'Cause Cocaine is way hard to make!

One of my proposals has been to follow the lead of Mississippi and make products containing ephedrine a scheduled drug in Alabama. Of course, because of the number of dealers and the profits to be made it would also have to require strict penalties for doctors and a mandatory doctor/druggist registry.

The Times Daily reported today the names of 175 people arrested for contributing to the manufacture of methamphetamine. Some of these are hard core drug users. But the majority are feeders, people who buy the maximum allowed then drop them off to a mule who then carries it to the manufacturing facility.

I highly recommend the book "The Dome" by horror master Stephen King . I noticed in reading the book that Steve was having trouble writing an allegory about the problem of drug abuse in America and making it scarier than the real thing.

In the book the people of a small town all die from the ravages of a drug manufacturing plant even though only a couple of people (maybe only one) actually use the "Meth" they are making. Of course it involves evil aliens, evil government, evil minsters, and just plain evil, but the meaning of the book, as with all King work, is clear. "All that is required is for good men and women to do nothing"

Now these people arrested in Franklin and Marion County may not think they have committed a crime. I can see why. If I understand how it works. A person can go to a retail outlet, buy five packets of cold medicine for $25, take it to the mule and double their money. Making $25 a day retailing cold medicine is easy money. And the mules have a pickup route. They will come to your house if you want. ( I would have to advise against it)

I can be sympathetic. I can understand that in hard times the good people of counties in district 6 have been known to bend the rules a little bit. Walk on the lawless side to put beans in the pot. But Methamphetamine is different. Methamphetamine is not "Shine". The people, the community, even civilization itself is in danger from the ravages of drug abuse.

I have lost friends, students, co-workers and even children to the specter of drug abuse. I am convinced that it is time to take draconian measures to stop drug problem. In fact, if you had to pick one reason that I have thrown myself into the public light it would be because of the hold drugs have on our State and our Nation.

As one of my friends noted. There are troops in the streets in Chicago and innocent people are dying along our border with Mexico. People are affected everywhere in between. From our borders North and South and our oceans East and West, the problem is drugs.

The solution involves making the behavior seriously illegal.

Draconian measures won't change the picture overnight.

But it is a start.

A very necessary start.

Wood You?

I spoke with a fellow named Lester Phillip, Candidate for District 5 of the US House representing Alabama yesterday. Although most of our discussion revolved around contacts for our political race, the subject of energy and energy conservation came up. We discussed the need for products that can be easily exported. I of course suggested electricity because all we need to sell it to Mexico and California is a wire.

We had an interesting discussion about using turbine electrical generators to tap the underground natural gas reserves that seem to be replenishing from unexplained sources deep in the earth's interior.

A great solution except that this position ignores the 2000 pound Gorilla in the room.

The use of natural gas, although better than coal, still maintains an illogical separation between global warming and carbon emissions.

Somehow the idea is creeping into the CW that if the carbon is not "fossil" then it is not "fossil fuel" and therefore doesn't warm the planet.

The included photograph shows an annual event from the sixties in Northwest Alabama. Snow hunting rabbits doesn't happen much anymore in my home town. Something is making the earth warmer. And I am afraid that deep earth carbon is not likely to help cool the planet off.

What I like about Lester's proposal is the use of a two stage Jet engine turbine for generating electricity. The method is slightly complex but in a nutshell the efficiency of a generator is a function of the input and output temperatures. The efficiency of the first is about 40% and the second is about 25%. I realize that this is technical gobbledygook but the idea is to run a second steam generator on the "heat" pipe of the first.

Efficiencies of 50%, 60% even 70% are possible by adding steam generator stages. My suggestion, is that rather than use this unnatural gas, we should use wood pellets to fuel the generator. Some companies in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi use low pressure wood gassification to do the same thing. They are making money with efficiencies of 30% . How much more then could one make with efficiencies of 70%?


This takes a minute to contemplate. But, the use of scrap wood creates a market for aeration lanes in the 5000 square miles of woodland in district six for better timber management.

It provides jobs for people running the generating plant. Brings in funds from electricity sales, and provides jobs to lumbermen and truckers.

It could easily be adapted to use scrap from mobile home plants and construction sites instead of spending money on landfills.

