September 8, 2021 - 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
This week marks the 20th Anniversary of the infamous 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation. It was a day in your life where you remember where you were and what you were doing when you first heard of the attacks on the New York World Trade Center and Pentagon. It changed our world.
Like most people, I thought the first plane that flew into the towering Trade Center, was an accident. However, when the second plane hit you knew it was not pilot error. It was traumatic and terrifying. I asked several of our state leaders their memories of that fateful day. Allow me to share some of their experiences.
Today, only two members of our current congressional delegation were in Congress at the time: Senator Richard Shelby and Congressman Robert Aderholt. Our senior senator, Richard Shelby, was actually chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. He was immediately briefed by the CIA, however, amazingly, he was not placed in a protective bunker. He quietly sat in his office with his staff and watched the day unfold on television.
Congressman Robert Aderholt, who was a brand new 33-year old congressman recalls he and his wife, Caroline, were taking their daughter to her first day of school while all the 9/11 events were unfolding. That daughter, Mary Elliott, is now a senior at Auburn.
PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh had just left Washington and was back home in Alabama getting ready for a conference call. The call was cancelled, and she sat in shock all day.
Gov. Kay Ivey shared her memory. She said it was a typical September morning. She was attending a conference and learned of the first plane flying into the tower while getting coffee. At first, the news did not seem too alarming. However, a few minutes later, when news of the second plane hit and videos appeared showing the large plane crashing into the World Trade Center, an awful feeling started to sink in for everyone as they realized our world was changing in front of their eyes.
The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Jo Bonner, at that time was Chief of Staff to Congressman Sonny Callahan and later took that seat in Congress. Bonner was also at a legislative meeting in Montgomery. He was having breakfast at the Embassy Suites, and he watched the planes fly into the tower.
Gov. Ivey’s new State Finance Director Bill Poole had recently moved back from D.C. a few weeks prior to enrolling in the University of Alabama Law School. He was in class and was concerned about young friends he had left behind in D.C.
Ozark State Representative, Steve Clouse, was a young legislator and was in Montgomery eating breakfast at the Madison Hotel.
State Senator Clay Scofield was a junior at Auburn University. He watched on televisions and recalls feeling sad, angry and extremely patriotic. Lt. Governor, Will Ainsworth, was also a student at Auburn. He was in his apartment getting ready to go to class.
Pardons and Parole Director and former State Senator, Cam Ward, was on a plane headed to Washington, D.C. while the events were unfolding. They were diverted to West Virginia to land and then informed of what had happened.
State Senator Greg Reed was in his home office preparing for a business trip to Baltimore, Maryland. His wife, Mitzi, ran into his office a little after 9:00 and told him to come watch what was unfolding in New York. Needless to say, his trip was cancelled.
State Senator Clyde Chambliss was in an Autauga County Leadership meeting. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle was eating breakfast at a local restaurant in the Rocket City. State Treasurer John McMillan was head of the Alabama Forestry Association. They were at their annual meeting at the Perdido Beach Resort.
Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins, a decorated Veteran of Vietnam, had just departed campus enroute to Luverne on a communities tour. By the time they reached Montgomery, he said, “It was clear that America had been attacked. What began as a day of celebration concluded in Prattville as a day of mourning and patriotism.”
Attorney General Steve Marshall had been serving as the district attorney for Marshall County for just over a month. He watched the events unfold on televisions in underground offices. It was his daughter’s 11th birthday, but his family did little celebrating on that day.
Former Congressman Bradley Byrne was practicing law in Mobile. His law offices were in the same building as the FBI. They got their fully automatic rifles out and were guarding the building all day.
See you next week.
September 1, 2021 - Trump Comes to Alabama
Former President Donald Trump paid a visit to the Heart of Dixie last week. Obviously, this is Trump country.
Alabama was one of Trump’s best states in the 2020 Election. He got an amazing 65% of the vote in our state. If the turnout for his August 21 rally in rural Cullman County is any indication, he would get that same margin of victory this year if the election were held again. Many of those in attendance were insistent that Trump won last year’s presidential contest and that it was stolen from him.
The event was held on a desolate rural north Alabama farm. It was reminiscent of the 1969 Woodstock event in rural New York. In fact, our newly minted U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville referred to it as “Trumpstock.” Tuberville nor I either one attended Woodstock, but we are old enough to know about the legendary music and imbibing event. It was also reminiscent of some of the old George Wallace rallies in the 1960’s – only much larger.
