The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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- Good news: The House has passed a Budget Resolution that increased critical funding for national defense, a key budget component that I strongly pushed for in negotiations. For the last few months, we have been discussing ways to prevent devastating cuts to military funding known as sequestration from taking effect in the next fiscal year. As Congress began its negotiations for a Budget Resolution, I worked to build a bi-partisan coalition to support increased defense funding. It wasn’t a...
Sen. Ted Cruz announcement of his bid for President of the United States wasn’t surprising news, nor were the long knives from critics on the left and the establishment right that were immediately drawn for him. Because I assumed that a Cruz presidential campaign was simply a matter of time, I didn’t watch his speech at Liberty University until later that day, and frankly, it was the social media furor on Twitter that prompted me to take the time to watch it without interruption. I have no int...
April 1, 2015: In recent years, the Republican Party has taken control of the legislatures in all of the southern states. Alabama’s legislature is overwhelmingly Republican. The GOP holds a 25 to 9 majority in the State Senate and an equally dominating 72 to 33 majority in the House of Representatives. Our supermajority GOP legislative body appeared to take on every conceivable ultraconservative reactionary issue during their first four year reign from 2011 to 2014. However, they forgot one. C...
"The more thoroughly a nation deals with its history, the more decidedly it will recognize and own an over-ruling Providence therein, and the more religious a nation it will become; while the more superficially it deals with its history, seeing only secondary causes and human agencies, the more irreligious it will be." Rev. A.W. Foljambe, January 5, 1876. Whether you are introduced to the writing and impact of John Locke, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams or Thomas...
Real estate practice among lawyers can be difficult when determining who has rightful ownership of real property. It’s just about as difficult to begin a generic discussion. The best form of ownership is, fee simple absolute. It is absolute in ownership and allows the owner to sell to whomever and to bequeath to whomever. An earlier form called fee tail, was many years ago abolished in Alabama and called for land inheritance of certain heirs. If those heirs ran out, then the land went back to t...
The devaluation of America’s cultural decency, the increase in fatherless homes and the steady decline in academic performance is now spiraling out of control. My generation has witnessed general apathy among parents, schools and politicians for several decades. Loss of values in our country is a very real phenomenon and the not-so-subtle enemy of many of our societal problems. Our schools are not immune. These “values” are not to be narrowly interpreted as solely religious values or stric...
For obvious reasons, this will be my last War Between the States sesquicentennial column given Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox. The only one penned with greater despair was four years ago on First Blood and Treason in Baltimore. Massachusetts troops shown themselves eager to assemble in the sovereign State of Maryland (still in the voluntary Union at the time) uninvited by the Governor and/or Legislature of that State to kill and wound persons of Maryland. This made painfully clear...
On July 16, 2014 under the leadership of the US Department of Treasury Secretary, Jacob J. Lew, in an apparent response to Russia's attempts to destabilize the eastern Ukraine as well as its advances in and occupation of the Crimea, broad-based sanctions were levied against Vladmir Putin's government. These sanctions targeted financial services, the energy sector, select areas of the Russian arms industry and identified institutions directly related to the undermining of the Ukrainian...
Our great state of Alabama is loaded with all types of hunting and fishing opportunities that we all can truly appreciate. Right now we have turkey season in full swing with birds strutting and gobbling and the action is wide open. There is no doubt this is my favorite time of the year when it comes to the hunting action. There is one downside to being a dedicated turkey hunter - you miss the best time to wet a hook. Alabama has water in every direction that you can travel. Lakes, ponds, rivers...
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) cannot easily be confused with any other North American wild mammal. The armadillo's body is covered with an armored carapace or shell. The carapace is a double layer of horn and bone, segmented into three main divisions: an anterior scapular shield covering the shoulder; a posterior pelvic shield covering the hip region; and a middle section comprised of a series of bands connected by soft, infolded skin between the bands. The head and legs are...
