Post from 2015-03-30

Baldwin County Legal Eagle Consumer Advocates exposing Political Corruption, affiliate of the Ripp Report, a non-profit Association March 30 2015 The lack of education funds is a state wide problem, not exclusive to Baldwin County. Solving the present day situation in Baldwin County by raising taxes goes against all the political pledges from recently elected officials.

Our Governor promised no new taxes and in the same sentence said Alabama finances were in good shape and he has saved the state 1 billion dollars in cuts to a bloated system. It only took a few months, after being elected, before the Governor started screaming the sky is falling and that our state finances were 700 million short. Do you really think he did not know that before the election? This is a creditability problem, that the Governor ignores and now is using intimidation to force legislators to support tax increases.

Our last Governor enjoys a lucrative contract from the Alabama Accountability Act; he is making money off the backs of our school children while we are being told by goat hill that all is well.

The Republican Speaker of the House is facing 23 felony counts for corruption and we re-elect him to represent Alabama under a cloud of corruption.

Baldwin County Commissioners, with the exception of one, fully endorse property tax increases to fund schools. Elected as conservative no tax republicans, they now want you to accept that this is for the children. Let’s not forget that 30 million dollar mega-site growing weeds that the county owns. The commissioners would love to see the tax as it takes the burden of responsibility off of them.

On a municipal level the same creditability problem exists with a healthy dose of intimidation, if you don’t accept the status quo agenda. No municipality displays this trait more than Fairhope. The same conservative no tax Mayor and Council are now on board for property tax increases and are declaring all of Fairhope is on board with their decision. They also ignore all those who do not live in Fairhope city limits, all those property owners outside the city limits, while still living in Fairhope, are impacted by the council’s actions.

Fairhope is awash with poor management, lack of checks and balances, and typically omits the general public from public participation. Corruption exists simply because the Mayor runs the show and the council majority just goes along. Lawsuit settlements, developer favorism, and crony contracts are costing taxpayers millions. They are the last ones we should trust, they all should be voted out.

Baldwin county presently receives 12 mills of property tax for education versus 29.5 mills in Mobile County. The argument would be that Baldwin County could afford a raise in taxes, maybe, however how do you overlook the waste and corruption that is ongoing. What indication do we, as citizens and taxpayers, have that the new tax will not be equally mismanaged?

The Baldwin County School System has discredited themselves in the promotion of the tax and displayed the same vindictive intimidation as their elected counterparts.

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WHAT IS A STATE WIDE SOLUTION?

In 1989 polls indicated 66% supported a lottery while 74% favored earmarking the money for education. In 1999 the state of Alabama rejected a lottery. Ron Hubbard, AEA executive director at the time, said it was a “battle of Morals”. The fact is the churches turned out the congregations to vote no, to the evil vices of gambling.

The churches enjoy a tax free status, collect cash every week, sponsor raffles and play bingo, purchase property and expand their congregation. They run their schools tax free.

The congregation is asked to ignore what is going on in our neighboring states. Are they less religious than us?

The Georgia education lottery and Florida education lottery are success stories that continue today while Alabama tries to figure out what to do.

The Georgia education lottery in 2013 transferred 927,478,000 to the lottery education account- that’s more than 2.5 million (on average) EVERY DAY for Georgia Hope and pre-k programs.

The Florida education lottery contributions to education have exceeded 1 BILLION a year for the past 12 years. Total contributions since inception are more than 27 BILLION.

Estimates of 20 to 27% of purchases of education lottery tickets in Florida and Georgia are out of state residents. Alabama assists in paying Florida and Georgia educational expenses

No matter how you vote whether you are tea party, conservative republican, bible toting, independent or democratic, a state wide education lottery would solve the problem. Tomorrow regardless of the outcome, Alabama must emerge from the dark ages and join our neighbors proven successes in raising educational funds.

I’m voting for an Alabama Education Lottery