The ash from a high pressure wood fired jet turbine is, unlike coal ash, nontoxic ,not radioactive, and contains mostly potash which is excellent soil stabilizer for soybeans and cotton.

And most importantly the carbon emitted from a wood fired plant is exactly the same as the carbon taken in by the growing trees. Meaning it does not contribute to global warming.

The arithmetic is staggering. The forests grow at a rate of 5%.If the forest are properly managed with aeration lanes they would grow even faster. 5000 square miles of forest is over 3 million acres. At 80,000 cubic feet of scrub trees per acre that amounts to the equivalent of 5 billion barrels of oil.

I am not talking about harvesting the lumber. That would remain unaffected. I am talking about using the material left over after proper forest management. Effectively the wood harvested doesn't reduce the number of trees cleaning the air and capturing solar energy. It increases the number of trees by more than the harvest of scrub.

Now what does it take to do this?

Well, it takes two things.

One - A legislature willing to make laws more conducive to selling power directly to individual manufacturing plants and exporting to other states.

Two, - a fifty million dollar bond issue to "loan" the money to each company willing to locate a plant near the trees. That would be somewhere in northwest at the dead center of district 6.

(Unfortunately that would likely put it right smack onto the middle of property owned by Dennis "Blue" Harbor {inside joke} ).

I propose we do both as early as possible in the next legislative session..( With just a little help from you I will be there to sponsor it.)

The miracle of summer nights.

Sunday evening, as the sun was setting into the purple and red goodnight that God sends just for me, I found myself watching through the church window and trying to persuade a restless three year old to settle down while the preacher made his final plea to the chance lost soul that had somehow, unexplained, wandered into the sanctuary.

As purple turned to gray the boy jumped, startled, as Brother Duke shouted, " IT'S A MIRACLE!" to emphasize the story of resurrection. - As much as an 80 year old preacher is likely to shout. - At least I think that was what the sermon was.

Suddenly I found myself somewhere else. Somewhere under the Catalpa trees in the home town where I was born. Sitting in a big green metal chair, with my grandpa and my aunt Gussie and Ruth. Women who could have been the models for later TV shows about life in 50's south. The smell of spring clover, lightning bugs, in the field with Mr Smith's milk cow. And the ever present railroad which could interrupt conversation in mid syllable, only to be resumed without notice to all those around after it passed.

Pop, we called him, my grandpa, had planted those trees as a young man to harvest the spring caterpillars for fish bait. A treat so tasty to young stripe that fishing became one cast one kill . Pop didn't fish much anymore. Having sold his gins and retired, his cane poles sat unused in the side shed. The trees became giant umbrellas that spread forty feet each across the wide front yard. He sat most of the time under those trees, smoking a pipe filled with Red Cap tobacco. Except for his daily walk to town this was his occupation since his wife of five decades passed.

The lightening bugs stopped flashing their amber-green message as the train passed. Grandpop said "Mary and I used to sit here and watch watch those." - " striking his pipe against the yellow-brown part of the old green lawn chair to make it clean for a reload.

As he said those words the insects all started to flash in unison. Four or five cycles they dropped to the ground as if a major symphony conductor was in charge. Then, after thirty seconds or so they were back to the random flight-and light cycle of their courting activities. Back to flashing as if nothing had changed. But for me, and for grandpa, I believe in some small way nothing would ever be exactly the same.

"Look" I said. - He paused for a moment, - "miracle" he said calmly, in his manner of one word sentences.

He re-lit the pipe and let his eyes smile a little.

Last night, as the full moon went under a cloud at my home in Cherokee Alabama, a gentle green glow caught my eye from under the magnolia tree. I got up our three year old and went into the yard to have a look. He put his tiny hand out and the bug crawled up his fingers and flashed a light up onto his face in a way that in other circumstances might have been a Halloween display.

"What do you think of a bug that carries a flashlight?" I asked.

He reached up, took hold of my earlobe to pull me close. Whispered in a voice I swear was my my grandfather's..

"It's a miracle"..

"So it is son, so it is."

Voice of the people (Or - Get your finger out of my happiness!)

It is a slow news Monday. All I have for the gentle reader is an editorial by my good friend Mike Goens of the Times Daily;

http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20100425/ARTICLES/4255019/1031?Title=Bingo-vote-was-doomed-from-the-start

In which he lampoons the “silliness” of the legislature by not putting the Gambling Commission Bill to a vote of the people -

Just because it is an election year in which your elected Representatives are actually sensitive to the will of the people.

