Alabama Policy Institute - Viewpoints

The Ranking that Matters

February 7, 2013

Unless you live in a neighborhood full of college professors, the odds are that every other person you will meet on a daily basis in Alabama is a conservative and only 1 out of 15 will be a liberal.

Don�t Look to Washington, Look to the States

January 17, 2013

The fact that there are strong and courageous state leaders who are willing to take on tough issues against powerful opposition should be of great encouragement to conservatives to stay the course and not give up.

Governor Bentley Makes Right Choice for Alabama

November 28, 2012

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has made the right decision not to set up the health exchanges created by The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Contrary to what some state Democrats and other supporters of big government say, Bent

From Poverty to Prosperity: America�s First Experience with Socialism

November 21, 2012

Socialism in Plymouth Colony was a complete and tragic failure.

Billy Graham Speaks to Voters

November 1, 2012

Rev. Billy Graham has challenged people to carefully consider their spiritual values before casting their votes.

Amendment 8: Clearing the Air on Alabama�s Legislative Pay

October 18, 2012

Alabama�s legislative compensation has been handled poorly for far too long. In November, Alabamians have the opportunity to permanently remove the legislative pay issue from the hands of legislators.

Elections Reflect Our Values

September 27, 2012

It will take leaders with conviction and courage to challenge the American people to a great awakening of the virtues that allowed America to become a great nation.

The Other Message of the September 18 Amendment Vote

September 19, 2012

The voters of Alabama have spoken and decided to give Alabama�s elected officials more time to sort out the reforms needed to put Alabama�s fiscal house in order. The message from the proponents of the September 18 constitutional amendment was this: taki

On September 18th will you vote Yes or No?

September 11, 2012

While leaders in Montgomery may fully intend to make the reforms to state government needed to reduce waste and inefficiency, giving them another $145.8 million per year significantly reduces the incentive to push through the tough but fair reforms ...

What is a �Think Tank� Anyway?

August 29, 2012

If you were to tell someone that September 1st will mark the 23rd anniversary of the Alabama Policy Institute (API), Alabama�s leading conservative think tank, they might respond, �That�s great. Who is API and what�s a think tank?� There are probably a

Access to Energy Reserves Could Change a Lot of Things

August 17, 2012

For the last three years, the federal government has been in mad pursuit of green energy alternatives to redefine our economy and improve job markets. In the process, billions of taxpayer dollars were wasted on green energy companies that didn�t prod

Called Home: Hope in Spite of Loss

July 26, 2012

Even though it was thirteen years ago, I remember it as if it happened yesterday � someone called me to say that John Giles� son was missing. The next day I was told that the body of Micah Giles had been found in his father�s Jeep, off I-65 just nort

Losing Our Freedom One Tax and Regulation at a Time

June 28, 2012

In the U.S., July 4th is the day we celebrate our freedom. On that day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, forever breaking America free from the shackles of the British government.

Interior Department Shouldn�t Ignore Carcieri in Patchak Decision

June 14, 2012

Recently, the U.S. Department of the Interior summarily dismissed questions from Escambia County, Alabama regarding the Poarch Creek Indians� exemption from state and local taxes. But there may be more to the story. �Supreme Court precedent and an upco

U.S. Economy Undermined by Uncertainty

May 31, 2012

Kevin Hassett, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, predicts that uncertainty about taxes and fiscal policy is likely to skyrocket by the end of this year. Hassett says the expiration of several tax cuts will result in significant

What is the End-game for Support of Same-sex Marriage?

May 24, 2012

Given that there is little chance that Congress will approve same-sex marriage in the immediate future, the question that should be raised is, what is the real end-game for Obama�s endorsement of same-sex marriage?

Senate-Passed Bill Creates Unnecessary Hurdles for Charter Schools

May 10, 2012

Opponents of charter schools fear the loss of existing public schools' students and money, but the mass exodus to private schools and better performing school districts has already begun in a trend projected to continue.

Coal-fired Alabama on EPA's "Most Wanted" List

April 26, 2012

Despite the successes in environmental quality improvement in the U.S. since the early 90s, the EPA has promulgated more regulations in the first two years of the Obama Administration than it did during the entire first term of the Clinton Administration.

The Facts About Charter Schools

April 5, 2012

Public charter schools may be our only chance to change the lives of students at high risk to drop out of school, yet the AEA�s campaign to discredit public charter schools has resulted in the spread of deliberate misinformation

Penalties for Illegal Gambling: Cost of Business or a Crime

March 28, 2012

Are the penalties for violating Alabama�s laws against gambling so weak that crime literally does pay?

Is College the Cure for Conservatism?

March 16, 2012

Surveys suggest that a liberal takeover of public education could be deprogramming religion and conservative values in college students. Alabama Policy Institute President Gary Palmer sheds light on an alarming trend.

An Attack on Liberty

February 23, 2012

Every member of Congress, every governor, and every member of the federal judiciary along with the President of the United States took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Yet ...

Reagan: America is Too Great for Small Dreams

February 8, 2012

February 6th would have been Ronald Reagan�s 101st birthday. Considering the current condition of America and the world, I tried to imagine what he would say if he were still with us. Here are some of my thoughts.

Time-honored Standard of Conduct:

February 3, 2012

With the shipwreck of the luxury cruise ship the Costa Concordia, one of the most honored codes of seamanship, indeed of Western manhood, was violated � the code of �women and children first.�

Keystone XL Decision: Another Energy Policy That Hurts the Poor

January 27, 2012

Obama and Democrats have cast themselves as the protectors and defenders of the poor and down trodden. Yet their anti-fossil fuel agenda has created a highly regressive hidden tax that disproportionally falls on low- to middle-income families.

Voter ID Protects Right to Honest Elections

January 13, 2012

Alabama is once again at odds with the U.S. Department of Justice � this time over the voter ID law that the Alabama State Legislature passed during the 2011 legislative session.

Unconstitutional Appointments Violate Oath of Office

January 6, 2012

The primary focus of the 2012 election has been the economy, but there is another major issue that should be on voters� minds in November � the blatant disrespect and disregard of the Constitution.

The Christmas That Saved America

December 22, 2011

Far too many Americans have a false hope that all that is necessary to restore our nation is to elect the right person to lead while the rest of us go about our business. That is futile.

Stop Digging and Start Drilling!

December 9, 2011

The federal government owns vast oil, natural gas and coal reserves. Allowed access to them would get our economy growing again and get people back to work.

The American Dream: An Alabama Story

November 22, 2011

At a time of record unemployment, global unrest, and uncertainty about the future, do Americans still believe that their dreams can come true if they work for them? Does America remain the shining city ...

A Small Price to Pay for Public Pensions

November 10, 2011

This year, public employees in Alabama saw the first part of what will ultimately be a 2.5% increase in retirement contributions in an effort to shore up the state�s retirement systems.

The Green Economy: Costly and Economically Damaging

November 4, 2011

The federal government�s considerable efforts to create a �green� economy are losing big money. To make it worse, data from other nations that have tried to create a green economy indicates ...

Occupy Movement Too Radical Even for Liberal Democrats

October 21, 2011

Liberals thought they had their own version of the Tea Party Movement with the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Then, they realized that the "Occupiers" were too radical even for them.

Liberals Call for Less Democracy

September 30, 2011

Is it time to ditch the Constitution? Does representative government or �democracy� really impede progress?

Common Core Standards

September 23, 2011

In less than three years, the Obama Administration has taken over financial institutions, two car companies, the energy sector and health care. Now, with the help of some Republican governors and school board members...

Endowed, Not Evolved: Why Man�s Origin Matters to Our Rights

August 25, 2011

The recent attack against Texas Gov. Rick Perry�s belief that mankind was created by God raises deeper questions than the usual �evolution� questions.

Founders Left Footprints for Tea Party to Follow

August 18, 2011

Frustrated by Republican members of Congress who would not allow any tax increases in the legislation to raise the U.S. debt limit, some Democrat leaders and liberal media pundits blamed the Tea Party. Accusing the Tea Party ...

Advocacy Grants: You Can't Have Fries with That!

August 11, 2011

The news that federal tax dollars are being used to raise taxes and impose regulations on individuals and business at the state and local level does not come as much of a surprise to most Americans...

Raising Debt Limit Pushes Voters to Frustration Limit

July 29, 2011

While Republicans and Democrats have thus far accomplished nothing in regard to the debt limit, one thing they have succeeded in doing is raise the frustration limit for millions of Americans.

The U.S. Isn't Broke

July 21, 2011

Despite what you have heard from the politicians in Washington and from the hand-wringing media about whether or not to raise the debt limit, the United States is not broke. Our nation has abundant assets; we simply refuse to use them.

The Price of Being the Enemy

July 8, 2011

The evidence is undeniable � global warming is now a major problem for practically every person in America, including the people of Alabama. If you don�t believe it, check your ...

Immigration: Feds Fail & Alabama Acts

June 17, 2011

Recently Alabama enacted an immigration law characterized as "Arizona-style," "tough," and even "troubling" by political pundits and interested stakeholders. Unfortunately the most radical aspect of many of the recently passed state immigration laws, inc

Is This the Best We Can Do?

June 10, 2011

In his centennial address to Congress in 1876, President James A. Garfield said, �Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless or corrupt, it's because the people tolerate i

Debt > Dollars = Disaster

May 25, 2011

Every American who has a credit card has a credit limit. Usually that limit is based roughly on what the credit card company determines the cardholder can reasonably pay off

Time for Tenure Reform

May 20, 2011

The next battle between public employee unions and a reform-minded legislature is taking place in Montgomery, Alabama. And even though Alabama is a right-to-work state, where employees� right not to join or support a union is protected, ...

The Tornado That Destroyed My Hometown

May 13, 2011

I was in Dallas when the call from my sister came around 6:30 p.m. She said, �A tornado hit Hackleburg. Momma and Daddy are alright, but Hackleburg is gone. It�s all gone.�

The Picture Obama Should Release

May 5, 2011

In the aftermath of 9/11, Osama bin Laden became public enemy number one. With his public confession to the 9/11 murders and his subsequent threats and taunts about the destruction of the United States, he issued his own death warrant.

Legislature Making Progress Now That Gambling�s a Non-Issue

April 29, 2011

Few research reports more clearly illustrate the dangers of expanding gambling in a state�and the benefits of getting rid of it altogether�than two papers released last month.

State Legislators Must Not Cave to AEA Pressure

April 21, 2011

Andrew Biggs' testimony regarding state and municipal debt should be required reading for every Alabama state legislator. And every Alabama citizen...

The Battle of the Budget Rages On

April 14, 2011

Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner may have negotiated an agreement with the Obama Administration and the Democrat Congressional leadership to cut spending by $38.5 billion, but it sure seems like the Republicans came away with a loss.

One Year Later, ObamaCare Is Still Unpopular

April 1, 2011

It has now been one year since Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and President Obama signed the new law...

State Legislature Must Address Overall Pension Reform

March 18, 2011

If you wondered why there has been so much emphasis on eliminating the Alabama Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) program, it can be summed up fairly simply �

Eliminating DROP Is Not an Attack on State Employees

March 4, 2011

During the first week of the 2011 Legislative Session, Alabama made a significant move toward getting its fiscal house in order when both the House and Senate committees approved legislation to eliminate the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP).

Four Hundred Years Later, KJV Is Still Influential

February 25, 2011

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible that William Lyon Phelps said is �� is the foundation of Anglo-Saxon civilization.�

President�s Budget Tests Resolve of American People

February 16, 2011

On February 14, 2011, President Obama delivered to Congress a $3.7 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2012 (FY2012). Rather than respond to the American people ...

Excessive Government Spending is a Bi-partisan Problem

February 10, 2011

It is time for Republicans in Congress to cut federal spending as promised and keep faith with the voters who put them back in the majority.

