Democrats Must Tell the People

In the past week I have seen revelations of bizarre behavior that even astound the most observant pundits, writes Democratic Party Chair Joe Turnham on the Alabama Democrats blog.

On the state level, a cadre of Republicans in the House stopped a bi-partisan effort to have Alabama become the first Early Presidential Primary State after New Hampshire. This bill has widespread support from both Republicans and Democrats and could cement Alabama as the state that determines the next presidential frontrunners in the respective parties.

Even Republican party leadership supports this effort supposedly...can they not get their act together to help Alabama? Republicans said they did it because they were mad they were 'set up' to vote against the bible.

That same week, the entire republican House Caucus killed a bill for a constitutionally allowable Bible Literacy Course that is optional for school systems and elective to any student. The curriculum, "The Bible and Its Influence" has widespread support from conservatives and liberals and is the only course of its kind that the First Amendment Center approves. Over 71 percent of Alabama voters polled last week want House Bill 58 passed. Pastors and evangelicals are thanking Democrats and criticizing Republicans all while scratching their heads at this sudden and bizarre behavior.

The Republican led ALDOT is now set to cut down trees in Vestavia Alabama's median (and other places too) that were planted as erosion and beautification projects by town planners because...'cars might hit them' and the state does not want to become liable. 'Outrage' is the word and republican leaders are finding out republican and democratic voters actually like to see trees on the medians of highways! They provide shade, beauty, and even clean the air!

On the national scene, the White House is criticizing evangelical leaders like Pastor Rick Warren, pastor of the nation's largest church and seller of best selling books and others because they have brought to light the fact that Christians care about global warming and don't think republican leaders are doing anything about it. Republicans say their science is faulty after Bush fired a PR man at NASA for forging his resume. This same PR guy attempted to silence a career NASA scientist for speaking out on global warming. The NASA scientist said we had passed the 'tipping point' and was told by the young, plagarized Republican operative to be quiet.

The head of Homeland Security is mad because he is being criticized for the billions of wasted dollars in FEMA money after Katrina...like the 15,000 mobile homes being parked in Arkansas at a small town airport at a cost of $25,000 per month rent. FEMA says people need housing but is kicking folks out of motels this week but says the mobile homes are not practical for them.

President Bush announced this week that he intends to 'sell' parts of the Talladega and Bankhead National Forests. Alabama already has less public land than almost any other state and public land represents less than 2 percent of our state's forests, but he is going to sell parts of them. Is he doing this because someone might crash into a tree in a national forest?

To make matters worse, Bush plans to give away $65 billion in oil and gas on public lands to energy companies with no royalty, yet wants to open up the last wildlife preserve in Alaska to do the same. The $35 billion in lost royalties on federal lands is the same amount republicans cut from Medicaid and Student Loans in Congress last week.

On the state level, the republicans want to take half of the 'surplus' of state money for education and give it away in a tax cut that averages $55 per family and admit that it will cost the Special Educational Trust Fund $233 million. Super majorities of Republican voters polled last week say that plan is a loser. It is the Democrats saving money for a rainy day and offsetting tax relief by reducing tax breaks for those making over $100,000 dollars and not taking one cent from education. Even in the face of their own polls, they persist.

Exxon reports the highest corporate profit in the history of the planet last quarter and republican judges in Alabama that are funded by giant corporations in their reelection campaigns are stalling on making that same Exxon pay billions that juries in Alabama say they owe. Most were endorsed by business organizations in Alabama before the democrats even formally opened qualifying and before qualifying closes on April 7. How can you endorse someone when you don't even know who is going to qualify?

The more I observe politics the more it amazes me. Alabama Democrats and citizens everywhere need to tell folks that our state and country is being fleeced and we must tell them now. Evil prevails when good men and women do nothing!

Maybe if you repeat the truth often and loud enough they will listen eventually, especially when the crisis starts to hit home like it is in a lot of places, according to the polls. As you know, the truth always takes longer to trickle down South.