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Democratic State Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks revealed three planks today in his gubernatorial campaign:
- We will make a difference by creating the LifeStart Scholarship Lottery program.
- Second, we will make a difference by regulating, and taxing casino-style gaming in Alabama.
- Finally, we will make a difference by lowering the tax burden on every family in the state.
Apparently he has a ways to go to raise his profile. Washington Monthly wrote online today:
Rep. Artur Davis’ (D) gubernatorial campaign in Alabama got a little easier yesterday when state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb decided not to run. As of now, it looks like Davis will not face a primary opponent.
The site has since corrected the oversight.
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I think Washington Monthly got it right the first time.
Boy, sounds like Gambling is the solution to all Alabama’s problems!
Sparks would be smart to run against Chapman for Secretary of State.
He could raise money since even the national parties care about Secretary of State races because of the election disputes.
And there are two congressional races that could be close enough to end up being disputed.
his plan is so weak….. when the economy is bad let’s just get a lotto and tax gambling ! Is don siegleman advising him from prison ?
The PACT plan will be the end of Sparks. He hasn’t attend any of the board meetings and using a lottery to fund college is a big mistake.
Sparks isn’t on the PACT Board but has been stronger in his position about a solution than anyone except Folsom – both say the payments are guaranteed. Everyone else, including Davis are trying to Tango with the English language to keep from saying anything substantive about PACT. And, you say using a lotto to fund college is a big mistake? Ask Georgia and Florida who use hundreds of millions of our dollars to send their kids to college through our purchase of their lottery tickets.
I agree with bleever that GA and FL have made lots of cash from the lotto and AL could make some too. BUT, this has been tried before (cited as a way to solve economic issues in AL). It is not innovative and it is not going to fly in Alabama. I am disappointed in Sparks less than interesting view of policy and his weak offering of a solution. He is going down hill fast. Is it too late to print Sparks for Treasurer and Ivey for Ag Commish signs? Both of them are wasting their time and ours by running for Gov.
Weak, has-been ideas from a weak has-been.
Sparks better run for state Tres. or he will kick his butt beat.
Ronnie Sparks is going to tax casino style gambling! If I’m correct, that’s still illegal in Alabama. The only way to make that happen is a constitutional amendment, approved by the voters of the state. Not something that can be decided on a county by county basis, as he proposes.
If he plans to tax illegal activities, then he needs to add prostitution and cock fighting to his agenda!!
In addition to funding everyone’s college education, he going to fix Medicaid with it, and establish an emergency fund to prop up the farmers! That’s for his ALFA buddies!
Same ole story, from a member of the Montgomery crowd!! Please hold my mule while I puke!!!! Forgive me if I don’t buy into it Ronnie!!
ALFA opposes both gambling and a lottery and the Feds have an agriculture disaster aid for farmers.
This mishmash looks like something Sparks and Joe Perkins pulled together overnight. The revenues from a lottery and from gambling might, might meet some of the post stimulus shortfall coming to our general fund and education fund, but they would certainly not allow new spending on scholarships or Medicaid. Is Sparks for cutting the reading initiative and pre-K as a trade for his scholarships?
Furthermore, the earliest a lottery could be on the ballot would be the municipal elections in October 2011 and the earliest a lottery could be set up and implemented would be 2012,halfway through a term. Same timetable for the gambling referendum that would be needed to implement his proposals. What’s he going to do in his first two budgets?
What a joke Sparks is, a Don Seigleman clown, ahem I mean clone. Gambling will solve everything!