April 25, 2013
As the 2013 regular legislative session winds down, let us review some highlights.
One of the highlights was a lowlight. It did not happen on the floor of the House but late at night at a Mobile legislator’s home while he was on his computer responding to emails. The email he responded to was a generic letter sent by a man in Jefferson County to all members of the legislature. It was not even intended specifically for Rep. Joseph Mitchell.
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April 18, 2013
As the 2013 regular legislative session winds down, the continuing saga of balancing the beleaguered General Fund Budget will be issue number one.
As legislators wrestle to finalize the General Fund Budget the obvious complementary dilemma that confronts lawmakers is what to do about Medicaid. The growth and expansion of Medicaid is the number one problem facing the General Fund and state government. One thing is for certain, Medicaid will continue to be problem number one when it comes to crafting and balancing Alabama’s budget.
There is an inevitable crossroads that Alabama is facing when it comes to Medicaid. It will only become more acute as our population continues to age. Today, Medicaid accounts for an amazing 35% of the state’s General Fund Budget. Most state lawmakers point to this joint state/federal program as the obvious elephant in the room when it comes to making ends meet. It is a money eating monster.
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April 11, 2013
The 2013 Legislative Session is heading into the homestretch. Balancing the State General Fund Budget will again be the paramount problem this year as they put the final pieces of the puzzle together. It is apparent that there is not enough revenue to meet the basic needs of state government.
The governor and the legislature have adamantly declared that they will oppose any new tax increase measures. It is obvious to even the most casual and cursory observer that this cavalier ostrich approach cannot prevail forever. If the state survives until after the 2014 election, when the governor and legislature will not have to run on a no new tax pledge, what new revenue sources will be on the table?
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April 04, 2013
As the legislature wrestles with the crafting of next year’s budget the perennial issue of whether to cut vital services or raise new revenue is debated.
A study released late last year revealed that state and local governments in Alabama collect less tax dollars than any other state, with the exception of Idaho. This ranking of income means Alabamians have fewer tax dollars to spend on schools, police, roads and all government services than 48 other states.
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March 28, 2013
The legislature is approaching the midway point of their 2013 Regular Session. They are grappling with the woes that beset the General Fund Budget. The ongoing struggles with the General Fund are a priority. Despite the lean times, most state agencies will receive level funding. Even though there are increased insurance costs for state employees, the administration will not be forced to layoff or furlough any state workers. However, a pay increase is out of the question.
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March 21, 2013
The continuous merry-go-round opening and closing of Macon County’s VictoryLand is like a circus. It is a comedic side show of political posturing. It plays out in a scenario reminiscent of Abbott and Costello’s Vaudeville classic, “Who’s on First.”
It appears humorous and ludicrous but it is actually sad because people’s lives are being affected. This political chicanery is adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of folks who want to work and live in one of Alabama’s poorest counties.
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March 14, 2013
The much anticipated BP trial began February 25th in New Orleans. British Petroleum faces billions of dollars in civil claims resulting from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Alabama will reap a bonanza, which will go primarily to our beleaguered General Fund. To his credit, Attorney General Luther Strange has taken the helm of the legal battle rather than farming it out to expensive trial lawyers or political cronies as has been done by past AGs.
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March 07, 2013
We in Alabama are only one of a handful of states that do not work off of one unified budget. We have two budgets. We have a General Fund Budget like all states. Then we have an Education Trust Fund Budget that obviously funds education in the Heart of Dixie. This includes K-12 and higher education.
Allow me to go back in history and share with you the reason we have a separate education budget. During the Great Depression, education was woefully under funded. Both black and white children were going to dilapidated one-room schools and were sharing threadbare textbooks. Teachers were not even being paid. They were being given script or promissory notes for which they might eventually be paid. The education system in Alabama was abysmal to say the least.
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February 28, 2013
The 1960’s was a tumultuous time in southern politics. Race, segregation and voting rights were the paramount issues.
George Wallace came on the scene and won the governor’s office with the most anti integration rhetoric in history. He threw down the gauntlet with his January 1963 Inaugural Speech declaring, “segregation today, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.” White Alabamians shouted their approval.
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February 21, 2013
It is amazing how fast a year flies by, especially the older you get. This week marks the end of the first one-fifth of 2013. There are a potpourri of political happenings that have occurred recently, which we will discuss today.
We are entering the opening days of the 2013 Regular Session of the Legislature. Just prior to the beginning of the session, Alabama received acknowledgement from the U.S. Department of Justice that under the auspices of the Voting Rights Act the new legislative districts drawn last year have been approved.
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