Today is the day that Governor Riley will unveil his plan to the public and begin the process of selling the package to Alabama citizens. The message that should be received is that the State of Alabama does not have enough revenue to maintain the most basic services for its citizens. The fat has been trimmed. State employees have been asked to sacrifice again and again. Educators have dipped into their own pockets again and again. The ONLY solution is more revenue from a variety of sources, administered in the most fair and evenhanded way. The most telling statement in this whole debate is that even if we pass $1.2 billion in new taxes, Alabamians will STILL be the LEAST TAXED people in the country. That is an exclamation point that should not be under promoted.

In exchange for accepting a larger tax burden the citizens will receive some additional government benefits (college scholarships, an expanded Pre-K program) and additional accountability in state programs (eliminating tenure for some education administrators, encouraging arbitration for educators). The governor is not asking citizens to pay more for the same old system. The system needs to be changed and additional resources are needed to provide services to the citizenry. My greatest fear is that the revenue portions will pass, while the accountability provisions do not. The revenue portions don’t stand a chance without the accountability provisions.