The Oct. 4 announcement of 11 federal indictments alleging a brazen vote-buying scheme in the Alabama Legislature effectively recast the Nov. 2 election. Instead of focusing on statewide and legislative races, the indictments showed the dirty underbelly of Alabama politics and highlighted the need for basic changes in the way Alabama governs itself.
What right-thinking person would not be appalled at the charge of legislators receiving promises of $1 million or more for a favorable vote to legalize electronic bingo gambling in the state? The indictments only verify the oft-repeated stories of special interest groups wheeling and dealing around the state Capitol with large amounts of cash.
And most of the actions are taken with impunity because Alabama law makes it next to impossible to track the money trail. Political Action Committees (PAC) transfer funds to other PACs that transfer the money to other PACs, and no one knows the difference even though the PACs may all be controlled by the same person or special interest group.
Alabama law is among the most lenient in the nation in allowing people like Milton McGregor and Ronnie Gilley — two high-rolling gambling promoters who were among those indicted — to hide their nefarious deeds behind financial secrecy.
The Bible says men love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). Light exposes one’s deeds. Light leads to judgment — good or evil, the Scriptures say.
Alabama needs light in its political process, especially in who is bankrolling candidates and ballot issues. That means stopping PAC-to-PAC transfers so voters can know and decide for themselves.
The state’s ethics laws are outdated, and the Ethics Commission is hamstrung without power to do proper investigations. The Ethics Commission cannot even subpoena documents related to cases before it.
These are not new problems. They are well-known and every year, candidates for the state Legislature and statewide offices pledge their support to wipe out these wrongs. The tragic thing is that nothing ever changes. Legislators talk about the issues to provide some cover for themselves back home, but no meaningful change is ever adopted.
The result is the legislative process described in the 11 indictments. The result is attorneys for the defendants saying their clients’ actions were “just the way business is done in Montgomery.”
Alabama deserves better. Alabama must have better if it is ever to break the stranglehold money and special interests have on its future. That is why Nov. 2 is Decision Day in Alabama. Voters will declare the kind of future they want for the state by the people they elect to statewide office and the state Legislature.
Gambling remains a major issue in Alabama. During the past four years, gambling proponents persuaded some state legislators to bring the legislative process to a standstill as they tried to force a statewide vote on gambling. Despite the indictments, the gambling proponents will be back.
If Alabamians are tired of the influence and tactics of this evil, then the best way to stop it is to elect state senators and representatives who are committed to vote against gambling.
An amendment to the state constitution will be necessary for the gambling crowd to win, and the governor does not have veto power on a constitutional amendment. That is a decision of the state Legislature. Who you vote for makes a difference. Your state senator and representative will help decide this issue.
Obviously the governor’s influence is important. Alabama is fortunate to have had Gov. Bob Riley for the past eight years to stand against the gambling crowd and enforce the laws when others chose to wink at them, if not worse.
Neither of the gubernatorial candidates is as strongly opposed to gambling as Riley and that is unfortunate. But there is a difference between one who advocates gambling as economic development to solve the state’s financial problems (Ron Sparks) and one who will support only a vote to either legalize gambling or get rid of it all together, including the Indian casinos (Robert Bentley).
Both said they plan to let the state’s attorney general take the lead in enforcing laws against gambling rather than appointing a special task force to deal with the issue. That makes the race for attorney general especially important for those of us opposed to gambling.
But gambling is only one issue facing the state. What about the way Alabama is governed? What will legislative and statewide candidates do about PAC-to-PAC transfers? What is their position on the power of the Ethics Commission to investigate alleged abuses and corruption? Will legislators and public officials continue efforts to clean up Alabama’s two-year college system and eliminate conflicts of interest in which officials sometimes vote on budgets and other issues for their own employers?
Public education is another important issue. So are right-to-life issues and the list goes on. In the end, Alabama Baptists and other voters will cast their ballots based on a wide range of positions held by candidates, not just a single issue.
Decision Day is rapidly approaching. In these closing days, take time to study candidates’ positions on issues of importance to you. Candidates for state Legislature can be contacted personally and asked pointed questions about their positions on vital issues.
When you vote, you are not voting for a “neighbor” or “nice person.” You are voting for the direction you want Alabama to go for the next four years. That is an important decision. Be sure you pray about your decisions, and then go to the polls Nov. 2 and cast your ballot.
As a responsible Christian citizen, be a part of Decision Day in Alabama.
Share with others: