Alabama is the best place to live, work and raise a family. This is why I am proud to be born and raised in Alabama, and it’s why I chose to raise my family here. Unfortunately, out of state liberals, including AOC, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have recently been hard at work trying to fundamentally change Alabama to be more like California and New York.
Most recently, AOC, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been at the forefront of the effort to change Alabama’s right-to-work laws. Since 1943, Alabama has been a right-to-work state, which employees and employers have benefitted greatly from. Alabama’s right-to-work laws provide employees with much flexibility, and they are a major reason why so many companies (and workers) are leaving states like California and New York to come to states like Alabama.
For the past 15 years, Alabama has benefitted significantly from revenues received through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA). The GOMESA program sets aside 37.5% of federal royalties from new Gulf oil and natural gas drilling leases for the four Gulf oil-producing states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The funds can be used for coastal conservation projects, coastal preservation projects and for hurricane protection.
GOMESA funds are critical to South Alabama and are used for projects like boat ramps, shoreline restorations, bike trails and nature park enhancements. Last year alone, GOMESA funds supported more than $26 million worth of projects in South Alabama. Just a few of these projects include: $4 million to Gulf State Park, nearly $4 million to Dauphin Island Sea Lab, $3 million for nature parks expansion and enhancements in the City of Foley, and several million dollars for improvements to public boat ramps and parking all over south Alabama. (more…)
Inequality is one of America’s most contentious issues. According to a popular narrative, higher taxes on the rich are needed to control growing inequality. New research from the Johnson Center offers a different perspective.
My colleagues G.P. Manish and Steve Miller have edited a new book titled “Capitalism and Inequality: The Role of State and Market.” The volume features contributions from leading economists on thinking about and measuring inequality and government policies making inequality worse.
We can start with the provocative question of whether equality is the proper standard for our economy. Poverty, not wealth, is the norm in human history. Wealth must be created. Why do we think that wealth will be created equally across the economy? (more…)
MONTGOMERY, AL – World Water Day is March 22. In the context of today’s news, speaking about clean water and public health is more topical than usual, and today’s example is encouraging.
At the turn of the previous century, the time of my grandfather’s birth only 124 years ago, most people got their water from a well and used an outhouse. These were often near one another, contributing to the spread of disease.
At about the same time, the industrial revolution was in full force and thousands were flocking to cities for manufacturing jobs. Birmingham is known as The Magic City because her early years were so robust the city grew “like magic.” (more…)
It’s difficult to believe that it has been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America, closing businesses, stalling commerce and keeping people home. For frontline workers, like truck drivers, the pandemic has only intensified their work, and one year may seem like two. Truck drivers are in harm’s way every day in the middle of a devastating viral disease.
Despite the dangers, the trucking industry remains resilient during this pandemic at every stage. During the early weeks of the outbreak, America’s 3.6 million truck drivers ensured stores were stocked, hospitals were supplied and first responders were equipped. While some Americans have taken steps to show their appreciation for truck drivers, most do not realize how essential the industry is to their daily lives until a crisis hits.
The trucking industry is the backbone of America – keeping our lives, businesses and economy moving forward every day by safely delivering everything we rely on. From the delivery of today’s most critical supplies, such as the coronavirus vaccine, to the delivery of daily essential goods, including the food on your table, clothes on your back and fuel in your car, all of these items were brought to our communities by a truck. As a matter of fact, nearly every good that is consumed in the U.S. was put on a truck at some point. The critical link between a stocked grocery store or pharmacy, and a consumer, is an American truck driver. (more…)
President Biden’s immigration policies have created a crisis on the border he can no longer afford to ignore. Despite his administration’s unwillingness to recognize the situation on the border as a serious humanitarian crisis, federal authorities have struggled to control this situation as a massive surge of migrants attempt to enter the U.S. illegally. Just last month, over 100,000 migrants attempted to cross the border, which is more than three times the number of attempts one year prior.
President Biden needs to realize his campaign promises and actions since taking office have created a crisis on the border which compromises the safety of law-abiding Americans. On the campaign trail, President Biden promised to ease immigration controls and put a moratorium on deportations, signaling to asylum-seekers the likelihood of gaining entry to the United States. He has further exacerbated the problem with his proposed immigration bill offering asylum and a pathway to citizenship to most of the illegal immigrants who are already in the United States. (more…)
The University of Alabama System recently announced a return to normal activities for 2021-22, including full attendance at Crimson Tide football games this fall. I do not try predicting politicians’ decisions but contend that life should return to normal when we the people want it to.
Vaccinations have ramped up and the nationwide seven-day averages of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are down 49, 67 and 77 percent from their January highs. President Biden recently announced that enough vaccines should be available for all adults by the end of May. These developments are changing state policies. The governors of Texas and Mississippi have ended their state COVID-19 restrictions.
On the other hand, some public health officials want restrictions on life continued. Dr. Anthony Fauci foresees people still wearing masks in 2022. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wants fully vaccinated persons to wear masks and not interact with persons not from their household. (more…)
Mobile, Ala. — Last month, the Alabama House of Representatives took an important step toward keeping some of our state’s most violent criminals off of the streets by passing House Bill 130, also known as “Aniah’s Law.” Now it’s time for our senators and the voters of Alabama to finish the job.
“Aniah’s Law” is an important reform bill that would give Alabama judges the option to deny pretrial bail to violent criminals who present a clear danger to our communities. This piece of legislation is named after Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old Homewood resident and college student who was kidnapped and killed in 2019 by a man who was out on bail for multiple violent felonies at the time.
The story of Aniah Blanchard’s disappearance and tragic death was featured on CBS News’ “48 Hours” this past weekend. The segment, “Fighting for Aniah,” also touched briefly on her family’s continued efforts to protect innocent Alabamians from repeat violent offenders. Currently, the Alabama Constitution does not allow judges to deny bail to repeat violent offenders in most circumstances — including those who, like the man accused of killing Aniah, have a documented history of violent criminal behavior. (more…)
Fifty days ago, President Joe Biden declared in his inaugural address, “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation.” Most Americans, myself included, listened to these first words of the new administration with hopeful ears. But as we have come to learn, unity stands in firm contrast to the actions of this White House. Unfortunately, too many of President Biden’s policies have led to a 50-day drive to divide.
Many consider the 100-day mark as a barometer for how quickly and effectively a president can govern. However, when it comes to President Biden, we don’t need 100 days to make that judgment. In just 50 days, it is clear that his administration is paving a path of executive overreach, disunity and partisanship.
On day one, the president implemented a slew of executive orders and actions within hours of his swearing-in ceremony. In the 15 acts he signed – a record he holds over his predecessors by a wide margin – Joe Biden paved the way for us to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, preserve DACA, halt border wall construction, revoke the Keystone XL Pipeline permits and reverse many of President Trump’s policies. (more…)
During my long-running personal war with corruption, setbacks seem to outnumber victories. Even so, setbacks can serve to humble our heart, open our mind and toughen our skin. When that happens, they become a delivery mechanism for wisdom and discernment, two valuable spiritual commodities that always seem to be in short supply.
This never-ending war of attrition is well worth fighting, even if total victory is unattainable in this mortal world. The most dangerous and difficult corruption to combat, by far, is always our own. By focusing on our own corruption first and foremost, we can be better prepared to properly confront it when we find it in other places. Or it finds us.
Corruption is a spiritual disease that has tormented mankind throughout history. There is a simple but painful cure: the truth. Not the truth that bends to suit our feelings, or the truth that can be manipulated to help us fit in with our friends and condemn our adversaries. Not even that sort of truth that polls provide to us to help win elections. They are all frauds that can seduce us into corruption. (more…)
Last week, House Democrats pushed through H.R. 1 – For the People Act, which should have been named For the Politicians Act, because it aims to radically transform our elections by taking election decisions away from the people and giving more power to bureaucrats. This act utilizes taxpayer money to fund campaigns, legalizes ballot harvesting, weaponizes the IRS for political gain, and mandates felons be allowed to vote. Election integrity is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, and while many in Congress attempt to further undermine our elections process, I’m committed to fighting for common sense rules that reflect the principle of 1 person, 1 vote.
H.R. 1 further undermines America’s faith in our elections by expanding mail-in voting, mandating same-day registration, banning state voter ID laws, and banning multi-state cross-checks. It would entirely overhaul how our elections are run by imposing California-style elections on states like Alabama. The primary authority to regulate elections would be taken away from the states and given to Washington bureaucrats. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and the rest of Alabama’s election officials do an outstanding job managing Alabama’s elections, and the last thing we need is the federal government interfering with how we run our elections. (more…)
Alabama’s leading health organizations are joining together to strongly recommend Alabamians get the COVID-19 vaccine. Getting the vaccine can help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus that has affected the lives of almost every Alabamian.
“Protection from COVID-19 through vaccination of the majority of people is critically important in reducing COVID-19 disease,” said Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer. “COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective for men and women regardless of age or racial and ethnic group. We strongly recommend that adults protect themselves, their family, coworkers, friends, and community from severe illness and death by getting vaccinated when they are eligible. Vaccination will help advance the public health vision of healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy Alabama.”
The Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Hospital Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Pharmacy Association, the Alabama Medicaid Agency and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama are together confident in the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety. (more…)
Congress is expected to soon pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, the fourth major response to the pandemic. Did these measures save our economy from a protracted recession?
Our initial response might be yes because of last spring’s economic free-fall. The stock market declined 20%. Unemployment jumped from 3.5% in February to 14.8% in April, the highest level since the Great Depression. GDP fell 10% in the second quarter.
The economy stopped collapsing and began regaining ground. The stock market hit new record highs. Unemployment fell to 6.3% in January and inflation-adjusted GDP in the fourth quarter of 2020 was within 2% of the 2019 level. Post hoc ergo prompter hoc, however, is a logical fallacy. (more…)
We take freedom of conscience for granted, but, 500 years ago, accepting and practicing beliefs outside of the mainstream was deadly.
The 1521 Diet of Worms was a legislative gathering held in Worms (one of the oldest cities in Europe) to consider Martin Luther’s theology.
The stakes were extraordinarily high as Luther, a mere monk, parried with the leading Roman Catholic scholars of his day. The ramifications of this meeting, while couched in religious terms, had clear political underpinnings. So much so that Holy Roman Emperor Charles V presided over the “meeting”, which allowed the trappings of his office to validate the ultimate decision. (more…)
Last week, I had the honor of recognizing several hometown heroes in South Alabama who have made an impact in their community over the past year. This past year has been tough on millions of Americans as we battle the COVID pandemic and endure countless hardships, but I’m proud of so many folks in South Alabama who make our community a better place.
Brian Copes, a manufacturing instructor for the City of Chickasaw school system is leading an effort to develop inexpensive prosthetic limbs that will change the lives of many amputees throughout Latin America. Students from all disciplines have been working together to create a real non-profit business, and eventually, these students will travel to Latin America to not only fit amputees but also to aid the amputees in rehabilitation as they learn to walk with their new prosthetics.
Natalie Fox, assistant administrator and chief nursing officer for USA Physicians Group and USA Health, has been the lead coordinator of the University of South Alabama’s Health system community testing and vaccination site for the Mobile region. To date, she has overseen the successful implementation of over 26,000 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since December 15 and over 50,000 COVID tests performed since the pandemic began. Natalie has worked tirelessly to meet the high demands on the health care system for the past year, and we are incredibly thankful for her hard work and dedication to the people of South Alabama. (more…)
The COVID-19 pandemic reduced gross domestic product (GDP) by about 4% in 2020. The virus also disrupted public education, with many schools still virtual. The tabulation of GDP has missed the economic impact of the school disruption meaning that our 2020 economic performance was worse than the statistics show.
GDP is the “market value of all final goods and services produced within a country during a specific time period.” Market prices enable comparison of apples, oranges and cars and provide evidence of the value of each good. A round of golf which contributes $60 toward GDP generates at least this much value because someone willingly paid $60 to play. Consumer purchases must pass a “market test.”
Government services – from police protection to national defense to public schools – are not priced and cannot be valued in this manner. GDP values government purchases at the amount of expenditure. (more…)
It is common for liberals and other supporters of a total government takeover of America’s health care system to praise the effectiveness, lower expenditures and “fairness” of other countries’ health care delivery. Most often, they heap praise on Canada’s health care system and point to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service as models that we should not only emulate but import wholesale into the United States. “Medicare for All!” is the demand.
The question we must ask, as a state and as a country, is what is the true cost of Washington, D.C.-controlled and directed health care? The true cost of Medicare for All is the price paid not in dollars but longer wait times to be treated for routine and life-threatening conditions alike, underfunding of all medical facilities and medical training programs, and most concerningly government panels deciding who will and who will not receive lifesaving treatments. The truth that Democrats will not publicly admit is that single-payer, government-controlled health care systems ration care. (more…)
MONTGOMERY – This is Engineers’ Week, a week during which we honor the profession of engineering and the contributions of engineers to public safety and quality of life.
Whether it’s clean water you drink; gas and electricity you use to keep warm in winter and cool in summer; medical advances that add to your quality of life; or fast, safe and efficient transportation, the contributions of engineers are literally everywhere and benefit everyone.
Engineers played a crucial role in developing and delivering the Covid vaccine in record pace, in converting CPAP machines to ventilators, in creating highly specialized glass vials to supply the vaccine. and in designing and delivering to market products that kept us safer and healthier than otherwise. (more…)
In recent weeks, large portions of the South, including Alabama, were hit with unseasonably cold weather that brought cold temperatures, snow and ice to the region.
