Dear Editor,
We the people of legislative District 79 will be going to the polls soon to elect a new legislator to take the seat recently lost by Mike Hubbard, due to his conviction of public corruption while Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As this is a crunch time for Alabama, trying to recover from rampart corruption in government, this election is especially important. The announced candidates are all good men, but who will have the strength and fire in his belly, to stand up to the machine politics that the winner will encounter, once he takes his seat? Will he go along to get along or will he stand his ground and fight for honesty, and what is best for the people of Alabama? Will he go along with the status quo’s self serving agenda, or commit to work toward changing direction, and making the hard decisions that the body as a whole has so miserably failed to do?
As the main function of the State Legislature is to fund state government, will he make this priority number one? Will he commit to reestablishing campaign finance caps, the lack of which has helped prevent adequate funding of state agencies.
Alabama is one of a hand full of states that do not have strict limits on campaign contributions. Huge campaign contributions to legislators have a way of buying influence and immunity from additional taxes.Which are vital to the adequate funding of Medicaid, prisons and other vital agencies. Our legislators scream “no new taxes” but no new taxes for who? Can you guess? If you give me $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000, I’ll bet you can guess who’s interest I will be looking out for. Unconscionable amounts of money flowing in an election cycle, because of no limits on contribution from big donors, taints the process of governing and may be the major reason Alabama government is underfunded.
Hopefully we will hear a commitment from the candidates, that they introduce legislation that will limit campaign finance contributions and install term limits. Two necessary laws for better government.
Slaton Crawford
Auburn, Al
