Economy May Tank Palin's $30B Pipeline

Renewable energy, domestic oil development are complementary

(NEWSER) - Even as the US develops renewable-energy sources and cars that don’t need gas, it’s important to recognize that petroleum will be a part of our lives for some time, writes Sarah Palin. And as long as we need it, we should be getting as much as possible from our own land. "Building an energy-independent Amer­ica will mean a real economic stimulus," argues the former Alaska governor. More»

His frustration at project delays is 'uninformed,' officials say

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin's relationships with junior Sen. Mark Begich and her predecessor in the governor's office just keep getting testier and testier, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Both Begich and former Gov. Frank Murkowski have complained of late that a proposed gas pipeline from Alaska to the rest of the country is going nowhere under Palin's watch. Her camp rejected those criticisms as "uninformed" yesterday and said Begich in particular needs to keep up with current events. More»

(AP) - Sarah Palin's first two years as Alaska's governor were a time of milk, honey, and crude, with sky-high oil prices pumping wealth into the state. The second half of her term isn't looking so rosy. The rapid decline of oil prices has left the state with a looming budget shortfall of up to $1.5 billion. That could have political repercussions for the former Republican vice presidential hopeful, who must stay visible in the Lower 48 if she's to have a hope in a 2012 presidential bid. More»

Project may never be built, but will still cost taxpayers $500M

(NEWSER) - On the campaign trail, Sarah Palin has been touting her role in brokering a deal for a $40-billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska that, she says will "help lead America to energy independence." But the New York Times, investigating the status of the project, finds that the Alaska governor has overstated "both the progress that has been made and the certainty of success," and that some supporters, on closer inspection, have turned against the deal. More»

Alaska shamelessly sucks money from Lower 48, behaves like OPEC: Kinsley

(NEWSER) - Maybe Sarah Palin is better than all the rest of us because she's a small-town hockey mom, Michael Kinsley writes in Time, but “spare us, please, any talk about how she is a tough fiscal conservative.” Palin’s state ranks first in the nation in taxes and spending per resident. The trick is that while Alaska spends lavishly on its residents, it gets most of the money from taxes on the rest of us. More»