Congress Set to REIN In Federal Regulations

February 4, 2011

When people think of burdens imposed on them by government, they usually think of taxes first because that is an easily noticed reduction in income. But government regulations also deprive ...

Reagan Was the Right Man at the Right Time

January 27, 2011

February 6th, 2011 will mark the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan, the man who restored our faith in America and in ourselves. Reagan had great confidence in the American people ...

Republicans Can Use Senate Rules to Force Vote

January 21, 2011

Now that H.R. 2 ,the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), passed the House of Representatives, the nation�s attention will turn to the Senate.

Mental Illness to Blame for Arizona Shooting

January 14, 2011

In the past few years, there have been some bizarre allegations against Republicans and conservatives. Liberals certainly don�t have a monopoly on stupid statements ...

U.S. Constitution is Back in Vogue

January 6, 2011

One thing that we can count on in 2011, the United States Constitution will be front and center in policy making and politics. To start the year off, on January 6th ...

Christmas Bells

December 21, 2010

It is hard to put the ideas of war and Christmas in the proper context. War represents our worst fears - death and destruction and subjugation to our enemies; Christmas brings to mind our greatest hopes - peace on earth and the hope of eternity.

Special Session Undermines AEA Power

December 17, 2010

Of the seven bills that passed during the special session, there was one bill in particular that hit Paul Hubbert and the AEA especially hard...

Extending Tax Cuts Would Make Christmas Merrier for Alabama

December 9, 2010

Alabamians and the state of Alabama have a lot on the line in the ongoing debate in Congress over extending the Bush-era tax cuts.

The Special Session is Necessary

December 3, 2010

The time has finally come. What we have needed and waited for, what was promised but never delivered, may about to finally be reality...

The Business of Alabama is Small Business

November 23, 2010

A national ranking of Alabama was released that could become the blueprint to follow over the next decade but it was little noticed.

An Empty Place at the Thanksgiving Table

November 19, 2010

With so many American men and women deployed in the war against terror, it is fitting and appropriate in this Thanksgiving season to give special attention to, and thanks for ...

A Political Realignment of Epic Proportions

November 12, 2010

The outcome of the November 2nd elections in Alabama was a political realignment of epic proportions. As everyone heard repeatedly ...

The Republican Majority Should Stand and Deliver

November 5, 2010

The Republican majority just elected to the Alabama State Legislature have an opportunity to enact historic reforms that fundamentally change state government for the better. In a stunning repudiation of the culture of corruption ....

Alabama Can Raise Academic Standards without Giving up Control

October 29, 2010

The combined efforts of the Obama Administration and the Democrat majority in Congress has expanded federal control over our lives to an enormous ...

Elections or Indictments ... Putting an End to Corruption

October 21, 2010

In testimony before the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, former Senator Paul Simon (D-IL) stated that gambling �� has more of a history of corruption than any other industry.�

Closing Argument to an Alabama Jury

October 15, 2010

I invite you to imagine yourself as a member of a jury seated for a major corruption case. This week�s column will be presented as the criminal prosecutor�s closing argument ...

Obamacare: A Six Month Checkup

October 7, 2010

It has now been just over six months since Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. This is the bill that ...

Planning, Strategy and Vision Help You Make All the Right Moves

October 1, 2010

Recently, a cable news pundit mentioned in context of the economy that bad policies lead to bad outcomes. �But,� he continued, �the reverse is true as well.

Tea Party Outrage Must Carry Over to State Elections

September 24, 2010

The latest version of the revolt taking place in America is showing up at the ballot box. When Christine O'Donnell won ...

The Checklist � Where Are Your Papers?

September 17, 2010

A document from the National Conference of State Legislatures recently came across my desk innocently entitled, �State Legislators� Check List for Health Reform Implementation.� I was astonished, to say the least, at the ...

What Will Students Learn On Constitution Day?

September 10, 2010

Thanks to a little-known provision passed by Congress late in 2004, every grade school or college that receives federal funds must have a period of time ...

Beck Didn�t Organize the Parade He is Leading

September 3, 2010

According to a poll conducted by Politico, an Internet-based political news media outlet, the elites inhabiting our nation�s capitol have strikingly different views than the rest ...

Liberals Fear Renewed Interest in Founding Principles

August 27, 2010

One of the positives outcomes from America�s current crisis is a resurgent interest in our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Judge's Ruling Undermines the Constitution

August 19, 2010

On August 4, 2010, a federal judge in California broke new ground for abusive judicial activism when he ruled that ...

Who Do Americans Trust?

August 13, 2010

Do Americans trust Congress as a collective institution? Not according to a recent Gallup public opinion poll which showed that ...

Missouri Rejects Obamacare

August 6, 2010

During the dog days of August, people typically are not interested in another state�s primary election or referendum vote. But when Missouri voters approved ...

JournoList Scandal Further Undermines Media Credibility

July 29, 2010

In 2005, an editorial in the Columbia Journalism Review warned that �� if journalism is seen as just another hungry special interest, the public will toss the ...

Ground Zero is No Place for Symbol of Muslim Conquest

July 23, 2010

A classic image of American resilience and character is the picture of the New York firefighters raising an American flag over the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on 9/11.

Senators Should Demand More Time for Evaluation of Kagan

July 16, 2010

A friend of mine made a statement that expresses with a great deal of clarity what many people feel about politics and government in America. He said, �The big difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is this �

Kagan Confirmation Tests Republicans� Will to Fight

July 8, 2010

During Elena Kagan�s confirmation hearings, it became evident that she does not believe that Americans possess natural rights, rights that our Founding Fathers believed are self-evident ...

The Newburgh Conspiracy: the Last Temptation of Washington

July 1, 2010

An enthusiastic John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, �The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable ...

Revolution from the Pulpits: Patriot Ministers and the War for Independence

June 24, 2010

All across the United States, churches will have special services dedicated to Independence Day which falls on a Sunday this year. These services are entirely appropriate because without the ...

Dads Help Boys Become Men

June 17, 2010

Summertime is kid time. In my case, it was more specifically "boy time." When school let out for the summer...

Another View on the 2010 Alabama Primaries

June 10, 2010

The June 1 state primary elections may have marked an historic point in Alabama politics and set the stage for a major political realignment.

Critical Challenge for Alabama Requires Long-Range Planning

June 6, 2010

Oftentimes, our state legislators and the governor appear to tackle the urgent, politically expedient and routine issues, without a focus on the long-term...

We Are Still Americans

May 27, 2010

In all of America�s wars during my lifetime, I had never personally known someone killed in action � until April 28th. On that day, in the Helmand province of Afghanistan,...

Greek Debt Crisis a Warning to U.S.

May 20, 2010

The focus of the 2010 elections is shaping up to be about the importance of limited government and, of all things, the country of Greece gives us a working example of why this is so important.

Whistling Past the Fiscal Graveyard

May 14, 2010

With all the talk of proration and deep cuts in state spending, most people in Alabama are well aware of the dire financial condition of the state of Alabama. What they probably do not realize is ...

Broken Promises: A Summary of the Last Four Years

May 7, 2010

Most of the media coverage of the 2010 Alabama legislative session has been an evaluation of what was, or was not, accomplished in the last session. To get an accurate picture, Alabama citizens should evaluate ...

The 2010 Winner Is Rep. Jack Williams and the Ban on Human Trafficking

April 30, 2010

The 2010 regular session of the Alabama Legislature ended as it began: with three big issues looming over everything else. The bills were often accompanied by boisterous and contentious political posturing...

Americans More Concerned About Cool Economy Than Warm Planet

April 21, 2010

Last fall�s blockbuster revelation that some of the leading global warming proponents had manipulated data, destroyed data files and suppressed research that refuted their findings added ...

Tax Day -- Time to Tea Party!

April 14, 2010

On April 15th across the nation, Americans will gather to voice their grievances against the abuses of our government and to protest everything from the nationalization of our health care system to out-of-control spending to rising taxes...

Dems Own Casino Gambling Bill

April 4, 2010

The Health Care Reform Bill the Democrat majority in Congress rammed down the nation's throat a couple of weeks ago and the casino gambling bill the Democrat majority in the Alabama State Senate rammed down Alabamians' throats five days before Easter shar

Another Strategy for Fighting the Health Care Reform Law

March 26, 2010

Health care reform was rammed through Congress. What should we do?

"Slaughter Rule" Is Wrong For Health Care Bill

March 18, 2010

Apparently, Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi does not have the votes to pass the highly unpopular version of the health care reform bill that was passed by the U.S. Senate. As a result, ...

"The Pacific" Comes to HBO

March 12, 2010

On Sunday, March 14, 2010, HBO begins a ten-part mini-series entitled �The Pacific.� ... After �Band of Brothers,� Executive Producer Steven Spielberg received letters from veterans of the Pacific War urging him to tell their story. He chose to tell part

The Battle Over Bingo Is Not Over

March 4, 2010

In the February 28, 2010 edition of The Birmingham News, Sen. Roger Bedford dismissed the inexcusable actions of the crowd of people who disrupted a lawful and peaceful rally against the spread of electronic bingo casinos in Alabama.

The Real Costs of the Legislature Killing the Charter School Bill

February 26, 2010

Once again the Democrat majority that controls the Alabama State Legislature did what they so often do -- fail the parents and children of Alabama. The latest abuse ...

Controversial Ad Is Ultimate �Feel Good� Story

February 19, 2010

An unusual thing happened in the weeks prior to the 44th Super Bowl. As you know, Super Bowl ads have become ...

Questions That Need To Be Asked

February 10, 2010

According to some of the latest polls, a majority of Alabamians have decided that legalizing bingo casinos is now a good idea. Interestingly, according to one recent poll, only 2.5 percent ...

The Shaping of the American Mind, A New Report From ISI

February 5, 2010

In the United States, there is tremendous emphasis placed on education, and rightly so. To remain globally competitive, it is essential that we graduate students well-educated in core subjects such as reading and mathematics.

Our Goal: To Uphold the Law

February 2, 2010

At heart of the issue of electronic bingo in Alabama is the question, what is the most effective strategy for eliminating illegal gambling? In the past, Randy Brinson, the president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, has attempted ....

Climate Change We Can Believe In

January 22, 2010

�Climate change� happened right before our very eyes and few politicians and members of the media realized it until Tuesday, January 19th...

Abortion Still an Issue in Health Care Reform

January 15, 2010

President Obama and the Democrat leadership in Congress have created a major political dilemma for themselves in their efforts to nationalize our health care system. The dilemma they face is over abortion.

Democrats Have One Last Chance to Keep Their Promises

January 8, 2010

When the 2010 legislative regular session begins on Tuesday, January 12th, the Democrat leadership that currently controls the Alabama State Legislature will have one last chance to ...

Stand Up, Speak Up and Step Up in 2010

December 28, 2009

At the start of each year, people make resolutions or set goals. Here is a suggestion for a resolution for 2010 � do something that will make a difference. It is easier than you think and the impact ...

Wonder of Christmas Transcends War and Worry

December 15, 2009

Christmas holds different meanings for different people. For most of us, when you get past the stress of shopping and decorating, there is a sense of peace and joy and just plain childlike wonder at Christmas that transcends everything else. And nothing

Why I Signed the Manhattan Declaration

December 11, 2009

On November 20, 2009 a group of nationally known and respected Christian leaders set forth an historic declaration. The Manhattan Declaration is a long overdue message from men and women of faith...

Climate Change Scandal: Fraud Undermines Global Warming Agenda

December 3, 2009

For those of us who have had doubts about the so-called scientific consensus supporting global climate change, our skepticism may prove to be well-founded and now well-documented...