One of the checks in our checks and balances system is the ability of the rural inhabitants of our State to call upon our elected servants and ask them to kill legislation that would harm our district with the implicit “or we will vote you out”. Unfortunately this only works in election years.

I am reminded of a few years back there was a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot regarding Dothan Alabama. A one cent tax that was proposed to do something about the traffic around the industrial park. I looked it over, thought “Humm, That's in South Alabama, doesn't affect me – I should vote for it and help those guys out.”

Turns out the vote was overwhelmingly affirming the tax everywhere in the State -

EXCEPT Dothan.

Nowadays I just choose not to vote on bills outside my area. But I am constantly aware that there are still people out there who think like I did back then.

Or think like Mike, and will overwhelmingly vote for a bill that is detrimental to our rural areas, And call it “the will of the people”.

Mike, if you are listening, we love you, but the paper goes all the way to the Mississippi line. A huge portion (5000 square miles of Senate District 6) largely don't want a Bingo bill that helps Florence, Birmingham, and Mobile on the backs of the communities like Maud, Hodges, and Pea Ridge.
___________________________________________

In a related note. The House and Senate agreed to fund a One Billion Dollar Transportation bill with some conditions, one of which was that the fund balance was not to fall below 2 Billion dollars.

I don't know how much over two billion we have but in September of 2009 it was 2.7 Billion. Assuming Kay Ivey has not lost any of that money we are left with $700,000,000 for the Transportation bill.

I heard the fund was actually a little below the two Bil's mark but I can't confirm at this time.

If the money is in fact there, 75% goes directly to the Transportation department,leaving $175 million for allocation to the individual districts and counties.

About half that goes to the Congressional districts. The other half to the individual 67 counties.

That's about 2.6 million per county.

Over ten years it becomes 260,000 annually per county.

I think that is about the price on the guard rail on one side of the bridge at Margum and maybe enough roundup to spray the ditches. As I said before, A Majority vote of the people oft leaves the minority in the dust of their dirt driveway.

Bing-o the Salvia Divinorum of the gambling world

My hero Bernie Deliniski penned an excellent rhyme about the farmer and his dog Bingo-o in the latest Times Daily. Although I thought maybe he was poking a little “fund” at those of us who see danger in the “harmless” game of bingo. I must say it was an excellent (and I must say perfectly spelled) piece.

Interestingly though, an article regarding the fact that in the final hours Thursday the Senate voted to give final approval to a bill that makes it a crime to sell or possess Salvia Divinorum - fell off the Bernie radar and did not make the rhyme at all.

The bill was sponsored by Representative Arthur Orr of Decatur and Senator James Gordon from Saraland. Although many have, or at least want, their fingerprints on the bill it is somewhat interesting that the vote was only 24-0 out of a 35 member Senate. Alas, It was late on the last day of the session.

Salvia, a plant alleged to be “ more potent than LSD” by some, and containing chemicals that act like marijuana is now illegal if signed by the Governor.

My concern is somewhat like my dismay at the French who have simultaneously outlawed the “Brazilian one piece” on the beach and the Burqa in the malls. Make up your mind Pierre

So Alabama, (and Bernie) make up your mind. Should Saliva be legalized and taxed at a 25% voluntary rate on the profits. As many suggest Bingo and other types of gambling could be, Or is Salvia (and gambling) a dangerous slippery slope that leads to harder action and economic hardship. The Legislature seems to have gotten it right on both this session. Congratulations to all of them.

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights. This is the final installment.


Property Rights;

Q. 1 I will support a bill to return property reassessment to every four years to reduce the tax burden.

A. Yes
Many households find themselves underwater in the value of their homes in this economy. The tax assessors who were so eager to reappraise property in the bubble are not so eager to reappraise now that values have dropped.

Q. 2 Private property rights and private ownership of real property must be protected. Eminent domain should be exercised ONLY for public use, such as municipal buildings, schools, hospitals, roads or public utilities. Private enterprise should not be considered a public use even when it brings public benefits such as increased tax revenues, employment or general economic health. I support an amendment to the Alabama Constitution and statute changes to ensure private property rights.

A. Yes!.
As Forest would say, “That's all I have to say about that.”

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights. This is part 5.

Education Issues

Q. 1 Parents have a fundamental right and responsibility to direct the education of their children. Their right to review instructional materials and records of their children is mandated by federal No Child Left Behind Act. Schools should therefore be required to get prior informed consent from parents before they can conduct privacy invasive surveys, physical or psychological exams or provide immunizations, medications or referrals.

A. Again.. Yes,

If you change the wording of the question to include "responsible" before parent in the first line. Irresponsible parents are another matter. No responsible parent would send a child to school with TB or AIDS or any disease that would endanger the remaining children in the school. I am opposed to privacy invasive surveys. I am in favor of physical exams for the safety of the group.

Q. 2 Parents must have the opportunity to exempt their children from questionable methodology curricula, classes or surveys that are offensive to their religion or values.

A. No. Add the word "responsible" before parents and remove "or values" and I am on board. "Values" might include Satanism for all I know.

Q. 3 Alabama is one of only 11 states that do not allow charter schools. I support giving the parents the option of charter schools.

A. Yes.
I am particularly interested in Montessori Charter Schools for PreK and K. I believe that parents must have the right to allow their children to attend any private schools they choose (at the parents expense). Charter schools must meet the minimum standards required by state schools with regard to teacher background checks and education requirements.

Q. 4 Alabama has a law (16-40A-1 ) Requiring abstinence -based education whenever drugs, alcohol or sex instruction is included in public schools curricula. It further requires that if homosexuality is covered the schools must teach that it is illegal, unhealthy, and unacceptable. This law must be enforced.

A. Yes
Obey the law or change it. The purpose of this chapter (http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/16/40A/16-40A-1) is to find a way within the public school system to reduce pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse and promote healthy life long marriage. To imply that it is involves anything else is to read the law out of context.

Q. 5 No political campaigning should be allowed by school personnel in schools.

A. Yes.
In my opinion this question needs some expansion. Employees of a State institution must have protection of their constitutional right to seek public office without fear of retribution. In many situations (as I am in) my opponent may come on campus, shake hands, hand out cards and seek votes. As a state employee I am not allowed the same.

Q. 6. Teachers should be allowed the academic freedom to teach the full range of scientific evidence in regard to origins without fear of reprisal.

A. Yes.

Academic freedom is absolute or nonexistent.

Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, said the bingo bill is dead for the 2010 legislative session. "I don't expect to see the bill again this session," Black said. The session ends Thursday. "It would take a resurrection of miraculous proportions to allow this bill to come back up."

I have noticed that you can often take a dramatic press release and remove the no's and Don't's and get closer to the true meaning of a political posturing statement like this one.

If the other business of the House is completed before lunch tomorrow and a few the no votes fall asleep after lunch the bill might in fact resurrect. In any case the bingo bill will be back for the regular session next year.

(maybe if the key swing votes got some new furniture?)

Stay tuned.

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights. This is part 4.

Family Issues

Q. Gambling corrupts Government, adds no product to the economy, is not a dependable source of Government revenue, and can be addictive and detrimental to family and community life. I oppose all legislative efforts to expand gambling. I support enforcement of present criminal laws

A. Yes.
Present attempts to “put it to a vote of the people” fail to mention that the people of Birmingham and Mobile far outnumber the people of the rural areas. A statewide referendum could result in slot machines placed in gas stations right next to your Church.

Q. Preschoolers prosper best in a consistent loving care of parents or relatives. Any proposals that mandate a universal pre-kindergarten program should be stopped.

A. Yes.
I had to rewrite the question in order to answer yes.

3.5 % of Alabama homes have one parent in Jail. 20% of Alabama homes do not have consistent loving parents because in those homes the parents love crack cocaine or Methamphetamine more than they love their children. 17 % of Alabama homes are suffering through unemployment. 70% of the Alabama homes have low paying jobs, and there are no parents available during the day. Either because it is a single parent situation or both mom and dad are out working.

I would first propose that we focus on legislation that removes the children from the homes where the parents are endangering the children with drug use or manufacture.

Second I would work to provide well paying job opportunities so that one parent can in fact stay home to care for the children. This issue was visited when the Kindergarten was instituted and before long students who missed K were behind in grade 1. The I fully expect the same result in the PreK program. Personally, I believe home would be better, but only if the home is in fact a home.

Sanctity of Life

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights. This is part 3.

Sanctity of Life

1 Q. An unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.

A. Yes

My position on abortion is a little to the right of God Almighty himself. God after all can take the murdered unborn into his bosom. God can create new life. As a man I can only steward the life before me. As a young man I might have been able to abide abortion, but every year makes me more aware of how precious and rare the gift of life really is. I don't get angry often, but one of the things that raises the hair on the back of my neck is the right to life supporter who leaves an out for “rape, incest, and the health of the mother”.

My mind always asks. - What did those children do to deserve to die?

2 Q. Adult Stem Cell research which has shown considerable success should be encouraged. Embryonic stem cell research which has shown no clinical success requires the taking of a human life and requires state funds should not be used for embryonic stem cell research.

A. Uhhh... what? ... YES.., NO, NO, YES.

Stem cell research should be encouraged at all stages.
All discoveries are unexpected, that is why they are called discoveries.
Human life should never be taken in research.
And State funds should not be used for medical research.

3 Q. I support legislation that will provide a conscience exception for health care providers and pharmacist who believe in Sanctity of Life and choose not to perform procedure or provide medication that do not comply with that belief.

A. Yes, Generally.
I support the right of doctors to refuse to perform procedures that they deem inconsistent with their beliefs. Pharmacist, not so much. The Pharmacist job is to support the doctor and protect the patient. It is the patient's job to make sure the pharmacist and the doctor are working in harmony.

World Ends in Two Days!

Well not really.

We interrupt this Eagle Forum questionnaire to bring you breaking news.

The Alabama Legislature is considering three measures of which you should be aware and take a few minutes to call in your comments to your Senators and Representatives.

____________________________________

Bingo was his name O' (GCB)

This legislation puts the name Bingo on a constitutional amendment that would be much better named the “Gaming Commission Bill” .

What this constitutional amendment allows is far and away not your grandma's bingo. Automated Bingo by any other name might still be a slot machine when installed in your local hangout. The folks who praise the “good” politicians who “let the people vote” have left a few interesting points out of the argument.

The new eight page Bingo Bill leaves most of its content to the imagination. The original 42 page bill put the “voluntary” tax at 25% of the “profits”. Now profits, you know, are what is left after the investors and shareholders are paid. This is zero for CPA who has finished the eighth grade.

“Voluntary” means that most operators wouldn't have to pay it. The new bill, As I understand it, leaves the tax structure on the “proceeds” to be defined by a simple majority of the legislature. So it was, and probably still is, a tax of 25% of nothing. The other troubling thing is the that the vote is going to be statewide and so is the implementation.

I can see that Birmingham and Mobile will vote overwhelmingly for the Bingo Bill and then put a bingo game with “technical aids” (slot machine) in every gas station in my rural district of Northwest Alabama.

These machines will take Visa and and debit cards and wire the money from the poor rural areas to the Godfather in Vegas at the speed of light. This is just welfare for the rich. When my friend Joe gambles away the family milk money and has to ask for state help to feed his family he is just acting as a middle man to take welfare money and send it to the corporate casino owners.

Oh..I almost forgot, it is Immoral Legalized Gambling for our State. - Kill the Bill!

_____________________________________

PACT what pact? I agreed to what?

The Prepaid Alabama College Tuition program is still in trouble. Pending legislation this week in the House would repay your money our State Financial Administrators gambled away from the State Education Trust fund.

As an educator whose retirement depends on that fund I am forced to raise an eyebrow at the $240,000,000 of my money going to pay for fiscal mismanagement of our elected officials.

The State has no choice but to make good on the promise we made to the 45,000 PACT holders but I suggest that the money be made up from the Alabama Trust Fund instead of the Education Trust Fund.

Current legislators say they can't take the money out of the one billion plus Alabama Trust because they plan to spend it on pork projects for themselves. (They didn't actually say that, But that is what they meant) -Kill the Bill!

______________________________________

Transportation Bill.

Also on the list of things to do in the final two days of the session is a bill to put one billion dollars from the State Trust Fund (oink) over the next ten years (It currently contains $1 billion) into specialized highway construction (oink).

