The current regular session of the Legislature should be dubbed the accountability session. The question has centered more around who will get credit for proposing and achieving accountability in Alabama’s state government, the republican governor or the democratic legislature.

In the wake of a resounding 2-to-1 decision last September by Alabama voters that more taxes are not what we need, the Governor got the message, no new taxes. The follow-up polls showed that we want “accountability” in Montgomery before we send any more money.

The Governor has made the accountability cry his hallmark legislative agenda. He even went so far as to throw down the gauntlet and call for a Special Session on his accountability measures. The democratically dominated legislature rebuked the Governor’s call for a Special Session and attempted to trump him on the accountability issue and introduced their own Bills, many of them similar to the Governor’s. The question you may ask is, what is accountability? It worked successfully as Clinton beat George Bush Sr that year. Riley has offered a litany or laundry list of accountability measures all well intended and many of them good government measures, It is a vague term and sounds great. After all, who is not for a good and sensible accounting of how your state dollars are spent.

However, for the Governor to be successful, Riley should separate reform and accountability and come with a more simple, concise package. Riley would do well to take a page from a renowned democratic strategist, James Carville, who was credited with electing Bill Clinton president in 1992. He emphasized and made famous the KISS formula for success in politics, KISS being an acronym for keep it simple stupid. The message was it’s the economy stupid when he stressed the importance of staying on one simple message. It worked successfully as Clinton beat George Bush Sr that year. Riley has offered a litany or laundry list of accountability measures all well intended and many of them good government measures, but he has asked for too much and lacks political experience or clout to accomplish many or any.

For example, it is foolhardy to think that as a novice republican Governor Riley could beat Dr. Paul Hubbert, the recognized “King of Goat Hill,” on decreasing the benefits of his school teachers. The same could be said for attacking state employees who have become dominate players in the last decade. George Wallace with all his power and political savvy and in the height of his political heyday could not beat Paul Hubbert in a legislative battle.

That was thirty years ago and Hubbert’s power has grown even stronger. Six governors have come and gone since then, some have tried Dr. Hubbert’s hand, others have decided that discretion is the better part of valor and walked away from fighting Dr. Hubbert. He has been the most powerful man in the legislative halls for more than three decades and remains so today. They don’t call him “Governor” for nothing. He has built the Alabama Education Association into the most powerful special interest group in Montgomery, basically from scratch. It was not much more than a social group when he took over the helm as a young man in 1970. He is a brilliant and savvy political genius and he thrives on what he does. He loves teachers and believes that improving education is the answer to many of Alabama’s problems.