Enjoying the JourneySarah Palin Approved of Charging Victims for Rape Kits While Mayor of Wasilla
September 19th 2008 02:49
Sarah Palin Approved of Charging Victims for Rape Kits While Mayor of Wasilla
I must start by just saying - WOW!
In 2000, then Alaska Governor Tony Knowles put an end to a totally ridiculous practice that was happening in some cities and towns of Alaska. Most cities would pay for rape kits used to gather evidence in rape investigations. Some of them however made the rape victim actually pay for the rape kits.
Let me say that again, the rape victims were forced to pay (between $300 and $1200) for their own rape kits.
Wasilla, Alaska – hometown to VP nominee Sarah Palin was one of those cities that charged the rape victims for the rape kits. They did indeed do this while Palin was mayor of the city. As you will see in the original article below her police chief pointed out how it would put too much a burden on the cities budget and taxpayers. So instead they decided to burden the rape victims to pay them for an instrument created to make their job of finding the attacker easier.
I do hope that this fact is spread far and wide for any and all women that think they want to support her and McCain. Not only is she against someone being able to have an abortion if they are impregnated due to a rape or incest, including children (She went as far as saying even if it was her own young daughter.). . . BUT she also doesn’t think city government and local law enforcement should have to pay for a test that is an investigative tool.
I bet it got under her skin that the kits were also forced to include "emergency contraceptive," as well.
I am going to stop ranting here because it is making me rather upset over the matter.
I do however have to give you a little background about the publication this article is from.
The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman is the local Alaska. It has been in publication since 1947. It is published every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, by Wick Communications. The publications address is in Wasilla, Alaska 99654
Published on Monday, May 22, 2000 9:00 PM AKDT
JO C. GOODE / The Frontiersman / May 23, 2000
ANCHORAGE - Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers.
The governor signed House Bill 270, sponsored by Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, outside the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam room at Alaska Regional Hospital. In attendance at the signing were members of victims advocate groups, law enforcement agencies and legislators.
The new law makes it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims insurance companies for the costs of examinations that take place to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault did occur.
We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence, Knowles said. Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.
While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.
In the past weve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said.
According to Fannon, the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence for sexual assault cases.
Ultimately it is the criminal who should bear the burden of the added costs, Fannon said.
The forensic exam is just one part of the equation. Id like to see the courts make these people pay restitution for these things, Fannon said.
Fannon said he intends to include the cost of exams required to collect evidence in a restitution request as a part of a criminals sentencing.
Palmer police chief Laren Zager said that to his knowledge, no sexual assault victim has ever been billed by the city of Palmer for an exam to collect evidence of a crime. Zager, who has been police chief since January, said he would never expect a victim to be burdened with the cost of a police investigation.
Im prepared to pay every dime in an investigation. As long as I am chief, I would never bill a victim, Zager said.
The new bill would also make law enforcement agencies that are investigating a sexual assault responsible for the costs of testing victims for sexually transmitted diseases and emergency contraception.
I must start by just saying - WOW!
In 2000, then Alaska Governor Tony Knowles put an end to a totally ridiculous practice that was happening in some cities and towns of Alaska. Most cities would pay for rape kits used to gather evidence in rape investigations. Some of them however made the rape victim actually pay for the rape kits.
Let me say that again, the rape victims were forced to pay (between $300 and $1200) for their own rape kits.
Wasilla, Alaska – hometown to VP nominee Sarah Palin was one of those cities that charged the rape victims for the rape kits. They did indeed do this while Palin was mayor of the city. As you will see in the original article below her police chief pointed out how it would put too much a burden on the cities budget and taxpayers. So instead they decided to burden the rape victims to pay them for an instrument created to make their job of finding the attacker easier.
I do hope that this fact is spread far and wide for any and all women that think they want to support her and McCain. Not only is she against someone being able to have an abortion if they are impregnated due to a rape or incest, including children (She went as far as saying even if it was her own young daughter.). . . BUT she also doesn’t think city government and local law enforcement should have to pay for a test that is an investigative tool.
I bet it got under her skin that the kits were also forced to include "emergency contraceptive," as well.
I am going to stop ranting here because it is making me rather upset over the matter.
I do however have to give you a little background about the publication this article is from.
