January 22, 2025 - Jabo Waggoner – An Alabama Political Legend
When the 2025 legislative year begins in February, State Senator Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia) will begin his 52nd year in the Alabama Legislature. He is the longest serving state legislator in Alabama history. Jabo Waggoner is more than the senior member of the State Senate, he is one of the most accomplished senators in state history.
Jabo Waggoner has done a lot for Alabama, but especially for his native and beloved Jefferson County. I said words to this effect in a column in May of 2023, and stated that it would take a book to chronicle his legislative accomplishments. Some people came to me afterwards and asked me to write Jabo’s biography. I accepted the challenge and have written Jabo Waggoner: An Alabama Political Legend.
A ceremony and book signing event will be held at the Capitol,commemorating the biography, at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session. It will be attended by every major officeholder in the state, including Governor Ivey, all members of the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives, and numerous judges, along with throngs of lobbyists and admirers.
In all my years of following Alabama politics, I have never seen a more modest or amicable leader than Jabo Waggoner. I have never seen or heard of anyone who has ever met Jabo that did not like him. He will be recorded as not only the longest serving legislator in state history, but also the most beloved and greateststate senator in Alabama history.
Therefore, it goes without saying that Jabo Waggoner is the greatest and most accomplished state senator in the history of Jefferson County, Alabama’s largest and most populous county.The theme of this book, Jabo Waggoner: An Alabama Political Legend, is that over his five decades of leadership, his influence is inextricably tied to the transformation of Birmingham and Jefferson County from a blue-collar steel city to a high-tech international UAB medical mecca and economic center of our state.
He is not the only reason that Jefferson County has been transformed into one of the nation’s premier medical economic centers, but there is a distinct correlation between Jabo’s 51 years of legislative leadership and the transformation of Birmingham since 1966.
In the 1970’s, Waggoner sponsored legislation that spearheaded the purchase of 45 blocks in downtown Birmingham for UAB’s expansion. UAB purchased this property, which was valued at $8.5 million at that time. That land is worth well over $300 million today. That legislative act has enabled UAB to grow into one of the premier medical and research institutions in America,and the “Crown Jewel” of Alabama.
Jabo Waggoner served 17 years in the Alabama House of Representatives before being elected to the Alabama Senate in 1990. During his 35 years in the Senate, he has held most major leadership posts, including his current chairmanship of the powerful Rules Committee. Jabo was the Minority Leader of the State Senate from 1999, until the Republicans gained the legislative majority in 2010. He was the first Republican Majority Leader, then relinquished that role to be the Rules Chairman where he currently serves.
Jabo is revered in Jefferson County, but his popularity extends beyond Jefferson and Shelby counties. When Kay Ivey was running for Governor for her first full term in 2018, she asked Jabo to be her titular campaign manager. He introduced her as she announced her candidacy.
Jabo is adored by his senate colleagues, especially the younger state senators. He has mentored dozens over the years.
Jabo is married to his high school sweetheart, Marilyn. They have been married for more than 66 years. I have never met a more beautiful or sweeter lady than Marilyn Waggoner. She and Jabo have lived in the same home in the heart of Vestavia for 58 years. They raised their four children there. They love Vestavia and Vestavia loves them.
The Mayor of Vestavia, Ashley Curry, and city fathers have built a showcase museum of Jabo Waggoner and his achievements for Vestavia in the City Hall administrative building on Highway 31, which is adjacent to the magnificent Civic Center. It is worth viewing. In addition, the city recently named the Vestavia Hills High School baseball field, “The Waggoner Family Field.” There is a chapter in the book titled, “Mr. Vestavia.”
Jabo and Marilyn are ardent members of the Homewood Churchof Christ. They attend almost every Sunday and sit with their best friends, Dr. Swaid and Christy Swaid. Some of Jabo’s and Marilyn’s children attend the same church. Jabo is a devout member of the Church of Christ. He is on the Board of Trustees of Faulkner University.
Jabo Waggoner’s over 50 years of legislative service will probably never be matched. He has served with eleven governors.
Jabo Waggoner is an icon of Alabama political history.
See you next week.
January 15, 2025 - Robert Aderholt Dean of Alabama Congressional Delegation
As the first session of the 119th Congress convenes this month, and we begin this Presidential quadrennium, Alabama’s power on the Potomac has gravitated to the United States House of Representatives.
Our Seniority in Washington is settling into the House. Mike Rogers (R-Calhoun) is the King of the Armed Services Committee. Gary Palmer (R-Jefferson) is becoming the go-to guy on policy in the House. Terri Sewell (D-Jefferson) is becoming one of the most respected and powerful Democrats in Congress.
