The World Around You

WSFA News reports,

Prattville Mayor Jim Byard got a rude awakening early Sunday morning. Around 2 A.M., 25 year old Bradford Shane Dunn of Prattville smashed into Byard’s parked car. The mayor’s black Chrysler Concord was parked in front of his home on South Washington Street.

Prattville police say alcohol appears to have been a factor in the wreck. Dunn’s wife suffered a cut on her head but she did not require medical attention.

Mayor Byard says he plans to press charges against Dunn. In the meantime, Byard is looking for a new car.

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We continue to face the reality of the cuts that the Governor and legislature were forced to make by the people of Alabama. The Mobile Register reports,

Alabama’s budget crunch and its diminished number of state troopers mean that motorists should be prepared to help themselves if they encounter trouble on roadways, caution Department of Public Safety officials.

“The reduced trooper presence may mean longer response time to crashes and other traffic emergencies,” said Col. Mike Coppage, the department’s director.

Eleven State Troopers will be assigned to cover 27 of the state’s 67 counties from midnight to 6 a.m. each day, Dorris Teague, a DPS spokeswoman, said Monday. The other 40 counties are not patrolled during those hours, she said.

“During my career, it’s the shortest we’ve ever been,” said Cpl. Spencer Collier, a six-year veteran and spokesman for the trooper post in Mobile. “When I started almost seven years ago, we had 19 troopers in Baldwin County and 24 in Mobile. Today, it’s 13 in Mobile and 12 in Baldwin. That’s a pretty significant difference over seven years.”

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The Autauga County Humane Shelter finally has a scheduled opening date, November 1st. I’m thrilled that Autauga County will finally have this necessary and legally required service. I have some personal knowledge of the long process that has finally brought us to this point and it’s exciting to see it getting off the ground.

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I don’t make the news, I just note when it occurs. I have absolutely no commentary to go with this story,

BEIJING (Reuters) - Hundreds of Japanese tourists and local prostitutes held a three-day orgy at a luxury hotel in southern China, newspapers say, sparking outrage and prompting police to launch an investigation.

The five-star hotel where the orgy was reported to have been held earlier this month has been closed pending investigations, a spokeswoman for the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Bureau told Reuters.

“We are conducting an investigation into the case to find out whether media reports tally with reality,” she said. “We have suspended the business of Zhuhai International Convention Centre Hotel.”

The official People’s Daily newspaper said more than 400 Japanese tourists were serviced by some 500 prostitutes from the coastal cities of Zhuhai and Shenzhen during their stay from September 16 to 18.

Media reports of the orgy have provoked outrage — particularly on the Internet, where Chinese Web surfers accused the tourists of choosing the date for their high jinks to humiliate China and celebrate Japan’s wartime behaviour.

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The Washington Whispers section of US News and World Report reports,

Have Lockheed Martin executives watched too many episodes of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? When the defense giant was selected in July as one of three finalists to design and build a warship of the future, Navy program execs raised one minor quibble: The name Lockheed chose for the small, slick ship seemed a bit, well, queer. Lockheed chose Sea Blade to connote a swift, agile vessel on the ready to chase down bad guys in shallow coastal waters. That seemed to be perfectly in line with the Navy’s concept for a littoral, or coastal, combat ship. But Navy officials whined that Sea Blade sounded too much like the Washington Blade, the capital’s influential gay paper. The Navy claims it never asked Lockheed to change the name, but, lo and behold, Lockheed stopped calling it Sea Blade. “They’re so freaking homophobic,” laments an insider of the service. All that makes Chris Crain, executive editor of the Blade, wonder if he has some stealth Pentagon readers: “I’m surprised officials at the Defense Department are aware of the gay publications out there.”

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There is still at least one area of American life where segregation is alive and well, in the practice of our faith. The Birmingham News puts the focus on one church that is attempting to bring people of all backgrounds together,

Every once in a while, a pastor starts up a new church with the stated goal of crossing cultural boundaries and bridging racial divides.

Frequently, those pastors find that declaring a new church’s diversity goal does not necessarily make any inroads against Sunday morning segregation - the tendency of people to worship at churches that are made up of their same ethnic and racial categories.

But there’s something different about the Rev. Joel Miller. For one, any church Miller starts will be biracial. Miller is black. His wife is white. They have three children.

