The doubledippers can't let go of it
Bob Ingram
The vote may have already been taken by the time you read this, but it will be interesting to pick up the feedback legislators got during their spring break on the slavery apology resolution.

Alabama Scene

When Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, offered the resolution 10 days ago…he said he did it in the name of racial harmony…it stirred up a hornet's nest. Some of his critics smelled a rat…they feared this is the first step toward demanding financial reparations for descendents of slaves.

An effort may be made to have the resolution voted on by the people statewide…and while at first glance you might think it would pass handily…you might be surprised. There are a lot of white voters in Alabama who are not all persuaded that they should apologize for something they had nothing to do with….

I will be watching with interest to see if the Alabama Legislature passes a resolution commending Brett Blackledge of the Birmingham News for having won the Pulitizer Prize for his splendid investigative reporting of the scandals in the two-year institutions.

Even more interesting would be if the resolution should be passed by a recorded vote. Would the 40-plus legislators who along with their kin and friends have been slopping at the trough vote for the resolution?

It was a remarkable day for Alabama when the coveted Pulitzer Prizes were announced. Not only did Blackledge win but also Cynthia Tucker, a Monroeville native, Auburn grad, and now editorial page editor for the the Atlanta Constitution.

And speaking of the continuing mess in the two year colleges, there is a growing demand that Rep. Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, give up his other $48,000 a year job with Bevill State or step down as majority leader in the House. Even some of his fellow Democrats think his double dipping is reflecting on their party.

Guin resigned from his job with Shelton State a few weeks ago but opted not to remove his snout from the other trough…

U. S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, has amassed $1.87 million in his campaign war chest as he prepares for a bid for re-election in 2008.

A recent filing with the Federal Elections Commission showed that Sessions had collected more than $545,000 during the first three months of 2007.

If all the talk is true, Session may need this money. Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, a Democrat, reportedly is taking a serious look at challenging Sessions next year. Sparks was one of the Democrat's top vote-getters in his successful bid for reelection to the Ag post in 2006.

At one point Sparks had indicated he might toss his hat into the gubernatorial ring in 2010 but it now seems his interest is more focused on the U. S. Senate….

The city of Huntsville has been picked as one of the Top 100 places to live in the U. S. by Relocate America. It was the only city in Alabama to make the Top 100.

Cities are ranked on various factors including education, environment, economic and housing considerations.

For the record, ranked No. 1 in the nation was Asheville, NC. The state with the most cities making the top 100 was Florida with seven.

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