March 15, 2006
This year’s Legislative Session is heading into the final month. The first two months have disappeared without much action or progress. This is generally the case, especially in election years where most of the time is spent posturing and procrastinating.
March 08, 2006
As the campaign season approaches much will be written and said about the Governor’s race. However, there will be a lot of other good races. There will be some very high profile and important State Senate races around the state. These are considered local races but they have statewide implications. Therefore, special interests will be involved in this year’s Senate and House races the same as always. In fact, most of the large special interest contributions will go into Legislative races. The Legislature is where the power is and money gravitates to power.
March 01, 2006
There is a popular longstanding political saying that is repeated often in Montgomery during each Legislative session that “nobody’s life, liberty, or property is safe when the Alabama Legislature is in session.” During my 16 years in the Legislature I somewhat took offense by the adage, although in my heart I knew it reflected some validity. However, a more accurate assessment is that the Legislature will spend whatever money is thought to be available and furthermore you can bet that in an election year it will all be spent and then some. In addition you can bank on the fact that in an election year teachers and state employees will get a pay raise, whether or not the money is available. Therefore, as the current election year session is reaching its midway point one outcome is certain: teachers and state employees will receive a nice pay raise. The state coffers are brimming with a surplus so public employees of the state will get their raise and Legislators hope that they will in turn vote for them at the polls in June and November.
February 22, 2006
For those of us whose passions are Alabama politics and college football, February 1st is Christmas Day all over again or maybe even more exciting. As baby boomers approaching old age we get very few Christmas gifts we did not anticipate. After all, how exciting can new socks, a sweater, and your annual restocking of Old Spice be anyway? So we turn to the 1st of February as our next big day. February 1st is signing day when all high school football stars must select their college team and sign on the dotted line. We read every available periodical, newspaper, and website to find out how our favorite college team did according to Rivals.com and other rating services.
February 15, 2006
In last week’s column we compared the 2006 Governor’s Race to a horserace. Alluding to horserace jargon we compared the four face cards to horses and handicapped them. In the comparisons one of the horses, Don Siegelman, was referred to as the thoroughbred in the race. If using the measuring stick of being born to be a politician and devoting your life to the goal of being Governor, then Siegelman is the only one in the race with that pedigree.
February 08, 2006
In many ways people who love horseracing and those who love to follow politics are similar. I guess that is why political races are compared many times to horse races.
February 01, 2006
One of the major issues surfacing in the Governor’s race is the annual reappraisal of property taxes. Prior to Gov. Riley’s administration property tax reappraisals were done once every four years. In March of 2003, two months after Riley took office, his administration ordered the reappraisals done every year.
January 25, 2006
The cloud hovering over the gubernatorial campaign of Don Siegelman is not the only one looming in this year’s primaries and election. There are huge storm clouds hanging over all Legislative and Senate races.
January 18, 2006
When the gavel fell to start the 2006 Regular Session of the Legislature last week it began without one of its most stellar members. House Rules Committee Chairman Jack Venable succumbed to leukemia late last year and the state lost a true statesman.
January 11, 2006
The State Senate has been nothing less than a boiling pot for the first three years of this quadrennium and this final year it will reach a zenith of tension and rancor.