The 38-year-old Miller last Sunday launched Providence Church, which meets Sundays at 10:30 a.m. in the auditorium of Homewood High School.

“I want to be a bridge,” Miller said.

The first service drew 140 people, including a Hispanic businessman, a black family from Liberia and many white professionals, he said. “It’s an eclectic group of people,” Miller said. It will be a “transcultural” church, he promised.

I heard a discussion on this topic on the Tavis Smiley show back in the spring (link here) with Rev. Curtiss Paul DeYoung and George Yancey, authors of United by Faith. It is a wall that continues to separate us and there must be effort on both sides to ensure that we do not continue to feel that isolating ourselves based on race is acceptable in any area of our lives.

NOTE: I also want to thank the Birmingham News for this positive story at a time when there is a lot of negativity in Alabama on so many fronts.

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Without Edgerrin James, the Colts had to rely on the air attack and Peyton Manning showcased what he can do with a franchise record 6 TD passes. The Indianapolis Star reports,

Manning became the first NFL quarterback since Washington’s Mark Rypien in 1991 to throw six touchdown passes, one off the league record shared by five players. Manning completed 20-of-25 passes for 314 yards as the Colts splattered the New Orleans Saints 55-21.

The Colts’ point total was their largest since a 55-23 Halloween slaughter of Denver in 1988. It was the most points the Colts have scored in a road game.

“One of our goals was to come out and try to get something going early to get the crowd out of it, if we could,” said Manning, who did not play during the fourth quarter, ending his string of consecutive snaps under center at 1,633.

“Once we got the momentum,” Colts coach Tony Dungy offered, “it was like a shark in the water.”

The crowd of 70,020, the Saints’ 24th consecutive sellout, booed enthusiastically through much of the first half, but went eerily silent during the third quarter. Empty seats don’t make much noise.

The Colts acquitted themselves well on national television, as they moved to 4-0 on the season.

Cross-posted on Sportsblog.

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They enjoyed camping out on the steps of the Alabama Judicial building, they’re ready to try out the steps of the US Capitol,

Supporters of the Ten Commandments will stage a protest at the U.S. Capitol similar to the one that drew hundreds to the Alabama Judicial Building last month if Congress doesn’t act this week to display the commandments, church leaders said Sunday.

Patrick Mahoney, head of the Christian Defense Coalition, made the comments at a rally held on the State Capitol steps to launch a caravan to Washington promoting the Ten Commandments.

“If we have to peacefully risk arrest to get this done, then so be it,” Mahoney said after the rally. “That’s how passionate we are about this issue.”

The caravan started in Montgomery, where last month hundreds of people gathered in support of a 5,300-pound Ten Commandments monument placed in the state judicial building by now-suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore. A federal judge ordered its removal, ruling that it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by government.

The reaction in Washington ought to be interesting. I would think the counter-rallies will be much more robust, but I could be wrong.

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Sallie Owen from the Mobile Register has done an excellent job of investigative reporting on the “Recall Riley” ads. Unfortunately, all roads lead to a dead end on who actually placed the ads and why, Stan Pate even did some investigating of his own

Pate said Friday that he has been trying to track down those behind the recall Web site.

He ticked off his findings: The site is registered to M.J. Humphries, 1106 15th Court, Tuscaloosa, an address Pate said does not exist. An online search performed by the Register indicated that the 15th Court address was valid two years ago, but no M.J. Humphries could be found. A phone number listed with the domain name rings in the office of media buyers David and Brenda Bagley, according to Pate. The site was designed by a company called Locust Creek, but no client information was available on the company’s site, he said. The ad’s disclaimer names Deborah Shelton on Matthews Street in Huntsville, Pate said.

…

Brenda Bagley told the Mobile Register on Friday that she purchased the recall radio ads for a client named Deborah Shelton in Huntsville. Bagley said the transaction was done by phone. Bagley said she was unhappy that her phone number was listed in the Web site domain registration information.

Reached Friday afternoon by the Mobile Register, a Deborah K. Shelton who lives on Matthews Street in Huntsville said she had no tie to the ads.

No Shelton at a street address supplied to the Register by Brenda Bagley could be located.

Mysterious.

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Check out Kevin’s latest caption contest.

OTB still has one running as well.