The rally drew an enormous crowd. Estimates said there were 45,000 Trumpites in attendance and I am not an expert on estimating crowds, but I do not disagree with that number. It took me 30 minutes to walk through the crowd to get to my car.
Trump is truly an entertainer and Alabama is truly Trump Country, although there were quite a few folks in attendance from neighboring states. I was very appreciative to be given a VIP front row private reception invitation to the event. Allow me to share some of my observations.
Coach/Senator Tommy Tuberville won his seat in the U.S. Senate because Trump endorsed him. It is obvious that Trump and Tuberville like each other and have bonded. Tuberville ran for and is in the Senate for the right reason. He wants to spend some of his retirement years giving back to this country. Tuberville was not groomed to be a politician. He is a football coach, but he is doing a good job representing Alabama in Washington. He has put together a good staff headed by veteran Stephen Boyd. They are doing a good job with constituent service. Tuberville looked jovial, relaxed, and dapper when he spoke prior to Trump.
Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth gave a great speech. It was fiery and almost George Wallace level. He is a true conservative. He has two young sons who accompanied him to the rally. They are very gentlemanly young men, who are always courteous and mannerly.
Attorney General Steve Marshall gave an excellent speech. It was conversational, sincere and well received.
Congressman Robert Aderholt was spectacular and gave a great speech and welcome. He represents Cullman in congress. His 4th Congressional District gave Trump the largest percentage votes of any congressional district in the country. Aderholt looks like a congressman. He is polished and erudite, but has a grassroots appeal. His people in North Alabama love him.
Mo Brooks spoke and was fiery as ever. Trump has endorsed him in the senate race. However, Trump only endorsed him once on this night.
There is a lot of internal discord among the Republican Party membership. It appears that the Mo Brooks supporters have taken over the Republican Party hierarchy and that this Trump event was a Mo Brooks rally. Trump probably was asked to temper his Brooks endorsement. Indeed, Mo Brooks’s opponents, Katie Britt, Lynda Blanchard and Jessica Taylor were all in attendance.
Several state senators were there, along with the aforementioned state constitutional officers. I saw Greg Reed from Jasper, Tom Whatley from Auburn, along with hometown Cullman Senator Garlan Gudger, and PSC Commissioner Jeremy Oden also from Cullman County. In addition, Secretary of State John Merrill and Jefferson/Shelby Congressman Gary Palmer were in attendance.
It was good to see some of the old, longtime, 50 year Republican Party faithful founders there – Elbert Peters from Huntsville, Joan and Paul Reynolds from Shelby County, and Vicki and Mike Drummond from Jasper. They were laboring in the Republican vineyards before it was cool to be a Republican, and still are.
I had a chance to see Trump closeup. He looks amazing for 75. People age differently. He is a lot more cognizant and alert than 78-year-old Joe Biden. If you made me bet, I would say that Trump is running for President in 2024 and that he will carry Alabama.
Happy Labor Day.
See you next week.
August 25, 2021 - More Summer Political Happenings
Allow me to again open my political notebook for more summer political happenings in the Heart of Dixie.
As Labor Day approaches it looks as though the state constitutional officeholders, all Republicans, are going to escape serious or even any opposition. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate are running unopposed. However, all three are running aggressive campaigns or, as the old saying goes, are running scared.
It looks as though State Treasurer John McMillan will not run for reelection and may opt to be head of the new State Cannabis Commission. Waiting in the wing to run for treasurer is former State Treasurer Young Boozer. He will be a prohibitive favorite. He did an excellent job as Treasurer and remains very well thought of in Montgomery circles.
The Secretary of State and Auditors jobs are open with no incumbents able to run. Surprisingly, state representative Wes Allen is the only one running for Secretary of State. He dodged a bullet when Birmingham businesswoman, Laura Johnston Clark, opted to not run.
The State Auditor’s race has attracted several candidates. A recent entry is Mobilian Rusty Glover. He is a popular former state representative and state senator who ran statewide for lieutenant governor last time. He will be the favorite. I have never seen anyone who has ever met and visited with Rusty one-on-one who does not like him.
The big money in next year’s election will be on the state legislative races. All 105 State House seats and all 35 State Senate races will be on the ballot. All 140 seats will have new lines. They may all be similar, but all will have to deviate to some degree.
