Alabama Gubernatorial Elections

[Townhallsavoy]

Is there a reason why we can't get one candidate to propose a logical and achievable idea for legalized gambling?  What is with this state? 

Byrnes is probably the best candidate out there.  I've heard some people say that Roy Moore has a chance to sweep the Republican ticket, but his ten commandments crusade may be too much to overcome. 

Artur Davis is the best candidate from the Democrat side, but I'm not sure I can vote for someone so closely affiliated with Obama. 

[Kaos]

I will come to your house and tase you if you vote for Bradley Byrne. 

He is a motherfucker. He is a lying sack of shit assclown.  He is a miniature Napoleon pussified bastard. 

Please do not listen to the bullshit he spouts.  He is a liar.  He is NOT what he says he is, nor did he do the things he claimed to do. 

Here's a hint for you.  Survey any of the people who worked under him in the two-year college system.  Not a single one who had any interaction with him at all will be voting for his sorry ass. 

[bottomfeeder]

Jack Hawkins for Governor!

[Townhallsavoy]

I will come to your house and tase you if you vote for Bradley Byrne. 

He is a motherfucker. He is a lying sack of shit assclown.  He is a miniature Napoleon pussified bastard. 

Please do not listen to the bullshit he spouts.  He is a liar.  He is NOT what he says he is, nor did he do the things he claimed to do. 

Here's a hint for you.  Survey any of the people who worked under him in the two-year college system.  Not a single one who had any interaction with him at all will be voting for his sorry ass. 

How do you know about this? 

I've developed a new interest in politics over the last few weeks.  I hate being uninformed about these guys.  Byrne just seemed like a good guy, but I didn't know he was associated with the two-year college situation. 

I read about Bently, but I get tired of the in-your-face religious views.  Abortion rights isn't going to change any time soon, and honestly, it's not a primary concern of mine considering Alabama's economy has dipped.  With industry on the decline, it's only going to get worse, so who has the best platform for getting money into Alabama? 

[Pell City Tiger]

Tim James?

[Kaos]

How do you know about this? 

I've developed a new interest in politics over the last few weeks.  I hate being uninformed about these guys.  Byrne just seemed like a good guy, but I didn't know he was associated with the two-year college situation. 

I read about Bently, but I get tired of the in-your-face religious views.  Abortion rights isn't going to change any time soon, and honestly, it's not a primary concern of mine considering Alabama's economy has dipped.  With industry on the decline, it's only going to get worse, so who has the best platform for getting money into Alabama? 

I've had personal dealings with Byrne over the last two years.  He is a snake.  His a political animal and every decision is calculated not for what is best for the entities he serves, but what will be best for him, his image and his political future. 

I don't want to get too deep into it, but I am close to a number of people who worked directly under him during his brief politically-motivated stint as chancellor.  Those who worked for him would not vote for him for circus clown, much less governor.  Having had dealings with him myself, I can assure you that I would vote for Barack Obama's wife before I would vote for him.  I'd even vote for Prowler. 

Maybe they are all this way, but I have a very strong, personal anti-Byrne inclination. 

[GH2001]

Tim James?

Better.

I think Kaos is right. Heard bad stuff about Byrne during his time in the 2 yr system. I went to the Peanut Festival down in Dothan back in Oct/Nov and he had a booth there hocking all of his brochures and crap. I just ignored it and walked right on by as they spoke to me.

THS - They all SEEM like a "good guy" but most are not. If you are new to politics you will see this early. Things I can tell you - and Tarheel, Kaos, AUTiger1 and GarMan will say this too - read the founding documents, read the history, study the constitution. These will give you more informational ammo than anything.

[Kaos]

Tim James?

Funny story about Tim.  

The first time he ran, I heard him on a radio call in show one night as I was driving home.  He said something that didn't make sense to me at the time so I used my Palm Treo (loved that gadget) and dashed him off an email.  My sig had my cell phone number in it.  

About ten minutes later my phone rings.

"K?  This is Tim James.  I got your email and you raise an important question.  Got a minute to talk about it?"  

My first response was to say "Okay, very funny, who's fucking with me..."  