The bill as written would put most of the money into high population areas and leave the rural Northwest Alabama area in the dirt driveway again. A pending Republican amendment to the bill would have most of the money spent in rural areas where it is most needed but it is unlikely to pass.

If we could get $100 million of the money in just one or two of of those years to get a highway started from the Mississippi line in west Colbert county to Tuscaloosa through the middle of Colbert, Franklin, Marion, Lamar, and Fayette Counties I might dance a little piggy jig myself, But the paucity of representation in Northwest Alabama makes that unlikely.

My main concern is that the State Trust fund which is much needed for job development in the next ten years will be completely dedicated to intercity roads.

Without jobs our citizens can ride mules on dirt roads just fine.

Without the republican amendments to put money in the rural areas, we need to- (altogether now) -Kill the Bill!

Alabama Eagle Forum Questionnare page 2

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights. This is part 2.

State Government

1 Q. I support improving the Constitution issue by issue so that each change can be clear to voters

A. Yes.

The Alabama Constitution contains language that is dated and offensive. I feel that it would better serve the public interest and the history of the State to repeal these amendments rather than replace the entire Constitution. I fear that a complete rewrite of the Alabama Constitution by a Democratic State Legislature would be just a thinly disguised across the board tax increase.

2 Q. There is a great need to control government spending and reduce waste in government. I pledge to reduce spending and increase accountability in spending.

A. Yes & Yes.

The State currently depends on too large a percentage of Federal funding for its budget. The enormous weight of the Federal debt makes dependence on that tenuous source of funding unwise in the long term.

Alabama must stand on its own feet and that will require a very aggressive program of attracting industries that export goods, and reduction of waste at every level of government.

3 Q. I support a prior year and/or rolling average budget process to restore fiscal responsibility to our State Budget.

A. Sorry, No.

A rolling average budget will not restore fiscal responsibility alone. The State must have the flexibility to promote a budget that can be responsive to natural disasters and unforeseen fiscal crisis such as was seen in the 2007-8 market crash and Katrina.

However The State should have a rolling reserve that allows the use of State Savings like the Oil and Gas Fund to be borrowed for economic development in times of hardship and disaster relief in times of public crisis. As as aside, I would support an amendment that would prevent State Agencies from investing in any market securities except state bond funds. State Administrators lost billions of your money in by engaging in the “irrational exuberance” of the market in the last decade.

4 Q. Double-Dipping Breeds corruption in our legislative process and should be prohibited by the State Legislature.

A. Yes.

I have pledged that if elected I will be a full time State Senator. I question the veracity of anyone who claims to fully serve the needs of the people while they keep full-time jobs as State administrators, teachers, doctors or even lawyers.


5 Q. I support a ban on PAC to PAC transfers.

A. Yes.

It is dishonest and dishonorable to the contributor to allow money that was raised for one purpose to be used for another.

6 Q. The 10th amendment to to US Constitution limits the powers of the constitution by reserving all power not explicitly granted to it by the states. I support legislation to nullify federal mandates that violate the constitution.

A. Yes ... and No.

I firmly believe that the 10th amendment has been rode roughshod by federal mandates but I believe that these mandates would be best challenged in Federal court, not on the Alabama Senate floor.


Tuesday:

Sanctity of life:

Alabama Eagle Forum Questionnare

My friends at the Alabama Eagle Forum (http://www.alabamaeagle.org/) have asked me to answer a series of questions about where I stand on certain issues. I thought my reader(s) might be interested in my response.

What follows is the first of Five Sections on Immigration, State Government, Sanctity of Life, Education Issues, and Property rights.

Alabama Eagle Forum Questionnaire 2010

Section ;

Illegal Immigration:

Illegal aliens are a major problem costing millions of dollars in education, health care and corrections. States across the country have enacted laws to address these problems.

Do you agree that:

#1 .. Q. Driver's licensees should NOT be issued to Illegal aliens.

A. YES.

All state agencies should comply with Homeland Security and State laws regarding identification requirements. Currently in Alabama this includes a US birth Certificate or a US certified certificate of birth abroad. So it would seem that Driver's licenses are not under present law issued to Illegal Aliens in Alabama. I see no reason to change the current law.