They will be drawing these new lines in a special reapportionment legislative session in late October or early November. The final census numbers just arrived within the last few days. This redistricting session is vitally important to all legislative incumbents. It is about political self-preservation.
Redistricting also impacts the impending race for Speaker of the House, which will be determined shortly after the November 2022 General Election during the January 2023 organizational session.
Current House Speaker Mac McCutchen announced during the summer that he was not running for reelection. This immediately set in motion a jockeying for position to be the next Speaker. The two candidates that are emerging are Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) and Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Dekalb County). The race will be decided within the Republican House caucus. The House currently has a super majority with 75% of the body being Republican. This GOP dominance will continue or may even be enhanced after reapportionment.
Steve Clouse is a 27-year veteran of the House. He is the powerful Chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. Nathaniel Ledbetter is a popular, folksy, keen, second-term representative, who is the House Majority Leader.
Both candidates start with a hard-core base of votes from legislators from their neck of the woods. Ledbetter has a rock-solid base from the northeastern corner of the State and Sand Mountain. Clouse has the steadfast support from southeast Alabama and the Wiregrass.
The race will probably be determined by the more populous delegation of legislators from the metropolitan areas of Jefferson/Shelby and Mobile/Baldwin.
Ledbetter has the backing of retiring Speaker McCutcheon of Huntsville and probably has an advantage in the Madison/Limestone delegation. However, Ledbetter’s ace-in-the-hole may be that as Majority Leader, he is helping raise campaign money not only for incumbents, but more importantly the 20 to 25 new members who are being elected next May. If it comes down to a straight, all north Alabama versus south Alabama race, that gives Ledbetter a leg up because there are more people and legislators from north Alabama because that is where the population is as the current census numbers reveal. However, if a geographic war develops, look for the Montgomery River Region Republican legislators to side with south Alabama and Clouse.
Again, the Jefferson/Shelby and Mobile/Baldwin delegations may very well be where the race is decided. The Jefferson/Shelby legislators from the upscale urbane districts will favor Clouse’s experience in a private vote. This same advantage will accrue to Clouse in the silk-stocking Mobile/Baldwin districts. Veteran Mobile legislator Victor Gaston, who is also Speaker Pro Tem of the House, is running for reelection probably to help elect Clouse as Speaker. They are very close and dedicated friends. Victor is very respected and may very well bring some Mobile legislators with him.
See you next week.
August 18, 2021 - Summer Political Happenings
This long hot and wet summer is coming to a close, and Labor Day is on the horizon. Labor Day weekend will not only mark the beginning of college football season, but also the traditional start of the 2022 political season.
Most of the horses are in the chute for the May 24, 2022, primary election. So let the fun begin.
Let me share some political happenings that transpired over the summer. Jim Ziegler, our colorful State Auditor is edging closer to challenging Kay Ivey in the governor’s race. Ole Ziegler is an astute politician and campaigner, although not a very prolific fundraiser. He will be a viable candidate, but it is unlikely he can beat a healthy Kay Ivey.
Tim James, who has run two worthy races for governor, may give it a third try. He too can make a good race, but probably cannot beat Ivey. However, if both James and Ziegler get into the race they could and probably would force Ivey into a runoff which would be very stressful for her. Both James and Ziegler are viable candidates, and it will make the race interesting – especially if Ziegler gets in. He is fun to watch.
However, Kay Ivey is preparing for another term by securing a treasured asset in State Representative Bill Poole as her state finance director. She now has a dynamic duo by her side to rely and depend on with Poole as her Finance Director and Jo Bonner as her Chief of Staff. She also has a bevy of young lieutenants led by the wife and husband team of Liz and Bill Filmore.
Bill Poole is considered the most popular and promising young politico on the Alabama political scene. He will be a tremendous asset for Governor Ivey as the manager of the state finances. Bill Poole was elected as a state representative from Tuscaloosa in 2010. In his 11 years in the House, he made a meteoric rise into the leadership within the state House of Representatives. In all my years watching the Alabama Legislature and Alabama politics, I have never seen anyone as universally respected and liked as Poole.
He became Chairman of the Ways and Means Education Budget Committee in 2013 after only two years in the House. He has essentially written the State Education Budget for the last eight years. The Education Budget amounts to over three-fourths of all state dollars. He has become a guru and expert on the state’s revenues and budgeting. Kay Ivey could not have scripted anyone better than Poole to administer the state finances. In addition, his relationship with the legislature will expedite the passage of Ivey’s budget recommendations within the legislature.
