The World Around You

Rare tropical storm forms in Atlantic

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Snopes.com covers the gamut of New Year’s superstitions.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

While praising the latest unemployment figures, Larry Lee points out rural Alabama continues to fall behind.

The Office of Budget & Management says Bullock, Butler, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Marengo, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox and Winston are our most rural counties.

From December 2004 through November 2005, 11 of these counties lost jobs and according to data from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, total jobs in “nonmetropolitan” Alabama went from 190,140 to 193,729 during the last year.

That’s only 310 more jobs for 24 counties than Shelby County gained by itself. That means job growth in Shelby County was about 250 percent greater than in rural Alabama. In fact, of the statewide increase of 39,418 jobs in the last 12 months, 66.4 percent of them were in Elmore, Lee, Madison, Morgan and Shelby counties alone.

It’s the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and we just keep marching on. It is time to wake up to this disparity and start working toward doing something about it.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

A Baldwin County prosecutier, who has been accused of hiding her husband’s status as a registered sex offender, claims she has been lied to and is attempting to have the marriage annulled. That’s one way to keep yourself out of prison and keep your career.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I just couldn’t resist an opportunity to plug the Sapulpa (OK) Daily Herald. Say the name out loud. Wasn’t that fun?

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The Mobile Register editorial page offers a word of caution about the talk of state surpluses. David Bronner, who heads the Retirement Systems of Alabama, believes that health insurance costs for current and retired state employees (including educators) could reach $15 billion and the legislature has set aside no dollars to cover the increasing costs.

So it would be a good idea to have a plan to present. Mr. Bronner suggested reducing benefits, raising premiums or raising the state’s payments for the unfunded liability.

Naturally, Alabama Education Association chief Paul Hubbert, who also chairs the PEEHIP board, wasn’t buying it. He figures the Education Trust Fund will have plenty of money in the next 30 years to cover the expenses of teachers and other education employees.

Even if Mr. Hubbert is right, that doesn’t fix the problem for other state employees. And he’s assuming that Alabama’s economy will be great for the next 30 years.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The fact that Rep. Baker could say there isn’t anything improper about this with a straight face, should tell you everything you need to know about Alabama politics. This part could be outright criminal:

Baker doesn’t list the nonprofit business on his annual financial disclosure form filed with the Ethics Commission, despite his wife’s being employed by the program. Baker said he didn’t list it because he isn’t paid. But the form requires public officials to list “my and/or my spouse’s occupation(s) or business(es)” for the past year.

Baker said he would consult with ethics officials and amend the form if necessary. He said he also plans to file legislation in the coming session that would place the nonprofit business under the control of Henry County officials and make the program’s workers county employees.

At a minimum his financial disclosure statement is incomplete. He should amend it, but he also should ensure that in the future he undestands what he is attesting to when he signs that form. This is the kind of stuff that has gone on so often in this state and no one knows about it. Even when the media uncovers it, the stories always go away rapidly.

**UPDATE: Mac spotted this one too.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

We can only hope it won’t come back next year.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Merry Christmas!

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The Rural Studio out of Auburn University is featured in a Christmas Day piece in the New York Times. If you aren’t familiar with the Rural Studio, and even if you are, you should check this piece out. It is one of the many positive things going on in Alabama.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

If you need to know where Santa is at any time tonight, check out this site.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

As we get ready to move into 2006, the Alabama Governor’s race is shaping up to be the biggest in recent memory. Both primaries will be competitive and the general election promises to be exciting as well. For observers of Alabama politics it won’t get much better than this.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I received an announcement this morning from the Lucy Baxley for Governor campaign:

Campaign Kickoff
January 4, 2006
Noon

RSA Activity Center
201 Dexter Ave.
Montgomery, AL
36104

Lucy invites you to join her as she announces her intention to be Alabama’s next Governor

Lunch provided

Questions: 334-244-2181
Info: www.lucybaxley.com

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

A truly frightening Christmas nightmare.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I can’t help but smile at Nancy Worley facing a lawsuit, I don’t like the woman at all. However, it appears that this case is yet another instance of the Alabama constitution causing more problems than it solves.

Constitutional reform now!

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.