AEA Cries ‘Wolf’ Again on Jobs Bill

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Published on Friday, 17 February 2012 12:54

Like previous attempts, hollow scare tactics don’t ring true

 OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE BLAINE GALLIHER - Just like Aesop’s The Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf,’ who failed to realize his continued falsehoods would make people distrust him, the Alabama Education Association and its new chief, Henry Mabry are once again sounding a false alarm on a key economic development bill, and the move is backfiring.

 You see the AEA leadership has continually scared its members into believing the Legislature is out to get them:

  • They said last year’s tenure reform bill would strip teachers of tenure. That never happened.
  • They said the new Reduction In Force language would lead to widespread layoffs of education personnel. It never happened.
  • They said 6,000-10,000 teachers would retire in a “mass exodus” because of adjusted insurance premiums. Only a few hundred actually did retire early, it turns out.
  • Years ago they said programs like ARI, AMSTI and ACCESS Distance Learning shouldn’t be fully funded because it would “siphon off” education dollars. Now those programs are helping students all across the state to be successful, and have won national acclaim as models of excellence.

Over and over again, the leadership of this education workers union has tried to scare its membership into believing they are being harmed when, in fact, they are not. Now they are trying to frighten teachers into believing an economic development bill is somehow bad for our schools. You can only cry “wolf” so many times before folks stop believing you, and that’s where AEA finds itself.

 The House of Representatives is considering a bill that would allow voters to give the Governor and the Alabama Development Office the authority to offer incentives like those used on the Mercedes project to recruit new industry to Alabama and prevent existing industry from leaving the state. HB159 is a good bill. It has bi-partisan support. It’s companion bill, HB160, passed by a margin of 69-19, with 13 Democrats voting yes.

 AEA has stooped to employ scare tactics in its opposition to the bill, telling members the bill would result in teachers being fired and education funds being drained. These attacks are untrue, of course, because new jobs grow the economy and allow us to add even more to our education budget. In fact, every time we reduce unemployment by one point it renders approximately $160 million in education dollars for our state.

 However, because AEA’s similar fear-mongering efforts failed to ring true on other debates like tenure reform, reduction in force policies, retirement and insurance changes, etc., the misinformation campaign is actually backfiring. Teachers are growing tired of continually being told to fear for their livelihoods only to find out the fears are unfounded.

 Just as the truth eventually revealed itself on the previously-mentioned issues, I am confident the truth with prevail this time as well. And truth, Scripture tells us, will set you free.

 HB159, the Alabama Job Creation and Retention Act, is a good bill. It means bringing in new jobs and keeping existing jobs for our citizens. I’m voting to send this constitutional amendment to the ballot and let the people of this state have the final say.

*Not Paid for at Taxpayer Expense*

Armistead Responds to Hawk's Announcement to Run as an Independent

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Published on Thursday, 02 February 2012 23:25
BIRMINGHAM, AL - Bill Armistead, Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, released the following statement regarding Judge Howard Hawks' announcement to run as an independent-
 
"As Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, I have made it very clear that all conservatives are invited to join the Republican Party, no matter what Party they were previously affiliated with. However, I have made it equally clear that those who would chose to align themselves with the Alabama Republican Party for political expediency alone, need not bother. Our Party has a set of principles that we believe in, and while we don’t expect everyone who calls themselves a Republican to be in 100% agreement, the party expects its candidates to generally subscribe to the tenants of the Republican Party.
 
"When Howard announced he was switching parties in December of 2010, Mrs. Jean Brewer, Marshall County GOP Chairwoman, was very clear that there would be a ballot access challenge. To pretend that is was a surprise is disingenuous.  Traditionally, challenges are filed at the end of the qualifying period and  have nothing to do with the date a candidate first qualifies with the party.  In this case, a challenge was filed at the appropriate time and a hearing was held in a timely manner.  An attempt is made to hear all challenges from across the state on the same day by the Republican Party state steering committee, made up of 21 individuals from all over Alabama.
 
"The rules of the hearing gave both sides the opportunity to present their presentations in private to the steering committee.  Judge Hawk and his attorney were well aware of this from the beginning.
 
"During the hearing it became clear in the opinion of the committee that Howard Hawk did not espouse to the values of the Republican Party.  He has a long and documented history of supporting the Democratic Party, Democratic candidates, and liberal political positions.  As recently as 2009 and 2010 Hawk made financial contributions to the Democratic Party and a Democratic congressional candidate.  He was an active member of the Marshall County Democratic Party, publicly supported Democratic candidates, and helped recruit Democratic candidates to run against Republicans.
 
"Judge Hawk's history tells a very clear story.  For example, one of the causes Republicans hold most dear is our commitment to protecting the life of the unborn.  When Hawk was a legislator he consistently took the pro-choice position and consistently voted against pro-life legislation.  In 2000, Hawk voted against the pro-life cause six times, including a very important parental consent bill, in which he led the fight and made it very clear that he believed that parents should not have to be allowed to be involved when their underage daughters make decisions about getting abortions.  During the same time that I was serving in the legislature, Hawk was working to make it legal for 13, 14, and 15 year old girls to be able to get abortions without their parents' consent.  On the gambling issue, Hawk sponsored bills in support of legalized gambling while Republicans have fought to keep the scourge of gambling from our state.
 
"The Alabama Republican Party is ultimately a group of dedicated, hardworking grassroots volunteers, so when one of those faithful expresses a concern about something, we listen. Chairwoman Brewer never hid her intention to challenge Hawk should he decide to qualify to run as a Republican and it was the candidate committee's responsibility to hear testimony from both sides and make a decision. This year's process to hear candidate challenges was in no way extraordinary.
 
"Hawk was asked some very specific questions by the committee, including whether or not he intended to run as an independent should he be denied ballot access by the committee.  His responses were worded in extremely strong terms. He declared that he was a Republican and would 'live or die with that decision' and 'wouldn't be stupid enough to pull that'. Hawk went so far as to offer to make a written statement to that effect. We took Judge Hawk at his word, believing that a Judge should be someone you should be able to trust.  Considering his vehement denial to the committee that he would run as an independent if he were denied ballot access, I am confident that we made the right decision regarding Hawk's removal from the Republican ballot. He has proven to us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he does not hold to the values of the Republican Party and is not a man of his word."

Jean Brewer Praises Republican State Steering Committee Decision

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Published on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 13:39

Grant, AL - Upon receiving notice that the Steering Committee of the Alabama Republican Party had voted to deny ballot access to Howard Hawk, Jean Brewer of Grant, AL issued the following statement:

“I'm very pleased with the state steering committee's decision. I think they made the correct decision after hearing from both sides and being presented with all of the evidence.

This does not mean that Howard Hawk can not run for office, only that he may not run as a Republican. He is free to run as an independent if he chooses.

This is the only time a challenge was been filed in Marshall County despite the numerous candidates and officials who have switched parties in the past several years.  I believed this case was different and that is why I filed the challenge and I think the right decision was made.”