The greatest rivalry in college football is without question the annual Auburn - Alabama game. It is known around the country as the "Iron Bowl." The game was just another game when the Alabama State Legislature passed legislation that would force the two schools to renew the rivalry after being dormant for four decades. So, in 1948 Auburn and Alabama began playing again in Birmingham's Legion Field. Alabama won the first game. Auburn won the second. Then Alabama reeled off four straight wins...
Deputy Dave Day will be here before you know it! Each year we celebrate Deputy Dave Day whereas children visit Dunbar-Ramer School and meet & greet with the Sheriff's Office mascot, Deputy Dave. Please bring your children out to see a different side of law enforcement. Many times children think law enforcement are bad people which couldn't be farther from the truth so we take this time each year to show our youth we are here to help and protect you and your family! Please come out and enjoy...
In recent columns I have concentrated on the economics of law practice. We have discussed the economic motives of plaintiff lawyers, the economic motives of defense lawyers, and the fact that the combination may impact adversely on the ability of the legal system to efficiently resolve disputes. This column will focus on liability insurance and will complete the current discussion of the economics of law practice. Liability insurance companies exist because of litigation, and have a major...
The word is unique, in that it has two spellings—both of which are correct—and both express the same feeling. Whether the last syllable begins with an a or an e, is relatively immaterial, since the meaning is the same: a special atmosphere, mood, or feeling that is created by a particular entity. After a dozen years of searching for a place in which to live out the remaining years of existence on this planet, the realization emerges that what was being sought was: “A special atmosphere or mood...
Some of you know it was my privilege to lead another group on a pilgrimage to the Land of our Lord earlier this year. What a tremendous blessing it was to walk where Jesus walked, not necessarily in the same steps, but in the same places and in the same land. Among the most moving experiences we shared was the visit to the empty tomb. While that may not have been the exact tomb, it was obviously a tomb near the place most of us believe the crucifixion occurred and belonged to a wealthy...
The wind in my face was bitterly cold in downtown Dallas a few years ago. My continuing education classes had ended at the seminary in nearby Ft. Worth, so the afternoon was free for some sightseeing. A chill came over me independent of the temperature when I walked onto Dealey Plaza and saw firsthand those sights emblazoned in my memory: Elm Street, the triple overpass and the sixth floor window. I thought back to that terrible Friday in November, 1963. Our class had just returned from lunch...
April 22 is Earth Day, a great time to recommit to going green. More than one billion people will celebrate Earth Day this year. Saving energy, conserving water, and using less gas are just a few ways to go green (and save the earth). At Social Security, we strive to have a positive impact on the environment and community. By visiting www.socialsecurity.gov, you can handle much of your Social Security business quickly and securely from your home or office. Whether you want to get an estimate of...
My past articles have been about the role of family in Southern cooking, a little history of Southern Cuisine and the types of food and what ingredients were found in Southern cooking. A hodgepodge of different topics that were racing through my mind at the time. Also some Southern recipes for dishes that were and are still popular and some that aren't common in the everyday menus of people today. There are several topics that I will keep focusing on; the need to use the freshest ingredients...
I wonder if there is any month of the year I do not like. April is the time we enjoy many flowering trees and shrubs. Gorgeous Japanese magnolias are about to finish blooming, but forsythia, lorepedulum, dogwood, cherry trees, red bud, azaleas, Indian hawthorn are just spectacular. Montgomery and surrounding areas are simply a fairy land of vibrant colors and fragrances this time of year. Fertilizing these trees and shrubs should be at least an annual routine, but some just do not get around to...
Happy Easter! To many this time of year means the Easter bunny, a day of food, and celebration. For some it is an obligatory church-attending holiday, after which life goes on as usual. How sad that we have so quickly forgotten the true meaning of Easter. Our God reigns! Jesus Christ died, yes. But even more importantly, He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, as we say in the Lord's Prayer. Jesus Christ literally defied death. But He did more than just a Houdini...
