The World Around You

I can’t tell you how excited I am to see Susan Pace Hamill jump with both feet into a run for office. She is the most passionate advocate in the state for changing our regressive tax system and she does it in a way that is tough to argue against .

Hamill, a Democrat, on Wednesday listed the core principles that she said compelled her to seek public office.

“I believe government must serve the weak equally as well as it serves the strong,” she told friends and supporters in front of Trinity Methodist Church. “I believe tax policy should be written not by those with the most lobbyists, but those with the greatest commitment to equity and fairness.

“I believe the quality of public education we provide our children should not be determined by their address, their race or the circumstances of their family. I believe the process through which government makes all policy should be premised on central moral and ethical standards.”

She goes on to talk about the special interests who have opposed her in the past and will oppose her again. There is no doubt that there will be fierce competition for this seat, but there is almost no one in the state that we would be more blessed to have in elected office than Susan Hamill.

UA Law Professor Announces Bid for Legislature – Tuscaloosa News

The Montgomery County School Board meeting apparently got quite heated before the board voted to offer the superintendent position to the lone remaining candidate, Barbara Thompson, on a razor-thin 4-3 vote.

School Board votes – WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |.

Montgomery Advertiser – Montgomery County School Board Votes to Offer Thompson Job

Alabama Chief Justice Se Bell Cobb finally officially announced her intentions for the 2010 governor’s race, she intends to stay out of it. So where does that leave some of the most powerful interests in the state who tried and failed to recruit her? The same place they were left when Lt. Governor Folsom turned them down…they’ll just move to the next name on the list.

This is purely speculation, but I have no doubt that there was a list of candidates and there have been reports of other potential candidates having conversations about a run. As you move further down the list, the odds certainly get longer, but there are still people out there willing to run.

Sue Bell Cobb Statement on Governor’s Race | NBC13.com.

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Sorry, I’ve been down for the last week. Hopefully, I will be able to catch you up on the goings on before the holiday. If you ever experience problems with the site, don’t forget you can always find me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/TWAY_Kris)

It seems like we’re in a period of relative calm on the Alabama political scene. We’re between special elections…next up Alabama House District 6, and we’re on the eve of the latest gubernatorial announcement, from Kay Ivey. Everyone is still awaiting word on what Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb will do as support begins to solidify behind particular candidates on both sides of the aisle for governor. Roy Moore’s star seems to be fading as supporters of his campaign the last time around shift allegiances to Tim James and others and there wasn’t much news made out of the candidate forum this past weekend.

Our own Sen. Jeff Sessions is certainly getting a lot of national media attention as the hearings for Judge Sotomayor approach, but I expect those will go off without much fanfare. There is still some buzz that Governor Riley will run for Senator Shelby’s senate seat, though he has repeatedly said he doesn’t plan to do so.

Overall, it just seems like we are in a period of relative quiet before the statewide races really ramp up for 2010. I expect to hear more people getting into the down ballot races over the coming months (Attorney General, State Treasurer, State Auditor, etc.) and certainly the rhetoric between the gubernatorial candidates will heat up as more attention is focused on them.

I look forward to having more to talk about soon…

Josh Segall has officially kicked off his second attempt to unseat Rep. Mike Rogers in Alabama’s Third Congressional District. He would be my congressman. I voted for him the last time around and I wholeheartedly endorse him again. He is exactly the kind of leader this state needs in Congress, and I hope to see him victorious next November.

Click here to donate to Josh’s campaign!

I’ll link to the same segment of video as countrycat, in case you need a demonstration of the kind of leader he is…

Left in Alabama:: Josh Segall Officially Kicks Off His Campaign for AL-03 Against Mike Rogers

And now it’s time for my semi-recurring segment, where I checkout what people are curious about and try to figure out why…it’s quick takes…

The top-trending topics on Google Trends right now are…

1. verve ricky barnes

Ricky Barnes is the golfer who is trying to win a U.S. Open tomorrow and Verve is the energy drink that is his sponsor…looks like marketing works!

2. courtship of eddie s father

Airing on Turner Classic Movies tonight, in honor of Father’s Day…must be a slow search day

3. harpers island episode 11 preview

Must be a REALLY slow search day.

4. what channel is the much music awards on

The answer is! It’s not broadcast in the States…you could watch it live here…http://mmva.muchmusic.com/category/pepsi-backstage/

5. merlin nbc

New show premiering on NBC tonight…they’re trying to rope in the Harry Potter crowd with a preview of the new movie tucked inside…smart move.

6. tommy silverstein

Convicted murderer…must have had a reairing of one of his TV specials today…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Silverstein

7. sergio garcia break up

Greg Norman’s daughter broke up with Sergio….awww…poor guy…

8. leighton meester sextape video free

The “Gossip Girl” star has a sex tape on the web…isn’t this a pre-requisite for an actress these days?

9. lost tapes

Tougher to figure out…but looks like it’s a reference to an Animal Planet show…

10. bakugan new vestroia episode 11

No idea…but here it is.

Sorry the site was down for the last day or so…but we’re back up and functioning now. Be on the lookout for layout and design changes.

I was in the field of drug and alcohol prevention and still have some connection to it through my current work, and this makes absolutely perfect sense, based on what we know about attitudes and behavior. Attitudes about a drug have a direct impact on its use. If people think society as a whole doesn’t have a problem with a particular activity, the participation in that activity increases. Perception that parents don’t disapprove also has an impact. Certainly not to say these are the only things that have an impact, but any time you seem movement on these indicators, it is usually a bad sign for use patterns.

I also agree that the defunding and de-emphasis of prevention under the Bush administration can be cited as one of the reasons for the change, but there are also cultural factors at play here, and having worked with the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program and understanding quite a bit about how it works on a nationwide basis, I believe the president is right to cut the funding, but I hope additional resources will be redeployed in a more targeted way, rather than just being eliminated.

Youth Drug Use May Climb | Reclaiming Futures Every Day.

A certain newbie to blogging Alabama politics has decided to use the same Word Press template as I do…so I guess that means it’s time for a new look here at TWAY (The World Around You). Be on the lookout for changes over the weekend!