The king of our delegation is Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville). He has represented the 4th Congressional District with honor and distinction for 28 years, which puts him in the upper echelon of Seniority in the U.S. House of Representatives. He got to Congress at the ripe age of 30. That is the way to do it. Get to Congress at an early age and stay there a long time. He is not even 60 years old, which is the age when most folks first get elected to Congress. He was elected to his 15th term in November by over 80% of the vote. He gets that high approval vote standard every time.
Robert is a staunch supporter of his district and the State of Alabama. Aderholt has proven that the Federal government serves a critical role in assisting with state and local projects regarding economic development. He has brought barrels of federal dollars to his beloved 4th Congressional District. Congressman Aderholt believes his top priority is constituent service. Every year the powerful Congressman helps hundreds of people in his North Alabama district with issues they have with Social Security, Veterans’ benefits, passports, and other federal agencies.
The primary reason that Congressman Robert Aderholt is the most prominent member of the U.S. Congress is because he is the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over funding the operationsof the federal government. Aderholt serves as the Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. This sub-committee is responsible for the largest non-defense portion of spending in the entire federal budget.
Aderholt is a strong man of faith. His life is exemplary. He is the epitome of what a true husband and father should emulate. He is a true blue, conservative, Republican Congressman, as well as being a Christian family man.
Robert Aderholt was born and raised in Haleyville. His father was a revered Circuit Judge in his traditionally Republican bailiwick. He graduated with honors from Birmingham Southern College and got his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He and his wife Caroline have two children. Robert Hayes is a Junior at Auburn University and Mary Elliott is an outstanding young Lady who works as a consultant and has recently gotten engaged to be married to Grant Whitt, the son of Huntsville State Representative Andy Whitt.
Caroline Aderholt, Robert’s wife, is quite an Alabama success story herself. She, like Robert, is a graduate of Birmingham Southern. She is a member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees. Caroline McDonald Aderholt has quite an Alabama political pedigree. Her father, Albert McDonald, was a long-term State Senator from the Huntsville/Madison County area. He went on to be elected to two, four-year terms as Alabama Agriculture Commissioner. Albert was the ultimate gentleman and a very successful farmer. He had vast land holdings in Madison County.
In October, the Richard Shelby FBI headquarters was dedicated in Huntsville. I rode with Robert and Caroline Aderholt on a bus to the private, secure, FBI facility dedication. As we rode to the Rocket Center location from a shopping center, homes and shopping centers continued for miles. I looked over at Caroline and asked, “Is this your family land?” She said, “Yes, I used to ride on a tractor with my daddy over all this land as a little girl.” Now, it is all shopping centers, homes, and the Redstone Arsenal.
The proof that Congressman Aderholt is a power in Washington was evident when we arrived at the event. The FBI had reserved the two front row seats for Robert and Caroline Aderholt.
See you next week.
January 8, 2025 - Richard Shelby FBI Headquarters Comes to Alabama
On Friday, October 4, 2024, the FBI Campus in Huntsville hosted a small audience for the dedication ceremony at the Richard Shelby Center for Innovation and Advanced Training.
The audience included retired-U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), FBI Director Christopher Wray, U.S. Senator Katie Boyd Britt (R-Ala.), current and former-Members of Congress, four federal judges, business leaders from across the State, family and lifelong friends of Senator Shelby, and dozens of former Shelby congressional staffers – which included five of his former Chiefs of Staff.
The dedication started with all audience members boarding buses to drive through the FBI’s north campus. While on the bus, the scope of the investment secured by Shelby soon became a reality.
The full campus is much like that of a large university. The visitors were only able to see the North part of the campus. Currently, the South Campus is being expanded. It will soon host hundreds of millions of dollars in additional investment, all of which was secured before Senator Shelby’s retirement.
The FBI’s Huntsville Campus, which provides innovation and advanced training for the entire agency workforce and the world, was characterized well by FBI Director Wray, who said the campus is a “vital organ” to the entire agency.
The dedication ceremony started with remarks from Senator Katie Britt, who presided over the ceremony and did a fabulous job. You could tell by not only her words, but with her eyes, how much she admired her mentor, Senator Shelby. She mentioned that during Senator Shelby’s years in the U.S. Senate, he served as Chairman of four Committees – Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Committee on Rules and Administration, and Senate Appropriations Committee. Being chairmen of four primary committees in the U.S. Senate has never been replicated in U.S. history.
