When you adjust the $1.2 to today’s costs, it is probably closer to $1.4 million. I couldn’t guess how much the other portions of their control of worker’s compensation claims may expand this cost to the state. First, I have never known a state to hire a private contractor to process claims for state employees. Seems odd!

EW, I also felt a tug of curiosity when I saw the term financial incentive. For a private insurance/brokerage company to lose a $1.4 million (approx) contract could spell doom. I also noted that the contract had been renewed annually since the original was done in 2003. This makes the threat, if indeed there was a threat, all the more imminent. Annual contracts for a business leave too much to chance.

Since HAS is indeed an insurance firm in addition to a processing company for Alaska’s state employees, I would also like to know if they provided any liability insurance for the state under a separate contract. If not, at least I would suggest that Todd and Sarah purchase a very large professional liability coverage to protect themselves and their family’s possessions. Based upon the way they operate, I think a good insurance company would refuse to insure them. They would be too big of a risk for most except maybe Lloyd’s of London whch does take very risky business.

I listened to Andrew Halcro’s interview with Palin on this radio clip:
Halcro/Palin Argument on the Eddie Burke Show (MP3 Format, 3 MB)

http://www.andrewhalcro.com/08BurkeShow.mp3

And I’m working my way through the information on Halcro’s blog. In the interest of time maybe we should all be up to speed on this.

And what’s even better? The emails that are so important were copied to her husband, the shadow governor.

From Andrew Halro
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor

Confidential Emails

The most alarming indication of Todd Palin’s reach into state government came just yesterday.

Last month, a group of Alaskans filed a freedom of information act for emails sent from the computers of both Frank Bailey and Ivey Frye. Along with several boxes of documents, they received a cover letter along with 78 pages detailing the emails that were not released due to “Deliberative Process and Executive Privilege”. (Privilege log attached)

Page 1 of the list showed seven emails from both Governor Sarah Palin and Lt. Governor Sean Parnell within a three hour time frame on Feburary 1, 2008 that were described as “Email re Andrew Halcro”.

The serious concern about these emails is that they were prohibited from being released to the public due to executive privilege, even though Todd Palin was copied on these same emails.

Todd Palin is not a member of the executive branch, nor is he even a government employee. Todd Palin is a member of the general public.

So why in the world is Todd Palin getting copied on emails that his wife’s administration is classifying as confidential?

Furthermore there is something incredibly suspicious about these emails.

The first email was sent on Feburary 1 at 7:41am from Lt. Governor Sean Parnell to Governor Sarah Palin. Obviously something was burning Parnell to make him fire off an email to the governor so early in the morning about Andrew Halcro. This in turn set off a flurry of email activity that spanned the next three hours and encompassed five different people including Todd Palin.

Judging from the blogs I posted on January 31, the night before, this very well could be about the 2004 TransCanada proposal that Parnell help negotiate when he was an attorney in the oil & gas division that has been kept sealed ever since. TransCanada has insisted to this day that it remain confidential.

She’s perfect for SNL. If I were a Republican, I’d suggest she actively seek to do a Palin/Fey skit similar to the Clinton/Poehler one from earlier this year. And she could then put a visit to NY state on her resume.

So I’m watching USC-Ohio State football [son goes to USC; husband is Ohio State alum, at game], and during halftime the very serious sports announcers were discussing the effects of Ike on games that were to be played in Houston. Apparently several of the “plates” on the dome were blown away and they have to repair them.

Mr. Announcer then said, “ABC will have a special report for you on the status of the dome.” I’m thinking, “you bozos couldn’t have a “special report” on Liddy/Plame, Palin’s lying ass, Downing Street Memos, etc., but you can have “special report” on this foolishness?”

ABC could come in to FDL or EW and throw a proverbial “dart” at the diaries, then do a “special report” on any one of ‘em. Hell, maybe they’ll even hit at item on the crapiness of the mainstream press.

this girl is a real winner