The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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December 23, 2024 - The Wall Street Journal's timing was nigh-perfect. Imagine you’re The Editor at a Respected News Organization (the Caps are Important!). You have an explosive report that confirms the President has been incompetent for months, if not years. It implicates many influential people in power in an active coverup of this sad state of affairs. It all but confirms what those crazy tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists have been saying—that the 2020 election was stolen to install a sen...
December 27, 2024–Somebody at The Hill is desperate for clicks. Why else would they be fomenting insurrection the day after Christmas? Boxing Day—December 26th—is a slow news day. People are still recovering from Christmas, or making the rounds of friends, or finishing their Christmas shopping at the After-Christmas sales (admit it—you’ve done it) or returning the gifts that don’t fit or are too weird to keep in the closet for next year’s white elephant gifts. News organizations realize this,...
During the last session of the legislature, Governor Kay Ivey, Speaker of the House, Nathaniel Ledbetter, State Senate President Pro Tem, Greg Reed, along with the business leaders of the state made the "Working for Alabama" program their priority. The Governor and legislature passed a sweeping package of bills that will streamline workforce development in our state and make us one of the most competitive states in America for attracting industry and creating jobs and careers for our young men a...
My tradition is to make my year end column a tribute to major political figures that passed away during the year. My column last week did that, however, there were an inordinately large number of political leaders who passed away in 2024. Therefore, this week, I have a second tribute to two of the giants in Alabama legislative history. I had the honor of serving in the House of Representatives with these two icons, and they were two of my favorite legislative friends. State Senator Jimmy Holley...
As we move into 2025, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey will have the last two years of her long tenure as the state’s top executive. The Governor has taken on tough issues during her tenure in office, but has maintained her popularity. Actually she has ranked annually as one of the most popular governors in the Nation. Ivey worked her way up from reading clerk in the Alabama Legislature, to state treasurer, then Lieutenant Governor and now Governor. She has made history in her ascent to the s...
As we step into 2025, we are witnessing the dawn of a transformative period that will not only shape the next four years but set the stage for generations to come. I echo the sentiment recently expressed by a recent MAGA convert tech billionaire Marc Andreessen who stated: Across the country, from boardrooms to kitchen tables, Americans are finally exhaling in relief. The stranglehold of fear—whether from oppressive government overreach, ideological conformity, or cancel culture—has begun to...
Eating out at restaurants is fun and convenient, but on New Year’s Day, don’t forget to eat your black-eyed peas. As tradition holds, if you eat cornbread on New Year’s Day, the cornbread will bring golden opportunities in the new year. If you eat collard greens on New Year’s Day with your black eyed peas, money will abound. If you eat the black-eyed peas with stewed tomatoes, the tomatoes will grant one good health in the New Year. And the black-eyed peas themselves, signify good luck and goo...
As 2024 comes to a close, I wanted to provide you with an update on my work for North Alabamians this year. When the people of North Alabama sent me to Congress, I knew I wanted to focus on reforming how Washington does business for people. I am proud that my office has assisted nearly 1,200 constituents this year with various issues like delayed tax returns, VA claim denials, and ensuring folks receive the social security benefits they’ve earned. I have also put forward a legislative agenda t...
January 1, 2025–A pickup flying an ISIS flag plows into a New Year’s crowd on Bourbon Street. A Cybertruck driver locks himself in and detonates a cache of flammables in front of Trump Tower in Las Vegas. In a Queens nightclub, at least eleven people are shot and wounded. 2025 is literally starting with a bang. Of the three major incidents that happened Wednesday, as of this writing (in the wee hours Thursday morning) we know the least about the Queens nightclub shooting. The story literally bro...
January 3, 2025 - For those who have tired of wading through the endless rows of mindless subpar "B" type movies that flood the streaming opportunities on Netflix, "I Can Only Imagine" is now streaming on Great American Pure Flix. Directed by the Erwin brothers, who are originally from Birmingham, Alabama, "I Can Only Imagine" is a biopic about the relationship between the lead singer of the American contemporary Christian music band, MercyMe, and his abusive father. Although rated PG, "I Can...
Fans of Jane Austen's incredibly insightful novels will readily reread every one of her six famous novels for perpetuity. However, another author who finds favor with many fans of Jane Austen is Elizabeth Gaskell. With Gaskell also being the daughter of a minister like Jane Austen was the daughter of a clergyman. And one of Elizabeth Gaskell's most seminal works is "North and South". While the title of "North and South" may evoke images of Patrick Swayze in the 1980s miniseries set before,...
Another ‘snow job’ by pro-government Lee County media touting how wonderful ACCA, BCA, et al type spending to promote more (non-market driven) growth and tourism is typical holiday news reporting. Some recalled the ‘OPS they did it again’ column [https://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2018/11/01/opinion/giggin-for-dollars-in-opelika-as-forecasted-ops-they-did-it-again/1499.html] on Alabama’s first Gig City. The “How do corrupt politburo members make $14milion in internet revenue?” question foll...
For some reason teachers have become a sacred cow. If you question anything "the wonderful and caring teachers" think, do, or say, or you question all the time off and other government perks they get you hate children. Teachers can do no wrong! Eerily similar to four years ago where if you questioned the official narrative, didn't wear a mask, social distanced, or got a shot not only did you hate grandmothers but you wanted grandmothers to die! Someone once said "to learn who rules over you, sim...
January 7, 2025 - While the world grapples with ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks and rising threats to global security, Joe Biden decided this was the perfect moment to hand out medals to liberal billionaires, political insiders, and fashion moguls. It’s as if the White House decided that optics don’t matter anymore—because why address terrorism or national security when you can throw a self-congratulatory awards ceremony instead? It’s Nero fiddling while Rome burns, except this time the fiddlin...
December 9, 2025–Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg posted a video on Facebook and Instagram promising to reduce censorship and “return to our roots” of free expression on the platforms. He stated that Facebook would be ditching their Fact Checkers, instituting a system of Community Notes (like rival X now has), lift restrictions on some topics, focus more on policing illegal and high-severity violations, and changing the way political content is handled so that people who want to see more of it on their...
Rep. Shomari Figures, (D-Alabama) used his election night victory speech to recognize his win's emergence from the long shadow of Alabama's racist history and his family's enduring legacy of anti-racism. His father, the late Michael Figures, was elected one of just three Black Alabama state senators in 1978. Thomas Figures, his uncle, was the first Black person to serve as assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney in Alabama's Mobile County. But the two Figures brothers are most...
Senator Tommy Tuberville's decision to either seek re-election or run for Governor presents Alabama with a win-win scenario. Whether he remains in the Senate or transitions to state leadership, the ultimate beneficiaries are the good people of the great state of Alabama. In a time when principled leadership is more critical than ever, Tuberville's dedication, vision, and hands-on approach have proven to be indispensable for the people of Alabama and the Nation. Currently President-elect Donald...
January 11, 2025–“Spring forward, Fall back.” It’s the mantra of Daylight Savings Time (DST)—an idea that was presented in the most wonderful, glowing terms but in practice turned out to be inefficient, counterproductive, annoying and deadly. Once enacted, it quickly proved to give few to none of the promised benefits but a plethora of drawbacks and problems. Nonetheless, it has resisted all attempts to do away with it for decades. In other words, it’s the quintessential government program. Al...
The popular PBS Masterpiece Mystery series, "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has returned for its fifth season rebranded as "Miss Scarlet". This is due to the exit of the Scottish leading actor, Stuart Martin, who portrayed the title role of Inspector Wellington, known as "the Duke". While Stuart Martin has left open the possibility of his return to the series at a later date, in "Miss Scarlet" a new inspector for Scotland Yard is introduced in the series, Inspector Alexander Blake, who is portrayed...
December 14, 2025–We’ve known for some time that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a DEIsaster. Bad puns aside, common sense and the evidence of our own eyes has been telling us that for years. DEI policies were touted as the answer to all manner of ills both real and imagined, usually tied to some vague notion of “social,” “environmental,” “climate” or some other modifier-word “justice.” I say vague notion because I’ve never been able to pin down a formal definition of these not-regular-...
January 16, 2025 - NORTHPORT, AL - Canadian born actor, Ryan Reynolds, stars in Mint Mobile's "Explicitly Premium Wireless" advertisement. An advertisement that is in many ways simplistic by modern advertising standards. As it basically features Ryan Reynolds doing nothing but standing in place in front of a green background with "Mint mobile" featured behind him in white letters. However, as the title of the advertisement suggests, it is explicit. And the commercial features Ryan Reynolds using...
Inauguration Day stands as one of the most profound traditions in the history of the United States. Every four years, on 20 January, this day serves as a reminder of the enduring strength of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. The ceremony is a celebration of our nation's resilience, unity, and commitment to its founding principles. Since George Washington took the first oath of office in 1789, Inauguration Day has symbolized a new chapter for our country. It represents the will of...
January 19, 2025– I love it when a stupid plan falls apart. I love it even more when a stupid, asinine, unconstitutional plan, crafted by and for special interest groups and sold to the American people with a pack of lies, gaslighting and fear mongering by our Cash & Carry Congress backfires spectacularly. That’s exactly what the TikTok ban is doing. TikTok is now officially banned in these United States, contrary to the wishes of 170 million Americans. The app went down Saturday night, and reg...
The mainstream media was poised, ready to pounce on any sign of weakness. Brutal cold loomed, threatening to upend President Trump’s second inauguration. But true to form, Trump Nation didn't flinch. They adapted, they persevered, and they turned potential adversity into a resounding victory. As someone who has been involved in Republican politics for 50 years and a steadfast supporter of President Trump since his legendary descent on the golden escalator, I have witnessed many historic m...
January 21, 2025 - The year 2024 was a violent one in Alabama. With the high amount of crime across the state, particularly, in the large metropolitan areas, local officials could not solve the problems alone. It is now up to Alabama leaders to tackle public safety issues that have not been solved at the local level. There are a multitude of reasons for the violence in this country, including what has happened across the country with new no bail laws and the release of prisoners across the...
