Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
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Palin Takes on the Stimulus
Thanks, but no thanks? Sarah Palin announced yesterday that she's rejecting a broad swath of stimulus money, as the Anchorage Daily News reports: JUNEAU -- Gov. Sarah Palin is refusing to accept over 30 percent of the
federal economic stimulus money being offered to Alaska, including
dollars for schools, energy assistance and social services.
The news Thursday drew anger from those who accused Palin of putting her national political aspirations ahead of the state's interests, and admiration from others who say she has courage to turn down money that would expand government. The state Legislature will have an opportunity to override her decision.
Palin is not taking about $288 million of the $930.7 million that Alaska is due in the federal stimulus. Palin said she is accepting the federal stimulus money that would go for construction projects, but not funding directed at government operations.
Yes, there are implications here for 2012, but, for now, I'm more interested in the response in Juneau. Palin's relationship with state legislators has ranged from very bad to very good during her still fairly brief tenure as governor.
Will they back her stimulus move? In that Anchorage Daily News article, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives sounded as though he was weighing his options.
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