Turned out it WAS him.   And we talked for about 20 minutes. He explained what he meant, I gave him my opinion and he thanked me for paying attention.  

At first I was stoked and going to vote for the guy.  He cares enough to call me directly to discuss his vision!  Damn skippy, that's who I want.  Then I got to thinking.  He has enough time to call me directly to discuss this?  Hmmm.  Was that effective campaign strategy or sheer desperation one voter at a time?  

I'm willing to give him a chance this time.  I think the guy really does care and is motivated to honor the office.

[Townhallsavoy]

Better.

I think Kaos is right. Heard bad stuff about Byrne during his time in the 2 yr system. I went to the Peanut Festival down in Dothan back in Oct/Nov and he had a booth there hocking all of his brochures and crap. I just ignored it and walked right on by as they spoke to me.

THS - They all SEEM like a "good guy" but most are not. If you are new to politics you will see this early. Things I can tell you - and Tarheel, Kaos, AUTiger1 and GarMan will say this too - read the founding documents, read the history, study the constitution. These will give you more informational ammo than anything.

Not necessarily new to politics.  I got burned out for that very reason - they're all liars and snakes.  I was hoping that maybe after gaining experience in my career and in the real world, I'd view politics differently.  Most likely, I'll move back to not giving a shit after this November.

[AUChizad]

Is there a reason why we can't get one candidate to propose a logical and achievable idea for legalized gambling?  What is with this state? 

Byrnes is probably the best candidate out there.  I've heard some people say that Roy Moore has a chance to sweep the Republican ticket, but his ten commandments crusade may be too much to overcome. 

Artur Davis is the best candidate from the Democrat side, but I'm not sure I can vote for someone so closely affiliated with Obama. 

This. All of it. From what I've read, I'd be happy with a Byrnes/Davis runoff.

I like both of their stances on constitutional reform.

I too would like to see some focus on legalizing gambling from one of the candidates.

[Kaos]

This. All of it. From what I've read, I'd be happy with a Byrnes/Davis runoff.

I like both of their stances on constitutional reform.

I too would like to see some focus on legalizing gambling from one of the candidates.

So you're getting tasered, too, then. 

[AUChizad]

Artur Davis on gambling:

   I believe that we need to tax gambling.  We need to tax it at the national average.  Let me tell you why that's important.  If we don't state the rate at which we're taxing gambling or if we hide behind some phrase like "I'm going to tax it at the rate of surrounding states,"  do you know what the relevant gambling state taxes it at?  6% in Mississippi. ... Between 6 and 10%.  If you're going to tax it, let's tax it.  Let's tax it at the national average which is closer to 20 to 25%.  I'm for doing that.  You ought not be able to avoid taxation simply because you start selling bingo at your store.   You ought not be able to avoid taxation simply because you're in the gaming business.  Gambling institutions ought to have to pay their fair share.  I am for that.  Here's what I'm not for, though.

    I am not going to be a governor who believes that this state's economic future depends on how many casinos we have.  I won't presume to make that choice. I will let each community in this state make that choice.

    If Greene County and Macon County believe that casinos are vital to their economic necessity ...  they have the right to have casinos there.  If Jackson County and Dekalb Vounty and Madison County and Morgan County have a different mindset, they ought to have that right to do so.  And we ought to have a statewide vote on what constitutes legal gambling.

    We don't need raids in the middle of the night.  The reason we don't need raids in the middle of the night is when you raid casinos in the middle of the night, hundreds of people wake up unemployed the next morning. That's not agood answer to this economy in Alabama.

    make sure home rule is what  determines those decisions.  It ought not be a governor who's committed to expanded gambling. It ought not be a governor who's committed to abolishing gambling.  Communities ought to get to make the choice.

    Lottery.  If voters want to pass a lottery, if the Legislature wants to approve it, I will be happy to administer it. ... You have to regulate it.  You've got to make sure every Tom, Dick and Harry is not out selling lottery tickets.  ... You have to regulate it.  We will make about $230 million a year from the lottery ...

    I will candidly tell you there is no silver bullet solution  We will bring in more revenues from taxing gambling.  We will bring in more revenues if we had a lottery. We would bring in more revenues by tax breaks out of state corporations enjoy. ...