The race for the open Senate Seat of our Senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby has been percolating all summer and it is beginning to look like it will be a two-person race between Congressman Mo Brooks and Business Council of Alabama Chairman Katie Britt. It will be a classic battle of the two wings of the Republican Party. Brooks represents the right-wing, reactionary, firebrand, bombastic, Trump wing of the party. In fact, former President Donald Trump has enthusiastically endorsed Brooks and will probably rousingly promote Brooks at a rally in Cullman County this Saturday.
Katie Boyd Britt will carry the banner of the moderate, pro-business, conservative, yet more sophisticated wing of the party. She would be a senator for Alabama who would protect our immensely valuable military defense meccas in the state, like the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Maxwell-Gunter Air Base in Montgomery and Ft. Rucker in her native Wiregrass.
During the summer Britt has raised a record-breaking amount of campaign money that will be essential as she and Brooks head towards a May 24, 2022, runoff duel. However, Britt also has been beating the bushes in rural Alabama. She has made almost every Farmer’s Federation County meeting in the state. You have to earn the Farmer’s Federation endorsement by the grassroots approach.
The Alfa endorsement does not come from an ivory tower in Montgomery. Their endorsement is garnered by votes from each county federation. Therefore, you have to work for it and believe you me that endorsement is important in a statewide Republican race in Alabama. The Farmer’s Federation will not endorse Mo Brooks. He is the only Republican Congressman from Alabama who has consistently voted against Alabama farmers. Look for Katie Britt to get the coveted Alfa endorsement.
See you next week.
August 11, 2021 - Status of Race for Shelby’s Seat
The field may be set for the race to fill the Seat of our iconic senior U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby. When Senator Shelby announced that he would not seek a seventh six-year term in the United States Senate earlier this year, many of us expected a stampede of candidates to throw their hats in the ring. When a U.S. Senate seat opens for the first time in 36 years, you might expect everybody who had ever won a 4-H speaking contest to enter the fray. However, I guess politics does not have quite the allure that it used to in bygone days.
The election will be held May 24, 2022. I say election rather than Republican Primary because a Democrat cannot win in a statewide race in Alabama. Winning the GOP Primary is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie.
The four GOP candidates are Huntsville Congressman Mo Brooks, 67, former Trump Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard, 62, former Shelby Chief of Staff and more currently Business Council of Alabama CEO, Katie Britt, 39, and finally Jessica Taylor who is only 37. Allow me to outline the attributes and foibles of all four. However, their order of description does not indicate my preference or their likelihood of winning.
You may have noticed that beside all four names I have acknowledged their chronological age on earth. This is important because seniority is not only important but is paramount in the pursuit of power and the ability to be an effective broker for Alabama along the Potomac. Obviously, the younger you are the more likely that you have the potential to be an effective senator for Alabama because time in Washington equates into seniority, which results in power for our state.
If someone had told Shelby when he entered the Senate 36 years ago in 1986, that the race to be his successor would field four major candidates and three of them would be ladies, he would have been dubious. Speaking of Shelby and his successor, it is no secret that the fine senior gentleman senator from Tuscaloosa would like to see his former Chief of Staff, Katie Boyd Britt, follow him in the U.S. Senate. Those of us who have followed young Katie Boyd Britt since she was a girl growing up in Enterprise, knew she had potential governor or U.S. Senator written all over her from the get-go.
Katie was miss everything in Enterprise. She was governor of Girls State, went on to the University of Alabama where she was President of the Student Government, went on to graduate from University of Alabama Law School. She went to work for Shelby, then practiced law for awhile and then became CEO of the Business Council of Alabama. She is married to Wesley Britt a former Alabama football star from Cullman. They have two children and reside in Montgomery. Katie will be the moderate probusiness, Shelby-like, Republican in the race. She raised a record breaking $2.4 million in her first month in the race.
Jessica Taylor is a strikingly attractive, aggressive and vivacious firebrand conservative. She ran a respectable third in the race for the open 2nd congressional seat last year. She may be hampered by an inability to compete with the other three in campaign funds.
Lynda Blanchard, 62, is from Montgomery. She is indeed a lifetime resident of Montgomery except for three years as Ambassador to Slovenia. She is a quiet, well spoken, sincere lady who would be a good senator. Undoubtedly, she has been successful in business. She has contributed over $5 million to her campaign.
