The World Around You

At least two bloggers were able to make it to Roy’s Rally and file reports.

Michael at A Minority of One says, “As predicted, there were several anti-tax reform protestors at the rally but, unexpected, at least by me, were the number of other fringe groups who were using this rally to promote their agenda. I brought home a handful of pamphlets and literature from the rally promoting radial right-wing viewpoints.”

Gene Chapman also attended the rally and had an even more confrontational experience,

A woman leading the rally had two police officers ask me to leave the rally, before I then expained my Christian connection of being dressed that way I was, in loin clothes on a 30 day fast. They assumed, based on my clothing, that I was not in need to hear the preaching of God’s Word at the rally. It set in me a realization that bigotry is alive and well in Vision America.

Did anyone else attend?

The Sunday Washington Post has a front page piece on Governor Riley and the fight over Ammendment 1, Alabama Tied in Knots by Tax Vote.

In a stunning subplot to the fiscal crises roiling the states, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) — who for three terms in Congress boasted that he never voted for a tax increase and was elected governor on a promise not to raise taxes — is proposing to raise state taxes by a record $1.2 billion, eight times the largest previous increase and almost twice what is needed to close a $675 million budget deficit.

Seizing Alabama’s crisis as an opportunity to right historic wrongs, he says the state should act to improve schools funded at the nation’s lowest level per child and to lift the tax burden from poor people, who pay income taxes starting at $4,600 a year for a family of four while out-of-state timber companies pay $1.25 an acre in property taxes. The changes would move Alabama from 50th to 44th in total state and local taxes per capita, he says.

“I’m tired of Alabama being first in things that are bad and last in things that are good,” an impassioned Riley told a Rotary Club in Prattville the other day as he traveled the state, sleeves rolled up, hawking what he calls Alabama’s “Foundation for Greatness.”

The piece gets a lot of the details correct. The only quibble I have is over the statement that the Governor promised he wouldn’t raise taxes. In fact, he was very careful not to promise any such thing. He said he would have to look at the situation and would institute changes before he asked for more funds. He has done this.

UPDATE: Steven comments on this piece as well.

UPDATE 2: Michael breaks the piece down on his site.