Apparently Scott (First Dude) Palin is the only non-state employee who gets free use of a Blackberry paid for by the state.
Courtesy of the Alaska Politics Blog
Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband shows up on a list of more than 40 governor’s office employees with the state-provided BlackBerrys and cellphones. He is the only non-employee there.
Hmmm, that doesn't sound like a prudent use of taxpayer monies. Why would he need that?
Erika Fagerstrom, the manager of the governor’s residence in Juneau, asked that he get a state BlackBerry back in July 2007 so she could more easily communicate with him regarding the house, especially when he’s at work on the North Slope, said Linda Perez, the governor’s administrative director. Todd is a production operator for BP.
As the First Dude, or officially, the First Gentleman, Todd is the overseer of the house, Perez said. He’s in charge of teas and receptions and he signs off on repairs and renovations. He needs to be in close communication, she said.
"Teas and receptions"??? Really???
What else would he do with that Blackberry?
Still, Todd Palin is frequently copied on state e-mails on all kinds of topics. Sharon Leighow, a spokeswoman for the governor, has said that’s because he can make sure the governor sees the e-mails when they are home in Wasilla and also so that he can print out e-mails for her.
Why does this sound like business as usual for Republicans?