June 01, 2005
The just completed Regular Session of the Legislature frankly was a failure. The only thing the Constitution requires the Legislature to do is pass the budget. They were in session three and a half months and failed to pass the General Fund Budget. The Senate, which is where the blame rests, never even took up the budget. Now because there is no General Fund Budget Gov. Riley must call the Legislature into a Special Session costing taxpayers over $400,000.00, an expense which must come out of a woefully broke General Fund. A Fund that is so under funded that the budget passed by the House was strapped together with $250 million dollars of one-time money. It is a train wreck waiting to happen and the wreck will occur next year as elections are ongoing.
May 18, 2005
In the expected face-off battle between Bob Riley and Roy Moore in the 2006 Republican Primary for Governor, Riley won the opening salvo with the selection of Twinkle Andress as the new chairman of the State Republican Party. Twinkle has made history as the first female to serve as chair of a major political party in Alabama. She is a stalwart Riley backer and moved to the GOP position directly from Riley’s cabinet.
May 11, 2005
Many of you seemed to enjoy my story about Miss Mittie last week and her legendary prowess as the oracle of Goat Hill. She was such a peculiar looking sight in her floor length black dress and hat, always knitting and never looking up. It was like she had eyes in the top of her head. Miss Mittie would hardly look at you, much less talk to you, unless you had won her trust. She almost whispered when telling you where a legislator was or what was going on in each legislative chamber.
May 04, 2005
As a youngster I spent my summers working as a Page in the State Legislature. It was an invaluable learning experience and a glimpse into the world of politics, but it was a lot simpler time. When I observe today’s Legislature the most striking difference is computerization. In the 1960s the telephone was our most advanced technology. However, I fondly remember a little lady named Miss Mittie who was far superior to any computer.
April 27, 2005
As mentioned last week, two Democrats, Don Siegelman and Lucy Baxley, have geared up for the 2006 Governor’s Race. They will fight it out in the June Democratic Primary to face the nominee of the surging Republican Party.
April 20, 2005
The early jockeying for position has already begun in earnest for the 2006 Governor’s Race. It is none too soon, as qualifying will be well under way one year from now. The primaries will be in June with the general election in November next year.
A horserace is developing with four face card candidates lining up for the race, two Democrats and two Republicans which means you will see a donnybrook in each primary. All four enjoy household name identification and all four have run successful statewide races. There may be other candidates, but the big four will be the players.
April 06, 2005
In every Legislative Session there arises a surprise or sleeper issue which surfaces as a major headline grabber almost out of the blue. This year is no exception. What I will call the BellSouth issue has practically dwarfed the financial problems in the General Fund budget. It has taken the front page away from the dark hole in Medicaid funding and other controversial issues. It has become the full employment bill for lobbyists. Both sides have armed themselves with the highest paid, hired gun lobbyists in Montgomery. The Senate has spent an inordinate number of days on the issue and it has yet to arrive in the House. It is the subject of conversation on Goat Hill and the combat and dialogue has spilled over to statewide television and newspaper advertisements.
March 30, 2005
The legislative session is at the midway point and it has started out as a halfway decent session. There has been some good and some bad.
The bad part is that there is still a stalemate between the Governor and Legislature over the resolution as to what to do with the beleaguered General Fund. It is a Mexican standoff. They are playing Russian roulette with the funding of Medicaid and the other General Fund agencies.
March 23, 2005
My fellow editorialists in the state have had a field day lambasting the Christian Coalition for their most recent transgressions. They have castigated them for extreme hypocrisy.
March 16, 2005
The current stalemate over the state budgets is good drama. The radio and television ads are interesting and enjoyable. Both sides have created masterful media pieces. It is good entertainment for those of us who follow Alabama politics. However, it is a rerun. This play has been enacted several times in the past. One actor who has continuously been on the stage is Dr. Paul Hubbert, the reigning King of Goat Hill. Hubbert has mastered his part for over 30 years, while new actors appear on the stage periodically to play the role of his bold adversary.