Speaking to an audience in Iowa, Sarah Palin recently said that the national debt is "like slavery." For a whole host of eminently obvious reasons, the comparison elicited outrage. But it also got us wondering… if Palin really things debt equals slavery, why did she leave the tiny town of Wasilla $20 million in debt? As mayor of Wasilla, AK, Palin was not always the fiscal watchdog she has since boasted of being… During her tenure, the budget of Wasilla (population 5,469 in 2000) apart from capital projects and debt, rose from $3.9 million in fiscal 1996 to $5.8 million… When Palin left office in 2002, Wasilla had “racked up nearly $20 million in long-term debt,” or roughly $3,000 of debt per resident. (source) Ask Sarah Palin: If debt is "like slavery", why did you leave Wasilla $20 million in debt?