Congressman Mo Brooks enters the race as the frontrunner. Mo has staked out the conservative right wing of this GOP race, which probably constitutes the majority of primary voters in Alabama. He quite deserves his label as the most conservative. He would more than likely be one of the most conservative senators in Washington if elected as our next senator. He has been a diligent right-winger during his entire 40-year career in politics. His 10 years of being the Congressman for the Tennessee Valley has proven that he is more interested in being on Fox News than bringing home the bacon for Alabama. He will proudly proclaim that he will be a United States Senator and not a Senator for Alabama.
He has been totally ineffective during his time in Congress and would be ineffective for the entire state. In fact, if elected, he would be an albatross. However, having Trump’s total endorsement, Mo Brooks enters the race as the favorite.
August 4, 2021 - Governor Ivey Should Coast to Reelection
For over a year I have been touting the fact that the 2022 election year in the Heart of Dixie was going to be the busiest and most monumental in history. Folks, it looks like it is not going to be as eventful as anticipated. Yes, everything is on the ballot, but the power of incumbency is thwarting the drama. It appears the U.S. Senate race is going to be the marquee event.
Most states have their big election years in the same year as the presidential contest. Not so in Alabama, our carte blanche election year is in between presidential elections in what is referred to nationally as off years.
All our constitutional officers are on the ballot next year as well as all 105 state house seats, 35 state senate seats, all 67 sheriffs, all state school board members, along with all seven of our Congressional seats.
Historically, the biggest race in Alabama is governor. In fact, throughout history the governor’s race year has been the largest turnout year in Alabama. That is probably because it was not until the 1970’s that could a governor succeed themselves. Therefore, there was an open governor’s race every four years.
The inherent advantage of incumbency has cut down on the every four years gubernatorial circus and theater. This incumbency advantage is playing out to the nines as we head towards next year’s May 24 election day.
All four of our top tier Constitutional offices are held by popular incumbents and all four are running for reelection virtually unopposed. All of our statewide elected offices are held by Republicans. A Democrat cannot win a statewide race in Alabama. They can get 40% but that appears to be the ultimate threshold. Therefore, winning the May 24 GOP Primary is tantamount to election.
Governor Kay Ivey is the prohibitive favorite to win a full second term next year. She has done a good job as governor despite the gigantic obstacles of having to fight through a once in a lifetime COVID pandemic, which completely shut down the world’s economy for over 15 months. She did a good job of steadying the ship of state during the crisis.
It was thought and even anticipated that Kay Ivey would run for only one four-year term when she was elected in 2018. She, herself, probably thought she might only run one time because, coupled with her serving as governor the last two years of Robert Bentley’s tenure, would give her a six-year reign. That mindset of striving to govern for four-years rather than run for reelection has made her a successful governor. Kay has rolled up her sleeves and tackled the job and diligently governed. She has gubernatorially addressed many of the problems that have plagued the state and been swept under the rug or kicked down the road for decades. Addressing the problems of repairing the state’s roads and infrastructure and the prison problems has not been an exciting agenda, but she has been a workhorse governor rather than a show horse governor.
She will coast to reelection. It would be difficult for a candidate to run negative ads against your grandmother. The only thing that could prevent Kay Ivey from serving another term is if she changes her mind. She relies a lot on her Chief of Staff, former Mobile/Baldwin Congressman, Jo Bonner. There is speculation that Bonner may accept the position of President of the University of South Alabama. Gov. Ivey would very much miss her “little brother” from Wilcox. However, she has a brilliant and loyal youthful staff that have been with her all four-years. She will probably stay the course and be reelected.
Speaking of youthful, our young Lt. Governor, Will Ainsworth, is poised to win reelection to a second four-year term essentially unopposed. He is waiting in the wings, ready to run for governor.
Attorney General, Steve Marshall, is also going to coast to reelection with only token or no opposition. Marshall has tackled his job well and diligently over his first four-year term. He like Ivey has strived to delve into his job rather than politick full time. He has staked out a position as being a bona fide conservative Alabama Republican.
Rick Pate has done an excellent job as Alabama Agriculture Commissioner and will deservedly win a second four-year term as the head of this important constitutional office. He is perfectly suited and qualified for this job.
So, folks, it looks like it may be a dull year. However, don’t fret, we have 67 local sheriff races and all 140 legislative seats all running under new lines.
See you next week.
July 28, 2021 - Governor Kay Ivey Second Governor from Wilcox County
Kay Ivey is doing a good job as governor. She is a strong and decisive leader, who has done more than steady the ship of state. She is getting things done. She is making her mark as a good governor.
