The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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State Budgets: Priority Number One After their successful special five-day Special Session, the Legislature has been in their Regular Session for a few weeks now. The Session will end in June so it is about one-fourth over. Almost one-third of the members are new, freshmen if you will. Even though they are, for the most part a bright and talented group, they are still wet behind the ears when it comes to legislative ways. Most are still striving to find their way to the bathrooms. Most major...
Democrats are calling the newest single-payer healthcare proposals “Medicare for All.” America has three major systems of government healthcare: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans’ Administration (VA). Is a single-payer system more likely to resemble Medicare or Medicaid? President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society established Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 to cover elderly Americans and the poor and disabled. The programs cover 55 and 66 million Americans respectively. Medicare cost $706 billion...
Amazingly, I wrote this column for another newspaper back in 2006. Here we are 13 years later and we are still fighting this stupid battle that nobody really seems to want to fix. Since then, we have had the migrant caravans, a host of highly publicized and documented cases of illegals committing crimes as heinous as murder and rape, the killings of border patrol agents and an entire segment of our society bereft of any feelings or desires to tackle the situation and effect any positive change t...
As I watch what is happening to core philosophies and belief systems internationally, domestically, and now in our own state, I am just shaking my head and looking down in dismay. The question I am asking myself, am I this dated, is there room anymore for an economic, moral, social, and constitutional conservative ideas; or have these definitions changed also? I was raised with three things you could always count on to be steadfast; facts, the Constitution and the Holy Bible. What has me...
Gov. Ivey and our Goat Hill legislators ‘passed the gas’ tax to fuel a more over-built/unsustainable road system in Alabama. Pray for our posterity and those of limited means weathering the next contraction after our current bubble pops. No doubt our low class, high end political prostitutes will prosper as usual. Montgomery has not generated such loud, foul flatulence since all the Republocrat rhetoric following the 14% special election turnout result (49 days before a general election) to rob...
This past March 8, during a special session called by Governor Kay Ivey, 83 of our state representatives voted to pass a ten cent increase in our gasoline tax. Then on March 12, the Senate railroaded it in with a 28 to 6 vote. Governor Ivey immediately signed it into law. The people never got a chance to vote against it in a referendum, and only a few days to hold a rally and say, “Take this tax and shove it.” Are our public servants infinitely stupid? We elected them to cut back on spe...
One of the most rewarding parts of my job as the representative for Alabama’s Second District is representing a large veteran population and advocating for their proper treatment and care. As a nation, it is critically important that we do all we can to care for our veterans and ensure the integrity of their service and sacrifice. When it comes to VA care, the very best is the only acceptable standard, and we have a very long way to go before this is achieved. Improving services for Alabama v...
Turkey season has kicked off now in Alabama, and yes I was very fortunate to kill an opening day gobbler. I’ve seen plenty of action while helping hunters and huntresses chase after those elusive birds. Now, while some folks have started the season with a big bang, knocking down turkeys well before the mornings really started, there are also folks out there who just can’t quite get the rascals to fly down from the roost in the right direction. Some of these birds have been talkative, and som...
The Tayra is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), which also includes otters, skunks and minks. It is the only species in the genus Eira. The Tayra, also spelled “Tiara”, is sometimes called “swamp or bush dog” and its Creole name is Haka. Tayras can be found in the neo-tropical forests of Central and South America, and ranges from Mexico, south to Bolivia and northern Argentina and also on the island of Trinidad. In these areas they live in tropical, deciduous and evergreen forests...
Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 20, 2019 Auburn Montgomery Deputy Dave Day - May 4th Please make plans to join us on Saturday, May 4th, for Deputy Dave Day at Dunbar-Ramer School in Ramer, from 10:00am-2:00pm. This is a great event for our youth so come out and “meet and greet” with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office official mascot, Deputy Dave as well as the Sheriff’s Office staff! There will be lots of things to do and fun to be had by all!! For more information, call 832-1...
Welcome Spring! As winter comes to a close and we welcome spring, we at the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office remember that spring is a great time in our community – a new soccer, baseball and softball season begins, spring break is approaching, and graduation draws near for our students. We all enjoy celebrating these good times in our community. If our deputies – including our reserve deputies – can help with traffic control or security monitoring at special events, please call us well in advanc...
Last month, we talked about the Native Peoples of Alabama, The Indians. In studying the history of our state, anyone will see the importance of our geography as the dynamic companion of History. Already we see the importance of the names of rivers, creeks, counties, towns, and other geographical terms still living with us today. Alabama is truly a land of contrasts. My native state, North Carolina, is a land of contrasts. The eastern shore has flat lands, rivers, and oceans. The western part of...
