Saturday 12/17/2005 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/113481480450420.xml&coll=2  - State may see big increase in energy funds for low income families.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/113481451250420.xml&coll=2 – Editorial on the beginning of the election season – pay raises, tax cuts, feel good legislation.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051216/APN/512160901&cachetime=5 – Study reveals that Alabama students’ poor performance in math cannot be attributed just to poverty rate.

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051217/NEWS/512170336/1011 – Governor to set special election to fill Rep. Starkey’s seat.

 

 

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

EDITORIALS

How about some details

In our opinion
12-17-2005

The campaign season is here. The Alabama primaries are less than six months away. Candidates for governor are traveling the state, meeting with potential supporters, raising money, putting out feelers and talking in glowing generalities about what they will do when they are elected.

And not telling voters much.

Over the next few months, we plan to point this out.

Already, we have challenged Roy Moore to tell us more about how he will deal with state problems, if elected. So far he hasn’t, but we haven’t given up hope.

Now it is Don Siegelman’s turn.

Last Saturday, the former governor and current candidate spoke to the New Alabama Voters League and in his comments gave a hint of what he wants to do if elected — only a hint.

We’d like more details.

For example, Siegelman told reporters that by closing tax loopholes used by “multinational corporations” the state could realize around $1 billion in new, much-needed revenue. He said much the same thing back when he was in office and the economy had tanked. Then and now, we are left in the dark over who these mysterious corporations are and where these loopholes exist. More than that, we wonder how, as governor, he could bring about these changes. Can he do it with the stroke of a pen or will he need to put together a coalition of legislators to get it done. What’s the plan?

He also wants a statewide lottery for education.

We have said before that we do not object to a lottery if it comes after installing a comprehensive program of tax reform that takes the burden off the poor and provides the revenue needed to adequately fund state services. But the only tax “reform” Siegelman spoke of was the loophole closing.

Is that all?

Oh, we forgot that he would take the state back to the less efficient and, believed by many illegal, system of appraising property every four to five years rather than annually. Perhaps he could explain why it is better to see a property tax bill jump 15 to 20 percent every four years than see it go up around 5 percent every year?

We have said before and we will say again: Don Siegelman is one of the most experienced politicians ever to sit in the governor’s office. With his experience, one can assume he has thought through these ideas he is pitching out.

We are just asking him to let us in on the details.