    Whoever becomes governor of this state is going to have to make some hard and difficult choices.  ...  Anybody who runs for governor and tells you that there's a certain set of things we can do that spares us hard choices, has not grappled with budget the size of the state of Alabama.

Ron Sparks on gambling:

   In Alabama today the price of an education is going up twice as fast as the family income.  And I'm telling each and every one of you, if you hava a grandchild, or if you have a daughter, or if you have someone that's kin to you that has someone in school today ...  It's my plan to give each and every one of them hope.  Hope for a better future.  And that's with the scholarship money from a lottery program.

    We are buying millions of dollars of lottery tickets in Alabama and educating kids in Georgia.  And Florida.  And Tennessee.  Does our kids not deserve it? ... Does our kids not deserve the same thing that Georgia and Tennessee and Florida ...

    We're only graduating 60% of our students.  And the ones who do graduate, 14% and 15% of them get a college education.  I don't care what color you are.  I don't care how much money your mom and dad makes.  I don't care which neighborhood you come from.  Stay in school, stay out of trouble, when you get a diploma in one hand, there ought to be a scholarship in the other hand.

    That's what I care about.  That's why I'm in this race.  It's not easy to be governor.  You've got to make tough choices. You've got to look the people in the eye.  You've got to tell them the truth.  You've got to have a plan.  Everybody's asking me about Plan B.  Well, I'm the only candidate that has Plan A.  And it's a realistic plan.

    You know I stood on the Capitol steps ... and I asked the Governor, "... When are you going to stand on the line at Alabama Mississippi and stop folks from going to Mississippi?  Four million visits from Alabama.  Little did I know that the next day the chairman of his task force had been visiting Mississippi, too.  Now that's hypocrisy if you've ever seen it.

    I stood up and I said, "Governor, when are you going to stop people from Alabama from buying Lottery tickets?"  It ain't going to happen.  It ain't going to happen.  Only two states east of Nevada that don't have the lottery.  Alabama and Mississippi.  Biloxi, 330 million dollars last year.  That's in gambling taxes alone.  Tunica, 60 million dollars just in the county revenue. Can you imagine what Morgan County would do with $60 million?

Tim James
http://www.timjames2010.com/index.cfm?p=Blog&ContentRecord_id=f4b1b659-1863-42e5-b42b-3feb5780c0f1&ContentType_id=7ee3f043-655a-41fd-ae51-d8cf19f29ba5&Group_id=7c41b504-a528-4d49-af74-6717488812e8

In state after state, legislatures are faced with varying degrees of fiscal disarray. California must come up with a staggering $34 billion to fill a budget hole created by years of fiscal irresponsibility. Here in Alabama, state fiscal experts recently reported our budget hole will be $676 million with next year predicted to hold even worse deficit numbers.

This sets up Alabama and many other states as vulnerable to casino gambling interests with the sales pitch that our budget problems would somehow go away if their operations were legalized.

Here in Alabama, there’s a debate raging as to whether our casino gambling known as “charity bingo” is either legal or illegal.

Untold millions of dollars raked in at these so-called charity bingo parlors are not taxed by the State of Alabama. As a result, there is no funding to compensate communities for higher crime rates, treatment for problem gambling and other social ills attributable to gambling.

According to a national research study on the social and economic costs of casinos on communities, gambling puts a $40 billion drag on Americans. (Source: “Casinos, Crime & Community Costs,” Sept. 2004) The same research shows that 8% of the crime in every county with a casino is attributable to gambling, and that there is a $75 per adult social cost for this increase in crime.

If you multiply that $75 cost factor by the 3.5 million adults in Alabama, you get $262.5 million. That’s roughly what casino gambling lobbyists tell us the State of Alabama will receive in additional tax revenue if their industry is legalized.

Casino gambling isn’t the answer to our state’s fiscal woes, based on that one statistic alone. Factor in the higher rates of crime, divorce and personal bankruptcy, it’s clear that casino gambling is a bad bet for the people of Alabama.

Playing charity bingo, an Alabama type of slot machine, is rampant in our state. Governor Bob Riley a year ago declared war on charity bingo, calling it illegal. Since then, the courts have sided with the Governor in a series of decisions. Let’s hope the courts resolve this matter, once and for all, as pro-gambling interests and their allies will continue tying up legislative progress on a host of critical issues this year and in years to come.