In Texas, millions of people were without power, forced to huddle inside of their homes without heat or water in freezing temperatures.
Alabama had unusually low temperatures too, but there were no blackouts. There were no spikes in energy costs. We may have had cold weather, but Alabamians were able to heat their homes with no interruption in service.
What is the difference between our two states? Texas has a deregulated energy market that created a “wild west” of private energy providers and a grid that is largely an island of its own. Wind turbines make up nearly a quarter of the state’s generation capacity. More than half the states actual power generation comes from natural gas, a fuel source that has grown in importance in Texas as operators have shuttered coal-fired plants. (more…)
There is no substitute for being prepared. That’s true whether you’re protecting your family in a time of crisis or ensuring your business is ready for the worst. And as we’re learning in Texas, it’s especially true when it comes to delivering power.
There can be no question. What has happened – and what continues to happen – to power customers in Texas is a disaster. The state’s one-of-a-kind power grid was simply not prepared for extreme winter conditions. The companies customers trusted to heat their homes and power their businesses failed when the chips were down. And for all the finger pointing about which fuel source was to blame, it was never about one power source or another, but a failure of accountability and preparedness across the board.
Fortunately, it’s a disaster that Alabama has taken aggressive steps to avoid. (more…)
Late last year, Governor Ivey urged school districts in Alabama to reopen schools and allow students the option to return to the classroom, while many school districts across the country continued with virtual learning. Alabama was ahead of the curve on what recent CDC guidance made clear – with reasonable health precautions like distancing and wearing masks, students and teachers could safely return to the classroom and resume in-person learning. In Alabama, most of our students have been back in the classroom since late last year, and time has proven classrooms are safe and the transmission and infection rates in schools are incredibly low. School districts across the country should look to Alabama as a model for how to safely get students back in the classroom.
Although it will likely be years before we know the full impact remote learning has on our students, we are already seeing negative impacts on students across the nation. Multiple studies have shown students are falling significantly behind academically, with younger and lower-income students disproportionately suffering. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Virginia’s largest school system just outside of D.C., compared data from 2019 and 2020, and what they found was shocking. The percentage of Fs earned by middle and high schoolers nearly doubled and students with disabilities saw a massive spike in Fs. It will be nearly impossible for students to make up for this lost time, putting them at a severe disadvantage as they enter the workforce in the future. (more…)
Every society must protect against those who would use violence to steal from others. After controlling criminals, swindlers become a major fear and motivates many government regulations. Yet regulations against fraud allow far worse swindling than markets.
Swindling is always wrong, but most people learn to avoid pedestrian scams like the email from an exiled prince seeking to transfer millions of dollars. Many scams violate customs and laws and the courts will help victims if possible.
Smart and clever people can perpetrate more serious swindles. Consider how Tom Sawyer convinced the neighborhood boys to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence for him. The 1967 movie “The Producers” offers another example, with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder soliciting investments in a play sure to flop. (more…)
In only 21 short months, at the close of 2022, Alabama will lose the greatest senator in our state’s history. Those of us who are political historians will acknowledge Richard Shelby as Alabama’s most pronounced political emissary in Washington.
In my 2015 book, “Six Decades of Alabama Political History,” I have a chapter titled “Alabama’s Three Greatest Senators,” which features Lister Hill, John Sparkman and Richard Shelby. Lister Hill and John Sparkman were icons but, if I were writing that chapter today, Richard Shelby would be alone as the premier “Giant of Alabama.”
Hill served in the Senate for 30 years and Sparkman for 32 years. Shelby eclipsed Sparkman’s record two years ago, and at the end of his term, will set the bar at 36 years. It should also be noted that Senators Shelby, Hill and Sparkman served nearly a decade or more in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Shelby is now in his 43rd year in Washington. (more…)
President Biden has said one of his top priorities is creating new jobs and “growing the economy for all Americans.” One way he seeks to do this is by increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour between now and 2025. The unfortunate reality is such a move would result in significant increases in unemployment for younger and less-educated workers who typically work entry-level minimum wage jobs, even though President Biden claims it would increase employment and increase wages for these workers.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, despite lifting 900,000 people out of poverty, would cause 1.4 million people to lose their job due to layoffs, outsourcing and automation. Simply put, implementing such a significant wage increase on many small businesses would force business owners to cut their workforce and increase prices for their goods and services. The CBO also found that raising the federal minimum wage would add another $54 billion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years. (more…)