Palin thinks $215,000 a year is "working class"

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin portrayed herself Tuesday as a champion of everyday people while noting her family's stock portfolio took a $20,000 hit last week.

"It's time that normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency," the Republican vice presidential candidate told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.

Palin said if she and John McCain win, they will "put government back on the side of the people of Joe Six-pack like me."

Palin said she and her husband, Todd, have been affected by the economic downturn.

"I know what Americans are going through," she said a day after a record 778-point plunge on Wall Street. "Todd and I, heck, we're going through that right now even as we speak, which may put me again kind of on the outs of those Washington elite who don't like the idea of just an everyday, working-class American running for such an office."

Palin makes $125,000 yearly as governor, and her husband makes about $90,000 a year combined from his commercial fishing business and his part-time job as a production operator on the North Slope.

Palin said her husband's 401(k) retirement account lost probably $20,000 in the last week as the market dropped.

According to the most recent state financial disclosure forms, filed March 10, 2008, the Palins had about $164,699 in a private investment account and $198,102 in a separate retirement account.

"The relatively low number of investments that we have, looking at the hit that we're taking, probably $20,000 last week in his 401(k) plan that was hit. I'm thinking, geez, the rest of America, they're facing the exact same thing that we are," she said.

Palin was asked to clarify why things are tight for her family.

"It's just the great financial crisis that America is in, as our savings accounts also, and a 401(k), they're being hit," she said.

She didn't explain how her savings account was being affected.

Depends. Try living in Alaska married with 5 children on that. It is probably comparble to 75,000 stateside. Why do you think they kill and eat moose?

Palin says she represents 'Joe Six-pack' - Yahoo! News



A combined income of $215,000 a year is NOT working class. They're in the top 5% of Americans as far as income.

And can someone please tell her that savings accounts aren't affected by the stock market???

Don't bend the truth, here, Willow. $215,000 a year ain't working class by any means. There are people in Ohio with 3 kids earning $30,000 a year and making it just fine. THAT's working class.

Black or African American headed households had median income levels that were 16.8 percent less than the all population median published in the 2000 Census, with a median of $50,178. According to the 2000 Census, the Asian headed households in the area have median household incomes of $55,132. This median income level is 8.6 percent less than the reported median household income, in the state, for all households. Hispanic headed households in Alaskareported a median household income of $48,741, this median household income is 19.2 percent less than the areas median income level for all households. The American Indian and Alaska Native households in Alaska had a median household income level of $38,774, this was 35.7 percent less than the median for all households. In the State of Alaska, White householders had a median income (2005 Dollars) of $65,403 as reported in 2000 by the census, which was 8.4 percent greater than the median household income in 2000.

It most certainly is working class. How much do the Obama's make? When Barack got his senate seat Michelle got a raise bigger than the Palin's income.

It most certainly is working class. How much do the Obama's make? When Barack got his senate seat Michelle got a raise bigger than the Palin's income.

Don't bend the truth, here, Willow. $215,000 a year ain't working class by any means. There are people in Ohio with 3 kids earning $30,000 a year and making it just fine. THAT's working class.

and they're still bitching about those student loans.

It most certainly is working class. How much do the Obama's make? When Barack got his senate seat Michelle got a raise bigger than the Palin's income.

If you had ever had to pay any, you might be bitching about them, too.

If $215,000 is working class income in Alaska, then most Alaskans are impoverished:



Alaska: Income and Poverty in the State of Alaska

Michelle Obama also went to an ivy league college

I make less than $40K a year.... I'm working class. If I made even double that I can't imagine the things I could do!

anyone making six (not single) figure income is NOT working class.