She did a good day’s work when she got Jo Bonner to be her Chief of Staff. They make quite a team. This duo from Wilcox County were cut out to be leaders.
Kay Ivey is only the second governor to hail from Wilcox County. Benjamin M. Miller was the first. The Black Belt region of Alabama has spawned an inordinate number of governors and legislative giants.
The Bonner family has deep roots of leadership in Wilcox County. Bonner served in Congress with distinction for over a decade. His sister, Judy, was president of the University of Alabama. His father was Probate Judge of Wilcox County. He was related to the late, great State Senator, Roland Cooper, who was referred to as the “Wiley Fox from Wilcox.” Bonner’s grandfather practiced law with Governor Benjamin Miller, and they were related by marriage.
Benjamin M. Miller was probably one of the most conservative men to ever be Governor of Alabama. Miller served as governor during the worst years of the Great Depression (1931-1935). He was a large, bespectacled, dignified man who had a long legal career before and after his term as Governor.
B.M. Miller epitomized the governors of that era. From 1901 through 1946, Alabama’s governors were wealthy men. They were rich Birmingham corporate lawyers or businessmen, or Black Belt planter lawyers like Miller. Some would say that the Big Mules of Birmingham and the Black Belt planters would meet in a board room in Birmingham at either a big bank or U.S. Steel’s offices and get together and decide who they were going to back for governor. They would select someone at that meeting and pool their money and pay for their man’s race. Many times, the man selected was so wealthy that he could self-finance their own race. In some cases, they would buy off some rabble rouser who wanted to run against their anointed candidate. They would pay him to get out of the race. It would actually save them money to practice this theory. They were wise, smart, prudent businessmen.
Two of the Bourbon Governors of this era, Braxton Bragg Comer (1907-1911), and Charles Henderson (1915-1919), were concurrently also the richest men in the State while they were governor. Comer owned most of the textile mills in the state and Henderson owned a good many corporations, banks and a utility.
Most of these governors as well as Miller were anti-Ku Klux Klanners. Miller’s opposition to the Klan like that of other wealthy white supremacists had very little to do with racial liberalism, but more to do with maintaining political power. This planter-industrialist coalition of which Miller belonged rejected the Klan because it represented a threat to their power over poorer whites who were members of the Klan. These Bourbon planter-industrialists governors were vehemently anti-union, as might be expected.
Governor B.M. Miller was also similar to wealthy men of that era. They were very frugal even miserly as some would say, and they felt the State government should be frugal like them. Miller would actually campaign on his personal frugality as a virtue. He was not embarrassed at all when it became known that he still used oil lamps to save money instead of electricity on his Wilcox County plantation.
Governor Miller’s parsimony became one of the hallmark aspects of his administration. His inaugural parade featured only two automobiles in order to conserve gasoline, and he brought his favorite cow to the Capitol from Wilcox County to provide the governor’s mansion with milk and butter.
Since he was governor during the Great Depression, he accordingly cut State government spending dramatically. Miller eliminated hundreds of state jobs, as well as the use of state automobiles. Governor Miller was indeed a very conservative, Bourbon, Black Belt governor.
See you next week.
July 21, 2021 - Bibb Graves the Education Governor
Most states have one General Fund Budget. We are only one of five states that have two.
Some of you have asked why we have two budgets – one for the General Fund and one for Education. Here is why.
During the era of the Great Depression and even afterwards, education in Alabama was woefully underfunded and that is really being generous to simply say underfunded. Our schools were similar to a third world country. We had two separate systems, one for white students and one for black students. Many rural schools were one room shanties like folks used in the 1800’s, like Blab schools, no air condition, wood burning stoves for heat. There were no buses to transport children, so they really did walk to school, barefooted, many times miles to and from. This was for the white schools. You can only imagine what an abysmal education was afforded black kids. Many times teachers were not even being paid. They were given script notes in hopes of getting paid in the future.
We had a governor come along named Bibb Graves that made it his mission to make education a priority in Alabama. He and the Legislature created the Special Education Trust Fund Budget. They earmarked two tax revenues to be used for the new Education Budget. Education was to be the recipient of the state sales tax and the state income tax, which was a new tax system idea just created by the federal government.
Little did Governor Bibb Graves know that today, these two revenue streams would be the largest source of revenue for the state. That little Special Education Fund Budget now dwarfs the General Fund by over a two-to-one amount.