Give Thanks for the Faith, Courage and Vision That Brought the Wall Down

November 18, 2009

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, there is one thing that you should add to the list of things we should all be thankful for ... the fall of the Berlin Wall...

The End of Federalism - Can States Protect Themselves Against Massive Health Care Intrusion?

November 11, 2009

As the U.S. House of Representatives leadership muscled through its complex, bureaucratic overhaul of 17 percent of our economy, states have not been waiting on the final outcome, if any, in the U.S. Senate...

The Difference Between An Inhabitant and A Citizen

November 5, 2009

America is beset with crises � economic, financial, moral, and health care � and the list could go on. Americans have to be asking themselves how the most powerful, most prosperous nation in the world got in such condition.

Two More Rulings In Bingo Battle

October 29, 2009

The latest rulings on the legality of electronic bingo in Jefferson and Walker Counties raise serious questions about the legality of these operations in other parts of the state.

Personal Attacks Don�t Change Alabama�s Education Facts

October 23, 2009

On October 4, 2009, the Mobile Press-Register published an opinion article by Alabama State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton disparaging a column that I wrote concerning ...

The Columbus Hoax: Promising What Can't Be Delivered

October 16, 2009

It occurred to me that an incident which took place on October 13, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio might just be the best analogy of how socialized health care is being sold to the American public.

Federal Judge Weighs In On Bingo Battle

October 8, 2009

U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in December 1995, has issued a ruling that could help bring some clarity to the issue of bingo operations in Alabama.

Government-controlled Health Care Reform Is Not the Only Option

October 2, 2009

If one did not know better, and some people don�t, one might think the only ideas on the table for health care reform are formulated by Democrats. But the truth is ...

Virtue and Courage -- What America Could Use Now

September 22, 2009

Ordinarily, when a 21 year-old man thinks about what he will do with the rest of his life, he thinks in terms of years. But the tall, handsome, athletic and well-educated young man being led to his date with the executioner ...

9/12 March Signifies an Awakening in America

September 18, 2009

People who still get their news solely from the liberal mainstream media missed a major, if not historic, statement made on Saturday, September 12, 2009 when hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered to protest the actions of their government.

Speech Does Little to Calm Fears About Health Care Reform

September 11, 2009

In a speech that raised eyebrows for its rancorous partisanship and lack of details, President Obama appears to have ...

Medical Bankruptcy: An Invented Crisis

September 4, 2009

Very early in the Obama Administration White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmauel was quoted as saying, �Never waste a good crisis.� He should have added �� even if you have to invent a crisis� because that is what it appears Obama and ...

VA Booklet Heightens Concern About End-of-Life Counseling

August 28, 2009

Currently, there are just over 2,000,000 U.S. World War II veterans still living. Sadly, they die at the rate of more than 5,000 per week which means that ...

Canadian Health Care System Not the Model for U.S.

August 21, 2009

Essentially, the whole health care �public option� debate is about who controls health care and who makes the decisions about how it is used.

Parents Need to Know How Their Child's School Is Doing

August 14, 2009

This week my column will take a break from health care reform to focus on an area that the government has taken over with less than stellar results � public education. When school children return to school, most parents return to ...

FishyGate: White House recruits informants against health care bill opponents

August 6, 2009

In a move reminiscent of the repressive policies imposed behind the Iron Curtain, Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media issued a call for people to report anyone that is distributing �disinformation� about health insurance reform...

Liberals� Promise of Health Care Utopia Doesn�t Fool Americans

July 31, 2009

Beginning with the very unpopular stimulus bill followed by an almost equally unpopular massive energy tax in the form of the cap-and-trade bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, President Obama has seen his approval rating steadily decline ...

Public Opposition to Health Care Bill is Growing

July 24, 2009

There�s a rush on to pass legislation to socialize the American health care system. Why the rush? Because information is circulating to the American people which reveals the legislation as socialized medicine, and the result is growing opposition to it.

Sotomayor Is Proof That Elections Matter

July 17, 2009

There are fundamental things which Americans should keep in mind throughout the confirmation hearings and subsequent vote on Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama�s first nominee to the United States Supreme Court.

Liberty and Tyranny. . . Conservatives Need to Get Busy

July 10, 2009

It�s easy for people, especially baby boomers and those born after them, to look at the condition of the conservative movement today and think it has never been worse.

Cap-and-Trade Legislation Will Torpedo American Economy

July 2, 2009

When it comes to a consensus on global climate change, there really isn�t a consensus among scientists, and apparently there isn�t among the Democrat majority in Congress either.

A Message to Conservatives for the Fourth of July

June 24, 2009

On this Fourth of July, those of us who call ourselves conservatives will celebrate with a great deal of concern about the direction in which America is headed.

Socialized Health Care Will Seriously Limit Individual Choices

June 19, 2009

Unfortunately, the continued rise in life expectancy could stagnate if the health care reform legislation being pushed by President Obama, Sen. Ted Kennedy and other liberal Democrats is passed by Congress.

Achievement Gap Costs Alabama Billions

June 12, 2009

The latest reports on high school graduation rates are out and the news is pretty grim for both the nation and the state of Alabama.

The Summer Health Care Battles: Be Careful What You Wish For

June 5, 2009

In politics, language matters. In fact, President Obama has said himself that �words matter.� For that reason, when the President says �ambitious,� it would be good for the nation to carefully investigate what he has in mind.

Cap and Trade Bill Sets the Stage for Self-Imposed Energy Crisis

May 29, 2009

Passage of the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill will create a self-imposed energy crisis that will have a devastating impact on families and businesses.

Good News for Conservatives

May 22, 2009

It has been difficult for conservatives to find much to be encouraged about lately but recent polling data indicate there may be hope for a conservative comeback.

Time for a Showdown on Ethics Reform

May 12, 2009

It is past time for a showdown in Montgomery on ethics reform. Prior to the 2006 election, written promises to pass ethics reform legislation were made to Alabama voters but since that time, three regular legislative sessions have come and gone . . .

U. S. Supreme Court Decision Could Impact Poarch Creek Casinos

May 8, 2009

The United States Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that could impact the future of Poarch Creek Indian gambling operations in Alabama.

Making a Mockery of Their Covenant . . .

May 1, 2009

Webster�s defines mockery as �insulting or contemptuous action or speech.� For a real life example of mockery, you only have to look to the actions of the leadership in the Alabama State Senate on the issue of banning PAC-to-PAC transfers.

"Tea Parties" Were About More than Taxes and Spending

April 23, 2009

The liberal media attempted to �bury� the tea parties that took place in over 2,800 locations last week. For them, real protests would include ...

Waxman-Markey Bill Will Put America on the Path to the Poorhouse

April 16, 2009

Thirty-eight years after the first Earth Day, it seems the dire warnings and predictions from that era are coming to fruition.

Hidden Taxes Continue to Plague Taxpayers

April 9, 2009

There is good news and bad news that every Alabama taxpayer should take note of as April 15th approaches.

A Politician with Nothing to Hide Has Nothing to Fear

April 3, 2009

A January 4th editorial in the Mobile Press-Register on public corruption in Alabama cited a poll done by the paper and the University of South Alabama that showed . . .

Gambling Ads Are a "Sweet Hoax" on Alabama

March 26, 2009

By now, just about everyone in Alabama has seen or heard the ads from the Sweet Home Alabama Coalition. And just about everyone who has seen or heard the ads is confused by their message.

And The Winner Is...

March 20, 2009

With the 2009 legislative session nearly half over, the early award to the most innovative and thoughtful reform proposal has to go to the Rolling Reserve Budget Act.

Energy Options for Alabama

March 13, 2009

As stewards of the environment, we all have to face the consequences of decisions which affect natural resources that sustain our lives and livelihood.

Obama Tax Plan Undermines Our Independence

March 6, 2009

President Obama�s latest revelation in his plan to �change� America came to light during hearings on his proposed tax increases.

If It Looks Like a Slot and Pays Out Like a Slot ... It's Illegal in Alabama

February 27, 2009

�Hello, suckers!� is how the ads that are now inundating TV and radio in Alabama for bingo casinos should begin.

Alabama Senate Should Keep Their Promise to Ban PAC-to-PAC Transfers

February 20, 2009

Just because something is legal does not mean it is ethical. In Alabama, it is legal to engage in political money laundering so it�s no wonder the state ranks 49th in the nation for campaign finance disclosure.

How Can You Be a Millionaire and Never Pay Taxes?

February 12, 2009

When he hosted Saturday Night Live on January 21, 1978, comedian Steve Martin explained how to be a millionaire and never pay taxes. Martin said . . .

The Stimulus Bill: Spending Money We Don't Have For Things We Don't Need

February 6, 2009

The so-called economic stimulus package being pushed by President Obama and the Democrat majority in Congress should be of great concern to every American.

No Poll Necessary - Gambling Won't Solve the Revenue Crisis

January 30, 2009

As surely as spring follows winter, the Alabama State Legislature starts yet another legislative session facing yet another revenue crisis.

FOCA Moves Abortion Issue From the Courts to Congress

January 23, 2009

January 22nd marked the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the controversial decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that struck down laws in every state that prohibited or restricted abortions.

Remembering Reagan Twenty Years Later

January 16, 2009

January 20th will mark the historic inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States. This date also marks a significant 20th anniversary for conservatives to remember.

New Year�s Resolutions for Alabama Legislators

January 9, 2009

As individuals, we use New Year's Resolutions as a launching pad to change or improve our personal lives. What if government were to do the same thing?

Our Troops and Their Families Still Need Our Prayers

December 19, 2008

As we celebrate the birth of Christ this season, many families will have an empty place at their dinner table and unopened presents beneath their tree because a loved one is away at war.

Uneducated, Unethical and Unprepared to Lead

December 12, 2008

If knowledge and understanding of America�s history and founding principles are essential to the preservation of our nation, our nation is in peril.

A $600 Million Godless Pit

December 5, 2008

Over the last three decades, liberal social engineers have been very successful in their efforts to purge our public school and college curricula of all references to the faith of our Founding Fathers. Now they are trying to do the same with . . .

Make It Transparent - Your Right to Know

November 26, 2008

A quiet, yet bold movement is sweeping across the nation. That movement, which transcends political boundaries, is to have tax and fiscal transparency through information technology.

The First Thanksgiving -

November 21, 2008

On the fourth Thursday of November, Americans will gather with their families and friends to celebrate a uniquely American holiday, a day of thanksgiving, a day devoted to remembering the blessings of God. But there is more to the story.

Racism Isn't Behind Conservatives' Opposition to a Liberal Agenda

November 14, 2008

A recent article written by Clark Judge makes the great point that the election of Barack Obama is not a turning point in American culture; it is the result of ...

Republicans Have Only Themselves To Blame

November 7, 2008

Throughout his campaign, Obama reminded the American voters that ��they [the Republicans] just don�t get it.� Applied to the current Republican leadership in Congress, he was correct.

Insights Into Wealth Redistribution

October 30, 2008

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about redistributing wealth in America, or as some call it, spreading the wealth around. The proponents of �redistributionism/spreading the wealthism� usually justify their ideas ...

What Is This Election Really About?

October 24, 2008

For weeks I have grappled with the question: what is this election really about? My conclusion is that it is a choice between the policies of Franklin Roosevelt and the policies of Ronald Reagan.

ACORN Threatens Honest Elections

October 16, 2008

American voters have become accustomed to allegations of fraud surrounding elections. But what is happening now surpasses anything that may have happened in past elections, and it could determine the future of the nation.

Consent Decrees Undermine State and Local Governments

October 10, 2008

When it comes to federal judicial activism, no state has been left behind. Over the last three decades, there has been an epidemic of federal court mandates costing hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments.

Preparing For The Next Economy

October 3, 2008

While Congress has been trying to pass legislation to save our present economy from collapse, they passed another bill that is aimed at helping expand our future economy.

Bailout Isn't the Only Option

September 26, 2008

It is evident that American taxpayers are angry about what it appears Congress is going to do: a $700 billion taxpayer bailout of the ailing financial and mortgage institutions.

U.S. Should Honor Choctaw Code Talkers

September 19, 2008

Most Americans are familiar with the famed Navajo Marine �Wind Talkers� of World War II who baffled Japanese code breakers in every South Pacific island invasion from 1942 to the end of the war. But few know of the Choctaw code talkers of World War I.

Alabama�s Public Education Dilemma: Does Funding Influence Outcomes?

September 12, 2008

When it comes to improving Alabama school children�s academic performance and reducing the state�s dropout rate, simply spending more money on education may not be enough.

The Left�s Greatest Fear: Palin Redefines Feminism

Friday September 5, 2008

With the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain did two things: he re-energized his political base and he showed a Reaganesque willingness to engage in the culture war.

Non-Citizen Votes Could Impact Elections

August 29, 2008

�The Threat of Non-Citizen Voting,� recently released by the Heritage Foundation, raises concerns that this year�s national and local elections could be determined by votes cast by non-citizens.

The Bear in the Woods Is Not a Polar Bear

August 22, 2008

In view of Russia�s invasion of the independent republic of Georgia reestablishing the tensions of the Cold War era, perhaps it is time to resurrect one of the most famous political campaign ads of all time.

They May Call It �Bingo� But It's Video Gambling

August 15, 2008

As the Etowah and Houston County Commissions peddle their plans to build electronic bingo casinos in Gadsden and Dothan, there is something that the people of these counties and the surrounding counties need to know �

The Line Between Good and Evil

August 8, 2008

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was living proof that one man can make a difference; one man can change the world even if the man is a prisoner or an exile.

What Does It Mean To Be An American?

August 1, 2008

What does it mean to be an American? According to E Pluribus Unum, a new report issued by the Bradley Project on America�s National Identity, Americans� ability to answer to that question correctly is in serious decline.

�Energy Killers� In Congress Must Face Energy Reality Now

July 25, 2008

When you think of people involved in the debate over energy and climate change issues, Roy Innis, chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), is not likely to be one of them.

Don�t Blame Financial Crisis on Capitalism

July 18, 2008

In response to the current crisis involving our nation�s financial institutions, some commentators are proclaiming that capitalism has failed. They are mistaken � we are witnessing the consequences of the loss of values ...

A Hole in the Soul of a Child

July 11, 2008

A few weeks ago I wrote about the high cost of family breakdown .... There is now a new study released in June 2008 which estimates the cost of absent fathers to taxpayers.

Independence Day: The Rest of the Story

July 3, 2008

A few days ago I read an article that mentioned �� the brave men who picked up a quill, dipped it in ink and signed the parchment that summer day in Philadelphia.� The summer day referred to was July 4, 1776.

Cussin� at the Pump Won�t Fix the Problem

June 27, 2008

All across America, family budgets are being busted because some Democrats and Republicans have embraced a socialistic environmental agenda at great cost to American workers, businesses and families, especially lower-income families...

Healthy Marriages Save Taxpayers Money and Improve Children�s Lives

June 19, 2008

One of the major social trends of the last four decades is the decline of marriage and the breakdown of family structure...

Legislature Stood and Delivered on Tax Break for College Savings

June 13, 2008

The Alabama Legislature is often critiqued on both the left and right of the political spectrum for �underperforming.� Regrettably, much of the criticism is well deserved. Often overlooked are those bills passed by the Legislature which are really meani

Alabama Voters Not Fooled By AEA Election Scheme

June 6, 2008

In the last few days leading up to the June 3rd primary elections, Alabamians were treated to a rare view of the underbelly of politics in Alabama. Voters saw first hand the lengths to which political super powers such as the Alabama education union (AEA)

Lieberman-Warner Bill Could Mean More Pain At The Pump

May 29, 2008

With gas prices about to top $4 per gallon, people are starting to see red, as in the red in their checking accounts. And if you think you are experiencing �pain at the pump� now, just wait, there could be even more pain...

AEA Opposes New Union Disclosure Requirements

May 23, 2008

Most people who keep up with the news about all the double-dipping, conflicts-of-interest and corruption in Alabama�s education system (most of which involves our two-year college system)...

Do You Know What Your Child Is Reading?

May 14, 2008

Trusting parents often take these lists as blanket approval of a book�s quality and content and dutifully take their children to the local library or bookstore to start their summer reading.

Civic Literacy: A Nation Still At Risk

May 9, 2008

One of the urgent challenges facing America today is the need to pass on the essential core knowledge and principles necessary for the next generation to successfully lead our nation...

Congressman Bachus: Congress Should Not Bail Out Mortgage Industry

May 2, 2008

The subprime mortgage fiasco has put the nation into what many financial experts are calling the worst financial crisis since the 1930s...

Tax Reform Shouldn't Give with One Hand and Take With the Other

April 25, 2008

Tax reform that helps lower-income households is laudable; the real goal should be comprehensive tax reform that is fair to all...

A Closer Look at Alabama�s Income Gap

April 17, 2008

A recent study by the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the organized labor-backed Economic Policy Institute reports that Alabama has the second widest income gap in the nation...

Alabamians Work 99 Days a Year Just to Pay Their Taxes

April 10, 2008

For most Americans, April 15th is �Tax Day,� the day every year that millions file their income tax returns...

Research Shows Pre-K Benefits Don�t Last

April 3, 2008

In Alabama, many advocates of pre-kindergarten programs are selling a promise they can not keep...

Bingo Casinos Are A Bad Bet For Alabama

March 28, 2008

In the current legislative session, Rep. Marcel Black (D-Tuscumbia) has introduced a bill to legalize high-stakes bingo gambling at dog tracks in Birmingham and Mobile with plans to use the revenue to help fund Alabama�s Medicaid program...

California Court Ignites New Battle Over Home Schooling

March 20, 2008

On February 28, 2008, a three-judge panel from California�s Second District Court of Appeals ruled that parents without teaching credentials cannot home school their children...

Jefferson County on Verge of Making Bankruptcy History

March 14, 2008

A fiscal tragedy is being played out in Alabama and most Alabamians are completely unaware � Jefferson County, the state�s most populous county, is on the verge of bankruptcy...

Senate Bill Does Not Fulfill Promise

March 7, 2008

If you ask the average Alabamian why the Democrat leadership in the State Senate refuses to ban �all PAC-to-PAC transfers� as promised, they would probably say it�s because they don�t want the public to know who is funding their campaigns...

Senate Bill on Climate Change Will Affect Your Check Book

February 27, 2008

For those of you who are eagerly awaiting your economic stimulus check from the IRS, you may want to put it in a savings or investment account rather than spend it...

Poarch Creeks Continue Push for Full Scale Casino

February 22, 2008

At exit 54 on I-65 in south Alabama, you cannot help but notice the construction of a large facility that includes a multi-story high rise building. It is a casino and hotel being built by the Poarch Creek Indian tribe...

Legislators Have Another Chance to Stand and Deliver

February 14, 2008

In 2006, according to a report by the Center for Public Integrity, there were some 40,000 individual lobbyists targeting state legislators across the nation...

Shift In Public Opinion On Abortion May Impact Elections

January 18, 2008

Tight margins among the candidates campaigning for their political party�s nomination for president will encourage voters to seek out issues that elevate one candidate above the others...

New Laws Needed to Restore Public Trust

February 7, 2008

Dark clouds hang over the state of Alabama as the Legislature goes into the 2008 session. Unfortunately for this drought-stricken state, these are not rain clouds; they are clouds of allegations of corruption, conflicts-of-interest and mismanagement...

To Revive the Economy, Make the Tax Cuts Permanent

January 31, 2008

Amazingly, just hours after President George W. Bush�s State of the Union address in which he called on Congress to send rebate checks to taxpayers as part of his economic stimulus plan, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed the bill...

Environmental Policy Should Be Based On Facts, Not Fear

1-25-2008

If it�s true that nothing sells like fear, then it�s certainly true that nothing is worse for public policy than laws or regulations driven by fear, especially unreasonable fear that could cost people their jobs...

Nation�s Stature Is A Reflection Of Its People

January 11, 2008

In every election, especially presidential elections, attention is focused on the qualities and attributes, or lack of them, of the various candidates who clamor for our vote.

CON Holds Health System Advances Hostage

January 4, 2008

This week's column is by API Vice President Michael Ciamarra and Michael Morrisey who is a professor of health economics in the UAB School of Public Health...

What We Need Most In A President

December 20, 2007

When it comes to the characteristics Americans consider most valuable in our next president, honesty and integrity are at the top of the list of attributes...

AMT Could Mean Higher Taxes for Millions of Families

December 14, 2007

Because Congress has not acted to extend the exemptions on the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), millions of middle to upper-middle class Americans now face the possibility of having to pay thousands of dollars in additional federal income taxes on their 200

Environmentalists Put Planet Before Family

December 7, 2007

Ten years ago, in an effort to save the planet, Toni Vernelli aborted her baby. Vernelli, a British woman who works for an environmental charity, believed bringing another child into the world would harm the planet...

Alabama's Children Cheated by Unreliable Standards

November 30, 2007

Cheating has always been a problem in school, but it is no longer just students cheating � state school systems are doing it, too...

Big Shocker: Secular Liberals Don�t Care�As Much

November 21, 2007

As a post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas column, it might be appropriate to think about our role in society and our responsibility to our community and to each other...

Lest We Forget �

November 16, 2007

Of all the officially observed American holidays, Thanksgiving is the one which obviously reveals our nation�s Judeo-Christian roots...

Liberals Mislead the Public on SCHIP

November 9, 2007

For the second time in a month the liberals in Congress passed the State Children�s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill and once again, President Bush did the right thing and vetoed it...

LOST: Good for the U.N., Bad for the U.S.

November 2, 2007

On October 31, 2007, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and sent it to the full Senate for ratification...

$weet Home Alabama

October 25, 2007

In the 1950s and 60s, thousands of Alabamians left their home state to �go up North� to find jobs. In fact, my dad and uncle moved their families to Michigan for manufacturing jobs that didn�t exist in Alabama...

SCHIP Veto Justified

October 19, 2007

Now that President Bush�s veto of the State Children�s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill has been upheld, liberals are turning the propaganda machine loose on the President and Republicans in Congress...

Politicians Exaggerate the Plight of the Poor

October 10, 2007

John Edwards, a Democrat presidential candidate, is going around the country saying that America is in the grip of a poverty crisis. According to Edwards, one out of every eight Americans is in dire poverty and does �� not have enough money for the food

September: A Month of Vandalism and Abuse

October 4, 2007

In case you missed it, apparently September was Leftist Vandalism Month...

American Solutions for Winning the Future

September 28, 2007

This week's column is by API Vice President Michael Ciamarra...

New Book Says Man Can�t Stop Global Warming

September 21, 2007

Proponents of man-made global warming and the liberal mainstream media want us to believe that there is �total agreement among all reputable members of the scientific community� that mankind is the real cause of global warming...

Alabama Under �Code Orange� Alert

September 14, 2007

The threat level in Alabama is �code orange,� at least according to tracking done by the AFL-CIO...

September 17th Marks the 220th Anniversary of the Miracle in Philadelphia

September 7, 2007

In the midst of the brutally hot summer of 1787, a miracle took place in Philadelphia � the Constitution of the United States was drafted, debated and adopted...

Alabama Continues to Break Records

August 31, 2007

An Alabama record was set last month. In fact, since April 2007, a new record for the state has been set each month through July � the record for the number of inmates in our state prison system...

When It Comes to Education Choice, Alabama Gets a Failing Grade

August 24, 2007

Fed up with poorly performing schools, parents are taking matters into their own hands by moving their children into areas with better schools...

New Jersey and Louisiana Are More Concerned about Public Trust than Alabama

August 16, 2007

A legislature recently passed a bill that bans the practice of dual office holding and stops double-dipping by legislators. Unfortunately for Alabama taxpayers, it was the New Jersey legislature...

Lottery Scholarships Will Not Make the Tide Roll or the Tigers Roar

August 10, 2007

Less than a week into practice for his first season as Alabama head football coach, Nick Saban has identified a team weakness�he doesn�t have any players on the team with scholarships funded by a state lottery...

Hate Crimes Laws Pose Serious Problems

August 2, 2007

The latest attempt to impose a dangerous federal hate crimes law has been forestalled, at least for the time being....

Family Breakdown: No Dad, No Diploma ... Dim Future

July 25, 2007

Between 35 and 40 percent of Alabama students drop out of high school....

SCHIP Reform � A Move Toward Socialized Medicine

July 19, 2007

For the first time in history, mandatory entitlement spending now represents 11 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP)...

Hot or Cold � A Cynic�s View of Global Warming

July 12, 2007

This article could get me arrested, and possibly shot for treason if Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. were to have his way ....

What It Means to Be an American Patriot

July 5, 2007

Over the Independence Day holiday, my family and I watched the movie The Patriot starring Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a South Carolina militia colonel. While there are certain historical inaccuracies in the movie, including the misrepresentation of the

�� An Expression of the American Mind�?

June 29, 2007

America is the world�s oldest functioning representative democracy. For 218 years, we have been governed under one Constitution. Our Constitution, the original �Contract with America,� established the framework for our national government and guaranteed t

Eminent Domain Threatens Property of Poor and Minorities

June 21, 2007

It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark property rights decision in Kelo v. City of New London. It remains one of the most controversial and unpopular decisions in the history of the Court because it basically stripped away

Family Structure Will Impact Alabama�s Economy

June 13, 2007

John Edwards, one of the Democratic presidential hopefuls, says there are two Americas. He is right, but not by the criteria he uses...

2007 Legislative Session Will Be Remembered for Double-dipping and Broken Promises

June 7, 2007

To no one�s surprise, the politicians in the Alabama State Legislature have just concluded another legislative session without keeping some major campaign promises they made during the 2006 elections...

What Alabamians Should Know for June 5th Vote

May 31, 2007

Tuesday, June 5th Alabama voters will have an opportunity to vote on two amendments to the state constitution. These amendments deal with different issues but they have an important relationship to each other...

Memorial Day: More than Just a Holiday

May 24, 2007

On Memorial Day, I wonder how much thought people will give to the fact that 1.8 million soldiers have died serving our nation since 1775...

Alabama Should Raise the Bar on Defining Graduation Rates

May 17, 2007

Typically, this column does not cover the same topic two weeks in a row, but this week is an exception...

More Education Funding Means Higher Expectations

May 11, 2007

The Class of 2007 represents a major investment by the taxpayers of Alabama. Since the 1995-96 school year, when this year�s seniors entered the first grade, Alabama has almost doubled education spending...

It�s Time to End Double-dipping

May 4, 2007

The long struggle for accountability and transparency in state government took a discouraging downturn recently when the Alabama State Board of Education...

Democrats Can Still Do a Lot of Good for Alabama

April 26, 2007

Now that the Alabama State Legislature is halfway through the 2007 legislative session, it seems appropriate to take a look at what they have accomplished so far.

Updated Report Shows Improvement and Challenges in Alabama�s Environment

April 20, 2007

With the hype and hysteria regarding the imminent demise of the earth because of human intervention, it�s time Alabamians heard some good news about the environment from...

Big Tax Hike on the Horizon

April 11, 2007

Most Alabamians have filed their income tax returns by now and hopefully, will be getting a refund. Unfortunately, getting any refund at all, much less a nice...

Article Misleads People of Alabama

April 5, 2007

Intentionally or not, Randy Brinson, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, greatly misinformed the people of Alabama in a recent column concerning gambling. He claims...

HPV Vaccination Should Be a Matter of Choice

March 30, 2007

A major debate is underway across the nation over a promising new vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The controversy is over whether...

Lawmakers' Pay Increase Raises Other Issues

March 22, 2007

On March 20th, Governor Bob Riley kept a promise he made to the people of Alabama when he vetoed the whopping 62 percent pay raise the members of the Alabama...

Pay Raise Issue Will Not Go Away

March 15, 2007

On March 8, Alabama�s state legislators voted themselves a massive pay raise of $18, 840 per year, a 62 percent increase, which raises their pay from $30,410 per year...

Gambling Money May Influence New Legislature

March 7, 2007

The first legislative session after an election is always the most dangerous. It is dangerous because the next election is almost four years away and too many legislators...

Dr. Corts' Resignation Disheartening

March 2, 2007

If Alabamians need an illustration of the abuse of public trust plaguing this state, they need look no further than Alabama�s two-year college system. Nothing showcases...

Gun Rights Issue about to be Resurrected in Congress

February 22, 2007

During the 2006 election gun control hardly came up, and even when it did in key swing races, both Democrat and Republican candidates usually came across as staunch...

Earlier Primaries Equals Fewer Choices

February 16, 2007

By this time next year it is very likely that the presidential candidate nominations for both the Democrat and Republican parties will already be decided. In politics, the old...

New Film Chronicles British Emancipator

February 8, 2007

February 23rd will mark the 200th anniversary of one of the monumental days in history. On February 23, 1807, even though it meant the loss of a major part of their maritime...

Three Swats and You�re Out

February 2, 2007

If a California assemblywoman has her way, it may soon be illegal for parents to spank their children. Correspondingly, if a parent is caught spanking their toddler and convicted...

Experts Disagree with Global Warming

January 25, 2007

In case you missed it, a Birmingham meteorologist has taken on the doomsday crowd over the issue of global warming.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Misconception and Money

January, 19, 2007

There are few debates in science and medicine that are as manipulated as right-to-life issues. Whether it is destroying nascent life through embryonic stem cell research...

Stand and Deliver

January 11, 2007

Based on the disappointing failure of a coalition of conservative senators to gain control of the Alabama State Senate, it appears that the same politicians that have controlled the...

What's in Store from the New Majority

January 5, 2007

With Democrats now in control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years, it will be interesting to see how...

Christmas Bells

2006-12-14

It is hard to think of war and Christmas in the proper context. War represents our worst fears�death and destruction and subjugation to our enemies, and Christmas, our greatest hope�peace on earth and the hope of eternity...

December 25th Is Not Winter Solstice Day

2006-12-08

Every year starting around Thanksgiving the country engages in what has become an annual annoyance of secular liberals trying to redefine the celebration of Christmas...

Who Really Cares?

2006-12-01

Here is some news that you may not have seen reported in the mainstream media: �religious conservatives are good people.� That�s right; the very same religious conservatives that are constantly stereotyped...

Pros and Cons: Privatizing Alabama's Prisons

2006-11-21

Can the use of private prisons save money and relieve the overcrowding in Alabama�s jails? A new report from the Alabama Policy Institute finds that private prison contracting is a policy that can save money...

An Empty Place at the Table

2006-11-15

Thanksgiving, as an official United States holiday, is inextricably linked to our nation�s founding and to its times of war...

We Cannot Vote Ourselves Out of This War

2006-11-08

�Worse than war, is the fear of war.� Lucius Annaeus Seneca. As a postmortem to the 2006 election, it might be good to start with that relevant quote from Seneca, a first century Roman philosopher and politician...

America Needs to Know What Liberals Believe

2006-11-03

For a couple of days the honest-to-goodness real John Kerry was on display. During his speech to the students at Pasadena City College on October 30, Sen. Kerry told the students that...

Legislature Plagued by Conflicts of Interest

2006-10-27

Thanks to the Birmingham News, the people of Alabama have a clearer picture of what is wrong with state government...

Colleges Fail to Teach Lessons of History

2006-10-20

According to a report issued by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), America�s colleges and universities are failing miserably when it comes to educating students about our nation�s history and its essential founding principles...

Foley Scandal May Not Impact the Election

2006-10-13

A sex scandal in Washington right before an election does not have quite the impact that it once did. When it comes to the sexual indiscretions of politicians...

Facts on Fiction

2006-10-06

The Alabama Policy Institute announces a new educational tool for parents and educators...

Raising the Minimum Wage Could Cost Alabama Jobs

2006-09-29

A minimum wage hike in Alabama may not be such a good idea according to a study released by the Employment Policies Institute (EPI)...

Alabama�s Cultural Indicators

2006-09-22

Every two years the Alabama Policy Institute publishes a report that tracks some key demographics in the state of Alabama...

The Democrats� Covenant with Alabama

2006-09-15

A month ago the Alabama Democrat Party leadership published their �Covenant for the Future.� After the initial flurry of media coverage, there has not been much said about it...

Sending the Right Message

2006-09-08

Just three days after 9/11, surrounded by police, fire and rescue workers, President Bush stood in the midst of the still smoking ruins of the World Trade Centers and promised that...

Good News on Welfare Reform

2006-09-01

In 1996, Congress passed sweeping welfare reform legislation that many liberals predicted would result in a social catastrophe...

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-08-25

This has been a hot summer, but not for the reasons that Al Gore and other global warming alarmists would have you believe...

A Perverse and Dangerous Ruling

2006-08-18

By striking down the Terrorists Surveillance Program (TSP) Judge Anna Diggs Taylor has hopefully opened the eyes of the American public to the Leftist political insurgency that is undermining the United States...

The Next Election Will Decide the Direction of the War

2006-08-11

One day after Sen. Joe Lieberman lost the Connecticut Democrat primary to the far-left anti-war candidate Ned Lamont, the movie World Trade Center...

A Conspiracy of Bad Policy

2006-08-04

With prices hovering close to their record high, and predictions of even higher prices there are few things generating as much interest among average citizens this summer as the retail price of gasoline...

World War III

2006-07-28

As fighting rages between Israel and the terrorists forces of Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as Islamic terrorists continue to kill people all over the world and as Iran continues to threaten America...

With Veto, the President Shows the Courage of His Convictions

2006-07-21

When it comes to complex moral issues, especially those involving science, it seems to me that the public prefers leaders with certainty...

Captive Nations Week

2006-07-14

More than likely, the vast majority of Americans have no idea that the third week in July is Captive Nations Week. Beginning with President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

Convictions may Convince Voters that it is Time for a Change

2006-07-07

The conviction of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman on June 29th and the plea agreement signed by State Representative Bryant Melton, Jr. on the same day are more sad examples of the biggest problem facing Alabama...

Greater Appreciation for Independence Day

2006-06-29

Recently, I received a reminder that there are people in the world that have a much greater appreciation for Independence Day than many Americans do...

House Republicans Violate Principles on Death Tax Vote

2006-06-23

With the passage of the Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act of 2006 by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republicans are proving once again that they are the "unreliable party."...

Property Rights Still Threatened by Kelo Decision

2006-06-16

It has been a year since the Kelo v. City of New London decision, the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial decision that granted an unprecedented expansion of the government's power of eminent domain...

Time for Democrats and Republicans to Put Up or Shut Up

2006-06-09

The failure to garner the 60 votes necessary to bring the Federal Marriage Amendment up for a vote in the U.S. Senate is further evidence of the disconnect between the politicians...

Sessions Right to Oppose Senate Immigration Bill

2006-06-02

The U.S. Senate debate over what to do about the illegal migration of millions of Mexicans and Central Americans into the United States is a defining example of how politicians in both parties have completely abandoned our national interests...

'None of the Above' May Be Choice of Many Voters

2006-05-26

The talk around Washington, D.C., is that Republicans are headed for a massive defeat in this fall's elections...

Parents Need the Truth About Alabama's Dropout Rate

2006-05-19

This time of year students throughout Alabama will be donning caps and gowns and marching across a stage or gym floor to receive their high school diplomas...

PAC Investigation Warranted

2006-05-12

Some politicians get it in their heads that they are so important that the ends justify any means. Coast to coast, from top to bottom, governors to judges, congressmen to county commissioners, many politicians are so addicted to power...

No Biblical Mandate For Higher Taxes

2006-05-08

In a series of articles and speeches, Susan Pace Hamill, a law professor at the University of Alabama, has made some interesting, if not creative, assertions regarding the obligation of Christians to pay higher taxes...

A Good Man Leaves An Inheritance

2006-04-28

In Proverbs 13:22, the Bible says that, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children." Well�under current federal estate tax law, if a good man leaves an inheritance to his children...

Politicians Can't Run From Public's Desire for Tax Reform

2006-04-19

Now that the deadline for filing taxes has come and gone, it might be interesting to look at data on who pays taxes and the public's attitude about federal, state, and local taxes...

Another Strategy For Fighting Terrorism

2006-04-05

You may not have given much thought to it, but every time we fill our gas tanks we are contributing to the support of our enemies...

An Immigration Distress Signal

2006-03-31

In the last few days, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and other Hispanic immigrants staged demonstrations in several states protesting U.S. immigration policy and new state and federal legislation dealing with illegal immigration...

Republicans Risk Being Overtaken by Events

2006-03-08

For the last five weeks the politicians in Washington have been over taken by events. Republicans and Democrats alike have been distracted with issues such as the port deal with the United Arab Emigrates...

Taxpayers Out of Loop After Providing Cash for Expenditures

2006-03-03

One problem with government spending is that politicians are spending money that has already been taken from taxpayers...

Legislative Session May Be Remembered For Squandered Opportunities

2006-02-24

There are several good things that could come out of the Alabama State Legislature before the 2006 regular session ends that would be of substantial benefit to the people of Alabama...

Bible Literacy Bill May be 'Just Politics'

2006-02-17

Being smack in the middle of the Bible Belt, you would think a bill to allow public schools to teach about the Bible would sail through the Alabama state legislature, especially in an election year...

Opponents of Bills Gambling on Voters' Intelligence

2006-02-10

By giving the people of Alabama an opportunity to vote on whether to allow a massive expansion of gambling, Governor Bob Riley and Attorney General Troy King are putting the gambling issue exactly where it needs to be - in the hands of the people...

Movie Pays Tribute to Black Brothers in Arms

2006-02-01

When it comes to the contribution of black soldiers to the Allied victory in World War II, Hollywood has produced few movies that do justice to their service...

Alito's Qualifications Take Backseat to Liberal Ideology

2006-01-26

If you paid any attention to the confirmation hearings for Judge Samuel Alito it quickly became evident that the hearings were less about Alito's qualifications and more about liberal ideology...

For Most Americans It's Spy or Die When it Comes to Terrorism

2006-01-20

To spy or not to spy�that is a serious question with serious consequences in terms of our war on terror within our own borders. And with the recent release of an audiotape from Osama bin Laden...

Parker Wrong About Fellow Alabama Justices

2006-01-12

A recent article in The Birmingham News written by Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Parker has once again raised concerns about the role of judges and the issue of judicial restraint...

Economic Boom Brings Both Good News and Good Opportunities

2006-01-06

There is a great deal of good news for Alabama as we enter the new year...

Public Support is Critical to American Soldiers

2005-12-16

Lt. Nathan Cox of Spanish Fort, Alabama, who will be 24 years old on Christmas Day, will celebrate Christmas and his birthday in Iraq...

Sessions' Border Security Bill Will Protect U.S.

2005-12-07

The majority of Americans believe that the federal government must get control of our borders, particularly the southern border, in order to reduce the problems being created by the massive numbers of illegal immigrants entering every year...

The U.S. Should Not Abandon Iraq

2005-11-28

In many respects, America is still dealing with the decade of the 70's. The 70's were the years of America's second great depression. But not so much in the economic and financial sense, as in the Great Depression of the 1930's...

Tough Times Capture the Essence of Thanksgiving

2005-11-17

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday in that it brings to the forefront the undeniable link between Christianity and America...

Political Bridge to Nowhere

2005-11-11

Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson got it exactly right in regard to Democrats and Republicans. According to Samuelson, when it comes to the federal budget, "�most Republicans are phonies. So are most Democrats"...

Democrats Act Shamelessly

2005-11-06

At the same time Democrats in the United States Senate are calling for a special investigation into the intelligence information provided to Congress to justify taking the war against terrorism into Iraq...

A Good Moment for Conservatives

2005-10-28

Two major points need to be made regarding Harriet Miers' decision to withdraw as President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court...

Nelson at Trafalgar: 'Thank God I Have Done My Duty'

2005-10-21

October 21st marked the 200th anniversary of a battle that has been largely unappreciated by Americans...

Higher Revenues Bring Little Reason to Celebrate

2005-10-14

To quote Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" The revenue numbers for Alabama's 2004-05 fiscal year came out recently and surprise, the state's revenues hit record levels...

Unmet Expectations Discourages Republican Base

2005-10-07

This has been a bad year for President Bush and the Republicans and 2006 could be even worse...

Behavior by Some Republicans Not Unlike an Alien Invasion

2005-09-29

"Invasion," a new ABC series about aliens using a hurricane as cover for an invasion of Earth, may be another example of life imitating art or art imitating life...

A Catastrophe of Nature Should Not Be a Catastrophe of Debt

2005-09-23

"A catastrophe of nature should not be a catastrophe of debt." So says the leadership of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC) in response to the call to raise taxes to pay for Hurricane Katrina recovery...

The Storm After The Storm

2005-09-15

With estimates now in the range of well over $100 billion for damage from Hurricane Katrina, Americans should get ready for the storm after the storm...

In the Aftermath of Katrina There Will be Plenty of Blame to Go Around

2005-09-09

The looting in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is evidence that people motivated to steal would do so if given an opportunity...

Hollywood Gets One Right

2005-08-31

With one notable exception, this summer's fare of movies has been very disappointing. The one exception�The Great Raid...

Recognizing the Real Cause of Child Poverty

2005-08-26

The 2005 annual Kids Count report came out a few weeks ago and the news was not good. The report shows that the overall well-being of children in Alabama has gotten worse since last year...

Able Danger and the 9-11 Commission

2005-08-19

The recent disclosure that a covert military intelligence unit code named Able Danger had information about four of the 9 - 11 terrorists and therefore might have prevented the attacks has raised serious questions...

Opponents of Judge Roberts Sink to New Low

2005-08-11

If the Left has a goal to totally discredit itself, it is well on its way to achieving it. Because over the last few days the liberals have done a very fine job of proving that they have little, if any credibility left...

Was Using the A-Bomb Justified?

2005-08-04

August 6 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the devastating atomic bomb attack against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki...

Judicial Activism at Center of Supreme Court Fight

2005-07-29

As the dog days of summer roll through August, the hot breezes will give way to the hot air of liberal opposition to the confirmation of Judge John Roberts, President Bush's nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor...

Kill the Death Tax

2005-07-21

When Benjamin Franklin said, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," I seriously doubt that he would have envisioned that the country that he helped found would one day make death taxable too...

Afflicted Enough

2005-07-15

It may not mean much to many in Alabama, but South Carolina reached a significant anniversary on July 1. It was the fifth anniversary of the state pulling the plug on the video gambling industry...

God Save the Court

2005-07-08

With the announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and the anticipated retirement of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, there is simply too much at stake for the confirmation process to be a civil and dignified affair...

A Time to Remember and Preserve

2005-06-24

Recently, I asked a student about to enter the 10th grade in one of Alabama's top public high schools what she knew about the Declaration of Independence...

Property Rights Latest Casualty of Activist Judges

2005-06-30

By authorizing the government to take the homes, lands and businesses of American citizens, the Supreme Court of the United States has given a whole new meaning to the concept of "public-private partnerships"...

The Media Has Lost The Public's Trust

2005-06-17

June has been a bad news month for the news media. A recent report indicates that the general public's trust in newspapers and television news are at all-time lows...

Time to Pass the Healthy Marriage Initiative

2005-06-10

Only about nine percent of the nation's children lived in single-parent households in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson issued a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June Father's Day...

Deep Throat, The FBI and 9/11

2005-06-02

The revelation that Deep Throat was actually Mark Felt, the No. 2 man at the FBI during the Nixon Presidency, has focused new attention on the Watergate era and the political consequences that followed...

Judicial Deal a Setback, Not a Defeat

2005-05-27

In regard to the compromise orchestrated by Sen. John McCain of Arizona and six other Republican senators to end the filibuster of President Bush's judicial nominees, Thomas Sowell hit it smack on the head when he described the difference...

"Here Sir, The People Govern"

2005-05-20

James Evans, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Auburn, recently wrote an article that lamented that "�this must be a tough time to be a judge in America"...

Hubbert Wins, Alabama Continues to Lose

2005-05-13

Now that we are mercifully at the end of the 2005 legislative session, it is time to determine who were the winners and losers...

No Basis for Judicial Filibuster

2005-05-03

An article in the May 1st edition of the Birmingham News Commentary section entitled The Framers vs. Sen. Frist by Professor David E. Kyvig, sheds considerable light on the efforts of liberal "revisionists" to manipulate the public...

Consent Decrees: The Other Judicial Activism

2005-04-27

When the issue of judicial activism comes across the public screen, most people automatically think of judges who violate the Constitution by imposing their personal, ideological agendas on every citizen, regardless of the majority's beliefs or...

Good News About the Environment

2005-04-21

Earth Day is April 22nd, but given the predictions of disaster and doom from the environmental extremists, we should probably observe it on Halloween...

Higher Taxes Without Greater Accountability: A Losing Proposition

2005-04-14

Now that most of us have dutifully filed our federal and state income tax returns, it might be interesting to get some insights that may help put our tax burden into perspective...

A Life of Value

2005-03-31

For the last few months the nation watched the battle that was fought in Florida over the life of a brain-damaged woman named Terri Schiavo. I try to avoid making overly grand statements about any issue...

Taking Alabama Politics to an Even Lower Level

2005-03-24

The Alabama State Legislature is on the verge of passing a bill that goes well beyond the usual special interests driven, poorly crafted and disingenuous legislation that most Alabamians have come to expect from what many consider the worst state...

A Lesson From Iwo Jima

2005-03-17

The young Marine watched helplessly as the suicide bomber rushed toward him. He did not even have time to shield himself from the blast that killed one of his buddies...

Bingo for Bed Pans?

2005-03-11

Here they go again�gambling legislation has made its way up for debate once more in the Alabama Legislature. Last year it was "Bingo for Books" and this year it is a gambling bill to save Medicaid and the General Fund...

Giving "Social Security" Back to the People

2005-03-02

That bastion of ideas and solutions otherwise known as the Alabama State Legislature is weighing in on Social Security reform. And as usual, they are on the wrong side...

Living at the Expense of Everyone Else

2005-02-25

In his book The Law, Frederic Bastiat wrote, "The state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks to live at the expense of everybody else"...

Hubbert Sets Legislature's Priorities

2005-02-17

Paul Hubbert may have given the people of Alabama the clearest evidence yet of what is wrong with state government �and he put it in writing...

The Harlem Hell Fighters

2005-02-09

History, particularly military history, is a great interest of mine and occupies a great deal of my "discretionary" reading. Not too long ago I came across a story that tells a little history of World War I that you may not have learned in school...