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Well, the final bell has tolled on the special session. The legislators have gone home and now we will get to see what is left in the wake of the budgets that the people of Alabama asked for. This is what “living within our means” looks like folks,

The Legislature ended its special session Friday after approving minor changes suggested by Gov. Bob Riley to austere education and general fund budgets passed by the Legislature Thursday. The budget cuts were necessary after Riley’s plan to raise taxes was defeated in a Sept. 9 referendum.

The budgets will mean as many as 1,000 or more state employees will lose their jobs, said Mac McArthur, executive director of the Alabama State Employees Association.

“It’s better than what we had feared, but it’s still horrible,” McArthur said. “Other than the death of an immediate family member, the worst thing that can happen to a person is to lose his job.”

Riley said the budgets passed by the Legislature were the best that could be expected under current revenue shortfalls.

“Ultimately my goal was to make sure that the pain was lessened as much as possible,” Riley said. Concerning layoffs of state employees, he said, “we have no options.”

The governor’s press secretary, David Azbell, said Riley is expected to sign both budgets next week.

The $4.2 billion education budget did not eliminate any teachers, but cut out most money for new textbooks, for teacher training, for new classroom computers and for library books.

The education budget also cut out more than $11 million that had been spent on special projects in legislators’ districts. There were several efforts in the House to restore the money, but Speaker Seth Hammett, D-Andalusia, said there was no way to justify the special projects and still find enough money for classrooms.

“You have to always be able to pay for the basics, before you can for the extras,” Hammett said.

Watch the unemployment rate in Alabama spike next month.

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I have nothing against Paul Bremer, I think he’s been asked to do an impossible job and is handling it well, but this story was just too good not to mention,

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Berated for months by Iraqis over power cuts, the top U.S. administrator in Baghdad returned to Washington this week to find that Hurricane Isabel had knocked out electricity to his own family’s home.

Paul Bremer told a Senate committee meeting on Wednesday, “As millions of American households, including the Bremer household, have learned in recent days, it is almost impossible to live in the modern world without dependable electricity,”

Asked by Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden whether he was looking forward to going back to Iraq, Bremer quipped he had a better power supply in Baghdad than Washington, where power companies are still struggling to restore power to thousands of homes cut when Isabel roared through last Thursday.

At least he can have sympathy for the Iraqis when he returns to Baghdad.

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The Indianapolis Star reports this morning,

The Indianapolis Colts’ starting running back was held out of Thursday afternoon’s practice, the third time this week he’s been unable to participate in preparations for the Saints.

James has been downgraded from probable to questionable on the injury report, meaning there’s a 50-50 chance of him playing. Coach Tony Dungy described the back injury as “trauma from a blow” sustained last Sunday against Jacksonville.

Dungy hopes James is able to practice today and Saturday, but noted James’ availability for the Saints will be a game-time decision.

“I want him to be healthy and feel good,” said Dungy, adding team doctors told him James cannot do further damage by playing. “We’ve got enough backs that, if he’s not 100 percent, we don’t need to play him and we will wait until he’s 100 percent.”

This is a real loss with the way Edgerrin has looked so far this season, but there are capable back-ups ready to pick up the slack for the undefeated Colts.

Cross-posted on Sportsblog.

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Roy Moore goes on trial before the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission on November 12th (as reported by WSFA.com). I can hardly wait.

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Steven is covering all the angles (here, here and here) on last night’s debate. I only caught bits and pieces of the debate and saw a little of the coverage this morning. It seems to me like it has only exacerbated the perception that this whole experiment is just a circus.

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Roy Moore is continuing his stall tactics. He remains convinced the Supreme Court will vindicate him, so he continues to attempt to keep the proceedings he faces before the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission from going forward. The fact is, he continues to collect his over $170,000/year salary while he is suspended and the Commission should move forward to determine whether he should be removed from office.

At today’s hearing on whether Moore should be allowed another extension to file his response to the charges, the AP reports,

Moore’s attorney, Terry Butts, first asked the court to agree that by arguing the extension motion before the eight judges present Thursday, Moore was not waiving his right in the future to ask some of them to step down.

Several of the judges testily told Butts his request was inappropriate, and that he should have sought recusals before filing any other motions. Butts responded that he needed more time to determine whether any recusals were necessary.

