Palin's Perks

State Senator Leland Yee still doesn't know how much money California State University Stanislaus is paying for an upcoming speech by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, but he says he does know some of the promised perks.  The list includes a promise of everything from first-class tickets to bendable straws.

The way the perks were found is straight out of Matt Drudge history.  Leland says students found the documents -- including parts of the university’s speaking contract with Palin -- in a dumpster on campus.
 
So here are the goods found in pages four through nine of the Palin contract with the university, according to Leland Yee:

• "Round-trip, first class commercial air travel for two between Anchorage, Alaska and event city"
• Presumably for Palin’s guests, "full, unrestricted round-trip coach airfare for two between event city and lower 48 US States."
• If the university chooses to use a private jet, "the Speaker, their traveling party and the plane crew will be the only passengers."
• Ground transportation in both the originating city and the event city "will be by SUV(s) from a professionally licensed and insured car service."
• "security arrangements as deemed necessary by [Washington Speakers Bureau] and the Speaker."
• Accommodations are to include "a one-bedroom suite and two single rooms in a deluxe hotel" as well as a "laptop computer and printer (fully stocked with paper) and high speed internet" and "all meals and incidentals."
• "For Q&A, the questions are to be collected from the audience in advance, pre-screened and a designated representative shall ask questions directly of the Speaker."
• The contract also includes other stipulations regarding autographs, photographs, press releases, advertising, recording, lighting, bottled water and "bendable straws."

These could be normal items asked by high-end speakers.  At the very least it is sure to give ammunition to commentators on the left.

The university foundation has said that because private donations are involved, there is no requirement to disclose details of Palin's visit, including what she's being paid.

Yee has proposed a bill that would require foundations to engage in full disclosure.

The students say they acted on a tip that documents were being shredded inside the main administration building last Friday, a day that campus staff was supposed to be on furlough.  Yee says they turned them over to the attorney general's office who, in turn, got it to Yee.  "My hat is off to these students who had the courage to come forward and report such information," he said Wednesday. 

Lee thought the find was good enough to call a news conference where he revealed the above storyline.

Watch Raw Video Here

Students were part of the event.  They told reporters they were surprised at what they found.

"We just sat there and looked at it. We're looking it over, just couldn't believe we found the one thing that this whole issue is about. We also thought, 'Why wouldn't they have shredded this, when there's all these other bags of shredded documentation?'" student Alicia Lewis said.

The university foundation has said that because private donations are involved, there is no requirement to disclose details of Palin's visit, including what she's being paid. Yee is pushing a bill to require foundations to engage in full disclosure.

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