Britt also touched on Senator Shelby’s ability to make a strong deal and work in a bipartisan manner to get things done. This led to his success securing the $3 billion investment for this project. It took 14 years to secure these funds, and the resulting facility will bring nearly 5,000 jobs to Huntsville with an additional 2,500 employees anticipated to travel for training on an annual basis. This will bring an annual payroll of over $500 million per year to Alabama and the Huntsville/Madison metropolitan area.To give you some comparison, this Richard Shelby FBI facility in Huntsville will have a payroll and economic impact of two to three times what the Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa generates.
During Director Wray’s remarks, he noted that none of this would have been possible without Senator Shelby. Director Wray said that with increasing and more sophisticated threats, the innovation and advanced training center situated at Redstone will ensure the FBI’s workforce is properly trained to continue to protect the American people.
Senator Shelby provided the closing remarks. Although he is retired from office and is 90 years old, Senator Shelby spoke as strongly as he had when he represented the State of Alabama in the U.S. Capitol. Shelby noted he was humbled for the campus to bear his name, but said names go away but buildings and missions live on into the future.
This FBI Alabama compound is appropriately named the Richard Shelby Center for Innovation and Advanced Training. He singlehandedly garnered the appropriation for this magnificent complex. As Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee his last six years in the Senate, he brought home more bacon than any Senator in U.S. history brought to their home state. We Alabamians will reap the benefits of Shelby’s prowess for generations to come. Richard Shelby is unquestionably the greatest United States Senator in Alabama history.
See you next week.
January 1, 2025 - Two of Alabama’s Legislative Giants Passed Away in 2024
My tradition is to make my year end column a tribute to major political figures that passed away during the year. My column last week did that, however, there were an inordinately large number of political leaders who passed away in 2024. Therefore, this week, I have a second tribute to two of the giants in Alabama legislative history. I had the honor of serving in the House of Representatives with these two icons, and they were two of my favorite legislative friends.
State Senator Jimmy Holley of Coffee County and State Representative James Buskey of Mobile, both passed away in November. They were not only legislative legends and lions, but they were also good men. They were ultimate public servants and gentlemen.
Jimmy Holley was the most effective and well-versed legislator in my lifetime. Holley’s legislative career began in 1974. He served 20 years in the House from Coffee County. After five terms in the House, he transitioned to the State Senate servingsix, four-year terms in the Senate. His District 31 was comprised of Coffee, Covington, Pike, and part of Dale counties. He retired in 2022, as his health was beginning to decline. He passed awaya month ago, at age 80, in Elba.
Jimmy loved Coffee County, and he adored his wife, Mary, and his two sons and grandchildren. Both of his sons, their wives, and grandchildren live on the same land where he and Mary lived. He was the ultimate family man. He went to a lot of ball games.
Jimmy had become known as the premier parliamentarian in the senate. He was a master of the rules and was quietly, extremely effective. During his last decade in the senate, he had become a mentor to new, younger state senators, including Senator Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville) and Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road). In fact, at the beginning of each quadrennium, there was a struggle to seek the seat next to Jimmy Holley, so that they could learn the intricacies of the Senate Rules and gather his institutional knowledge and wisdom.
Jimmy Holley was a trusted friend. We sat next to each other for 16 years in the House of Representatives. We represented adjoining counties. I have never seen a more diligent and capable legislator. Jimmy worked at it. He did his homework. When most legislators would simply show up to vote and enjoy the nightly social events hosted by lobbyists and associations, Jimmy would go back to his hotel room and study legislation and sharpen up on the rules.
One day, Holley and I were sitting at our desks working on a myriad of legislation put out by the Rules Committee. I looked at the calendar and was unfamiliar with a looming bill about three bills down on the agenda. I asked Jimmy about the bill. He calmly told me all about the bill and then proceeded to tell me I probably was not going to vote for it since it was a trial lawyer bill. He knew my pro-business propensity. It occurred to me that he had read the bill in its entirety, as well as all the bills on the calendar the night before.
Governor Kay Ivey directed all flags flown at half-staff within the Capitol Complex in Montgomery, and throughout State Senate District 31, on November 7 and 8 in honor of Jimmy Holley as he was laid to rest. Reflecting on Holley’s legacy, Governor Ivey said, “Senator Holley’s remarkable 44 years of combined legislative service not only ensured he was a strong and effective representative of his constituents, but also allowed him to accumulate a vast knowledge of the process which afforded him great influence. During my time as Lt. Governor, Senator Holley always made his presence felt in shaping legislation. It was an honor to work with him for the people of Alabama. He was a true statesman.”