“I think I have the right at the appropriate time to ask any member of this panel, `Have you discussed this case with anyone, or made comments about Roy Moore or the Judicial Inquiry Commission?’” Butts told the judges.

Without assurance from the court that he could ask for recusals later, Butts declined to speak about the time extension motion. The judges indicated they would rule shortly on whether to extend the Sept. 29 deadline.

It’s not a good sign for Roy that the panel reacted “testily”. I don’t think he’s going to get another extension, nor should he.

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The Mobile Register reports this morning,

Lawmakers sent the governor a bill Wednesday that would speed the release of more than 5,000 state inmates and ease voter registration for certain felons who have completed their sentences. The bulk of Alabama’s two main budgets also won approval.

Differences between the House and Senate on the spending plans will likely be resolved today, according to legislative leaders. That would put lawmakers in a position to finish most of the special session’s work by Friday.

Legislators are pushing to write the operating budgets before the new fiscal year begins Wednesday. If the budgets are not finalized by Friday , state employee paychecks could be delayed, officials said.

My congratulations go out to the legislators for doing the right thing and making the tough choices for once. The days of patching the budget with additional regressive taxes must end. I hope that when the regular session begins in February, the legislature will discuss all options, but choose only the best options for all Alabamians.

I only hope those who oppose change don’t find themselves in a position of needing assistance from the state government this year, only to find that they cannot receive it due to the budget cuts.

UPDATE: Both budgets have received final approval in the Legislature and are on their way to the Governor, AP reports,

The Alabama Legislature gave final approval Thursday to austere budgets that will cause layoffs of some state employees and leave most public school children without new textbooks.

In the wake of a Sept. 9 statewide vote rejecting new taxes, the House gave final approval to a $1.2 billion General Fund budget that cuts funding to most state agencies by 18 percent. The Senate, meanwhile, passed a $4.2 billion education budget that allows teachers to retain their jobs, but cuts money for textbooks.

The education budget cut out all money for legislators’ special projects in their districts, despite attempts in the House to restore it.

“I think given the revenue available, the Legislature did the best they could do. There are a lot of cuts and a lot of agencies are going to have difficult times,” Hammett said.

“We tried to minimize pain and spread pain around,” said Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, chairman of the Senate education budget writing committee.

The budgets now go to Gov. Bob Riley, who has indicated he could return one or both budgets to lawmakers with suggested changes. The budgets are for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

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I just had the displeasure of hearing a disturbing ad calling for people to “have their voice heard” by visiting RecallRiley.com. Again, I don’t know what these people want. A governor who lies, robs Peter to pay Paul and then tells them everything is alright? Evidently. We finally have a Governor who is honest with the people about our financial situation and he still gets beaten over the head.

Please DO NOT visit this website, instead contact the person who this domain is registered to according to Network Solutions’ database and let he/she know what you think of this pointless tactic:

Organization:
M.J. Humphries
M.J. Humphries
1106 15th Court
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
US
Phone: 205-978-4094
Email: humphrieso@aol.com

Registrar Name….: Register.com
Registrar Whois…: whois.register.com
Registrar Homepage: http://www.register.com

Domain Name: RECALLRILEY.COM

Created on…………..: Mon, Sep 22, 2003
Expires on…………..: Wed, Sep 22, 2004
Record last updated on..: Mon, Sep 22, 2003

UPDATE:

Many readers are commenting about the Riley Recall on this old post.

NBC13.com has received comment from the Governor’s Office, who believes Stan Pate is behind this.

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Glenn Kessler handles the analysis of Bush’s speech to the UN in this morning’s Washington Post.

In his speech today to the U.N. General Assembly, President Bush tried to walk a fine line between defending a war deeply unpopular in much of the world and looking for help from reluctant countries to rebuild Iraq. The result left diplomats and lawmakers puzzled about his ultimate intentions.

Bush, in fact, sidestepped direct answers to many of the questions that have arisen since the administration said it would seek a Security Council resolution that would expand the United Nations’ role in Iraq and call on countries to contribute more troops and money. How quickly would the United States grant sovereignty to the Iraqis? Would the administration grant any decision-making role to the United Nations in exchange for its imprimatur? Or does the administration simply want assistance without giving up much in return?

