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Iron Bowl or bust State Rep. Alvin Holmes didn't get free tickets to this year's Auburn- Alabama game. The outspoken legislator wondered if he purposely got passed over because he has criticized Auburn University in recent years. The rest of the world read the Montgomery Democrat's lament and wondered something entirely different: Why would a state legislator expect free tickets to one of the state's premier sporting events? But what a silly question on our part. As Holmes pointed out, legislators always get free tickets to the Iron Bowl. "The host school for the annual Iron Bowl game provides two complimentary tickets to state legislators on behalf of both Auburn University and the University of Alabama," Auburn spokesman Brian Keeter said in a statement Tuesday. "As in previous years, two courtesy tickets were mailed to each state representative and state senator ... for the 2007 contest." That's just great. Regular Alabamians ponied up at least $60 apiece to attend the game - and some may have paid several times that amount if they bought tickets from scalpers. Yet legislators went for free, for no other reason than we have entrusted them to look after our interests. Just as irritating, the legislators also got parking passes. The Ethics Commission says there's nothing illegal about the free tickets. "I'm not saying it's the right thing," said Jim Sumner, the commission's director and a former lobbyist for the University of Alabama. "But it's the way it's always been done." The universities would have to file a report with the Ethics Commission if, in addition to the tickets, they provided any legislators other hospitality or favors that day worth $130. That would bring the total value of the outing to $250, the ridiculously high reporting threshold set in the ethics law for gifts to public officials. Beyond that, there's no restriction in the law that would prevent the colleges from giving the tickets nor the legislators from taking them. Of course, there's nothing in the law that requires them to continue this tradition, either. There are many reasons why legislators and public officials shouldn't, as a rule, get free tickets to football games or other outings. The perception - and the reality, for that matter - is that freebies are an effort to buy or keep favor in the Legislature. We certainly hope legislators are supportive of universities when they deserve it, but we also hope legislators feel free to challenge universities when it's in taxpayers' interest to do so. While Auburn said it sent all legislators tickets, the fact Holmes wondered whether he was snubbed as payback for criticizing the university speaks volumes about this practice. Holmes clearly believes the tickets are somehow tied to a legislator's actions for or against the universities. Legislators are supposed to serve us. They're not supposed to use their positions to serve themselves. If they want a ticket to a ballgame, they should do what their constituents do: Buy it.
The Birmingham News
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