James Buskey, one of Alabama’s longest serving lawmakers, died November 8, at age 87. Buskey was a Democrat andrepresented Mobile in the legislature for 42 years. When he retired in 2018, he was the second longest serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives.
Buskey was one of the best legislators I ever served with. He was an educator by profession. He was passionate about education issues and his city of Mobile. The entire Mobile legislative delegation relied and depended on his astute legislative knowledge and leadership. He was the glue of the Mobile delegation.
Buskey was very witty and fun to be around. He was brilliant and always had a positive and happy demeanor. However, he could be a lion when somebody wanted to mess with Mobile. He truly was someone who worked across the political aisle. He was a friend. James Buskey was the consummate gentleman.
See you next week.
December 25, 2024 - Some of Alabama’s Great Political Leaders Passed Away This Year
As is my custom, my year end columns highlight the lives of legendary Alabama political figures who passed away during the year.
Elbert Peters, a Republican Party icon, passed away in the waning days of 2023 at age 90. Elbert Peters was Chairman of the Republican Party during the 1990’s. Elbert was Republican before being Republican was cool. Elbert was one of the most stalwart Republicans in Alabama history. He was probably best known for being the driving force and originator of the Madison County Republican Men’s Club. These gatherings were and remain the go-to event for Republican candidates.
Former Second District Congressman, Terry Everett, died in March, at age 87, at his home in Rehobeth. He was a native of the Wiregrass. He served 16 years in Congress from 1992-2008. He had a keen interest in agriculture and the military. Governor Ivey said it best, “during his time on Capitol Hill, he was one of the strongest voices for Alabama’s military bases and veterans.” He was also a stalwart advocate for Alabama farmers.
Robert “Bobby” Timmons, one of the most legendary figures in Alabama political lore, passed away in March at the age of 91. Bobby Timmons served as Executive Director of the Alabama Sheriff’s Association for 47 years from 1975 through 2022. He was the beacon of guidance and support for sheriffs across the state. Prior to his almost five decades as the Director of the Sheriff’s Association, he served in the Alabama House of Representatives. He was a close ally of Governor George Wallace. He was one of Governor Don Siegelman’s closest and most ardent friends and mentors.
Former State Representative William Thigpen passed away in June at 83 in Montgomery. During his 12-year tenure in the State House of Representatives, William and his wife Betty were mainstays of the legislature. He was on affable and gregarious fellow. When you met him, you felt immediately like he was your best friend. William was successful in business. He founded a manufacturing plant and owned a car dealership in Fayette. He was a very conservative and pro-business legislator. After his time in the legislature, he became an Assistant Director of the ABC Agency for 13 years.
Long time Supreme Court Justice Gorman Houston passed away in September. He was 91. Justice Houston was known as a stalwart, conservative, pro-business jurist.
Legendary Ozark Southern Star Editor and Publisher, Joe Adams, passed away in August at his home on Broad Street in Ozark at 91. The Southern Star had been run by his family since 1867. Joe had been publisher for 66 years. He loved Ozark, his family newspaper, and his alma mater the University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide.
Longtime Jefferson County Judge, Quentin Brown, passed away at 77 in July at his home in Birmingham. Quentin had a lot of friends. If you were his friend, you had a true friend. Quentin was a real yellow dog Democrat.
Alabama lost one of the finest ladies to ever grace the Capitol and Statehouse in June. Mrs. Miriam Shehane founded Alabama’s Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL) in the 1980’s and was CEO and lobbyist for the organization for over 40 years. She was a dear friend and hero to many victims of crime in our state.
Miriam was a tireless giant for victims of crime. Her dedication and total devotion was instigated by her daughter’s brutal murder. Quenette Shehane was murdered as a student at Birmingham Southern College. Miriam was dismayed by the lack of judicial action and punishment in the prosecution of the murderers. She dedicated the rest of her life to helping victims of crime in our state. Miriam passed away in her hometown of Clio at age 91.
My belief is that Quenette Shehane’s murder, just outside the gates of Birmingham Southern, during her junior year at the prestigious liberal arts school in the late 1970’s was the beginning of the end of the school. Its perilous location averted Alabama’s brightest away from one of Alabama’s most illustrious private colleges. Birmingham Southern officially died on May 31, 2024. The landmark, elite Alabama private college, ended 168 years of excellent education this year.
See you next week.