Kessler goes on to point out that Bush wasn’t really speaking to the international community, this speech was designed for a domestic audience. Again and again Bush underestimates the importance of the interenational community and the difference between what they want to hear and what his domestic supporters wish him to say. The contrasts have rarely been as stark as they were yesterday,

But in two speeches that bracketed the president’s address, Annan and French President Jacques Chirac suggested that it is the administration’s doctrine of “preemption” — the promise to strike against emerging threats — that threatens to spread chaos across the globe. Both men bluntly said that the Bush administration is undermining the collective security arrangements that have governed the world since World War II.

“The United Nations has just weathered one of its most serious trials in its history: respect for the [U.N.] Charter, the use of force, were at the heart of the debate,” Chirac said. “The war, which was started without the authorization of the Security Council, has shaken the multilateral system.”

Annan said that reserving “the right to act unilaterally or in ad hoc coalitions . . . represents a fundamental challenge to the principles on which, however imperfectly, world peace and stability have rested for the last 58 years. My concern is that if it were to be adopted, it would set precedents that resulted in a proliferation of the unilateral and lawless use of force with or without justification.”

The enthusiastic reaction to those speeches in the General Assembly hall, compared to the tepid, almost perfunctory applause for Bush’s presentation, underscored the difficult task ahead for the administration as it tries to build support for the nascent Iraqi government.

Preemption may be a somewhat popular policy at home, but it scares the hell out of the international community and the President has done nothing to mitigate that fear. Today he gets to face Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder in individual meetings. Good luck!

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The question of whether Governor Riley is still the leader of the Republican party in Alabama has been answered. Four Republicans that sit on the House committee are leading the fight to get $8.4 million of grant funds that are allotted to each legislator put back into the education budget. They were rebuffed in committee, but vow to continue the fight on the House floor.

The Governor makes clear in this morning’s Birmingham News that he will veto the education budget if these monies are included.

Some lawmakers argued the discretionary money provided schools with computers, supplies and other items, but the Riley administration has argued money is too tight to fund nonessential services.

“The governor will veto any budget that includes community service grants. Textbooks are more important,” Nabers said.

Lawmakers this year handed out $11.7 million in community services grants. Each member of the House of Representatives got at least $54,000 to spend on projects of their choosing. Each senator got at least $109,000.

The Governor correctly took these funds out first and these should be the last items restored to the budget when times are good. Lawmakers will not get the opportunity to buy any votes this year.

UPDATE: Mac comments on this as well.

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AP reports,

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court Tuesday unanimously reinstated California’s Oct. 7 gubernatorial recall election, swiftly rejecting a three-judge panel’s decision to put it off for months.

Unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in quickly, the decision means Election Day is two weeks away.

The 11-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the Sept. 15 decision of a three-judge panel from the same circuit.

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The Birmingham News and Montgomery Advertiser lead editorials both address the latest Pew survey, dealing with the quality of the state’s disclosure laws (view the full report here). The Advertiser points out,

In this new study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, Alabama ranked a dismal 47th in the quality of its disclosure laws, ahead of only North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. Improvements wouldn’t be difficult to make — if the political will were there to do so. That’s a huge question for Alabama.

Under the current law, candidates file periodic reports with the secretary of state listing contributions exceeding $100 and stating their expenditures. These reports are then posted on the secretary of state’s Web site.

Unlike 36 other states, however, Alabama does not require candidates to report the occupations or employers of contributors. Without that, voters who review the reports can’t tell, for example, whether numerous employees of a particular company are contributing to a candidate. That information could be useful, especially if the candidate is seeking an office in which the decisions made affect that company or if, once elected, the official begins favoring that concern.

The News suggests what needs to change,

End PAC-to-PAC transfers. There’s no reason PACs need to shift money back and forth, other than to hide the original source of the contribution.

Require candidates to file electronically. Nearly half the states already require electronic filing instead of paper filing. With electronic filing, contributions are instantly transmitted to the secretary of state’s office and are available to voters almost immediately, which keeps candidates from waiting until just before an election to accept a big contribution they hope to keep secret. Electronic filing also allows records to be kept in a searchable database, not available under the current system.

Pay for electronic filing by charging PACs a registration fee. Currently, a PAC can be created simply by filling out a few forms. There are more than 500 PACs registered in Alabama.

Require candidates not only to report the name and amount of a contribution, but the occupation of the person making the contribution.

