Sarah Palin and Wasilla Sports Complex land deal

[trof]

Sarah Palin and Wasilla Sports Complex land deal
by xgz
Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 09:39:17 AM PDT

Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002. Her record during that time can tell us a lot about her. The biggest deal during her tenure is perhaps the construction of the sports complex that was built on someone else's land. She had to raise sales taxes to pay for it. The whole episode of incompetence, arrogance, and lack of respect for the law is exactly the style of governance that we've seen from Bush and co in the past seven years.

* xgz's diary :: ::
*

The $15 million multi-use indoor ice arena was supposed to be her legacy as the mayor. This was a very big deal for a city that had a budget of $3.9 million in 96 (increased to $5.8 million in 2002). Although the city subsidy has gone down from the initial $600k per year to about $125k per year, the sports complex still does not break even.

The biggest problem, however, was the process of how the land was acquired. The whole thing was handled with exceptional incompetence and arrogance, ultimately costing the city an extra $1.7 million in settlement and court cost for a piece of land that would have costed only $125k if they had handled it right from the beginning in 1998.

This involved a developer by the name of Gary Lundgren. Here is the whole scoop:

Lundgren negotiated with the national office of The Nature Conservancy to buy the land. Meanwhile, Wasilla city officials decided they wanted the land too, and began negotiating with the Alaska office of The Nature Conservancy. Offers were extended to both parties. Lundgren closed the deal.

Without the title in their hands, the city went ahead with the sales tax increase and started the construction. Then in typical Bush fashion, as Palin was leaving office in 2002,

Wasilla sued both Lundgren and The Nature Conservancy for title to the land. The case went to a federal appeals court, where Lundgren won rights to the property.

The court case was finally settled several years after Palin left.

The real legacy is, that the city is still paying for this today, while having to cut budget in library service, postponing capital improvement projects, and raising fees.

Can we afford this kind of incompetence on the national level?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/29/1223/87119/35/578632

[trueblue2007]

1. I'll give this a recommendation.

This story should be top news. Palin is woefully incompetent.

[WCGreen]

2. Hockey Mom, Hooke Mayor.

[PA Democrat]

3. Bush style Republican, ... arrogant and totally incompetent.

[skids]

4. This is much more damaging than "Troopergate"

Unless and until the investigation of her firing/hiring practices as governor produces details that don't sound so sympathetic towards Palin, this is what we should be hitting her on. I was thinking that myself when to my surprise Olbermann noted it last night -- she may have acted improperly but the story has all the makings of a sympathy-getter for her and will not hurt her.

But Mike-Brown-style financial/organizational incompetence? I think it's great that she kicked out a lot of corrupt officials from her own party but this makes it look like that was only so she could install her own gravy train.

And of course keep in mind this is a side-argument. Build up Obama first, hit McCain second, and only attack Palin immediately after hitting McCain on his judgement, and the fact that he'd rather win an election than put someone capable a potential heartbeat away from the presidency.

[sandnsea]

5. That's how I see it

I always wonder about people who prefer the titilating scandal to the real issues that affect our lives.

[CanonRay]

6. K & R We need to get this out there.

[NoodleyAppendage]

7. KICK. KICK. KICK. She cares more about sports than libraries and reading. Typical. n/t

J