Saturday 4/29/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1146302479262680.xml&coll=2 – Baxley oppose annual property tax appraisal, says she will return to four year cycle if elected.

http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1146302456262680.xml&coll=2 – Birmingham attorney leads lobbying effort to end “death tax” on nation’s wealthy families.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1146302137262680.xml&coll=2 – Editorial calls for continued court oversight in RC case.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/NEWS02/604290359/1009 – State Democrats, law firm fund ads criticizing GOP.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/NEWS02/604290358/1009 – Court of Criminal Appeals upholds three death penalty sentences.

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

Why not run on campaign reform?

In our opinion

04-29-2006

In his ongoing search for an issue on which to challenge Gov. Bob Riley, Roy Moore may finally be on to something.

His promise to end annual property reappraisals, his opposition to constitutional reform and his call for more restrictions on the government’s power of eminent domain appeal to a constituency he already has, but has done little to attract new supporters.

So now he has begun attacking the political culture of Montgomery and linking Riley to it. In particular, he has charged that the governor has invested state money in a biotech project in return for campaign contributions.

The charge is pure politics — and dirty politics at that. Moore offers no proof, just an opinion.

However, the challenger does have a point. People and PACs give money to campaigns because they expect something in return — even if that something is nothing more than an officeholder who shares their point of view. Therefore, there is a certain nobility in Moore’s refusal to accept PAC money to finance his campaign (a certain hypocrisy, too, since in the past Moore has received money from the very sources he now denounces).

But wouldn’t it be better for the people of Alabama if, instead of throwing wild and unsubstantiated accusations at his opponent, challenger Moore would campaign on campaign reform? Wouldn’t it be better if he would lay out a plan to put an end to PAC-to-PAC transfers, if he would announce that he is in favor of opening the donor lists of advocacy groups that attempt to influence the political process, and (dare we say it) if he would come out in favor of limiting the contributions that “special interests” can give to a candidate?

Don’t expect that to happen. Moore isn’t campaigning against the system; he’s campaigning against Riley.

Criticizing the governor for taking PAC money, Moore observed that “you don’t stop the problem by participating in the process.” So we ask you, Mr. Moore, if you got to be governor, what would you do to stop the problem, a problem you know well, for you were once part of it?