A Body Without Vision

2005-02-03

With his first State of the Union Address of his second term, President George W. Bush outlined a bold course of reform directed at addressing and solving some of our nation's most pressing domestic issues...

Giving Freedom A Voice

2005-01-27

Words can be a powerful force to motivate, to challenge, to inspire friends and allies to achieve great things and endure great hardships. Words can be a powerful force to antagonize and dishearten foes as well...

Actions by Legislature Require Constant Vigilance

2005-01-20

One of the first bills to be introduced after the Alabama Legislature convenes on February 1st will be a constitutional amendment to remove racist language from Alabama's Constitution...

A Credibility Problem

2005-01-13

If there is one thing that can be said about how the politicians conduct the state's business in Montgomery, it is that it fails over and over to be credible...

Fear of 'Getting Daschled' May End Obstruction Tactics

2005-01-07

The 109th Congress has now convened and it did so without Tom Daschle, one of the most visible symbols of obstructionism in recent memory...

Just Say "Merry Christmas"

2004-12-22

Perhaps nothing exposes the gap between secular liberals and conservative Christians as much as Christmas. It may also help explain why the Democrat Party, which has been taken over by a small, but powerful cadre of secular liberals, is slipping...

A Glorious Place in History

2004-12-15

On my office wall, just to the left of the door, hangs a constant reminder of the guts and grim determination of those that have defended this country...

Gambling Setting Stage For 2006 Election

2004-12-09

When Alabama Attorney General Troy King announced that he was initiating a long- overdue crackdown on illegal gambling in Alabama, he may have raised the stakes for the gambling kingpins in Alabama and their allies in the state Legislature...

Media Bias Buries Good News

2004-12-02

It appears that good news is not in fashion with the mainstream media. In fact, it is amazing how much good news the media fails to bring to public attention...

Thanks Be to God For Liberty

2004-11-22

With football games, crowded shopping malls and early Christmas decorations, it is no wonder the purpose and significance of Thanksgiving is easily lost...

The Slumbering Giant Awakens

2004-11-18

"I fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve," said Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto after launching the attack against Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941...

Angry Rants Accomplish Nothing

2004-11-11

In the aftermath of the re-election of President George W. Bush and the Republican gains in the U.S. House and Senate, the reaction from the winners and losers has gone from predictable to disturbing...

Specter May Be Republican's Dark Cloud

2004-11-04

Republicans and conservatives all over the country are basking in the glow of their success in the election. And much to the surprise of the political experts and the liberal media...

Veterans Day Marks 50th Anniversary

2004-10-28

A significant anniversary is upon us that I hope will not be overshadowed by the political wars that are being fought across the nation. This November 11th will be the 50th anniversary of Veterans Day...

Election is About More Than the Candidates

2004-10-21

It has been said many times over the last few months that this is a critical election, but it bears repeating, for there is more in the balance in this election than in any other in most of our lifetimes. When it is over our country may never be...

Voters Will Be Choosing Sides

2004-10-14

When Americans cast their votes for President and the U.S. Congress in the upcoming election they will be doing more than just deciding who will govern, they will be taking sides on issues that will profoundly affect the future of this nation...

Public Understands Critical Nature of War on Terror

2004-10-07

Many, if not most, observers believe the upcoming presidential election is the most important election of our lifetime. Former Reagan speech writer and author Peggy Noonan said that we are living through a time of "crucial history"...

A Secret Plan to Scare Voters?

2004-09-30

It is one thing for Dan Rather and CBS News to pass on false information to the few viewers they have left, but it is going a bit too far when college professors are doing it to their students...

CBS Illuminates Media Bias

2004-09-24

People who pay any attention to elections realized long ago that many politicians will lie, cheat and steal or do just about anything else to win an election...

"527" Attacks Change Election Politics

2004-09-09

Political campaigns have always been untidy affairs in America and no major candidates, at least that I can recall, have gone without splatter from their opponents' mud-slinging...

Census Bureau Report Misleading

2004-09-02

The Census Bureau recently released reports on the rise in poverty and the number of people without health insurance that created quite a stir among liberals desperate for bad news...

What Are We Getting For Our Money?

2004-08-25

After dire predictions of catastrophic revenue shortfalls in the state's education funding for the year, revenues for the Education Trust Fund are up by over eight percent this year and the fund will most likely end the fiscal year with a surplus...

Senate Must Act to Protect Family Incomes

2004-08-19

Unless the U.S. Senate acts to extend or make permanent the Bush tax cuts before the end of the year, Alabama families could see a significant increase in their federal income taxes next year...

Leftist Groups Target Pastors in Fall Elections

2004-08-11

An overwhelming majority of America's Protestant pastors believe that the state has erected a "wall of separation" that is much too high between the things of government and the things of God...

Dads Help Boys Become Men

2004-08-04

Summertime is kid time. In my case, growing up it was more specifically "being a boy time." My dad was a logger. So, from my first summer after the first grade until the summer between my junior and senior years of high school...

America is Indeed Becoming Two Nations

2004-07-29

Over the last few weeks I have come to realize that Democratic Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards is at least partially correct when he says there are two Americas...

Stolen Documents Point to Dirty Politics

2004-07-22

When Democrats look back on July 2004, they may recall it as the month their party imploded. The irony would be tremendous since this was supposed to be the month when the Bush Administration would be humiliated...

What a Difference a Year Can Make

2004-07-15

This time last year we heard how bad the economy was and how if we didn't pass a $1.2 billion tax increase Alabama would be shutting down schools, prisons and nursing homes. What a difference a year can make...

Far Beyond Politics as Usual

2004-07-07

Politics in America have always been rough and tumble. From the very beginning of the American Republic, political campaigns were marred by deliberately dishonest statements...

Behind The Uniform

2004-07-02

The Special Forces represent America's most courageous and patriotic men and the world's most effective military forces. These elite forces are trained and equipped to fight behind enemy lines...

A Long Summer of Remembrance

2004-06-23

For the World War II generation this will be a particularly special summer of remembrance. We have had "special" remembrances before, and usually those are marking each decade removed from the anniversary of D-Day...

Alabama Pays When Students Fail

2004-06-16

If you are the parent of a student who recently graduated from an Alabama high school you may soon discover that your son or daughter is not as prepared for work or college as you had hoped...

The President Who Believed in Us

2004-06-10

In reflecting on the passing of President Ronald Reagan, I began to read again some of his great speeches and came across something I had not noticed before. In his farewell address Reagan said, �All great change in America begins at the dinner table...

Will Marriage Be Meaningless in America?

2004-06-03

As those of you that read this column might guess, my articles occasionally move people to respond and sometimes those responses are not positive...

The Defining Issue Of Our Time

2004-05-27

If it were not for the war against terrorism in Iraq, the one issue that would be dominating this fall's elections would be homosexual marriage...

We Must Not Allow History to Repeat Itself

2004-05-19

"Those that forget history are bound to repeat it," said Woodrow Wilson, our 28th president. Just 30 years after our withdrawal from Vietnam familiar voices of surrender and appeasement are calling us to what could be a humiliating...

How to Lose A Nation

2004-05-12

Over the years that I have been writing I have quoted from the great British historian Arnold Toynbee on a subject that I think is entirely relevant to the American people...

Remembering an Alabama Hero

2004-05-06

This month marks the 60th anniversary of perhaps the greatest feat of anti-submarine warfare in the history of the U.S. Navy. In a 12-day period, during the intense naval campaign of World War II...

Legislators Left Laughing Over Accountability

2004-04-28

Mention accountability in Montgomery and you can almost hear the chuckles from Alabama Legislators. That�s how big of a joke accountability is with the people Alabamians elect to represent them...

Massive Corruption Plague's U.S., Reveals Enemies

2004-04-21

Before the United States and our British allies launched the attack against Iraq , John Kerry called the U.S.-led coalition �a coalition of the bribed, the coerced, and the bought and extorted.�...

Marriage Initiative Critical to Societal Health

2004-04-15

If someone were to propose a proven way to significantly improve the well-being of women and children, reduce domestic violence, reduce the crime rate, reduce the poverty rate, and improve the long-term health and happiness of men and women...

9-11 Commission Exposes U.S. Vulnerability

2004-04-08

If you haven�t been keeping up with the 9�11 Commission hearings currently being held by Congress you may have missed something that I think is indicative of the danger America faces...

'The Passion of The Christ'

2004-04-01

After having watched the movie The Passion of the Christ I can honestly confess that Easter will never be the same for me again...

DROP Program Drains Taxpayers

2004-03-25

One reason so much is wrong in state government is that so few taxpayers really understand what is being done at their expense...

"Bingo for Books"- Gambling's Same Old Lies

2004-03-17

The actions of the Alabama Senate in dealing with the so-called "Bingo for Books" bill have reinforced the perception that the Alabama Legislature is at the very least unaccountable and possibly under the absolute control of special interests...

The War on Terror-Defining Issue in Election 2004

2004-03-11

We are just over eight months away from what may turn out to be a very close presidential election and, given the horrendous events of 9/11 and the consequential war on terror, this election should primarily focus on national security...

Video Gambling Rears Its Ugly Head

2004-03-04

Year after year our legislators spend their valuable time on gambling bills pushed primarily by gambling kingpin Milton McGregor...

The Coming Demise of the Law

2004-02-25

The granting of marriage licenses to homosexual couples by the order of the mayor of San Francisco and the issuing of the court order by the Massachusetts Supreme Court to force the Massachusetts Legislature

Looking Out For Their Own Best Interests

2004-03-19

Based on what has happened so far in this legislative session, it might be time to come up with a new state motto. The current motto, which supposedly represents all the people, is "We dare defend our rights."...

Sharing the Blame

2004-02-11

The controversy over the Super Bowl halftime show may be just what the parents of this country needed - a figurative slap across the face by representatives of the culture that their kids are growing up in...

Accountability Reforms Must Come First

2004-02-04

After listening to Gov. Bob Riley's State of the State address and the Democratic response from Rep. Ken Guin, I realized that some members of our state government must really be hard of hearing...

The Last Thing Alabama Needs

2004-01-29

Here we go again. The legislative session is about to begin and it is going to start off with gambling legislation as the cure for all of Alabama's revenue problems...

Conflict of Interests at the Root of State Fiscal Woes

2004-01-21

By the time the next regular session of the state Legislature ends in May, Alabama could be a fundamentally different state � for good or for bad...

Reforms Moving in Right Direction

2004-01-07

Another tax increase referendum has come and gone, and with it another crushing defeat and another vote of "no confidence" in the government's ability to manage its resources in Alabama...

A Renewed Resolution

2004-01-14

For many people, the beginning of a new year represents an opportunity to put some things behind them and look ahead to some new beginnings. Thus, we have the tradition of making New Year's resolutions...

Public Indifference Creates A Slippery Slope

2003-12-03

Over the course of the last decade, our culture has made a monumental shift in regard to an issue with far-reaching implications for our society:...

Good News - The Economy is Growing

2003-11-26

Good news is hard to find these days from the mainstream media�especially if you are looking for good news about the economy...

Jumping off the Solid Rock

2003-11-20

According to the British historian Arnold Toynbee, history shows that great nations rise and great nations fall, but "�the autopsy of history is that all great nations commit suicide."...

Of the People, By the People, For the People

2003-11-12

November 19th will mark the 140th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and, most likely, few people will give much attention or thought to it...

On the 'Road to Serfdom'

2003-11-05

It has been almost 60 years since the publication of The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich A. Hayek. Published in England in the spring of 1944 as Allied nations were at war against the totalitarian regimes...

A Fight Worth Taking a Stand For

2003-10-31

Based on the current philosophical makeup of the justices on the United States Supreme Court, don't be surprised if the high court rules during this year's session that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are unconstitutional...

