March 04, 2009
The Legislative Session is a month old. One third of the legislative days have been spent. The national economic recession has had a devastating effect on the state’s two budgets. It has cast an ominous cloud over everything legislators try to undertake. They are wrestling with the crafting of an Education Budget that is currently under 12.6% proration and facing a $300 million shortfall in the next fiscal year. However, the legislature may be saved by the federal stimulus spending package. There may be as much as $3 billion of one time money coming to Alabama in the deal. Santa Claus may have come early in the form of one Uncle Sam.
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February 25, 2009
In last year’s U.S. Senate investigations surrounding the convictions of the infamous duo Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, it was revealed that Bob Riley’s 2002 Election Campaign received at least $600,000, and probably close to $2.5 million, in contributions from out of state gambling interests. This is a lot of money, even in today’s political environment. It would easily be the largest contribution to Riley’s campaign, if not the largest to any campaign in Alabama history.
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February 18, 2009
The most effective and powerful governor in the last sixty years, and probably Alabama history, would be Gov. George Wallace. This was especially true when it came to getting his programs through the legislature. However, when you look at the other governors he was competing with over the last sixty years, there were not very many because Wallace was governor for practically one third of those sixty years. So you might say he was successful because he had a lot of experience being governor and dealing with the legislature. Although that is true, Wallace’s success went deeper. He worked hard at it.
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February 11, 2009
Last year’s announcement by Volkswagen to locate their American plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, rather than Alabama, was a disappointment. Although a lot of Alabamians who live in the Tennessee Valley will land good paying jobs in the plant, which will be just over the state line. In addition, there will be satellite component plants that will locate in our state to supply the major facility. This same scenario holds true for the Kia plant being built on the Georgia/Alabama border near Valley. The Kia plant will employ almost as many Alabamians as Georgians.
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February 04, 2009
The 2009 Regular Legislative Session begins this week under the most ominous economic cloud ever seen in our lifetimes. As legislators gather for their annual conclave, the budget is their priority. They are facing an Armageddon scenario. Many Goat Hill observers, who have been around the Legislature for a while, say it is the worst situation they have ever seen.
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January 28, 2009
As the 2009 Regular Legislative Session approaches, hopefully it will not be a three-peat. The last two years have been horrendous. The partisan acrimony in the State Senate is so pronounced that they do not even speak to each other, much less pass any legislation. They have basically done nothing for two years. However, they did manage to put their partisanship aside long enough to pas a 62% pay increase for themselves even though they failed to pass the education budget last year.
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January 21, 2009
During my time in the Legislature, we were always wrestling with the money eating monster that is Medicaid. We were constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul and using stopgap band aid solutions to fund this burgeoning agency. It is still growing like kudzu and causing horrific nightmares for the Ways and Means and Finance Committees of the House and Senate.
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January 14, 2009
Last week’s discussion about the looming 2010 Governor’s race spurred interest in the other statewide races next year.
The Lt. Governor’s race hinges on which major players answer the bell in the Governor’s race. The scenario, as it sits right now, is that Bob Riley cannot run again. Therefore the office is wide open. There are probably six serious GOP aspirants who enter the race and give their all to win. Whoever emerges from this family brawl will be broke and beaten up.
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January 07, 2009
Last year’s presidential contest was one of the most interesting, exciting, and historic in years. It was a dream year for a political columnist and commentator. It made columns and speeches easy. Last year, in talks with groups around the state, I discussed the presidential race and the open congressional seats. At the end of each talk, I opened the floor to questions. Invariably, the first question asked was not about the presidential race, but was “who is running for Governor in 2010.” Alabamians simply love the Governor’s race.
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December 31, 2008
As 2008 comes to an end and we begin a new year in Alabama politics let us look back at what happened politically in Alabama in 2008.
Presidential politics took front and center stage. Barack Obama won the presidency in an impressive margin nationwide, but not in Alabama. Republican John McCain won Alabama overwhelmingly. The fact that the Republican nominee carried our state is no surprise. Since 1964 the GOP candidate has won ten times and the Democrat only once. That solo victory by Jimmy Carter in 1976 was 32 years ago, which makes the Republican streak eight straight. Therefore, it was no surprise that McCain won in the Heart of Dixie. However, the margin was larger than usual. The 60% to 39% shellacking McCain administered to Democrat Barack Obama was huge.
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