Who in their right mind would quit his or her job today? Rampant unemployment, runaway homelessness, record attendance at soup kitchens and food banks: You’d have to be crazy to quit a decent job in this unsteady economy.
There’s this woman. She’s nice enough, charismatic even, but she’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. She went to a bunch of different colleges, clearly trying to get herself an education but unfortunately lacking the wherewithal to make it all the way through any of the schools that accepted her. Luckily, she’s extremely pretty. You know how it is for girls: If a not-so-bright girl’s a head turner she can get a lot farther than an equally dim man can.
Still, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has our current unemployment rate at 9.5 percent. Grim job hunting times indeed. Of course in her home state things are slightly better. See, that same Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in Alaska the unemployment rate is only 8.1 percent. Maybe she thinks she’ll stay in the 91.9 per-cent and get a job quickly. Or maybe the job she had was so awful, she’ll take her chances even if it means landing on the unemployment line.
I thought I’d check Alaska for jobs that might pay as well as the one she’s giving up. According to the Senior Job Bank, a group that helps employers “connect with the over-50 talent pool,” the only job available in Alaska that would pay as much or better than the governor’s salary is that of an airline pilot. Even petroleum engi-neers make just $111,510 on average and the average Alaskan CEO makes only $107,360.
So either Gov. Sarah Palin broke her contract with the state of Alaska to get a better job or for her stated reason as printed in the Washington Post: to protect her state and her family. The better job idea is my theory. And we know that unless Gov. Palin leaves Alaska she won’t be making better money.
Of course, her departure might be where Alaska gets the better deal.
If she moves to Washington, D.C. she’s got endless possibilities. The Washington Post states that starting salaries for lobbyists are $300,000 per year — and that’s the kind of job change that makes great sense for Gov. Palin.
Still, if we take soon-to-be former Gov. Palin at her word and assume it’s about her family and the 10 months in the spotlight that have burned her and her kids, she could be quitting to protect them. She’s complained about the way even her 14-month-old child with Down syndrome has been mistreated by the public, citing re-cently that he was “mocked and ridiculed by some pretty mean-spirited adults.”
She stated at her backyard press conference last week that when considering quitting her job she “polled the most important people in my life — my kids, where the count was unanimous.” So, her commitment to the electorate just couldn’t compete with her commitment to her family. Finally!
You know, it really is the best thing for the state of Alaska. Anyone who thought they could run for office and not get ridiculed isn’t bright enough to be governor.
Gov. Palin’s resignation is the latest example of the absurd at work in our government. We’re living in a jabberwocky: one of those nonsensical poems from Alice in Wonderland. We have comedians becoming United States senators and nearly every one of our governors is a joke.
Pat LaMarche of Yarmouth is the author of “Left Out In America: The State of Homelessness in the United States.” She may be reached at PatLaMarche@hotmail.com. Kathleen Parker is on vacation.