Thursday 26 February 2009

Sarah Palin blessed with large, loving family


Dear friends over the pond, do you believe Sarah Palin's expenses for herself and her family appear to be a bit dodgy? Do you think she's entitled to charge the state $60 for a phone call from the comfort of her own home? Or to be reimbursed for her children's travel because she is blessed with a big, loving family and wants to spend time with them? Do you consider her children to be state officials, conducting state business on these trips?

No?

Would you like some tax experts to have a good look at all her expenses claims since she took office? Tim Petumenos, on behalf Personnel Board, did go through forty out of seventy-two of Sarah Palin's claims and found that in only nine instances the children were not really serving the interests of the state of Alaska. Have they been appointed by the governor to perform specific state duties? Maybe Mr Petumenos is not as knowledgeable as the guys from the IRS and decided to cut a deal and put the matter to bed because he was out of his depth and it would be too much hard work to take it any further, who knows?

The press release from the Governor's office regarding this matter is quite interesting, here is a fine justification offered by Sarah Palin:

“This is a big state, and I am obligated to — and intend to — keep Alaskans informed and meet with them as much as I can, from Barrow to Marshall to Ketchikan,” Palin said in a written statement. “At the same time, I am blessed to have a large and loving family, and the discharge of my duties should not prevent me from spending time with them.”

So they're not state officials, they're just loving children? The state has to pay for travel so they can be together? Something is not right...

To find out exactly what is legitimate and what isn't, once and for all, ask the experts!

If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with the tax laws, you may report this activity by completing Form 3949-A. You may fill out Form 3949-A online, print it and mail it to: Internal Revenue Service Fresno, CA 93888 If you do not wish to use Form 3949-A, you may send a letter to the address above. Please include the following information, if available:
  • Name and address of the person you are reporting.
Sarah Palin, 1140 W Parks Hwy, Wasilla AK 99654
  • The taxpayer identification number social security number for an individual or employer identification number for a business. (Not known)
  • A brief description of the alleged violation, including how you became aware of or obtained the information. (Describe the best way you can)
  • The years involved. (From December 2006)
  • The estimated dollar amount of any unreported income. (In excess of $22,000)
Your name, address and daytime telephone number. Although you are not required to identify yourself, it is helpful to do so. Your identity can be kept confidential.


Simple, uh? If a lot of people do it, they're bound to take an interest. Go on... do it. The worst that could happen is for the IRS to agree with Sarah Palin and decide that it's OK for people to charge their employers for their children's travel so they can perform their duties and have their large, loving, blessed families with them, everywhere. Hey, that would be good news for working parents!

Changing the subject a little bit, the Palin children must have an abysmal school attendance record, don't you think?

To go to the IRS page, click here.
.

12 comments:

Postergirl said...

Regina, please tell me that you are doing this? Filing the form with the IRS? And that you'll suggest to your fellow bloggers (Mudflats, Immoral Minority, Celtic Diva, etc.) to do the same? Please!!!!

This is a great post. I bet a lot of people don't know that you can file something like this regarding another person. Thank you!

teal said...

Sarah plain & tall [tales]

I throught GINO said..."Even though I am blessed to have a large and loving family, spending time with them should NOT interfere or prevent me from properly discharging my duties to the people of Alaska."

…another convoluted day in the life of the GINO…

Daisydem said...

You betcha! I'll fill out the form and I don't mind using my name. Look as I have already posted on several blogs, I worked for a state university and also worked on governmental contracts at that university. I did travel authorizations and expense reports for several professors and other staff all the time. How did these expenses get approved and paid such that they have to be paid back? In our state all employees going on a business trip for state business (or on their contract) submit a travel authorization prior to the trip with estimated expenses, the reason for the trip, etc. This goes thru LEVELs of approval. Then subsequent to the trip, the actual expenses including miscellaneous costs that maybe cannot be estimated, such as taxi fare, parking fees, etc. Now we all know that plane fare is usually the largest expense because it is not cheap. So to submit for plane tickets for two, three, family members? There is no way that this would get approved and if not pre-approved, then when submitted for payment after the trip, that employee would be in hot water to be sure. Not only would it be denied, but I am sure there would be serious questions as to why they would deign to submit such costs. Even the President of the University has a protocol to follow and has to have his travel approved! It is just the legal, ethical and prescibed procedure for dealing with state and governmental monies. Lets all call for an IRS audit. They don't have favorites and they do not honor "specialness."

Daisydem said...

P.S. to my previous post ... check the dates of the various trips, I did. Yes, several of them are at least partly on weekdays. How in the world do these children attend school?

Anonymous said...

When I first heard about this, I was stunned.

So I wonder how it would go over with my employer, were I to take my children and hubby on business trips and have the company pay for them. I mean..my family is just as cute as hers is...and....they are all educted and could actually carry on an intellegent converstation...you betcha..aslo.

Laurie

Anonymous said...

lol...I just reread my post, and the spelling is atrocious! Please believe me...I can spell educated and intelligent.

Laurie

Anonymous said...

Palin said: “At the same time, I am blessed to have a large and loving family, and the discharge of my duties should not prevent me from spending time with them.”

Her attitude and actions are a set-back to the progress professional women have made over the years in the workplace.

I'm sure we all have war stories such as my former boss who asked me when my husband was going to make me quit working now that I had just given birth to my second child.

Now that we have all worked so hard to be accepted into the workplace as working mothers, Palin offers evidence of a working mother who can't balance family and her job and shortchanges both. Hopefully her behavior won't cause backlash to women and mothers in the workplace.

(Not to mention her behavior in getting Todd and her father to make threatening phone calls to legislators and others on her behalf. This behavior could give people the impression that she's not tough enough to handle the job--thus possibly negatively affecting other women in top government positions.)

L.

Anonymous said...

GREAT info! Consider the form being filled out and sent!

NOW, EVERYBODY!!! GO OUT THERE AND PUT THE INFO ON ALL THE OTHER BLOGS. LET'S INNUNDATE THE IRS WITH SARAH INFO ON ALL HER DIFFERENT 'GATES'!!!

YEEEHAWW!!!

Anonymous said...

"Name and address of the person you are reporting.
The taxpayer identification number (social security number for an individual or employer identification number for a business."

Could you provide some more info on that for us out-of-Staters?

regina said...

Sarah Palin
1140 W Parks Hwy
Wasilla AK 99654

I don't have her SS number or ID, but the IRS asks for what you konow, not every little detail. Amounts involved are in the region of $22,000. But it could be more.

She's well known enough, they'll ahve no trouble finding her.

The Dame said...

I have often wondered why the media hasn't checked out whether the Palins filed the proper papers for the nanny she had to hire in her home to help take care of Trig.

Anonymous said...

The IRS also has a whistleblower program, with rewards of up to 15% to people who turn in tax cheats.

http://www.irs.gov/compliance/article/0,,id=180171,00.html

This should be easy money, especially with her recent admissions that she didn't pay taxes on her per diem and her vehicle (and probably not her vehicle in Wasilla).

Good point about the nanny; wonder if she has paid all the employment taxes of that person.