The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman is the local Alaska. It has been in publication since 1947. It is published every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, by Wick Communications. The publications address is in Wasilla, Alaska 99654
Published on Monday, May 22, 2000 9:00 PM AKDT
JO C. GOODE / The Frontiersman / May 23, 2000
ANCHORAGE - Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers.
The governor signed House Bill 270, sponsored by Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, outside the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam room at Alaska Regional Hospital. In attendance at the signing were members of victims advocate groups, law enforcement agencies and legislators.
The new law makes it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims insurance companies for the costs of examinations that take place to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault did occur.
We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence, Knowles said. Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.
While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.
In the past weve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said.
According to Fannon, the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence for sexual assault cases.
Ultimately it is the criminal who should bear the burden of the added costs, Fannon said.
The forensic exam is just one part of the equation. Id like to see the courts make these people pay restitution for these things, Fannon said.
Fannon said he intends to include the cost of exams required to collect evidence in a restitution request as a part of a criminals sentencing.
Palmer police chief Laren Zager said that to his knowledge, no sexual assault victim has ever been billed by the city of Palmer for an exam to collect evidence of a crime. Zager, who has been police chief since January, said he would never expect a victim to be burdened with the cost of a police investigation.
Im prepared to pay every dime in an investigation. As long as I am chief, I would never bill a victim, Zager said.
The new bill would also make law enforcement agencies that are investigating a sexual assault responsible for the costs of testing victims for sexually transmitted diseases and emergency contraception.
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Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
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Cities dying of thirst.
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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First I would like you to seek out a woman or two in your family. Mom, wife, sister, daughter - and give them the scenario. "You were just raped. The used a rape kit so that they have some chance to catch the guy who did it. Now, they are telling you that they have to charge you $1200 for the rape kit. How would that make you feel?"
Now as the one paragraph in the article says, people whose houses are broken into aren't charge by police for dusting for prints, and taking crime scene photos. Murder victim's families aren't charged for the same, and for the autopsy to gather evidence. why SHOULD a woman be charge for a rape kit used to gather evidence?
Gene
Comment by RubySoho
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Thought Zone
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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On the bottom line I would say yes, essentially.
Gene
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I can't believe that there is anywhere in the world where a rape victim is expected to pay for the rape kit to prove she was assaulted??????? That's unbelievable.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
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Palin isnt a feminist she is a puppet who takes enjoys the advantages femism affords her . . . shame shes not a bit more community spirited and willing to give something back
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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I totally agree. It is ridiculous. I am just happy someone came along as Governor before her to make it a law.
Gene
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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Again, I agree. Actually a puppet is a bit better than she is. the puppet remembers its lines. During her only interview thus far she struggled to find in her head the answers she was supposed to be giving. Some of which she couldn't find the answer to.
Apparently she consults with her husband a lot too, who helps her make a lot of her governing decisions. Which is why I am amazed that no one has made a bigger deal out of his member ship in a political party that was pushing for Alaska to break free from the U.S. and be its own self-sustaining country / commonwealth.
Luckily the most recent polls have Obama moving back into the lead. The Palin speech and looks have lost their luster now that more and more is known about her. Of course her speech looked good...she went to school for a journalism degree, and was a sportscaster. Although I have seen a tape of that job, and she wasn;t so good.
Gene
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
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I cannot believe victims of crime were, or are, being charged for collection of evidence. What the hell are the police for? Let's just bill people for fingerprinting their houses when they are robbed, hell why not bill the families of murder victims for the cost of a pathologist to do an autopsy. This is so disgusting it's beyond belief.
The more I hear about this woman the more afraid I become. If the Republicans are elected , it will affect far more than just the USA.
No right minded person could possibly think it's OK to cut state spending by making victims pay to have crimes investigated. Good God, what has become of the world?
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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Exactly, if they get in it isn't just us that are screwed. The saddest part is I also recently read an article on something I had been worried about all along. It was about how with a black candidate that all the racist people who would normally not go out and vote will come crawling out of the woodwork JUST to vote against Obama. No matter what the other choice is. Strange thing is many of the racist people, at least the males, probably have a low opinion of women too. So why not just stay away and let it sort itself out. lol
Gene
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Comment by Two Guys Sports
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Amazingly though there are a lot of people that would agree with the practice. Come to think of it in my relatively brief time on Orble I think I could point out at least 2 or 3 that would have totally agreed with it.
Gene