Pat Dollard

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Im speechless….

The Swamp

September 12, 2008

When legislators run for president, they have to answer for every little vote they ever cast – yes, no or, er, present. When former mayors run for vice-president, we’re learning this week, they have to answer for every policy in place in their town when they were in office.

Which brings us to the case of Sarah Palin and the town that charged victims for rape kits.

As Mary Pemberton of the Associated Press reports in a story headlined “Palin’s town billed rape victims to get evidence”:

When Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the city billed sexual assault victims and their insurance companies for the cost of rape kits and forensic examinations.

Palin had been in office for four years when the practice of charging rape victims got the attention of state lawmakers in 2000, who passed a bill to stop the practice.

Former Democratic Rep. Eric Croft, who sponsored that bill, said he was disappointed that simply asking the Wasilla police department to stop didn’t work. Croft said he doubts she was unaware of the practice.

MY COMMENTS: Simply Asking to CHANGE POLICY? Is that how it works in ANY Government or do you have to VOTE and change legislation in order to do so? YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE LEGISLATION! So whos JOB is that?

Maria Comella, a McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman, said Palin “does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test.” To suggest otherwise, she said, is a “misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice.”

The story continues:

As governor, Palin has worked in a variety of ways to tackle the problem of sexual assault and rape, including making domestic violence a priority of her administration, Comella said. Alaska routinely has the nation’s highest rate of sexual assault.

Lawmakers became involved in 2000 when reports began coming in that police departments were charging sexual assault victims for the kits and the forensic exams, which cost from $300 to $1,200 at the time. The kit, a package of sample containers, swabs and other medical supplies, is used to collect evidence from women after they are attacked.

Then-Gov. Tony Knowles said Thursday that Wasilla was unique in the state in charging rape victims for the cost of doing the law enforcement necessary for solving the crime.

The bill passed the Legislature over the objections of Wasilla police chief Charlie Fannon, who said it would require the city to come up with more money to cover the costs of buying the rape kits and doing the exams.

ME: MOST US STATES HAVE A LAW ON THE BOOKS FOR THIS ALSO
SEE National Center For Victims Of Violent Crimes along with Crime Victims’ Rights by StateFederal and state laws offer rights to victims of crime including those inflicted with pain, suffering, property loss, and physical loss due to domestic violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, elder abuse, robbery, physical abuse and scores of other crimes. If you have been a victim of a crime, find out what your state laws are regarding compensation, restitution, victim statements, and more.

Palin has made her executive experience – as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska – a central point in her qualifications to be vice president. Last week at the Republican National Convention, she mocked Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama — never a mayor, but a former community organizer — by saying “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.”

So the question is: Is it fair to assume those responsibilities included setting policy for the town police department, particularly when it acted in a manner she disagreed with?

ME: Look at EVERY STATE in the US before pointing the finger at Palin…