Add this to the list of reforms that must take place to start the process of restoring Alabamians trust in government. The citizens have a right to know.

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Both the Alabama Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets have been approved in their respective Houses of origin, now they get to trade. The education budget was passed without a single Republican vote, 20-14. The general fund budget was passed 67-28, with many members voting present.

Non-state agencies will receive a 75% cut in both budgets, as opposed to the complete elmination proposed by the Governor. Otherwise the budgets remained pretty much intact. The restored funds will be paid by delaying repayment of funds to the rainy day account.

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The Indianapolis Colts moved to 3-0 with a 23-13 victory on Sunday over the Jaguars. Reggie Wayne had a big game, catching 10 passes for 141 yards. The Indianapolis Star reports,

Wayne’s specialty is moving the chains. Thirteen of his 15 receptions this season have gone for first downs, and when he caught a 15-yard pass on third-and-7 late in the game, the frantic home crowd saluted him in a manner normally reserved for its most revered sports hero.

The chant rose and built: “Reg-gie. Reg-gie. Reg-gie. Reg-gie. Reg-gie.”

“A couple of guys were teasing me about it,” Wayne said. “They were saying when they started yelling ‘Reggie,’ everybody looked at the exit sign to see if Reggie Miller walked into the stadium.

“It wasn’t Reggie Miller today. It was Reggie Wayne, so I’m going to enjoy it for one day.”

Nine of Wayne’s receptions, 130 of his receiving yards and both touchdowns came during the second half. Likewise, Miller, the Indiana Pacers’ veteran guard, is usually at his best when the game is on the line.

The Colts face New Orleans (1-2) next Sunday at the Superdome.

Cross-posted at Sportsblog.

Posted Sports on Monday, September 22nd, 2003.

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Newsweek carries a nice piece this week that puts $87 billion into perspective. To take just one of the examples,

EDUCATION
For $87 billion you could …
Hire more than 2 million new teachers
or
Spend an additional $1,824 on each child in American public schools
or
Spend seven times more than the President’s proposal for Title 1 education programs in fiscal year 2004.
—“The so-called ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ is underfunded by eight billion dollars,” says Kathleen Lyons of the National Education Association, a teacher’s union. “This administration has misplaced priorities about funding.”

What is left unsaid is that $87 billion is just the beginning. It’s tough when we’re footing the entire bill isn’t it?

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The Montgomery Advertiser has published my latest letter to the editor under the headline above:

First, the Governor was lying about the $675 million. Now that those cuts have come to fruition, just like he said, he’s being vindictive. The people of Alabama don’t deserve a leader like Governor Riley. He’s too good for the citizens of this state. I didn’t vote for the man, but he has tried harder to do the right thing than any leader this state has ever known and he gets zero appreciation for it.

He and his staff have spent more time with these budgets than anybody in their right mind should be allowed. If anyone has a better solution, they should have suggested it. A solution is not, “There have to be better places to cut.” Name them. A solution is not, “All those state workers need to take a pay cut.” Do you know what the average salary is for a state worker? Do you know that all of Governor Riley’s department heads took significant paycuts to come to Montgomery? It’s easy to criticize when you don’t have the first clue, it’s much harder to come up with a solution.

The truth is, most of us don’t have the time or inclination to delve into the details that far. That’s why we pay our legislators and the Governor. Let them do their job and offer your constructive, informed criticism, but not your useless uninformed “ideas”.

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This is supposed to be news?? AP reports,

Alabamians are overwhelmingly opposed to same-sex marriages, a new statewide survey shows.

Eighty-two percent of those responding to the poll said they do not support same-sex marriages. The survey, conducted Monday through Thursday by The Mobile Register and the University of South Alabama, has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

These numbers are hardly shocking. I would like to see the wording of the question, to better determine what this really shows. On these types of issues, the wording of the question can have a huge effect on the results of the poll. I suspect the question was something like, “Do you support same-sex marriages?” You could push poll one way or the other depending on how you tweak that question.