December 18, 2024 -The First “Working for Alabama” Czar will be Greg Reed
During the last session of the legislature, Governor Kay Ivey, Speaker of the House, Nathaniel Ledbetter, State SenatePresident Pro Tem, Greg Reed, along with the business leaders of the state made the “Working for Alabama” program their priority. The Governor and legislature passed a sweeping package of bills that will streamline workforce development in our state and make us one of the most competitive states in America for attracting industry and creating jobs and careers for our young men and women in Alabama.
Included in this package was a proposal that will merge the state’s current workforce development programs and agencies under the umbrella of a new state agency called the Alabama Department of Workforce. It will be a cabinet-level department of the state and will replace the old Labor Department. This agency is designed to be one of the most important cabinet posts. Governor Ivey has selected the aforementioned StateSenate President Pro Tem, Greg Reed of Jasper, to be the agency’s first Director. He is a perfect choice.
Greg Reed is a Walker County native, born in Jasper and raised in Cordova. Senator Reed was first elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010, the year the Republicans took the majority. It did not take long for Reed to distinguish himself as a leader in the Senate.
He became the body’s majority leader in 2014. Reed served the Republican caucus as majority leader for several years. With the retirement of long-time Republican President Pro Tem, Del Marsh, the Senate overwhelmingly chose Greg Reed to take on the Senate’s top job.
The results, since his ascension to the top of the Senate, have been truly impressive in just about every way. Senator Reed is viewed by all parties as a consensus builder, who seeks out and appreciates the input of all of his members, not just Republicans, but Democrats, too.
Reed has been at the forefront of other major economic packages. He sponsored the Alabama Incentives Modernization Act in 2019. Reed also sponsored the Alabama Jobs Act, prior to being one of the shepherds of this “Working for Alabama” package of bills.
Senator Reed’s role as a business leader in the Senate is coupled with his true conservative Christian values. He and his wife, Mitsy, are devout members of the First Baptist Church of Jasper. Governor Ivey is fortunate to have Greg Reed to serve in her Cabinet as the first director of this department.
This new Department of Workforce will be assisted by a Board of Alabama Industry titans, such as Alabama Power Company President Jeff Peoples, Great Southern Wood Preserving Founder, Chairman and CEO Jimmy Rane, and several other top business leaders in the state. The agency will streamline and make the state’s workforce development system more efficient.
When it comes to business attraction and retention, one of the first questions that an enterprise considers when deciding between locations for opening a new business is whether the states being considered can supply the workforce needed for that business to be successful. For many years, Alabama has had one of the worst workforce participation rates in the country. This comprehensive “Working for Alabama” legislation, and this new workforce development office is designed to correct this problem.
Through recruiting, training, and employing Alabamians across the state, to take advantage of the in-demand jobs of today and the future, we can give our state’s people careers that allow them to make a better life for themselves and their families. We can also give our state’s economic developers the assurance they need to make a compelling case to employers and industry considering making Alabama home.
One of the integral factors in making this workforce development come to fruition is the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). Chancellor Jimmy Baker has been at the table and at the forefront of this entire plan. The Alabama Community College System is poised and ready to put young Alabamians to work. ACCS has become the best vehicle to develop and implement data-based plans for academic training and workforce development. Our Community College System is just what the doctor ordered for workforce development in Alabama, and Greg Reed is the doctor that will make it work.
Merry Christmas!
December 11, 2024 - The Bright Star – An Alabama Institution
By far the most legendary restaurant in Alabama is The Bright Star in Bessemer. The famous establishment is iconic for not only its fabulous food but also for its hospitality.
It is a Landmark of Alabama history. The Bright Star is the place to see and be seen. Anybody who is famous and well connected in Alabama politics eats at The Bright Star when they are in Birmingham. It is a regular place to gather for Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Walker County politicos.
It has also been the favorite eating location for legendary Alabama football coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban. In fact, there are private dining booths named the Bear BryantRoom and Nick Saban Room. In recent years Alabama basketball coach, Nate Oats, has become a regular. He has become close friends with the heir apparent owner, Andreas Anastassakis.
Greek families have been the Lords of all the famous restaurants in Alabama. The Bright Star may be the brightest star in the history of Alabama’s fine dining. However, if they have had a rival in past years, it was the magnificent Elite Restaurant in downtown Montgomery. The Elite was run by the Xides family. Ed Xides ran an impeccable restaurant. They and the famous Sahara Restaurant in Montgomery were excellent but both closed decades ago.
