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Cronyism reigns and corruption abounds
Democrats in the Legislature certainly have the most to lose in this battle because 11 of them work for or contract with schools in the two-year system and one works in K-12. However, there are some Republicans in the Legislature, which could also be affected …notably two who work in the two-year system and one in K- 12. But three Republicans work for four-year colleges and one works for a state agency… and you can bet that if Byrne's proposal is adopted these lawmakers will be affected. Byrne has proposed policies that would bar state elected officials from working for the two-year system after the end of their current terms. Another proposal would force system employees to use only unpaid leave to do work other than their system jobs, limiting such leave to 10 days. Although the ban wouldn't go into effect until 2010, limiting leave time could have the effect of forcing some legislators out much earlier. Byrne's proposals, however, will certainly be challenged in court. Section 59 of Alabama's constitution permits legislators to hold other offices of profit (public offices) provided the office wasn't created or its "emoluments" increased during the legislator's term. It is difficult for me to believe a school board policy limiting use of leave could trump the state constitution's clear approval for legislators to hold two public offices. There are other legal problems with Byrne's proposal including the principle of equal protection under the laws and the prohibition, even if adopted by legislative statute, which would impair the obligation of contracts. Hubbert also believes that the proposed change affects voting and would have to be approved by the Justice Department and that it would also have to approved by the Legislative Council. And Democrats may have also increased their chances of blocking Byrne and Riley in the Legislature. Two of five Democratic senators who, along with three others joined with Republicans to tie up the Senate during the past regular session, appear to be returning to the Democratic fold. If Sens. E.B. McClain of Birmingham and Larry Means of Gadsden exit what has been called a Dissident Democrat/Republican alliance the Democratic margin in the upper chamber will increase from 18-17 to 20-15. The return of a third prodigal Democrat would allow the Democrats to halt debate on any issue. There is no question but that Byrne has inherited a system where cronyism reigns and corruption abounds and that something must be done to change that culture. The blunt-ax approach may work for those within the system, but such use to deal with a branch of the government that has plenary power over one's budget may not be the smartest strategy…particularly by using statements like "I'm not going to lay down and let them take a piece out of me, They're going to have to work hard to take a piece out of me." Thirteen percent of the state's bridges are structurally deficient There are 15,827 bridges in Alabama controlled by state, county and city governments, federal records show, and 2,101 of those are structurally deficient. Steel-deck truss bridges similar to the I-35W Minneapolis bridge, span the Tallapoosa River on Alabama 14 in Tallassee, the Coosa River on Alabama 22 in Chilton County, and the Tennessee River on U.S. 43 in the Shoals' area. The eight-lane I-35W bridge in Minneapolis had a steel deck, but the trusses were arched.
Bob Martin is editor and publisher of The Montgomery Independent.
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