Education Officials Show Poor Priorities

2003-10-23

Many Alabama parents have expressed concern that the threatened cuts in next year's education budget are in retaliation for the recent defeat of the $1.2 billion tax increase plan...

Targeting DROP Will Make a Splash

2003-10-16

In the aftermath of the defeat of the $1.2 billion tax increase proposal, Gov. Bob Riley accurately assessed the defeat as a rejection of the lack of accountability in state government...

A New Commitment To Politics

2003-10-08

Throughout history politics has gained a bad reputation that, in my opinion, is undeserved and in the context of these trying times, dangerous for the future of America...

Education Commission Report Right on Target

2003-10-02

I can honestly say that something worth reading has come out of Montgomery. Every concerned citizen should get a copy of the report of the Education Spending Commission to Gov. Bob Riley-it is candid...

A Rigged Game

2003-09-24

There is a good reason why professional sports leagues prohibit gambling by its players and owners. It is because gambling compromises the integrity of the sport...

Proposed Budget Proves Misplaced Priorities

2003-09-18

The proposed tax increase may have been defeated, but the battle for the future of Alabama goes on in the current special session as the Legislature considers budget cuts that punish the voters...

Campaign Tactics Fail: Voters Must Look Forward

2003-09-11

In the aftermath of the overwhelming defeat of the proposed $1.2 billion dollar tax increase, the supporters of the plan have been scrambling to explain why it was rejected. And with few exceptions, they still don't get it...

Beyond the Ten Commandments

2003-09-04

The federal court order requiring the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the Alabama judiciary building is being touted by many as another example of the blatant hostility of the federal courts towards God...

Some Thoughts on Fair Taxes

2003-08-28

As we, the people of the state of Alabama, prepare to cast our votes on September 9th on the tax increase proposal, we are being bombarded with messages from both sides of the debate in an attempt to shape our opinions...

The Credibility Gap: Our Greatest Obstacle to Progress

2003-08-20

With less than three weeks to go before the statewide referendum on a $1.2 billion tax increase it appears that the initiative will not pass...

Fiscal Accountability Key to Real Progress

2003-08-14

In the almost 14 years that I have been involved in public policy in Alabama the referendum on the proposed $1.2 billion tax increase is easily the most divisive issue I have ever seen...

Taxes and Families: To Tell The Truth

2003-08-07

A pro-tax increase publication mailed to voters indicates, "After this plan takes effect, 85% of Alabamians will pay less in combined property and income taxes than they pay now."...

Congress Has Power To Restrain Federal Courts

2003-07-22

Aristotle once defined politics as the process by which we determine how we shall order our lives together. And though ages old, his classic definition is at the heart of representative government:...

Family Time: "The Priceless" Investment

2003-07-16

It must have taken at least three hours to build, but it was a great sandcastle. The base was a rectangle about three and a half feet long, three feet wide and six inches high packed down with buttress towers that rose about four inches above ...

Representative Government Victim of Judicial Activism

2003-07-2

If you are among those who think that the present battle over President Bush's nominations to the federal courts is just about partisan politics, then think again...

Taking Liberty For Granted in Perilous Times

2003-06-25

For too many, perhaps most, Americans the Fourth of July holiday is little more than a day at the lake or beach or a family gathering for cookouts and fireworks. The Fourth of July marks far more, though, in that it represents America's independence...

Pryor Confirmation Hearing

2003-06-17

As Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor is finding out, going before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing has become more like the infamous Inquisition of old, except instead of suppressing heresy...

Foreign Policy in a Post-9/11 World

2003-06-11

As is often the case in political debates, the prudent position in regard to current American foreign policy lies somewhere between not doing enough, perceived by some in this case as isolationism, and attempting to do too much...

Politicians Not Serious About Accountability

2003-06-04

During the special legislative session the Alabama Legislature had a chance to do something that would convince the voters of Alabama that they were serious about accountability in state government-but they didn't do it...

Tax Cuts are Good News For Alabama Families

2003-05-27

While Alabama distinguishes itself in many ways that make us all proud, we unfortunately have the dubious distinction of being one of only three states in the nation that has seen family incomes decline in the last three years...

Get the Principles Right and Solutions Will Follow

2003-05-21

As the State Legislature prepares to levy the largest tax increase in the history of the state on us, people have asked me a couple of important questions. For instance, they want to know why state government is so screwed up...

Without Reform, Not Another Dime

2003-05-14

The upcoming special session puts Alabama at a crossroads. The state Legislature will be taking up a proposal to raise taxes by over $1 billion, the largest tax increase in Alabama history...

One Chance to Get it Right

2003-05-06

I believe in second chances. I believe in forgiveness and mercy. But I also believe in consequences and accountability. Apparently so does University of Alabama President Dr. Robert Witt...

Celebrity War Protesters

2003-04-29

Now that the major fighting in Iraq is over we can get down to resolving the really tough issue of whether or not to forgive and forget all the anti-war efforts of a long list of entertainers...

"Unfit" to Serve

2003-04-24

Shortly after President Bush announced his nomination of Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Washington Post declared Pryor supposedly "unfit to judge"...

It's Okay to Breathe

2003-04-16

Thirty-three years after the first Earth Day recognition, there is a lot to celebrate. The progress that has been made in addressing environmental concerns is ...

What We Have Learned From This War

2003-04-08

Over the last four weeks or so that our country has been at war it seems that we Americans have rediscovered something of great importance to the future of our nation-our willingness to sacrifice...

Have Legislators Sold Out To Gambling Interests?

2003-04-02

Alabama is on the verge of changing, never to be the same again. The state Legislature is about to pass a bill that would legalize video gambling...

Higher Taxes and Gambling Not the Answer

2003-03-27

Montgomery can be a frustrating place at times, but no more than right now as the state Legislature considers remedies for Alabama's revenue crisis...

Fighting for Good - Fighting for Freedom

2003-03-20

A young American soldier deployed in Kuwait just across the border from Iraq recently spoke to his mom and dad back home in Alabama...

Gods and Generals

2003-03-12

If you haven't seen Gods and Generals, go see it. It may be the best history class you have ever attended and perhaps the most accurate in explaining the South's point of view concerning the Civil War...

No Reform, No More Money!

2003-03-06

As just about everyone in Alabama knows by now, our state is facing a revenue shortfall projected to be at least $500 million dollars...

Battle Rages In U.S. Senate

2003-02-25

While the nation's attention has been focused on Iraq as it becomes the next battlefield in the war against terrorism, another battle is being fought in the United States Senate...

Few Real Choices in War With Iraq

2003-02-20

Let me say for the record that I do not want the United States to go to war against Iraq�if we don't have to...

A Clear Message

2003-02-11

Going into Alabama's next legislative session, politicians, government employees and concerned citizens alike are focused on numbers-and some pretty daunting numbers at that...

A Tale of A Tax Cut

2003-01-28

When it comes to public policy, liberals are masters of manipulation. As Congress prepares to debate President Bush's tax cut plan, the liberal politicians and all of their forces have implemented a class warfare campaign to defeat the package...

Roe V. Wade Exposed

2003-01-22

This month holds an infamous date in our nation's history: January 22rd marks the 30th anniversary of one of the biggest lies ever put over on the American people-the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision...

Outsourcing Can Help Schools Solve Funding Crisis

2003-01-07

Although this could be a tough year for the state of Alabama, it is a year in which we can begin to get our house in order...

Constitution Debate Demands Clarity, Honesty

2002-01-29

As with most other political issues, the debate over a new state constitution for Alabama is coming down to what proponents are willing, or not willing, for you to know...

Time for Meaningful Change

2002-01-22

With each passing year the United States moves ever closer to becoming a socialist state with a ruling political class...

A Plan That Makes Tax Sense

2002-01-15

The hard-working families of Alabama can benefit greatly by the economic stimulus package proposed last week by President George W. Bush...

And So it Begins

2001-09-18

The destruction of the World Trade Centers in New York combined with the attack on the Pentagon and attempted attack on the White House signaled the beginning, and the end, of many things for Americans...

The Birds, The Bees and Parental Responsibility

2001-09-11

For most of us, one of the toughest responsibilities of being a parent is having the �birds and the bees� talk with our kids. Unfortunately, it seems these days that by the time parents get around to having the talk, the kids have already been educated...

Knowledge Lost

2001-09-04

It has been pointed out, and history has proven it true, that knowledge can be lost in just a few generations...

Stop Us Before We Cheat Again

2001-08-28

For the third time this year Gov. Don Siegelman has called the state Legislature back into session, and it should make us all a little nervous...

Put Your Check Where Your Mouth Is

2001-08-14

We have to give credit where credit is due, so we have to give liberals credit for their perseverance...

Promises Broken, Foster Children Suffer

2001-08-07

When it comes to politicians and government bureaucrats, common sense and experience have taught us that we should pay more attention to what they do instead of what they say...

The Right Question

2001-07-21

Recently, Bob Blaylock, the editorial page editor for the Birmingham News wrote an opinion article in which he asked the question, "Why would anyone run for governor?"

Outcry Over Census Findings Misguided

2001-07-16

When figures from the 2000 Census showed that black Alabamians are much more likely to be in jail or prison than whites, there were immediate cries that Alabama's justice system is racist...

Court Ruling Dampens Hope of Video Gambling Industry

2001-07-10

Alabama is a step closer to ridding itself of a cancer that has been spreading from one end of the state to the other...

Tax Rebate Not State's Money

2001-07-02

There is good news and bad news for Alabama taxpayers. The good news: most families will receive a check of up to $600 from the U.S. Treasury�s advance rebate on this year�s federal taxes beginning in late July...

Politics, Not Policy, Behind Tax Cut Opposition

2001-06-26

If you tune in to or browse through any of the traditional national media outlets, you may be asking yourself why the liberals commentators and writers are so up in arms about a tax cut...

Rebate Makes Liberals IRATE

2001-06-12

The nation's automobile industry is now under attack from an activist group claiming to represent the interests of low-income people in America...

Irreconsilable Differences

2001-06-05

The defection of U.S. Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont from the Republican Party reflects more than the differences between himself and the Republican Party...

In Defense Of Liberty

2001-05-21

Most war memorials are for remembering the dead and the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf...

A Sad Day for Alabama

2001-05-08

A very sad day could soon be upon the state of Alabama. Video gambling is on the verge of being legalized. If it is legalized, there will be many sad days to follow...

Beware of the Trojan Horse

2001-04-10

"Everything old is new again" is an adage that aptly describes the movement in Alabama to discard our state constitution and replace it with a more modern version supposedly better suited to the 21st century...

Education Battle Wounds State's Prospects

2001-04-03

The state of Alabama is in the midst of what could be described as a "civil war" over education funding...

Wasteful Spending Behind Proration

2001-02-27

To the average Alabama taxpayer, proration means that the state of Alabama is either out of money or has less money than last year. But the fact of the matter is that state revenues are higher than ever in Alabama's history. We are in proration because th

The Bottom Line on Forgiveness

2000-08-14

Americans are, like all people of the world, a flawed people. At the same time, Americans are a very religious people, the vast majority of whom identify themselves as Christians, and as a whole they have a wonderful capacity for forgiveness...

A Father's Choice

2000-04-20

A couple of weeks ago a reporter called my office to see if I had a comment on whether Elian Gonzalez should be returned to Cuba or allowed to stay in America...

A Risky Business

2000-03-06

Let me ask you a question: Would you be willing to risk the lives of 26 children to save one dog track job? Apparently there are at least 17, and possibly 18, members of the Alabama Senate who would...

What If?

2000-02-21

If Hitler had conquered Britain, could the Allies have won the war? What if the D-Day invasion had failed? Would the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Berlin?

The 20th Century's Indispensable Men

2000-01-07

With the end of the 20th century a great deal of controversy has arisen over which person has had the greatest impact on the world in the last 100 years.