Wal Mart Republicans

In response to my friend Michael Sorocazk of Muscle Shoals who recently penned a letter to the Times Daily, (Yes the same Times Daily who declined to run this response). Mickey's assertion that the Republicans “Only care about money and power.” Is offensive, Mike, given the money and power of my opponent in this race - my friend, this is oscar-meyer-baloney-whitewash. (You, my gentle reader, may fill in what I really wanted to say)

Having first voted for Richard Nixon, and often repeating the line “fool me once shame on you – fool me twice, shame on me”, I too, have in times past regarded myself a Democrat. I usually voted in the Democratic primary because that is where the local candidates ran. But my Alabama Conservative roots always ran deep.

True, the Wall Street Republicans have given main street a lickin' in the past decade. Rich bankers and lawyers lived in obscene excess while while Alabamians struggled to feed the family. The Democrats that I supported in years past were the Alabama Conservatives who bear little resemblance to the present day Democrat/Socialist Party.

The last presidential election saw the emergence the Wal-Mart Republicans with presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. I supported, and was at the victory party for Dr. Robert Bentley. He, like Huckabee, represents a new kind of grassroots common man approach to government.

The New Republicans are Ex-democrats and conservative Christians who expected universal health care and got Obamacare, who wonder in amazement who is going to pay for the b-b-b-bailout, people who wonder how long can we as a nation can continue pouring money like rain out of a boot to any project that will provide “stimulus”. And people like me who are just “Taxed Enough Already.” These voters are now the face of the New Republican Party. A party with which Mike Hubbard and Official Alabama Republican Party is seemingly completely out of touch. At least if the money they threw at Byrne while they turned their backs on Bentley is any indication.

We are going to support real job creation instead of empty buildings and sewer systems for goat farms. We are going to remove the cronyism of the present triad of democratic senators that campaign with your tax dollars and keep you in the dark about where those $500 checks come from. (And keep you dancing like a trained pig to get them.) Mike, some of the candidates, like Bentley and myself, are in this race to end the culture of corruption and bring jobs and much needed relief to the people of this district. I will thank you, if you please, to know the difference between the Wall Street Republicans and the Wal Mart Republicans. Try not to paint us all with the same dingy whitewash brush.

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.
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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.