Amendment One: 2020 Vision

Just as the Republocrats $1.2 billion Amendment One [2003] proposal of significant increases for individual income tax payers, the sales tax, property tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, etc. FAILED 2 to 1 (defeating the Hubbard/Riley full court press) on a GENERAL election ballot, we now have the next iteration of an Amendment One boondoggle before us on the March 3rd primary. Pray we have better “2020” vision on why this is placed on primary ballots looking in the rear view mirror of recent low turnout sham outcomes from the Armistead to Waggoner et al political playbook these past years. One more time abuse of power and theft from our State education system is in jeopardy.

The ‘vision’ of the current lawmakers on Goat Hill and the eyesight of the general public seemed to grow more ‘blurry’ this past decade under our new supermajority. It appears they forecast another easy victory for soviet-style conservatives/liberals as Felon Hubbard (many still awaiting his public service in prison to illustrate our discipline of criminals is real) coached his big gov’t. minions how to game the system with low turnout special election sham results. Amending our State constitution in the 2012 theft of our education trust fund by deception of this sort was one of the most vulgar observed. As entertaining to watch all the politicos stand and do the ‘politburo clap’ on queue during state of union addresses in DC; it was equally entertaining to watch and read all the sycophants slobbering over themselves in delight at plundering the education trust fund with only 14% of registered voters saying yes to the amendment. The more they effusively thanked the voters for an ‘overwhelming show of support’ the more pathetic the band of thieves appeared delighting in their successful theft by low turnout deception. Some readers may recall we wasted $3 million on that special election sham result because it couldn’t wait 49 days to be on a general election ballot where it was likely to fail. I fear there are no honest Senators remaining on Goat Hill to again show courage and statesmanship in crafting tight legislation and work with the House to stop political theft via this sort of deception.

One more time lawmakers come before a low turnout electorate to accomplish yet another transfer of wealth and power from citizens on something more likely to fail on a general election ballot, unembarrassed by the fact Alabama consistently ranks as one of the most politically corrupt among the 50 States. A Harvard University study recently named Alabama as the number ONE most corrupt State speaks volumes on the supermajority presently in power in 2020 Alabama. The Red duopolists have enjoyed supermajority in the legislature, a complete sweep in our courts of civil and criminal appeals and the State Supreme Court; all 19 seats in those three courts. They hold all constitutional offices, 6 of 7 US House Seats, one of two US Senate seats, control of the State School Board, control of almost all appointments to all state agency boards, commissions and department heads.

In 2010, when the Republicans took control of the legislature, Alabama was test ranked 25th and 26th in reading and math nationally. Now, with total control of State politics, we sadly witnessed the Red Party in power lead us to the bottom; currently test ranked 52nd, below even DC with revenues up, salaries in line with cost of living in our State and administrator pay exploding. Goat Hill’s ‘brilliant idea’ is to abolish the elected State school board to enable the governor appointing a new board and deny the citizens their right to vote as the solution. Centralizing more power in Montgomery will benefit the citizens and the general well-being of our State? The 2020 Amendment One vote on the March 3rd primary is One More Time Montgomery politicians are pulling the ‘ole Bait and Switch’ tactic of promising to abolish Common Core by getting voters to give up their precious right to vote.

A closer look at Amendment One [SB 397] tells an entirely different story. By modifying Common Core nomenclatures the Montgomery insiders (who skim their wealth transfers off government schools) give the impression of removing the problem; in fact adding this Amendment to the State constitution accomplishes their goal of forever imbedding Common Core in our constitution increasing the transfer of wealth and power to these political parasites. One more time for that ‘Giant Riley sucking sound’ - no amount skimmed from students and taxpayers is enough -- the avarice of these BCA grubbers is so blinding and consuming they can’t stop even seeing they are killing their host. Gov. Ivey appears so blind among these ‘public servant’ grubbers she doesn’t worry about any consequences of publicly threatening teachers pay.

If what Goat Hill wants to accomplish is so great, then why not put it on a general election? Why not let decentralized districts decide what makes more sense for their constituents? Ask yourself why politicos want to deny citizens their right to vote on these education matters. One more time, Republocrats are trying to abuse and deceive the public. Of course it wouldn’t be a true Felon Hubbard playbook ‘offense’ without some “the children, the children!” rhetoric espousing how much they care about education. Perhaps we would’ve remained around 25th if they’d ‘cared’ a little less. I pray enough Vote NO on Amendment One in the March 3rd primary to make the margin so great the duopoly will stop trying these manipulations to accomplish some real problem solving and oversight in corrections, education, transportation, etc. When this current economic bubble pops I see very few in federal, State and local office with the acumen/courage to cut fat and jettison waste to navigate the next profound contraction of any significant duration.

I close in caveat of those who speak of ‘efficiency’ and ‘waste cutting’ to cloak their avarice and folly. Nothing in recent memory was more disappointing than voters’ failure on Amendment 14 to discipline Goat Hill gone wild these past decades. It showed how well Montgomery politburo members work to solve their problems and hold onto their power and wealth transfers, but fail to come up with solutions for the general well being of their constituents. Why couldn’t this be placed on November 2020 general election ballots? I’ve begged lawmakers to craft legislation to abolish this sort of low turnout manipulation. One more time, this is ominously similar to Felon Hubbard’s successful special election vote stealing $437 million from our education trust fund September 18, 2012. The deleterious spirit of Hubbard and his big govt. BCA thugs permeated this once blessed State and these ‘public servants’ genuinely believe when they successfully game the system, theft by deception of this sort is OK. It took a Lee County jury (not as distorted as low turnout primaries or special election results) to discipline political theft of this sort - it appears from the AG office (without Alice Martin types) to our ‘do-nothing’ ethics commission and courts this sort of discipline is unlikely this decade. I weep for what my State has become, knowing what it could be with less of this political corruption.

Postscript: I’d be remiss not remind folks (as Bill Britt recently reminded me) the general fund is currently doing well with revenue. I’ve still heard no report on the $437 million returned to the education trust fund as promised by Felon Hubbard and his minions but have heard several educator friends wary of Gov. Ivey’s pay threat. So this is what Goat Hill is saying - no pay adjustment and no return of monies acquired by deception? I have little doubt ‘public servants’ like “Billion Dollar Bob” Riley will continue to get his cut (on scholarships, etc.) from education. Of course this comes as no surprise, we were promised Hubbard would serve his time in prison as it becomes increasingly clear promises and following the letter/Spirit of the law means nothing. I’ve made my call to Alabama Supreme Court to keep this promise – have you?