The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Columnist John Sophocleus learned of his earthly father's passing while writing his piece for this month’s issue. Adamant about his submission these past ten plus years, he requested The Alabama Gazette reprint “Blessed with Many Fathers” under the circumstances. We hope you find it a worthy (re)read. Editor’s Note: Our prayers & sympathies are extended to John & his family at this time. Empty screen before me now, heavy hands upon the keyboard, I struggle to type this month’s column… informed h...
Trumps ability to fill stadiums and maintain an unshakable base of support is defined by his adversarial opponents as a cult. To the contrary, in the face of a daily tsunami of hostile incoming artillery, Trump has stared them down and marched full speed ahead championing an over achievement in his delivery of campaign promises. In my lifetime, since working the grass roots in 1980 for Reagan, we have never seen ANY elected official deliver beyond expectations surpassing campaign promises like...
These are indeed unwonted times – certainly a first in my ten plus years as an Alabama Gazette columnist. I wholeheartedly concur with the wise decision to not print an April issue for many reasons, mostly driven by loss of distribution points with so many businesses closing. I’m nonetheless blessed to be included in this ONLINE-ONLY edition. Seems apropos in the midst of this current crash to repost my October 2017 Gazette column on the anniversaries of 1929 and 1987 crashes. Rewarding to hav...
This past February 18, under the watchful eye of Montgomery’s Mayor Steven Reed, five of the city’s nine city councilmen, spearheaded by Councilman Glen Pruitt, quickly voted their final approval of a 1% city occupational tax. Three others voted “no.” Councilman Tracy Larkin, who was ill and absent, did not vote. Reed claimed it would bring in $45 to $55 million in extra revenue every year, beginning in 2021. This tax is essentially an income tax on everybody who works and earns his living...
In 1987, I sold my portion of Giles Enterprises and did a little real estate development in 1988 and in 1989 joined the Hunt Administration as Small Business Advocate for the State of Alabama. Also in 1988, on a scratchy low powered AM radio station in Montgomery, Alabama, a strange, but different kind of radio talk show was launched, “The Rush Limbaugh Show.” I was 34 then, and now 31 years later, I am 65 and still mesmerized by the depth, insight, revelation and the almost prophetic sense Rus...
Back in the day, in the 1800’s, the Democratic Party in the United States stood solidly for our fundamental Constitutional principles—liberty, justice, and free enterprise. But as the 20th century rolled around, many of our Democrats slipped over toward statism, socialism, and even communism. During that time, the American people suffered under the administrations of three of our most terrible presidents—Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. The only decent Democrat was John...
Hypocrisy in overdrive these past months, now less fueled by DC politburo members, is decelerating back to ‘coasting speed’ toward the usual destination of ‘Dershowitzian’ good intentions (feigned, foolish or sincere) if history is any guide. The 1990s US House turned a blind eye to “Whitewatergate” (as Ken Starr’s absurdly long investigation uncovered too much dirt on too many politburo members) and focused on a ‘seedy’ blue dress - showing how much they truly care about sexual harassment...
As a young 20 year old budding entrepreneur, I vigorously studied leadership. I was attracted to the vogue readings of the day on leadership, managing and goal setting. I learned that if you put 100 people in the room, 15 would emerge as leaders and only 3 will set goals and measure their success. My greatest lessons were real life examples of watching the management style of others. After years of observation, I deduced that true leadership is recognizing the ability to execute alone and one...
Just as the Republocrats $1.2 billion Amendment One [2003] proposal of significant increases for individual income tax payers, the sales tax, property tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, etc. FAILED 2 to 1 (defeating the Hubbard/Riley full court press) on a GENERAL election ballot, we now have the next iteration of an Amendment One boondoggle before us on the March 3rd primary. Pray we have better “2020” vision on why this is placed on primary ballots looking in the rear view mirror of...
Every year, we continue to hear the same old song from our public officials—“Our infrastructure is falling apart…. We need more revenue…. We must have a tax increase.” The rational answer, of course, is “No way” in nearly every case. Most of the time they ask for money to fund projects and programs that are patently unconstitutional—“public” education, “public” housing, Medicaid, victimless crime enforcement, abusive regulations, etc. But among these is one item we actually need—our roads...
From our very beginning, we the people of the United States have honored and fought for the right to live free and support ourselves without government interference under a sacrosanct principle called “The American Dream”—to live and let live.” This is the bedrock that provided the opportunity for all citizens to create the greatest nation on earth. But over the last century and especially the second half of it, numerous agencies have been created that violate that ethic. The taxes, regulat...
Two Lee county officials were bound by law and contract documents to procure bid proposals before spending taxpayer money. Records show one manager was not protected for her actions; the other was protected and lauded for his admitted wrongdoing. This familiar “tale of two bureaucrats” in a county believing in Mike Hubbard is as follows… One county manager was placed on administrative leave with pay, brought before a County Commission executive session, tendered a resignation and received sever...
Most Gazette readers require no reminder of the ‘unplanned’ (in this world) birth we venerate each Christmas. Some may recall a similarly titled 2015 Christmas column years ago. After accusation of over-emphasis upon the ‘tax-terror kings’ part of the story - i.e., the cruel tax Caesar Augustus levied coercing Mary and Joseph’s travail to Bethlehem -- I’ll focus on the righteous example of this brave union in God’s love who brought Jesus into this world some two thousand years ago. I nonetheless...