The Bright Star continues to shine. It makes every culinary list of favorite Birmingham Restaurants every year. It dominates every list in every category. Two brothers, Jimmy and Nicky Koikos, have continued the magnificent heritage of excellence at the Bessemer landmark for the last 50 years. Jimmy passed away from cancer a few years ago. Nicky continues to manage the fine eatery. He is there every day at age 78.
The Bright Star is in its 118th year. The restaurant opened in 1907 with only a horseshoe shaped bar. It opened its doors to the bustling coal mining community of Jefferson County that year. It moved three times in the early years. The Bright Star moved to its present location in downtown Bessemer in 1915. The original marble floors and marble walls exist today. Can you imagine how majestic and elegant this place was to diners in early 20th century Bessemer? Another unique interior feature at The Bright Star is its array of murals painted by a European artist passing through Bessemer and restored to their original brightness in 2010.
Good service and high-quality cuisine have perpetuated The Bright Star’s reputation for excellence. Fresh seafood is delivered daily from the Gulf Coast. Only the finest cuts of steak available are served. The Bright Star’s longtime dedication to culinary excellence was recognized on the national stage in 2010, when it was named one of “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation at a ceremony in New York City.
The fine food and service make it a delightful place to eat, but what I love about the place is its history and family legacy. When you see Nicky Koikos, you can look over his shoulder at portraits of his mother and father, who ran the restaurant for decades prior to Nicky and Jimmy. Jimmy and Nicky Koikos took over the reins in the 1970s. They were keeping it in the family. Nephew Andreas Anastassakis and niece Stacey Cocoris Craig have come on board to take over. Andreas is also the Chief Master Chef.
The walls of the great Bright Star are adorned with photographs of some of the most famous people in America, like Sandra Bullock. However, it is practically a museum of University of Alabama football legends, who ate there regularly, including legends that won lots of national Championships like Bear Bryant, Nick Saban, Gene Stallings, and greats like Joe Namath, Johnny Musso, John Hannah to name a few. Even the legendary Bright Star maître d of 46 years, Marlon, is cousins with Marlon Humphrey and Bobby Humphrey. Bryant used to call him “Speedy.”
Some of my fondest memories are having dinner at The Bright Star, with two of our iconic U.S. Senators, Judge Howell Heflin and Senator Richard Shelby. Shelby and Heflin both considered The Bright Star their favorite Alabama restaurant.
It is a merry place to visit at Christmas.
See you next week.
December 4, 2024 - Big Mules Ain’t All Bad
Our legendary governor of the 1940’s and 1950’s was the giant,cartoonish, character James E. “Big Jim” Folsom. Ole Big Jim ran against the big businesses of Birmingham – big banks, utilities, and U.S. Steel – and labeled them the “Big Mules.” He campaigned on the back of a flatbed truck in every hamlet in the state. He would dance and sing with his band, the Strawberry Pickers, and rail against the Big Mules of Birmingham and the Big Planters of the Black Belt.
George Wallace came onto the scene in the 1960’s. Wallace was a protégé of Big Jim Folsom. Wallace, like Big Jim, Huey Long of Louisiana, and other southern political demagogues, knew you had to find a boogeyman to run against. Wallace had an easy target. His boogeyman was the race issue. He became the most ardent racist segregationist in the south. However, that issue played out when Blacks were given the right to vote in 1965,and quickly constituted 25% of the electorate. Wallace had to find a new boogeyman to run against, so like his mentor, Big Jim, Wallace went after the last Big Mule standing – Alabama Power Company. Wallace was the ultimate demagogue, but history reveals that what is good for Alabama Power is good for Alabama.
While nobody likes paying power bills, most of us fail to consider what we get for our money. We want to see the lights come on when we flip the switch and Alabama Power does a better job at making that happen than just about anybody.
Three years ago, a historic winter blast of cold air on Christmas Eve made the lights go out in Georgia. They also went out in Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Tennessee Valley of Alabama, as rolling blackouts spread across the South. However, the lights stayed on in Alabama Power territory. Yet, when the lights do go out in the middle of the storm, you can rest assured a lineman from Alabama Power will weather the storm, leaving his home and family to get the power back on for your home and family.
Alabama Power does more than just keep the lights on. It has been the driving force behind economic development in Alabama for an entire century. Today, while industries are abandoning plans for investments in other southern statesbecause they cannot get a reliable supply of electricity, business is booming in Alabama Power territory. This is because the leadership of Alabama Power has refused to buckle to left-wing advocates that suggest we run steel mills and factories off solar panels and windmills.
A group calling itself Conservatives for Clean Energy has hired shady political operatives to attack Alabama Power and promote so-called “clean energy.” Anytime a pro-solar and pro-windmill group puts the word “conservative” in their name, you can bet there is nothing conservative about them.
Fortunately, for the past decade, our Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, has had strong leadership and the backbone to stand up to the left-wing forces that would have us sitting in the dark, freezing, and paying higher bills. The President of the PSC, Twinkle Cavanaugh, is as smart and tough as they come. Along with her fellow commissioners, she has held the line on regulations that keep the lights on, the jobs coming, and the cost of electricity around the national average.
To the contrary, Texas deregulated utilities a few years ago and left power suppliers on their own to meet the demands of America’s second-biggest state. Windmills and solar panels went up everywhere and utilities cut their maintenance budgets to the bone. Then, in the winter of 2021, the sun went down, the windmills literally froze up, and people started dying. Even as late as this past August, Texas faced rolling blackouts because the utilities could not meet demand.
One reason Alabama is not Texas is because our Public Service Commission demanded that Alabama Power put Alabama families, businesses, and industries ahead of the left-wing environmentalist agenda. It is the PSC’s job to hold the power company and all the businesses they regulate accountable, and they do. The Commission has proven it will hold the power company’s feet to the fire. For example, the PSC has not granted a rate increase since 2021, and the commission monitors the cost of fuel and other expenses on a monthly basis. The PSC has done an excellent job requiring the power company to cut the fat without sacrificing the muscle needed to care for Alabama families and create more jobs.
Some people will keep taking shots at Alabama Power because they are an obvious Big Mule boogeyman – but it has always been true, if you’ve got a heavy load to pull you need a big mule.
See you next week.
November 27, 2024 - Alabama vs. Auburn Game
The only sport that Alabamians enjoy more than Alabama politics is college football. We especially love the Alabama vs. Auburn football game – one of the fiercest of college football rivalries. It is the game of the year. It is a state civil war that divides friends and families. It is bragging rights for the entire year. The loser must live with his boasting next-door neighbor for 364 days. You must choose a side even if you despise college football and could not care less who wins. Newcomers to our state are bewildered on this fall day each year. They cannot comprehend the madness that surrounds this epic war.
Young boys all over Alabama grow up playing football in their front yards and dream of playing in this big game. It is often said that when these two rivals meet one can throw out the record books. However, this is not true. In 90% of the meetings the favorite has won. A lot of SEC championships and bowl games have been decided in this game. It has made many Alabamians’ Thanksgiving holiday either joyous or sad.
The game was not played for 40 years between 1908 and 1948. Myth has it that the game was halted because of the intense rivalry. However, that is not the case. The history is that after the 1907 game, the schools could not agree on the terms of the contract. The dispute involved meal money, lodging, officials,and how many players each side could bring. Football was not the passion it is today, so the two schools let the matter rest and the fans did not seem to care. That began to change as college football grew to a major sport in the 1940s.
When the series resumed, a popular rumor is the Alabama legislature called a special meeting and forced the teams to play. That never happened, but the House of Representatives did pass a resolution in 1947 to encourage, not force, the schools to meet in football, and officials at Alabama and Auburn agreed. The presidents of Auburn and Alabama simply decided it would be in the best interest of the schools to start playing again.
A contract was drawn up, papers signed, and the rivals literally buried the hatchet. On the morning of December 4, 1948, the presidents of each school’s student body dug a hole in Birmingham’s Woodrow Wilson Park, tossed a hatchet in, and buried it. The series resumed in 1948 with a 55-0 Alabama victory and the teams have squared off every season since.
Many of you have seen signs and car tags that simply say, “A house divided,” with half the tag emblem being Auburn and the other symbolic of the Alabama Crimson Tide. There are many families in our state where one spouse went to Auburn and the other attended Alabama. The family that epitomizes this “house divided” adage of my generation is Joe and Katie Espy of Montgomery.
Joe is an Alabama man through and through. Espy is one of our state’s most gifted and successful attorneys. He grew up in Abbeville and journeyed onto the University of Alabama where he began his meteoric legal/political career. He was President of the SGA at the Capstone, then graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law. Many expected Joe to enter politics and probably become governor. However, he has lived a better life as one of the state’s top lawyers.
Katie Espy was born and raised in Eufaula. She was “Miss Everything” at Eufaula High School, including head cheerleader. She went straight to Auburn where she became a cheerleader for the Auburn Tigers. Joe and Katie have been married for 54 years. Every Auburn vs. Alabama game, Katie dons her orange and blue attire and Joe dresses in crimson and white.
