The World Around You

In his own analysis of the SP Times editorial I wrote about here, James at OTB (who I deeply respect) says, “…any comparisons with Iran’s ayatollahs or even George Wallace is idiotic and demonstrative of a remarkable lack of perspective.”

I vehemently disagree. As the appellate opinion in Judge Moore’s case states, his belief that as a high official of a state he need not obey dictates of the federal courts IS eerily reminiscent of George Wallace. This is not a battle about states rights, as much as it is a battle about who is above the law.

Political Wire points out a piece calling for the return of Al Gore. Oh the horror!!!!

Who knew being a fan of Caddyshack could cost you your job?

For a Monday morning pile of s**t, follow this link: Harry Potter and the Childish Adult by A.S. Byatt. We may need to add one more S to Byatt’s initials. I haven’t seen such talking down since my chat with Shaq.

UPDATE: The Folks at Crooked Timber have a good post on this as well.

Susan Fillipelli, a member of the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee and the Lee County Republican Executive Committee, wrote a piece for the Sunday Montgomery Advertiser offering three Republican reasons to support the Governor’s plan. Her reasons are
(1) States’ Responsibilities

For Republicans, there is no incongruity in supporting lower taxes and a smaller federal bureaucracy while supporting Riley’s plan to provide a stable and equitable source of state funding. Riley has already taken steps to reduce the size of Alabama’s government by cutting some $230 million in state spending. For Riley, accountability clearly comes before raising taxes. There is simply not enough waste to produce revenues needed to cover Alabama’s obligations.

(2) Law and Order

Republican opponents of the governor’s plan are concerned about the fact that Riley has asked for more than the $675 million needed to fulfill next year’s budget obligations. If necessary state services had been adequately funded to begin with, I’d agree with the governor’s critics. But we’ve never provided adequate funding, and our prison system is a prime example.

It takes money to build prisons and to renovate facilities. It’s not a scare tactic to talk about opening prison doors if the public votes no on Sept. 9; it’s reality.

(3) Morality

Republicans should vote yes on Sept. 9 because it is the right thing to do. The single most important part of Riley’s plan will raise the level at which a family of four begins paying state income taxes from an unconscionable $4,600 to almost $20,000 (the national average). Critics note: This constitutes a tax cut for some 51 percent of Alabama’s families.

I’m intrigued by arguments advanced by groups such as the Alabama Republican Assembly and the Christian Coalition that taking care of the poor and needy is the responsibility of Christians only and not the government. This is interesting, given that these organizations go out of their way to argue that America is a religious nation on almost every other issue (prayer in schools, Ten Commandments in public buildings, etc.). They can’t have it both ways.

While I don’t find these the three most convincing arguments for me, they may be powerful to others. Please use this article to sway your Republican friends.

Richard Ruelas of the Arizona Republic has an excellent column explaining how Alabama’s gain will be Arizona’s loss if the accountability and tax package passes on September 9th.

If the Bible Belt actually follows the lessons in the Bible and starts taking care of the least of its brethren, Arizona could lose the cushion those states provide, keeping us from hitting bottom.

We’re already last in a few categories, mostly in education.

Arizona is last in the nation on per-student spending. We have the highest dropout rate.

Those facts are not linked, of course. Just ask the Goldwater Institute or the Republican leadership of the Legislature.

In other measures of well-being we hover near the bottom.

In the latest Kids Count survey, which looks at a host of factors related to children, Arizona ranked 45th overall. Alabama was worse than us, thankfully, at 48th.

We’re just above Alabama in the rate of child deaths. But we fare worse in births to teen mothers.

Based on percentage, there are fewer children in poverty in Arizona than in Alabama. But we have more without health insurance.

But that nip-and-tuck could change if voters approve this revamping of Alabama’s tax system, which, like Arizona’s, currently relies heavily on sales taxes.

Ruelas’s point is well-taken. With the passage of this plan, Alabama will be in a position to finally move out of the cellar, statistically and in reality. Having lived for a long time in a state that was not in the cellar, I know the difference. I wish we had a crystal ball that would show citizens how their daily lives would improve if we simply invested in the future of our state. Things will be

Once again, the New York Times pushing for something in Alabama just makes it that much more difficult to make it happen. Yet, their editorial page weighed in on the issues facing Alabama in their Saturday edition,

The Alabama Legislature passed a law this year that would have restored the vote to released felons, but Governor Riley vetoed it.

Some black leaders have called for retaliation at the polls in September, when Governor Riley’s tax plan is due to be put to a statewide vote. But the tax overhaul is too important to fall victim to a fit of political pique.

It would add $1.2 billion in revenue, much of which would help services in poor parts of the state. And it would substantially ease the tax burden on the poor by, among other things, raising the income level at which families of four start paying income tax to more than $17,000, from $4,600.

Alabama’s black leaders should try again next year to win released felons the vote. But this fall, their priority should be helping Alabama’s historic tax reform proposal become law.