When I was first elected to the Legislature in 1982, the General Fund and Education budgets were 50/50 dead even. Today, the budgets the Legislature will pass are at least 75% Education and around 25% General Fund.
Governor Bibb Graves built an indelible legacy as the Education Governor. His efforts also enhanced higher education in the state. He established teacher’s colleges at Troy, Florence, Jacksonville and Livingston along with enhancing funding at the State’s two flagship institutions.
The University of Alabama and at the time the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University, were recipients of new education dollars.
Every university in the State has a primary building usually in the center of the campus named after Governor Bibb Graves. That is quite appropriate because Governor Bibb Graves left an education legacy as governor.
He may very well be Alabama’s greatest Governor. In fact, he was our only two term governor between 1901 and 1954. Alabama law did not allow governors to succeed themselves. Therefore, they would have to wait out four years to run again. Graves was governor from 1927 to 1931 and again 1935 to 1939.
The only other two term governor in the no succession era was James E. “Big Jim” Folsom. He also had an indelible legacy. Many of the rural roads in the state were dirt and impassable when the rains would come. Most folks in the state farmed for a living. When the roads washed out they could not get their crops to the market, so their year long work was washed out. Big Jim knew the plight of these farmers, he was the little man’s and rural man’s big friend. Big Jim paved almost every rural road in the state with his legendary Farm-to-Market Road Program. Ole Big Jim has a legacy as Governor.
His son, Jim Folsom, Jr., has a legacy as governor. Even though he was only Governor two years, he brought Mercedes to Alabama. The German company now builds more of their luxury automobiles at their Vance-Tuscaloosa plant than anywhere in the world. This initial Mercedes coupe by Folsom was the impetus for Hyundai, Honda and now Toyota-Mazda making Alabama the home of automobile manufacturing.
With these facilities come major spin-off accessory manufacturing plants. We are now the second largest automobile manufacturing state in America and are poised to supersede Michigan and become number one in the next few years.
Some Governors have left a legacy. Bibb Graves, “Big Jim” Folsom, and Jim Folsom, Jr. are three that have left their mark on Alabama history. Bibb Graves has a legacy as Alabama’s Education Governor.
See you next week.
July 7, 2021 - John Patterson
Alabama lost its oldest past Governor when John Patterson passed away last month. He died on the same land where he was born in rural Tallapoosa County.
Patterson was 99 years old, and he would have been 100 in September. He was the epitome of the greatest generation. He was a veteran of World War II. He volunteered for the Army as a private and left the Army at the end of the war as a major. Patterson then came home and obtained his law degree, then joined his father in the practice of law. He soon thereafter became Attorney General of Alabama, then Governor, then spent several decades as a Justice on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Patterson’s involvement with state government spanned half a century.
John Patterson served as Governor from 1959 to 1963. He holds the distinction of being the only person to ever beat George Wallace in a governor’s race.
Patterson and Wallace were both making their first race for governor in 1958. Patterson beat Wallace, soundly. Wallace never stood a chance. It would have been hard for anyone to beat a man in a race for Governor of Alabama, who had both the race issue and sympathy vote.
Patterson had the Ku Klux Klan endorsement in that race. Wallace was actually considered a progressive and softer on the race issue than Patterson. Patterson had become Attorney General of Alabama at a very young age after his father, Albert Patterson, was assassinated just 16 days after winning the race for Alabama’s Attorney General in 1954.
The elder Patterson had run with the promise to clean up Phenix City, which had been the most corrupt, sinful city in the South if not the nation. It was the redneck version of Las Vegas. However, unlike Las Vegas, everything they did in Phenix City was not legal or condoned.
The east Alabama town near Ft. Benning and Columbus, Georgia was run by a corrupt rural mafia. This mafia gunned down Albert Patterson in an alley behind his law office. The younger Patterson was then picked to replace his father as the Democratic Attorney General nominee. John Patterson became Alabama Attorney General at age 33. Just days after his election, a movie was made about the Phenix City saga. Between that and his well-publicized anti-civil rights actions, by the time John Patterson got ready to run for Governor of Alabama, he was a folk hero to Alabamians.
Wallace thought he was going to win the governor’s race in his first try in 1958. However, when he got into the heat of the campaign, he realized that he was running against a legend. It seemed like everybody in the state had seen the movie “The Phenix City Story.” The sympathy for Patterson was too much to overcome. In addition, the race issue had become paramount, and Patterson owned it.
