Controversy Over Palin's Pay

The California State University Stanislaus Foundation will not disclose how much it is paying Sarah Palin to speak at the campus - which is raising questions about the foundation and others like it, and how they spend their money.

Palin, who usually charges between $100,000 to $200,000 in speaker fees according to the California Faculty Association's newsletter, is set to speak at CSU Stanislaus for the celebration of the campus' 50th anniversary in June. The $500-a-plate, black-tie event is a fundraiser for the school which hopes to net $100,000 to $200,000 after cost, said Matt Swanson, the president of the foundation, in a San Francisco Chronicle story. The terms of Palin's contract with the foundation doesn't allow for the disclosure of how much she is being paid for the event, which is making some organizations and lawmakers scrutinize the secrecy that these auxiliary foundations work under.

"This is just the latest example in a continuing pattern of problems involving these foundations that highlights the need for better oversight," said CFA president Lillian Taiz in the organizations newsletter. "At a time when the 23 CSU campuses are severely underfunded, it is imperative that every penny be used to serve students in the classroom."

The CFA is calling for the foundation to make public how much it is paying Palin for her appearance as well as how much the event is costing the foundation to put on, but these figures remain hidden. The Palin controversy has also sparked the interest of San Francisco lawmaker Leland Yee who is pushing for his bill SB330 The bill would apply California's public records law to auxiliary organizations tied to the public higher education systems, including the UC, CSU, and community college campuses. This bill would make the financial records of these auxiliary organizations, which are private businesses that are connected to a campus such as the 49er book store, transparent to the public and would allow for more financial accountability.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle