http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115114076556210.xml&coll=2 – Alabama’s  per pupil expenditure hits record level while number of children in poverty increases to 51.6%.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115114063956210.xml&coll=2 – Siegelman jury breaks for weekend, deliberations to resume on Monday.

http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/115114078656210.xml&coll=2 – Court rules state’s business privilege tax is unconstitutional.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/115114066156230.xml&coll=3 – New child safety law goes into effect July 1.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/115114065856240.xml&coll=1 – Abramoff says Mississippi casino money went to Riley’s campaign for governor in addition to Christian Coalition.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/APN/606230737 - Cheney reportedly coming to state next month to raise funds for Riley campaign.

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060624/NEWS/606240326/1011 - Lynn Greer may attempt to regain House seat.

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

Editorials

Reed spreads loot, not Gospel

In our opinion

06-24-2006

The New Testament book of Hebrews warns followers of Jesus Christ against “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” Biblical scholarship as well as a common-sense reading of the passage make clear the intent: Christians ought to meet regularly in order to encourage each other.

In modern times, Christians do this in churches, some grandly designed and others more humble.

Apparently, though, for one leader of the Christian right, Ralph Reed, who’s caught up in a massive lobbying scandal, these places of exhortation aren’t just for spreading the gospel.

They are, instead, places where someone like Reed can trumpet his access to these believers. By connecting these churchgoers to the causes of Indian casinos, Reed earned $5.3 million, according to a new report from a Senate committee investigating the actions of Jack Abramoff, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to crimes associated with his influence peddling.

The new report does not charge Reed with criminal activity or even of having knowledge of Abramoff’s wrongdoing. However, the details of Reed’s work and his use of the religious as pawns are mighty damning.

This is the short of it:

• Choctaw Indian casinos near Philadelphia, Miss., did not want Alabama to have a lottery or even expanded gambling because it might cut into business.

• Abramoff helped the tribe by enlisting Reed to help keep Alabamians from approving a lottery or expanding video poker.

• Reed and his lobbying agency arranged for front groups to launder casino money and then funnel it to the Alabama Christian Coalition and another anti-lottery group. Those funds were used in a campaign to ultimately defeat a state lottery.

In stepping up to the job, Reed, according to the Senate report, “claimed that no firm had better relationships than his with the grassroots conservatives in Alabama.”

He listed contacts at several conservative advocacy groups in Alabama and singled out knowledge of “leading evangelical pastors such as Frank Barker of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham.”

The report then outlines Reed’s bragging about his company in an e-mail to Abramoff.

“Century Strategies has on file 3,000 pastors and 90,000 religious conservative households in Alabama that can be accessed in this effort,” Reed wrote.

The whole story is quite distasteful. Abramoff was involved with several congressmen and Bush administration officials who either have or may soon face federal charges.

Reed’s part is just one facet, but here in Alabama it takes on greater import. Taking the sincere faith of Alabama Christians and exploiting it for the cynical purpose of protecting gamblers is disgusting.

The list of those who ought to be ashamed is long.

Editorials

Helping out the rich

In our opinion

06-24-2006

Here’s what you have to remember to be a good Republican these days: Eliminating the estate tax helps the little guy, but raising the minimum wage hurts him.

House Republicans yesterday pushed through a bill to roll back the estate tax. They have argued that the levy hurts small businesses and family farmers but have presented little, if any, evidence to back up that claim.

The legislation would enable tens of thousands of people who inherit millions to avoid the estate tax and reward those inheriting the biggest fortunes with substantially lower rates of taxation. The Senate will vote on the proposal next week.

People who want to kill the tax altogether believe that this bill, should it become law, will make abolition of the tax easier because it reduces the eventual cost of repeal.

But the reason the eventual cost of repeal would seem relatively small is that the cost of the tax break the House just passed is so big. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the tax cut and interest payments on a higher federal debt would cost $762 billion during the first 10 years that the law is in place. It’s no secret who will have to make up the brunt of that shortfall, either in the form of new taxes or budget cuts: poor and working-class Americans.

While House Republicans were busy gift-wrapping their latest present for the rich, Senate Republicans made sure they deep-sixed a bill to raise the minimum wage. The argument against increasing the minimum wage is that it would put such a large burden on employers — especially small businesses — that it would force them to lay off workers or not make new hires.

But the Economic Policy Institute found that no significant job losses were caused by the most recent federal minimum wage increase, which, by the way, was way back in 1997. And a 2004 study by the Fiscal Policy Institute on state minimum wage increases (over a dozen states have raised the wage floor above the federal level) found no negative impact on employment among small businesses.

The federal minimum wage has lagged far behind inflation the past several decades. If it had kept pace with inflation since 1968, it would now be $8.80 an hour. Instead, it’s stuck at an unconscionable $5.15.

The GOP’s legislative actions this week provide Democrats with the makings of a good story to tell voters in the fall about Republican priorities. Here’s hoping that the Democrats have the spunk to offer a full-throated telling of it.