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Alabama
Will Siegelman run in 2006? MONTGOMERY—Say what you may about Don Siegelman....love him or hate him...but give him a rousing ovation for his upbeat nature. The former governor is under attack on a variety of fronts. Two federal grand juries, one in Birmingham and the other in Montgomery, have been working around the clock building up a variety of cases against him. He has already been indicted once and other indictments are likely to follow. None of the charges have been proven in court but the smoke around his administration as governor is so thick one must believe there is a fire somewhere. But despite all of this, Siegelman is acting like he is a sure-fire candidate for a second term as governor in 2006. He is showing up at conventions and pressing the flesh with as much enthusiasm as ever. And last week, in a letter begging for money to help him pay his mounting legal bills, Siegelman dropped another strong hint that he will be a man to contend with in the ‘06 gubernatorial campaign. He wrote in his letter that he had thought that the next time he asked for money "it would be re-election campaign." You can’t help but admire his upbeat outlook. If he is not a member of the Optimist Club he ought to be. ****** A few years ago Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, was stopped for speeding on the interstate while enroute to Montgomery on legislative business. As a matter of fact, he was stopped twice. Both times he was clocked at more than 90 miles per hour. Be sure he beat the rap. He showed the arresting officers his legislative ID, invoked legislative immunity, and went on his way. But Barron was upset that in both instances he was stopped by local law enforcement officers who were patrolling the interstate...not State Troopers. He determined to do something about that, and having the power he has, he did. Barron got a law passed prohibiting city and county law enforcement officers in rural areas from making traffic arrests on interstates in their jurisdiction. The result has been that with the desperate shortage of State Troopers because of the funding crisis Alabama’s interstates have been turned into speedways. State Public Safety Director Mike Coppage puts it another way. He says Alabama has become known as a "Hammer State"...which is to say motorists...and most especially 18-wheelers...know they can put the "hammer down" on Alabama’s interstates with little fear of being ticketed. He and Gov. Riley would like to repeal the Barron law and return to the city and county enforcement officers the authority to make traffic arrests on the interstates. Sen. Barron says he will oppose any such legislation, and in a fight between Barron and Gov. Riley put your money on Barron. ****** The State Ethics Commission has ruled that there is ample evidence to believe that State Sen. Sundra Escott-Russell, D-Birmingham, violated the law when she steered "pork funds" to a program run by family members. In 2002 Sen. Russell directed $107,000 of her pork money to Jefferson State Community College and then had $37,000 of that money given to a program called Expressways to Learning—-a tutoring program she had created with another act. This program is run by her brother and sister. What is puzzling is why Sen. Russell faces possible legal action by the Attorney General’s Office for the questionable spending of $37,000 but no one has questioned the millions of dollars in "pork" money Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, has sent to agencies in his district which are run by his family members. ****** If I made a list of the good guys I have known in state government over the past 50 years, high on that list would be Maj. Gen. Alfred Harrison of Opelika. He died last week at the age of 92 after a long and remarkable life. A graduate of Auburn (API) in 1937, Harrison had a distinguished combat record in World War II and served for more than 38 years in the Army, Army Reserve and Alabama National Guard. I had the pleasure of serving in the Brewer Cabinet with Al. In fact, he was Adjutant General in the Cabinets of three governors—George and Lurleen Wallace as well as Albert Brewer. Bob Ingram has been covering Alabama politics for over 50 years.
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