“Let the people of Alabama decide!” is the rallying cry of the casino forces. That sounds well and good, but what we have seen to date from this crowd is a “heads we win, tails you lose” situation that protects the turf for certain operators while keeping competitors out. Even if you were inclined to vote for casino gambling, that arrangement is nothing but a fool’s bargain.

Just as sure as the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, pro-gambling lobbyists will be in Montgomery working on their legislative agenda. They will also contribute vast sums to politicians running for public office this election.

I am not their candidate, nor am I accepting their financial support.

So far in this campaign, my fellow gubernatorial candidates have taken their positions on gambling. Most are against casinos, or at least lead us to believe they are. My position is very simple: I oppose gambling in all forms. Gambling has never proven itself to be the economic development stimulus its proponents claim, and its social costs are high.

The best result for the people of Alabama is to put this issue behind us, once and for all, and move forward by putting Alabama’s economy back on track, improving the quality of our public schools, and finally making government accountable to the taxpayers. Casino gambling isn’t the answer to any of them.

Wrong answer, you don't get my vote.

Byrne?
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100106/OPINION0101/1050349/1006/OPINION

By Bradley Byrne

There are many points of disagreement between those who support the growth of the gambling industry in Alabama and those who oppose it. But today, as record-high unemployment grips our state, and as our families and businesses fight to make it through this long-term recession, I believe the most compelling case against gambling is its proven potential to further weaken our economy, stunt our future economic growth and eliminate new job opportunities for the people of Alabama.

History has proven that places where casino gambling has been legalized have paid a high price. They have paid an economic price by losing jobs and exporting billions of dollars from their local economies that otherwise would have been spent and invested there. They've paid a social price, as once productive citizens have been seduced away from respected roles into addiction, as families have been torn apart and as crime has skyrocketed. And they've paid a political price, as powerful organized gambling bosses have infiltrated and put a stranglehold on their governments. I don't want any of that to happen in Alabama.

As our state leaders and lawmakers prepare to begin another legislative session on Jan. 12, you can be sure that activists on both sides of the gambling issue are hard at work in preparation for another battle. We will all hear plenty of argument and rhetoric from both sides of the gambling fence, but as you listen, I urge you to consider not only the political and moral concerns, which are many and justified, but also the historically proven and troubling economic risks inherent to gambling that Alabama simply cannot afford to take.

There is extensive research to support the fact that legalized gambling is not a viable strategy for economic development. And, as we look at it, we would be wise to remember the often-repeated words of British philosopher Edmund Burke who said, "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."

Research sponsored by the Illinois Business Review to determine whether employment increases claimed by gambling interests to have resulted from the development of several riverboat communities found that "...simple before and after comparisons suggest that riverboats did not create the jobs that were promised, and, in fact, had little effect on reducing unemployment."

While casinos promise to create thousands of jobs, University of Illinois Professor John Kindt has said, "The field research indicates that nationwide you stand to lose 1.5 jobs for every job the casinos create." For gambling in general, Kindt further notes that "...for every $1 legalized gambling interests indicate is contributed in taxes, it really costs the taxpayer $3 to address the increased socio-economic costs" that require additional government programs and services to manage the consequences of gambling.

In addition to its inability to create good, stable new jobs, gambling further erodes economies by preying on the poor and middle-class and redistributing their incomes to rich, out-of-state gambling interests. A report by the U.S. National Gambling Impact Study Commission shows that 80 percent of gambling revenue comes from households with incomes of less than $50,000 a year. And that statistic is compounded by the proportionate impact of the spending.

According to a Mississippi State University study, gamblers earning less than $10,000 a year lost about 10 percent of family income, while those earning more than $40,000 lost only about 1 percent of their earnings. Auburn University Montgomery economics professor Dr. Keivan Deravi summed it up well when he said, "Economically speaking, gambling is a regressive tax. Money spent on gambling is money not spent on milk."

