United Liberty

By: Dr. David Beito

What is happening in the cradle of the modern civil rights movement? Jimmy McCall would like to know. ‘It was more my dream house,’ he laments, ‘and the city tore it down … It reminds me of how they used to mistreat black people in the Old South.’ In 1955, Rosa Parks took on the whole system of Jim Crow by refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus. Today, McCall is waging a lonely battle against the same city government for another civil right: the freedom to build a home on his own land.

In the last two weeks, Alabama State Government has been severely curtailed by the forced nine percent cuts in spending due to proration. Remember, proration is required because the Alabama Constitution (yes, the 1901 version that supposedly is outdated) requires a balanced budget. Hence, when revenues fall below expectations, then proration is automatically ordered so that funds are not spent until the monies are available.

Thursday evening I posted on my Facebook profile the speech that Congressman Ron Paul gave on the House floor, opposing the auto industry bailout (the so-called “bridge loan”), along with the following comment:

“This speech on the auto bailout speaks for itself. Congressman Paul really puts it all into perspective. Were that there were more in Congress like him.”

Being a diehard Crimson Tide fan— and believing we deserve a chance at the national title as much as Oklahoma, Florida, or Texas— I can surely relate to (R-TX) Rep. Joe Barton’s disillusionment with the current BCS system. He is right- we need a playoff to determine the National Champion for Division 1-A college football. Personally I prefer an 8 team playoff that integrates the existing bowl traditions, while still finding annual closure to each season. But the difference between myself and Rep. Barton is that he is using his position of power to introduce a bill that would push the NCAA to end the current system and introduce a playoff system.  I argue that he does not and should not have the authority to use the legislative process to accomplish this worthy goal.

Displaying both passion and courage, GOP Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama has been leading the charge against a taxpayer bailout of the automobile industry.  With pressure from both corporate interests and the White House, Senator Shelby is standing firm and leading the opposition to this big-government bailout.

Shelby won his seat in the US Senate in 1986 as a Democrat, defeating Republican incumbent Jeremiah Denton. In his initial Senate campaign, Shelby had maximum support from organized labor, groups now clamoring for attention in the bailout legislation. Shelby’s home state of Alabama is home to major Toyota, Honda, and Mercedes plants. Yet, this Senator has chosen to face the special interests and stand for principle in opposing a giant step toward socialism.

Congressmen Bachus and Neugebauer discuss runaway spending and pending reprecussions.

Based on a preliminary inquiry, I conclude that “Bachass,” as I hear some call him, is a Representative truly worthy of a special level of contempt. Unfortunately, he will not be held to it in this year’s election, as he is running unopposed. Nevertheless, he deserves a quality opponent in 2010 to send him into a well-deserved retirement.