After Wallace lost, he was in a deep depression for a few weeks, but finally got out of bed, shaved and looked in the mirror and said aloud, “I got out segged and I will never be out segged again.” A governor could not succeed himself at that time. He knew Patterson could not run again in 1962. He grabbed the race issue and ran nonstop for four years and captured the Governor’s office in 1962.
Patterson did a good job as governor. He was governor during the beginning of the volatile first movements towards Civil Rights. A lot of it played out in plain view of his Governor’s Office looking down on Dexter Avenue. He took a very adamant, stringent position against integration and all of the protests.
Governor Patterson wrote his biography published by New South Books in 2008 entitled Nobody but the People, which was by the way his campaign slogan in his 1958 race for Governor.
We visited at length during the year he was touring the state with his book. During our visits, he revealed remarkable stories surrounding the era when he was Attorney General and Governor of Alabama.
In the last few years, we visited at his farm home in Goldville. He was amazingly sharp. His friends and relatives were surrounding him when he passed away. John Patterson has a special place in Alabama political history.
See you next week.
June 30, 2021 - Privatization of ABC Stores Fails Again
Alcohol was on the minds of many Alabama lawmakers this year as the legislature considered an abnormally high number of alcohol-related bills. Several of the bills passed. Most notable was legislation that made it possible for Alabama businesses to deliver beer, wine and liquor to customers’ homes, and separate legislation that allows state residents to order wine directly from wineries, even if those producers are out of state.
One piece of legislation that did not pass was Senator Arthur Orr’s perennial bill to privatize ABC liquor stores. There are a number of reasons for Alabamians to be thankful this legislation did not pass.
First and foremost, the State’s General Fund Budget will benefit from the failure of this legislation. The proposed legislation would have resulted in higher prices, lost tax dollars, lost jobs and less enforcement of alcohol laws. For example, last year alone the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, contributed $314 million to the State General Fund and state agencies, according to information provided by the ABC Board. This is from taxes and the markup on liquor.
If you privatize liquor sales and close the ABC stores, much of this revenue goes away, even after considering the taxes generated by private stores. An analysis of the ABC Board shows a net loss of $95 million a year.
Another reason to be thankful the legislature refused to privatize liquor sales, is the fact that hundreds of state jobs were saved by the failure of this legislation. The ABC stores and the state warehouse are run by more than 875 state employees. Most would have lost their jobs, their health insurance, and their retirement had the bill passed.
These employees go through hours of training to keep stores safe and prevent the sale of liquor to minors. Dollars and cents aside, if you look at this from a health and safety standpoint Alabama is better off with state regulated ABC stores controlling liquor sales than private retailers.
Speaking of private liquor stores, you can expect a big jump in their numbers. If you consider all the grocery stores, convenience store, and other retail chains, such as Walmart and Target, along with the additional package stores that will pop up if liquor sales are privatized, liquor outlets in the state could increase from around 850 currently to more than 2,100. While there would not literally be a liquor store on every corner, it sure might feel like it.
Furthermore, studies and common sense indicate that the more stores you have selling liquor, which will come with privatization, the more liquor you are going to sell. More sales mean more consumption, and more consumption means more health and safety problems. Alcohol is not just another commodity and buying it should not be as easy as buying milk and bread. Data from the CDC says 95,000 people die annually due to excessive drinking. No drug kills as many people each year as alcohol.
The good news is that under our current alcohol control system, Alabama fares much better than most states when it comes to alcohol consumption. As a state, we are among the lowest in liquor consumption and among the highest in revenue from liquor taxes.
Lastly, even if you look at privatization from a consumer’s standpoint, it does not benefit Alabamians financially to privatize liquor sales. As anyone who has gone into an ABC store and a private package store knows, private store prices are much higher. If you close the ABC stores, Alabamians are only left with the higher prices of private stores.
While the legislation to privatize liquor sales was well intentioned from a philosophical standpoint, we should be thankful our legislature looked at the bigger picture. The state has little to gain, but a lot to lose by closing ABC stores.
The ABC Board is a valuable state agency, and the ABC stores provide a great benefit to our state in tax revenue, hundreds of state jobs, and lower prices for Alabamians.
I have known ABC Board Administrator Mac Gipson a long time. I know he runs a tight ship and it would be a shame to wreck it, so let’s hope privatization of liquor sales is dead for good.
See you next week.