It turns out, however, that Alaska's governor is one of the nation's most powerful.
HT to SOBer Liberally Conservative:
One rap on Sarah Palin’s qualifications to be Vice President is that she governs one of our least populated states, with a budget of “only” $12 billion and 16,000 full-time state employees. On the other hand, it turns out that the Governor’s office in Alaska is one of the country’s most powerful.”
What about this study?
Dr. Beyle has maintained an index of “institutional powers” in state offices. He rates governorships on potential length of service, budgetary and appointment authority, veto power and other factors. Mr. Beyle’s findings for 2008 rate Alaska at 4.1 on a scale of 5. The national average is 3.5.
Only four other states — Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia — concentrate as much power in the Governor’s office as Alaska, only one state (Massachusetts) concentrates more.
California’s Governor rates as below-average (3.2) in executive authority.
The lowest rating goes to Vermont (2.5), where Howard Dean was in the Governor’s mansion.
The WSJ points out that in Alaska, the Governor has line-item veto power over the budget and can only be overridden by a three-quarters majority of the Legislature. In 1992, the year Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was elected President, his state budget was $2 billion and among the smallest in the country.
While experience has become an issue in denouncing Governor Palin, with Barack Hussein Obama having none, it’s interesting to see the facts in comparison to others who prefer to point fingers and smear in an effort to hide real experience over community organizing.
Makes that whole being one of two senators things seem like a booger, huh?
