The World Around You

Maybe I need to start a regular feature on the “crazy Christian” letter to the editor for the week. If I did, this week’s prize would go to Carole Wink of Millbrook.

How could James Evans, a Baptist minister, write a whole column equating Wicca “gods” and Zeus with the God of the Bible? He wrote about these pagan gods as if they really existed.

Ms. Wink…they “existed” to the people who believe in them just as much as your God “exists” to you. Isn’t that what faith is? To laugh at others faith is to risk having them laugh at yours, as I am chuckling at you. And to call on Rev. Evans to give up his pulpit is crude and not very Christian to my ears.

Mr. Evans column is here
for those who are curious. He only mentions Zeus and Wicca as points of comparison for how many people approach prayer.

The main point of his column was this,

Prayer opens us to the grace of forgiveness. Prayer helps us find peace in the midst of chaos and confusion. Prayer can help us get up when we’ve been knocked down, and steady us to play again.

As always Rev. Evans is absolutely right and it’s a shame that so many can’t seem to understand how Christian his sentiments really are.

I certainly believe this endorsement, this early in the cycle means some indications have been given to Wesley Clark that he would be strongly considered for a high level post in the next Clinton administration. Vice President perhaps? Secretary of Defense?

Clark Endorses Clinton — Political Wire

The Barry White music is playing loud and proud in Mobile County…unfortunately resulting in high levels of sexually transmitted diseases.

Sexual diseases flourish in Mobile County- al.com

No one can say whether the Deferred Retirement Option Program did what it’s stated goal was, retain teachers and seasoned state workers, but it has been a jackpot for a number of high-paid executives. No surprise that these are also some of the people most responsible for the lobbying and arm-twisting that got DROP put in place.

Topping the list of those receiving or eligible for top payouts are longtime AEA leaders Paul Hubbert and Joe Reed. Both men continue to work and their participation in DROP has ended. But when they do call it quits, Reed, AEA’s assistant executive director, will walk away with $1.3 million from DROP. His boss, AEA executive director Hubbert, is close behind at $1.2 million.

Two other lobbyists in nonstate organizations who have drawn the benefit are Sandra Sims-deGraffenried, former executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards, and Dan Washburn, former head of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. Sims-deGraffenried’s DROP payment totals $587,500 and Washburn’s $445,000.

Trailing Reed and Hubbert but far ahead of the rest of the 2,550-plus people now eligible for payments is Ed Richardson, the former Auburn University president and state schools superintendent, at $783,700. Former Auburn Athletics Director David Housel, whom Richardson forced out when he became AU’s president in 2004, gets almost $514,000.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has its share of noteworthy payouts. Retired professor Maryann Manning got almost $580,600 and former dean of medicine William Koopman almost $500,000.

DROP gives big boost to highest paid- al.com

I told you there was more to this story, and I applaud Brett Blackledge for continuing to dig. This also supports my continued assertion that these kinds of practices aren’t new and that there were many more disturbing practices under the Siegelman administration than there have been under the Riley administration.

Alabama two-year colleges paid the salary for nearly five years of a political appointee hired by former Gov. Don Siegelman and U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, system records show.

Gina Bailey McKell, the cousin of one of Siegelman’s closest aides, received nearly $73,000 a year from one college to work in the governor’s office and later more than $76,000 a year to work in Davis’ office until she resigned last year. Both Siegelman and Davis are Democrats.

Between her jobs with Seigelman and Davis, McKell stayed on the two-year college payroll in the governor’s office for a few months during Republican Bob Riley’s transition into office.

Notice that maiden name? Bailey? Any relation to Nick Bailey? Of course! She’s his cousin.

Political aide’s salary paid by 2-year colleges- al.com

More Montgomerians are buying guns. What’s surprising to me is not that this is occurring, but the response that continues to come from city officials.

Montgomery Police Chief Arthur Baylor has said the public apprehension that crime is out of control in Montgomery is more perception than reality. Crime in general is down, he has said, but an unusually high homicide rate and the resulting media attention has created a false sense of insecurity.

The Chief and Mayor might be best advised to be concerned that as the homicide rate climbs, there are more guns being put into our neighborhoods.

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� More area residents seek protection by owning a gun