'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.