The World Around You

Why has it taken until now for the media to start paying attention to Troy King? I’m so glad that someone is finally looking into his activities as attorney general. He never really has figured out that there is a distinct difference between being legal advisor to the Governor and being Attorney General. There are things you just can’t do as Attorney General and soliciting money, even on behalf of a (debatably) worthy organization, from a person whom you are investigating is one of them.

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Sen. Hinton Mitchem, the new leader of the Alabama State Senate, today proposed a school bond issue 50% larger than the one Governor Bob Riley requested. This isn’t surprising, as more dollars going to schools is not a risky proposition in Alabama. I don’t believe it’s very realistic, though it may be needed.

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Everyone who reads me knows, I’m no fan of Beth Chapman, but Nancy Worley has issues. She’s just plain wrong about her contentions in this article. She had no authority to conduct any state business on January 16th and she was definitely in the wrong.

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I’m always glad to see truth in our local newspapers. But I did cringe at one quotefrom this article.

[Shelby County Chief Probation Officer John] Miller said Shelby County is a great place to live and that peer pressure and curiosity are at the root of most of the county’s cases.

“We have mostly kids who are experimenters, not addicts,” said Miller. “And if you get to them with the right approach, you can get them to change.”

Mr. Miller’s right, these juveniles are not addicts, yet and many of them can be turned on to a different path. However he cannot deny the fact that the future addicts of Shelby County are among the kids that are coming through his office now.

The other thing that is implied in parts of this article is that the solution is early education, that’s part of the solution. But the real solution is a more comprehensive community approach to prevention…I won’t get on my soap box again, but these kinds of articles just raise the issue again. Prevention, prevention, prevention.

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There will be a runoff for the Democrats in House District 22. The winner will face Republican Wayne Johnson to take over the seat left vacant by the death of Democratic Rep. Albert Hall.

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I agree with Dan. This is one of the best books on Alabama history, right up there with the work of Wayne Flynt.

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Jeff Vreeland reminds me that it is “Blog for Choice” Day. I am pro-choice, I certainly agree that abortion should be a rarity, but there are circumstances where it should be an option. Jeff wants to start the debate with when does “life” begin? I think the more pertinent question is:

What is life?

Is life viability? Is life only human life? The debate over abortion runs deep, and it runs much deeper than most people want to talk about it.

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Roger Bedford is at it again. Alabama state senators are reporting that Roger approached them to try to sneak through a 60% pay raise for themselves without a recorded vote. Elected officials don’t come much sleazier than Bedford, but he does bring back the pork to his district. Thanks are due to the senators who said no to this dirty deed. This incident points out the need to continually monitor the dealings of the state senate and to call out the dirty tricks when they occur. Extra vigilance in monitoring folks like Bedford is warranted.

**UPDATE: Jeff wants to use this to tarnish all Democrats. This would not have passed the senate without Republican support, because it would not have been unanimously supported by Democrats.

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Alabama Republicans are threatening gridlock because of the rules laid down in the Senate. No one is shocked. The Alabama legislature is always in some form of gridlock.

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For a boy who grew up in Northeast Indiana, it doesn’t get much better than this…Colts…Bears.

I played out a Colts-Bears Super Bowl in my backyard with the neighborhood kids more times than I can count. I was eight years old when Jim McMahon, Walter Payton and the 46 Defense took the crown in 1985. I’ve never seen the INDIANAPOLIS Colts play for the title. The ‘95 Colts, who looked like the team of destiny, led by Jim Harbaugh was the Colts last best shot. And yet here we are…

I will be glued to the television on Super Bowl Sunday and won’t want to miss a minute of the action. I will savor this one.

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State Representative Patricia Todd is at the center of the defeat of Alabama Democratic Executive Committee Vice Chairman Amy Burks today by Nancy Worley. For Nancy Worley to beat anyone at anything would be news, and it’s sad that the support of a winning Democratic candidate would cause someone to lose their seat of authority within the power. But there is so much that is sad about the Democratic Party’s relationship with Patricia Todd. She is a fine woman and deserves better than for her supporters to be victims of political payback.

**UPDATE: Jeff is on this as well.

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Alabama Governor Bob Riley begins his second term today. He faces many of the same challenges as the first term, the landscape has not changed much and it will be a challenge for him to get any of his major initiatives through the Alabama legislature. Paul Hubbert still runs the show and there isn’t anything Riley can do about it.

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The Alabama Legislature returns to session on Tuesday. The Alabama State Senate is headed for a very interesting session, with the apparent formation of a bi-partisan coalition that will make up the majority of the body. How well this coalition can work together and stay together will determine the course of the session. Never a dull moment in Alabama…

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I agree with the Indy Star’s Bob Kravitz:

If the Indianapolis Colts are going to reach the Super Bowl, they have to face Johnson and the Chiefs on Saturday, Jamal Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens the week after that and, Peyton Manning willing, LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers, merely the best football player on the planet.
Sure.
Good luck on that.
It’s like sending a drunk to Oktoberfest.
Is this the postseason, or one giant practical joke the NFL is playing on Your Indianapolis Colts? When does Jim Brown show up on the schedule? And Walter Payton? Here is the worst rush defense in the league, one of the worst in the history of the game, and now they’re looking through the crosshairs at the league’s two leading rushers (Tomlinson and Johnson) and another guy (Lewis) who isn’t bad.

The Colts will have to find a way to at least slow down the run or they won’t stand a chance. At least they will have the homefield for the first game. And San Diego’s lack of experience could mean a home date with the Patriots if the Colts find their way through the first two rounds.

Paging every man over 300 lbs in the Indy area…we need you for the D-Line!

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