Posted by Birmingham News – Number of autistic children in Alabama’s public schools growing rapidly; teachers lack training to deal with autism
Birmingham News – Alabama courts issue new child support guidelines
Birmingham News – Entrepreneurs hope to sew up success with Gee’s Bend water
Birmingham News – Alabama has spent $2.4 million inspecting 11 bridges with designs similar to collapsed Minnesota bridge
Birmingham News – Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama holds sixth annual tamale sale
Birmingham News – Outside Looking In – Alabama-Auburn Iron Bowl watched even in Ireland
Birmingham News – Seniors can apply for food stamps by mail
Birmingham News – Reversal of fortune?
Birmingham News – State Bloomberg Index surges as U.S. pursues economic repair
Birmingham News – Jefferson County and other governments continue to throw away money on hired guns to lobby government.
Birmingham News – Opinion – Let new civil right of education begin in Birmingham
Birmingham News – Light pollution robs sky
Birmingham News – Take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you
Press-Register – Cheeseburger in paradise: A sizzling experiment that could help save Alabama’s small farms (And it tastes good)
Press-Register – Mobile mayor wants to develop waterfront
Press-Register – A sorry tradition of the feds intervening
Press-Register – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Huntsville Times – Change for the better
Huntsville Times – Why a new constitution?
Montgomery Advertiser – Riley to join governors in asking Obama for aid
Montgomery Advertiser – Senator supports Waggoner for pro tem spot
Montgomery Advertiser – City, county don’t have authority over payday lenders
Montgomery Advertiser – State high in repeat drunk drivers
Tuscaloosa News – Case could rip lid off Department of Justice
Florence Times Daily – Ala. program helps kids of parents in prison
Anniston Star – Lessons of Dr. Seuss for the faith community
Decatur Daily – Let’™s get children out of pickup beds
Decatur Daily – Public has stake in Dec. 9 hearing
Associated Press – Attorney: letter accuses guards of beating death
As I sat reading the story in the Montgomery advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20081130/NEWS02/811300339&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL, regarding Gov Riley’s joining in to ask for the Federal government to expand the bailout and provide assistance to state and local governments, I was reminded of all the ghastly and horrific things that could happen if we changed the state of Alabama’s regressive tax system. As I recall, it was even a huge issue in this year’s AL-02 race about how so and so voted to raise the taxes on working Alabamians. Well look at us now 5 years after the defeat of Amendment 1. Once again, as it has played out time and time again, we face economic struggles within the State and Local governments because of OUR inability to change the system and make it more sound. Here we are on the verge of proration AGAIN, Gulf Shores announced layoffs of government employees and there are more to come from other municipalities I am sure. And why? Why is it so difficult for us the voters to see that the system we have IS BROKEN?
The simple fact is that the budgets are stretched as far as they can. We have a constitutional mandate to balance the budget every year. And when we stretch that pocket book out and bet it on a wing and a prayer that people will spend money, we are simply asking to get smacked around. While even in our own finances we cannot include overtime pay in assessing financial abilities to apply for a loan. Why? Because it is not a guarantee. The same goes with our government accounts as well; there is no guarantee that you and I, and Sally, and Frank are going to go spend that dollar. So why is so easy to accept what the bank tells us is good for us, but we can’t accept the same train of thought as it relates to how our State and Local governments are funded? We need reform in our funding of State and Local governments to protect ourselves from these ridiculous times in which we sit back scratch our heads wondering why. I would like the financial masterminds of ALFA and the Christian Coalition to explain to the education employees why it isn’t in our best interest to change our system. Please explain it to the out of work Gulf Shores employees why we should continue to fund our services through a regressive thought process.
And just to throw a punch in the wind…How could it have been worse? Well remember the strong push by Republican Congresses over the last few years on how it is a much better and safer system if we allow people to take their social security money and invest it for themselves. What would they be telling the people now? Which direction would those fingers be going in??
Just a thought…
Maybe tax reform would be successful if a good case can be made any additional money would be spent wisely and frugally.
When Dick Brewbaker was in the legislature for his one term before deciding not to seek re-election he said that our budgets should be based on the revenue that came in the prior year rather than on what was projected through some crystal ball to come in during the current year. That made sense to me, but just try getting the guys and gals on Goat Hill to go along with it.
Speaking of tax reform, this article, Riley was right – the first time at Birmingham Weekly might be a more worthy of one’s time than replaying talking points and Republican baiting.
Walt, the Kyle Whitmire article is timely and probably spot on. But where does that leave us as long as our legislators seem to be willing to borrow from yesterday to attempt to pay for today while promising to replace the borrowed money tomorrow or maybe never?
I think it leaves Alabama in a hole.
I’ve heard that when one finds himself to be in a hole the prudent thing to do is to stop digging.
Individuals, families, and businesses (if they are wise) learn to live within their means. Government needs to learn how to do the same the same thing.
Decatur Daily should check the Alabama code section 32-5-222 subsection (a) and subsection (4). they will find that it is a current violation of the law for a child under 15 to ride in a vehicle not properly restrained.
The ‘Tamale sale’article is quite old but it does point out an interesting fact – consumers need to consume in order for businesses to operate.
Businesses that can’t make enough money will be forced to downsize and lay-off people. More people who are unemployed leads to less buying power that hurts businesses. And the cycle repeats itself.