On March 27, 2019, Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama signed a proclamation declaring April 25, 2019 as Parental Alienation Awareness “Bubbles For Love” Day and April 21 through April 27, 2019 as Parental Alienation Prevention Week. Kenneth Paschal, Alabama Family Rights Association and supporters were present for the event. This proclamation by Alabama Governor acknowledges: “Parental Alienation is a term used to describe any number of behaviors and attitudes on the part of one parent, both paren...
We are proud to announce the winners of the contest and offer our congratulations! Micah Thomas (1st Place Award) Denetra Palmer (2nd Place Award) Ke’Erica Glover (Honorable Mention Award)...
April, one of the most glorious months of the gardening year, beckons us outside and into the garden. This clarion call should get us motivated to display the finest flower beds one can create. I am sure inspiration will come by viewing the spring time blooms on Yoshina Cherry trees. azaleas, forsythia, bridal wreath, wisteria, the subtle orange blossom scent of pittosporum, crab apple, and late blooming daffodils. If you liked the garden plan you utilized from last year, tweak it a bit by intro...
If the readers will be kind enough to indulge me I would like to share recent experiences in the Pacific northwest, specifically the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood and the Oregon coast. This grey haired man loves his family and has not taken his wife on a trip just for the two of us since our son was born six and a half years ago. Yep, bad husband! Visiting several areas outside of Portland, OR was our choice, there was little reason to consider other places. We neglected a couple of sights...
The Heart of the Christian Faith is the Resurrection! The Christian faith is based upon an event and that event is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, "All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection." (Phil. 3:10) Why was the resurrection so important to Paul. Because he knew that everything hinged on the fact and the power of this event. Paul understood the following facts very well. Through his death on the cross,...
I’d like to preface this by saying, this is my opinion. While I feel that technology and social media are key to living in today’s world and while there are some good things that can come from the web and hand held devices, I feel that there is more harm being done to the masses. What if everyone that picked up their device, picked up the Bible instead? Picture this: You’re at a sporting event supporting a child and you look around and all you see are people hovered by the nearest power outle...
The recent tornado in Lee County, Alabama, was devastating with 23 lives lost—several in a single family. How sad that things changed for these residents in such a short time. U.S. presidents are expected to make appearances following disasters in order to boost morale. We remember President Obama touring Tuscaloosa with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley in 2011. Likewise, President and Mrs. Trump visited the Auburn area to survey damage and offer encouragement. The president received criticism for a...
April is Financial Literacy Month and there’s no better time than right now to begin to save for your future. The earlier you start saving, the more you can accrue in a 401k individual retirement account and other types of IRAs. Social Security helps secure your future, but Social Security is only one part of a more complete retirement plan. Financial literacy includes having access to not just the correct general information, but also to your personal financial information. You can open your o...
James Manley: Battle of the Bulge Hero Jim Manley served in the United States Army February, 1944 November,1947, seeing action in the Italian Campaign during WWII. The Allied troops suffered 320,000 casualties and the Germans’ figure was over 330,000. No other campaign cost more lives and wounds by infantry forces on both sides, yet Jim came through unscathed. His infantry unit continued fighting in liberating France, and he participated in the Battle of the Bulge with General George P...
Even I have a “senior moment” when I have no idea why I am standing in the kitchen. Then it finally dawns on me. I came here to rummage through the kitchen cabinets, the freezer, the refrigerator, and the pantry to get some inspiration for what I am going to cook for dinner. Sometimes I can match the items together and make a meal. Sometimes nothing seems to match. I could eliminate that problem, if had planned a menu. A weekly menu would give me a grocery list. My trips to the grocery sto...
Few of us knew before the new gas tax that the Alabama Legislature was capable of moving any bill through both houses and having it signed by the Governor in one week. Governor Ivey announced it on the Tuesday night she delivered the State of the State address, and the next Tuesday she signed that baby into law with people standing around protesting. Governor Ivey has said in the past that she would like to give the people of Alabama the chance to vote on a lottery. Senator Jim McClendon (R) has...
Have you ever spent time with someone who is simply unpleasant to be around because they’re always complaining and finding fault in everything ... even when life seems to be rainbows and butterflies? Sometimes it’s difficult to be around people like that. Now, imagine the kindest person you’ve ever met. What’s the difference? What is it that makes that person so kind? I bet if we were to take a poll, most of us would want to be more like the person who’s kind. Titus 3: 4-6 tells us, “But when...
ALABAMA There is no controversy this year in Tuscaloosa as to who the quarterback will be. Tua Tagovailoa will be at Alabama at least one more year. The runner up for the Heisman trophy is well entrenched as the Alabama quarterback for 2019. The real problem at quarterback is who will be Tua’s backup. Mac Jones, a 6’- 2”, 205 lb. sophomore was number three last year. Gone is the multi-talented Jalen Hurts. He will be vying for the Heisman as the quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners, who have...
