Dear Fellow Alabamians,
I have been having a good time over the month meeting with Alabamians and sharing my prescriptions for fixing Alabama’s economy at candidate forums and radio shows. On Tuesday, I joined the other Republican gubernatorial candidates for the Birmingham Business Journal’s candidate forum to discuss improving Alabama’s economy. I also was on the Paul Finebaum show on Tuesday discussing my position on gambling and other issues. However, I am most excited about an Alabama House Committee passing my bill to create 5,000 new jobs in Alabama.
CREATING ALABAMA JOBS
On Wednesday, the House Education Appropriations Committee passed the Reemployment Act of 2010 (HB 260), which I introduced in January. During committee discussion of the bill, Rep. Oden of Cullman said the bill was “one of the best economic bills we’ve had in the last two sessions.” Rep. Graham of Tallapoosa stated that it was “about time somebody stepped up to create jobs,” and invited me to visit her legislative district to discuss the bill with employers there.
The Legislative Fiscal Office has determined that this bill will reduce state spending while creating new jobs. Based on our Alabama’s past experience with the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit program, I estimate the Reemployment Act will create over 5,000 jobs for Alabamians. I am committed to passing this bill while I remain in the legislature, and I will remain focused on job creation as Governor.
SAVING ALABAMA’S PACT
Last week, I voted to fully fund the PACT in the House Education Appropriations Committee. The money to pay for fully funding the PACT will become available once capital improvement bonds are redeemed. I believe Alabama has a moral and legal responsibility to honor these contracts.
I want to give special thanks to Patti Lambert & Dr. Richard Huckaby of Save Alabama PACT for their efforts to help parents and grandparents organize their support for fixing the PACT. In fact, the parents and grandparents who engaged in the civic process to call on their state legislators to fix this issue deserve as much credit as anyone.
CANDIDATE FORUMS ACROSS ALABAMA
During the Birmingham forum, I was happy to continue discussing my plans for healing our economy through my comprehensive jobs agenda, “Putting Alabamians Back to Work.” I continued to discuss The Reemployment Act of 2010 (HB 260), which provides an incentive for businesses to hire unemployed Alabamians. As I stated above, I anticipate the bill will create approximately 5,000 new jobs. Even better, the Legislative Fiscal Office analysis states the bill will save the state money.
On Monday I participated in the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors candidate forum in Prichard. I again touted my plans to heal Alabama’s economy and create jobs. We also addressed issues specific to the mayors, and Artur Davis and I both had fun exchanges with the moderators.
The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association forum in Huntsville on Saturday was fun despite the horrible weather. As a member of the House Agriculture & Forestry Committee, I felt very much in my own element and had a good time. Of course, I continued to promote my jobs agenda for “Putting Alabamians Back to Work.”
RECENT RADIO APPEARANCES
I enjoyed being on Paul Finebaum’s show Tuesday and we had a good discussion of my upbringing in Columbiana and how the people of Shelby County shaped the person that I am now. I told Paul that medicine was my gift and my calling. However, while I love my patients, I’ve always been interested in public service as another way of helping people. I believe in the idea of citizen legislators who come from all walks of life, serve the people for a limited time, and then return home.
Paul and I also spoke about what has been happening in Alabama with gambling lately. Every year, every session is taken up by gambling, and now it’s consuming the Governor’s time. I think the only solution to this problem is to have an up or down, yes or no vote on all gambling in Alabama. A yes vote would strictly regulate and highly tax gambling, while a no vote would ban all forms of gambling. You can listen to our conversation here: http://bit.ly/bhWB0V.
Dale Jackson and I had a lively exchange on Monday the 15th about my vote to indefinitely postpone the charter school bill. While we did not agree on my vote, the conversation was fun and respectful. Rep. Cam Ward stated on Doc’s Political Parlor last week that “the best compromise to the issue was offered by Rep. Robert Bentley.” My amendment would have limited the number of initial charter schools to ten, five for technical schools and five for local community schools. This would allow us to evaluate their effectiveness in Alabama. However, I was not able to offer my amendment, which is only one reason I voted against the bill. You can listen to us here: http://bit.ly/Dale_Jackson_021510.
The impetus behind the bill is eligibility for an Obama bailout from the “Race to the Top” money in the Obama stimulus. I am not willing to fund an untested program in Alabama in order to get this Obama bailout money. I am especially concerned because to obtain the money, Alabama would have to change our educational rules and regulations. We would have to keep these changes in place even after the bailout money runs out, even though that money does nothing to fund charter schools. We as Republicans have been opposed to Obama bailout money. I will continue to oppose accepting any federal funds which require Alabama to change its laws and make us responsible for funding new programs after the federal money runs out.
Matt Murphy and I also had a spirited conversation about charter schools when I was on his show Friday the 12th. I truly appreciate the opportunity he gave me to explain my that my vote was motivated by concern over future spending if we change our laws to gain temporary Obama bailout money which will disappear in a few years. This is not a wise budgeting practice, and the Federal Government dangling money in front of the states to change their laws is just a different encroachment on States’ Rights.
Finally, if you would like more information on my whereabouts, thoughts, or policy positions you can follow me on Twitter @Bentley2010 or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RobertBentley2010. Also, please feel free to email me at Robert.Bentley@RobertBentley2010.com or visit our campaign website at RobertBentley2010.com.
Sincerely,
P.S. Our campaign is continues to build momentum as I travel across Alabama. However, I can only continue take our message of curing Alabama’s economy to every corner of the state with your help. Your donation of $10, $25, $50, $100 or more will help me continue advocating solutions and cures for our state’s economic and other ailments. Every donation, no matter how humble, will enable me to reach more of state’s citizens with my plans for “Putting Alabamians Back to Work.”
P.P.S. You can also help me take my economic development plan to all Alabamians by: · Hosting a house party to introduce me to your friends and neighbors (click here);; · Volunteering to become a local campaign coordinator or representative (click here); · Allowing Dr. Bentley to use your name as an endorser in campaign ads(click here); ; · Providing Dr. Bentley a list of friends and neighbors he can call to ask if they’d like to become a supporter or meet for coffee(click here); · Registering on this website to receive campaign updates(click here);