I have discussed this issue in the past, and I have seen a lot of good debate around the blogosphere. For me, it’s a fairly simple issue. Homosexual citizens should have the same rights I have, including those derived through marriage. I don’t support “gay marriage” per se, I do support separating the institution of marriage from all the governmental benefits that we have attached to it. There should be a union of two people that is recognized by the government, the “civil union”, for all citizens. Why? Because the government should discriminate against someone for their sexual orientation and it is discriminatory to allow married heterosexuals benefits that homosexual partners cannot have. This is separate from the “institution of marriage” that so many talk about, which is a religious construct and should remain so.

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Jacques Chirac is causing a stir again. The New York Times reports,

President Jacques Chirac called today for the immediate transfer of sovereignty in Iraq to the Iraqi people, and indicated that France would approve only a new United Nations resolution that recognized this need.

In an hourlong interview at Élysée Palace, Mr. Chirac for the first time laid out a two-stage plan for Iraqi self-rule, the first stage being a symbolic transfer of sovereignty from American hands to the existing 25-member Iraqi Governing Council, followed by the gradual ceding of real power over a period of about six to nine months.

That lead makes the issue seem more provocative than it really is. Mr. Chirac has not threatened a veto, he is simply making the circumstances of French support more clear.

I want the Iraqi people to take over their own country as soon as possible, and we have certainly mangled this process in every way imaginable, but Chirac is in no position to be making these types of demands.

It does support the arguments that Thomas Friedman made last week that France is rapidly becoming our enemy. They have not only ceased actively supporting us, but have begun to actively oppose us. Chirac and the French people continue to delude themselves that they are somehow co-equal with the US in international affairs. They are wrong on that point, just as President Bush has been wrong in wielding the authority we have like a club to beat others into submission. The only recourse Chirac has left to save face is rhetoric and he is using it. The remaining question is how far is Chirac willing to go in defense of his rhetoric?

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Season ticket information for the Montgomery Biscuits (AA-Southern League baseball) is now available online. Check it out and consider buying a package of tickets. They have 12 game, 35 game and full season (70 game) packages.

Be there for the premiere season of Biscuits baseball.

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Congratulations to the Boilermakers on a tremendous victory over Arizona today. They needed a win like this to bolster their confidence heading into the Notre Dame game next week and the Big Ten season to follow. With Ohio State’s struggles and Michigan’s loss, the conference is looking as competitive as ever. Watch out for Purdue.

Cross-posted at Sportsblog.

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Chatter is already beginning over what a free-for-all the regular session of the Alabama Legislature will be, beginning in February. Gambling is going to be one of the big items upcoming, according to an AP piece by Phillip Rawls,

“There will be a major push in February for gambling,” said. Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, a leader of gambling opponents in the Senate.

Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said he will offer legislation to create a state lottery, as he has done several times before. Holmes is optimistic that hard times in the state budget will change public sentiment toward a lottery, which Alabama voters rejected in 1999.

“There seems to be a lot of support for a lottery,” said Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, chairman of a House budget committee and a supporter of the 1999 lottery.

A longtime lottery proponent, Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said he will change directions in February and will offer legislation to legalize casinos in Alabama.

“A lottery for Alabama won’t pay off now because we’re already surrounded by them in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. But with casinos, we’d be competing with only one state — Mississippi,” he said.

I have always been a proponent of the lottery and casinos (with appropriate regulation). Of course these are not solutions to Alabama’s funding problems, but they are measures that make sense, given there are hundreds of thousands of Alabama’s citizens who participate in these activities to the great financial benefit of citizens of other states.

It’s also no surprise that tax hikes will be on the agenda,

Legislators say items they expect to consider include some of the taxes that were in Riley’s failed tax plan, including a cigarette tax, higher mortgage and deed recording fees, elimination of some income tax deductions, and higher sales taxes on car sales and leases. State law would allow the Legislature to enact them without a vote of the people.

Some legislators say the governor opened the door for new taxes when he spoke to them Monday night. During that speech, Riley reiterated his opposition to new taxes without more accountability in state government, and he said he will offer a package of accountability legislation in February.

Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, predicted the Legislature will raise taxes “at some future date as part of a package.”

Everyone knows this is coming, but it needs to be preceded by the enacting of the Governor’s accountability package. Then, we can have a discussion about ways to generate revenue.

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Imagine my surprise when I go out to pick up my morning paper today and there is an article on blogging. Cool! Then I look at the box listing several Alabama blogs and there’s my name. Thank you to the Advertiser, and welcome to all interested in blogging. Feel free to post your comments and questions and come back often!

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