California Attorney General Jerry Brown is currently investigating the finances of the California State University, Stanislaus Foundation and the possibility that the non-profit organization violated public disclosure laws by not releasing the details of a contract with a speaker for the educational institution's 50th Anniversary Gala on June 25. This story supposedly came to light after students discovered that documents were being shredded at the campus administration building on a day when staff members were scheduled to be on leave. The foundation, which expects to raise as much as $200,000 from the $500-a-plate event, refuses to provide, among other things, the amount of the speaker's fee.
Who is the speaker, you ask? You guessed it. It is none other than Sarah Palin. While I don't care if the foundation discloses the information or not, there is certainly an interesting aspect of this situation. The contract outlines the following requirements for speaking engagements by the former Governor of Alaska (and current diva) due to her "professional endeavors and high profile":
- The donated private aircraft "MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger...for West Coast events or a Hawker 800 or larger...for East Coast events and both are subject to the speaker's approval".
- Ground transportation "will be by SUV(s)" but, if that type of vehicle is unavailable, then "black town cars may be substituted".
- Palin and her party must be provided with "accommodations of a pre-registered one bedroom suite and two single rooms in a deluxe hotel". The client may also be required to supply "a laptop computer and printer (fully stocked with paper)" prior to Palin's arrival.
- For the Q&A portion of satellite events, "the questions are to be collected from the audience in advance, pre-screened and a designated representative...shall ask questions directly of the speaker".
- To ensure that all attendees of the event are able to engage in a photo opportunity with Palin, this schedule of "45 minutes/75 clicks, 60 minutes/100 clicks and 90 minutes/125 clicks" must be followed and "a receiving line style, as opposed to a snake line" must be established. According to a detailed diagram, "guests should come from the speaker's RIGHT and depart at the speaker's LEFT. The waiting line should be kept close to the speaker's RIGHT."
- The client is permitted to "take still photographs (without flash bulbs) of the speaker for the first three minutes of the speaker's presentation".
- Palin must be provided with "a tall, wooden lectern with lip and fixed microphone, in addition to a handheld microphone...Unopened bottled still water (2 bottles) and bendable straws are to be placed in or near the wooden lectern." Prior to Palin speaking, the bottles will be opened "at an appropriate time".
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