This past November 3, we all ran our clocks back one hour to switch from daylight saving time back to standard time. From then until next spring, we lose an extra hour of daylight every afternoon. As I’m writing this, more than a month before the winter solstice, darkness is already covering our state by 5:00 pm. For people who work from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, there is no daylight for any outdoor afternoon activities. Of course, daylight saving time does not actually provide more daylight. A d...
America is at a crossroads, either we follow Nancy, Adam, Jerry and Chuck in their unceasing attempt to remove President Trump or we as a country participate in a historic 2020 landslide election and unleash Secretariat. Often when I write, there is an issue at the core of the discussion and I try my best to bring facts to the debate to substantiate my position. In all fairness, this is purely an opinion piece, where in my view the outcome for the future of this country is clearly dependent on...
This month is the ten year anniversary of submitting my first Alabama Gazette column. It addressed eminent domain abuse; the infamous Kelo decision in the US Supreme Court and more specifically making a case for reparations to those like Mr. Williams (oft black landowners with insurmountable impediments to defend themselves in corrupt courts) who suffered wrongful takings in Alabama. Reflecting back it has been a ‘roller-coaster’ of highs/lows at our federal, local and State governments thi...
Back in the 1990’s, WACV Radio talk show host, Don Markwell, regularly featured Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar as a guest on his program. One day, a caller chimed in and complained about people speeding in his residential neighborhood. After he disclosed the location, Mayor Folmar said he would step up patrols in that area. The very next day, the same man called again, and he was not happy. He reported that when he came home that previous afternoon, a policeman pulled him over and gave him a cita...
While the gun control debate escalates after mass shootings, I want to begin this article with a few simple questions that might deserve simple answers. Does a Saturday night special or an AK-47 on the counter kill innocent people? Does a spoon or fork cause obesity? Does a bottle of whisky or a six-pack of beer in the store cause a DUI? Does a needle filled with heroin cause drug addiction? Did a Boeing 757 become a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) killing innocent people at the World Trade...
Euthanasia is a painless and peaceful procedure of ending the persistent suffering and trauma of the terminally ill and others who have decided that death is a better option. In current usage, it is defined as the “painless inducement of a quick death.” People use this process on a regular basis when they see their beloved pets in distress from incurable diseases and/or unrecoverable injuries. But many are squeamish when it comes to applying the same mercy onto human beings. Some even sup...
Recent ‘rocky’ times at Auburn University display a cult horror picture show on how ‘warped’ private interests extract wealth from students and taxpayers. No surprise to frequent readers of this column how AU gave rise to felon Mike Hubbard, who perfected ‘The Art of the Steal’ of using governments for personal gain in Alabama. Bobby Lowder mentored Felon Hubbard in the dark arts when Hubbard began in AU Athletics having just ‘grifted’ in from the Georgia jock adulation scene. The ‘plot sicke...
Recent ‘rocky’ times at Auburn University display a cult horror picture show Right thinking, fact driven Americans have hit their high water mark, frustrated with the liberal news media fabricating stories about conservatives. Every day, since the November 8, 2016 election (almost 3 years ago), liberal Democrats and members of the counterfeit media have worked around the clock fabricating, packaging and pounding this president with false claims, which have become hypotheticals on steroids. Wel...
In spite of what some people claim about the cruelty of capital punishment, there are some people who are just too dangerous to be allowed to exist. See my May, 2017 article for my argument on this topic. The question here is what is the best and most humane method to carry it out? Although there is a basic need to execute certain criminals, there is not a need to do it in a cruel manner. The object is to peacefully eliminate the culprits, not to demonstrate vindictive ways to carry out their...
I often find myself taking a life inventory at different weigh-points, assessing if I am adequately contributing to leave a positive mark in the world, on my watch. We can never give enough back. I was raised and I taught my children, whatever station assigned in life, or if we borrow something from our neighbor, always return it in better shape, than you received it. This mindset can be found in the “Parable of the Talents,” where Jesus spoke in Matthew 25: 14 – 30. One hallmark icon in my li...
There, I've said it. Perhaps I’m a little giddy penning my first column in retirement. More likely as the so-called ‘Cold Civil War’ gets hotter, I recall those of Antonin Scalia’s Spirit, intellect and understanding on issues of supremacy, sovereignty, power and authority. Witnessing Justice Scalia’s courage to be a more explicit fool for Christ helps, given his station and “originalist” reasoning. Long time, regular readers of my column will not find this opening surprising. A decade ago, w...
I painfully witnessed ‘unonimous’ [sic] installation of Leath as AU’s 19th President at the University Ballroom March 20th 2017; it was a sound forecast he would “crash and burn” if/when sabotaging the gains of President Gogue’s stewardship. AU’s Board of Trustees [BoT] unanimously selected Steven ‘Crash’ Leath after a six-month national ‘search’ which provided little on how it was conducted. Eerily similar to our Lee County Commission Chair who correctly misspoke affirming something p...
