Alabama Legislature "Goat Hill Seven"

I never thought I would see the day when a politician or in Alabama’s case, seven politicians would refuse the one motivating factor of their office…money. All seven of them are Republican and somehow decided that this pay raise was not in line with what was best for the Alabama people. Mind you this action did not come as a pre-election stunt to get more voters especially with the next election being held in 2010. I feel this move was genuine and a true measure of what politicians should be like. As I said in one of my previous blog entries,there are so many full time state employees that could benefit from raises it is almost a slap in the face to ignore them. These seven choose not to ignore them or the people they serve.


Senators Ben Brooks (R - Mobile), Del Marsh (R - Anniston), Harri Anne Smith (R - Slocomb), and Rep. Paul DeMarco (R - Homewood) Senators Bradley Byrne (R - Fairhope), Hank Erwin (R -Montevallo), and Larry Dixon (R - Montgomery)


Let me clarify something, I am not against a fair and equitable raise for our legislators. I believe our lawmakers and community spokespersons should be able to vote in comfort, eat, and resided in decent surrounding while doing work for us, the people. I believe they should be well dressed (not Armani suits or Dolomite shoes) because of their need to interact with the media as well as public. However I am against a raise that is so far out in left field that is almost laughable …a 61 percent raise of laughability. These seven thought it was laughable also that is why they filed the required paperwork refusing the raise and continued on their merry way.

Being a staunch independent (because no single party has all the right stuff) I applaud these lawmakers. I am saddened by the fact that not one Dem mingles among them or even decided to donate part of their ill gotten salary to charitable organizations (even as silly as that seems). I will be watching as one by one (hopefully) as lawmaker after lawmaker begrudgingly files those papers to keep their same salary. Then when it is all said and done those communities represented by the greedy will know who to exactly vote out of office.


~Vale~


P.S This is my 50th post…

YAY ME!