#2 Q. State Officials should enforce the Alabama Constitutional Amendment that Driver's license be given in English only.

A. NO.

Although State employees are required to enforce State laws. Sometimes, when the State Constitution is in conflict with the US constitution, the US constitution must be given preference. Enforcing this amendment would violate article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the US Constitution. Informally known as the commerce clause, which regulates commerce with foreign nations, and among several States, and with the Indian Tribes. It would also interfere with drivers license reciprocity with other states and nations.

There are also parts of the Alabama Constitution which violate Title IV of the Civil Rights Act. Public officials enforcing the parts of the Alabama Constitution that violate the US Constitution could find themselves in a “situation”.

#3 Q. The State must verify that adults seeking state administered benefits are citizens or in the U.S. Legally before providing any benefits.

A. NO.

I think drivers license identification would be adequate identification for state benefits. The question arises “Do my rights to present myself as an American Citizen without “papers” override the job of the immigration officials?

#4 Q. Employers must verify the legal status of any prospective employee before hiring.

A. YES Absolutely!

I would strongly push for State Constitutional Amendment and put this to a vote of the people. I believe it would largely solve our immigration problems if illegal aliens didn't have anything to do when they got here.

#5. Police Must Check the Immigration Status of any Foreign National they arrest. If he is a criminal under deportation order, police must turn him over to INS personnel for deportation.

A. Sadly NO.

Our police are overworked and underpaid as it is. To require them to do the job of the INS in addition to keeping us safe and secure would be an undue hardship. It might also require legal citizens to keep “papers” on their person at all times to prove that they are not Foreign Nationals.

People who commit crimes should be arrested and tried independently of their immigration status. Outstanding warrants and deportation orders will come to light at that time. We need to be very careful that taking care of one issue does not create yet another infringement on our rights as citizens.

The issue of illegal immigration is a Federal issue and should be taken care of at the border.

Monday: State Government

National Steal Car?

National Alabama Corporation, AKA Bronner's Folly, after a half billion (billion with a B) dollars spent and just a teacup of employees, is about to become Barton Alabama's biggest chicken house.

A check of the National Alabama website gives a 404 message (nobody home?) and a check of the company's parent website refers questions to the Canadian office. One observer asked over a hamburger at the local eatery “why not set the plant up to refurbish older cars if the economy is too lax for rail companies to buy new ones?”. Somehow that makes sense to me. There was talk of converting the plant to wind turbine manufacturing.

Sunday morning while driving into Alabama from my morning meal at Jacks in Iuka Mississippi I couldn't can't help but envision a string of windmills hooked into that TVA transmission line from Roosters Ridge at the State line all the way to the Coon Dog cemetery.

Maybe while the FBI is in town investigating the Bingo Bill they could look into how many local dollars went to Ontario and just how much the Hamilton Ontario Parent Company National Steel Car actually has at risk in the Barton Plant. The plant, which should be putting $150,000 a day into the North Alabama economy, is spending most of its piddling economic impact on utilities to keep the field mice warm.

I think maybe it is time to turn over some rocks and take a look around out there.

Maybe some offshore accounts?

Maybe they just built that one rail car to carry the money home?

Maybe something even more sinister?

Meanwhile, union officials in Canada say the Hamilton Ontario plant will recall a total of 1,100 workers, ending a temporary shutdown that began last summer. The rail car maker landed a contract to build 750 iron ore cars. That is is ten million dollars in lost salaries for Alabama workers. That ten million dollars spent in the west end of Colbert County would certainly make a difference at J.J's and the Cherokee Piggley Wiggley. It would seem that National Rail Car could show 750 rail cars of appreciation for the confidence (and money) the people of North Alabama have bestowed upon them by trying out their shiny new plant to build some CSX Coal Cars.

I suspect that another big contract will come in while those 750 cars are being constructed and the plant with workers already on the job will get the work. If true that 750 car order built in Canada is the death knell for the Barton facility. It is time, Time to either make some rail cars, refurbish some rail cars, make some windmills, or have our elected officials raise a whirlwind of stinky in Hamilton Ontario.

I don't know what auditors might find under those limestone rocks at Barton. I can't imagine.

But all y'all North Alabama residents try not think about it when you pay that economic development tax that has turned out to be funding jobs for a Canadian Employer.

Jim Bonner