo instead of Toronto. If I get charge them $50 for a fake meal next week, I’m still a thief.
Being honest with your employer, or the paying customer, is the issue here. If I get a $300 ticket to Chicago out of Buffalo instead of $1000 out of Toronto, and tell my boss “Look, I can upgrade to first class for $75. Since I’m the one hauling my ass down to Buffalo to save all this money, I think it’s fair I get the perk” then that’s good, open business, and he’d likely say yes (as in fact he did 2 weeks ago. I also told the customer.) But if I upgrade my flight and try to foist it off as an expense it’s not, he should fire my ass.
Had Palin been open about this and said “I’m saving the state an assload of money by getting rid of the governor’s jet, so my kids are coming with me and if you don’t like it I guess that’s too bad” I’d be okay with it. That she tried to bullshit it off as “official state business” is underhanded and unethical.
I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess. A lot of people seem to think expense reports are a license to steal.
She’s a Republican. Of course it is okay. Her children a Deputy Governors performing official duties, traveling about the country getting knocked up. Why, Governor Palin is just gonna ignore us interweb filters and not give the answer we want, but what she wants to say. And she wants to say that she prefers the parts of America where people don’t criticize her.
Good point !
How many of you are called upon to cut a ribbon or just show up and present your face, make a little speech and then mingle. Its not the same thing.
Should female politicians when travelling, pay for their extra luggage?
It’s called doing your job as governor, male or female.
What does this have to do with stealing from and lying to your employer?
Your insistence that Palin ought to be able to and should bring her kids along on officical state business and its dime because she’s their mother (pssst! her husband is a stay-at-home dad, by choice) sounds just as bad as those who’ve criticized her for having kids at home and running for office.