Under the auspices of tax-relif, Palin's Wasilla Police Chief railed against bi-partisan rape victim rights legislation. Palin administration could no longer bill victims for investigation expenses, adding possibly $5k or more to city's annual budget. Evidently, the Chief's anger stemmed from depriving more pressing budget priorities, like sports arenas and Washington lobbyist.
The Frontiersman, a regional newspaper serving Wasilla, Alaska, published an article (cited below) on May 22, 2000 which quoted a police chief angered by a new state law that would, "further burden taxpayers."
The burdensome law? State legislation making it illegal to bill victims for the costs of the examinations used to collect evidence of a sexual assault or to determine if a sexual assault occurred.
The police chief? Sarah Palin appointee and mouthpiece Charlie Fannon.
The article Knowles Signs Sexual Assault Bill May 22, 2002 at first flabbergasted. Why was it necessary to pass such a law? Why was this practice of billing victims reserved only for the most vulnerable, those of sexual assault? The question of who would do something as reprehensible as charge a crime victim for the investigation was quickly answered.
"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." Stated the Frontiersman.
Evidently an administration led by Sarah Palin would, under the pretense of tax savings, especially if the law included a victim's right to emergency contraception.
"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."
Now, if you’ll recall in the soap-opera that is Sarah Palin, she installed Fannon after firing veteran officer and first Chief of the Wasilla Police Department (along with the city's chief librarian) for "not supporting her efforts to govern".
So, there’s little doubt that Fannon was fully endorsed by Mayor Palin when he sought the opportunity to publicly admonish a law endorsed by victims advocate groups and law enforcement agencies. In fact, Fannon's position of anti-tax advocate over victim’s rights was in such direct conflict with his responsibility to public safety, that unless it was at the behest of his boss he would surely have been fired.
When asked to anticipate the tax burden, Fannon speculated that the cost to Wasilla would be, "approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year."
One can only further doubt the administrations need for tax relief at the expense of public safety (particularly women & children) when juxtaposed with other budget items like the $50,000/year Washington lobbyist Steven Silver or the multi-million dollar indoor sports complex.
With an a friend to women's equality like Palin, we wont need enemies. I can picture Palin in her "I’m not flat busted" t-shirt climbing up on a ladder and spackling in each of those 18 million cracks.
(All quotes are from Frontiersman article, Knowles Signs Sexual Assault Bill, May 22, 2002)