As stated earlier, Joe Espy is from Abbeville. Guess who grew up around the corner from him? None other than Jimmy Rane, the Yella Fella. Espy and Rane are both 78 and were born only three months apart and grew up as best friends and neighbors.
Joe has probably been the most ardent Alabama alumnus and fan in history. He was a University of Alabama trustee for over a decade. Jimmy Rane is the most devoted Auburn man in Auburn history. He has been one of the largest benefactors of Auburn for 50 years and a member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees for 25 years. These two outstanding gentlemen epitomize loyalty to their alma maters and grew up together in Abbeville – a town of 2,000, which is probably evenly divided on Iron Bowl Day.
As I have said many times in the past, Alabama is one big front porch.
WAR EAGLE and ROLL TIDE!
See you next week.
November 20, 2024 - The Trump Triumph
Our 45th President, Donald J. Trump, was elected as our 47thPresident on November 5. He not only won, he won overwhelmingly. Under the Electoral College system, our President is elected not by popular vote, but by a system where each state casts the same number of votes as they have Representatives and Senators in Congress. We, in Alabama, have seven Congressmen and two Senators. Therefore, we have nine electoral votes.
National voters and the media knew in this 2024 Presidential election, there were seven pivotal battleground states that would determine the outcome of the Presidential race. They were Georgia and North Carolina in the south, both with 16 electoral votes – pretty good prizes, Arizona and Nevada in the West, and the ultimate battleground Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania in the Midwest. There were all kinds of formulas and scenarios as to how these states would fall and which ones Trump or his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, would win. Polls revealed all seven states were showing dead even contests leading up to the election. According to all polls, no winner could be projected. Not even the Las Vegas oddsmakers could predict a clear winner.
Trump claimed a tremendous triumph on election night. He won all seven of the battleground states, including the Blue Wall big three of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It was like a giant red wave that swept those three pivotal states, as well as every red state, which was the vast majority of the rest of the country.
Trump’s triumph was so prolific that he had coattails which enabled the Republicans to garner a majority in the U.S. Senate. They were expected to pick up seats in West Virginia and Montana, but Trump’s triumphant journey gave them two more seats in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Going into November 5th, Democrats had a majority in the Senate of 51 to 49. In January when Trump is inaugurated and the Senate organizes, there will be a Republican majority of 53 to 47. This is a mandate for Trump, which will allow him to enact his legislative agenda –but more importantly, appointments, and advise and consent of federal judges and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Speaking of courts, the federal courts gave the Democrats one of Alabama’s Congressional Seats. Currently, we have six Republicans and one Democrat. Last year, federal judges handed the Democrats a seat and re-drew Alabama’s congressional lines from the bench. They made the new 2nd Congressional District in south Alabama a seat that should vote 60% for a Democrat. The race for this seat was the only good, contested race on the Alabama ballot this year. It featured Democrat Shomari Figures and an impressive new Republican first time candidate,Caroleene Dobson. She made it a close race. Figures, the Democrat, won with 55% of the vote. You may not have heard the last of this race or the last of Caroleene Dobson on the Alabama political scene.
Our five incumbent Republican Congressmen, Robert Aderholt, Mike Rogers, Gary Palmer, Dale Strong, and Barry Moore were overwhelmingly reelected with no or token opposition, as was Democrat Terri Sewell. Figures will join Sewell when they organize. We will have two Democrats and five Republicans on the Potomac.
Alabama did its part in electing Donald Trump. He carried 65% of the vote in the Heart of Dixie. His best yet. He got 63% four years ago. This was Trump’s third triumph in Alabama. The Republican candidate for President has carried our state in the last 12 Presidential races going back 48 years.
Trump’s triumph is good for Alabama. With us being a Republican state and having both our U.S. Senators as Republicans and five of our seven Congressmen in the GOP with Trump, we should be in the “catbird” seat. Both of our Senators, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, are in very good graces with Trump. Tuberville is especially close to Trump. In fact, Tuberville is probably Trump’s closest friend and ally in the Senate. They golf regularly together at Mar-a-Lago. It was expected that if Harris had won and Republicans remained in the minority in the Senate, that Tuberville was eyeing running for Governor in 2026, rather than reelection to his Senate seat,which is up in the same year. However, with Trump in the White House and Republicans in the majority, Tuberville wouldprobably like to remain in the Senate.
See you next week.