In addition to the fact that gambling costs hit hardest, in terms of household income, those who can least afford it, its detrimental personal and family impacts also impact them the most. A recent study of all the casino counties in the nation confirmed that personal bankruptcy rates are 100 percent higher in counties with casinos than in counties without casinos.

Another study shows that while the American Psychiatric Association reports that between 1 percent and 3 percent of the U.S. population is addicted to gambling, depending on location and demographics, addiction rates double within 50 miles of a casino. A casino within 10 miles of a home yields a 90 percent increased risk that someone who lives there will become a pathological or problem gambler.

According to Earl Grinols, an author and expert on the economics of gambling, each compulsive gambler costs the economy between $14,006 and $22,077 per year.

Then there is the proven cost to taxpayers of supporting additional resources needed to combat increases in crime that routinely occur when gambling is introduced into a community. According to the Morgan Quinto Press, "Determining the Safest and Most Dangerous State Rankings," three years after casino gambling was introduced in Atlantic City, crime there tripled, and the city's per capita crime rate jumped from 50th in the nation to first. Within 10 years, 50 percent of Atlantic City's retail businesses and restaurants had closed down.

And closer to home, in Alabama's Macon County, robberies have increased by 40 percent, assaults by 280 percent and burglaries by 47 percent since slot machine gambling has been introduced in that community, according to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. According to U.S. News and World Report, the crime rate for casino communities is 84 percent higher than the national average.

Finally, I will close with a reminder of the costs that will be incurred if powerful organized gambling bosses are allowed to take control of Alabama's state government. Alabamians are already painfully well aware of the corruption and impediments to progress that have resulted from existing special interest control and influence on our legislators and other elected officials. The very last thing we need is more of it.

As the Birmingham News reported in August of this year, we will be wise to remember that within "three years after gambling was legalized in Louisiana, gambling interests accounted for one of every three dollars making their way into Louisiana lawmakers' campaign coffers." The costly results of that fact, including the devastating impact that corruption and lack of government trust had on the state's ability to attract and retain jobs, are well documented.

I realize that I have filled this opinion piece with information that some might call overly academic or boring facts and figures, but I believe that it is time to replace the intense emotional debate that has so far characterized the issue of gambling expansion in Alabama with a clear factual debate about the proven realities of the havoc that is so often wrecked on the economies of the states and communities where it is introduced.

The fact is, while a handful of industry moguls may profit greatly, gambling does not produce new products or new wealth. It simply makes no meaningful contribution to economic growth. In fact, in the long term, gambling is a proven hindrance to economic growth.

Our greatest challenge and opportunity in Alabama at this moment is to create an economic environment that will stimulate innovation, new business and job growth. We must not be so short-sighted as to revisit old answers to new problems. Instead of looking for ways to attract unstable and low-paying "jobs of the past," let's instead be the forward-thinking state that puts the fortitude and innovation of its people to work and creates new "careers for the future."

If you, like most Alabamians, are ready for Alabama to move forward on the strength of a strong economy and new opportunities for good jobs, history has proven that gambling is not the answer. It simply creates more problems than it solves.

I believe Alabama will come out of this recession not by implementing old ideas, but by utilizing our greatest assets -- the dedicated, hard-working people of this state. If privileged to serve as your governor, I will work every day to attract new businesses and industries to our state; and we will compete hard with every state for every new job we can.

Alabama will emerge from these difficult times stronger, and we will do it on our own terms. We will not tax our way out of this recession, we will not spend our way to economic prosperity and we will not rely on gambling to make Alabama prosperous. The cost is far too high.

So basically, due to this issue alone, both of the Republicans have lost my vote. Unless something comes along to change my mind before then, I will be voting for the Democratic candidate.

Fuck these pious assholes with their "gambling's a sin that will drag our state to hell" fallacy. Did you know that every fucking other state in the continental US allows EITHER casino gambling or lotteries besides Utah & Wyoming? So basically, it's us and the Mormons. We may have room to speak down our noses if we were at the top of any list concerning education or economic standing, but you'd have to hold one upside down to find us at the top.

[AUTiger1]

So basically, due to this issue alone, both of the Republicans have lost my vote. Unless something comes along to change my mind before then, I will be voting for the Democratic candidate.

phuk these pious buttholes with their "gambling's a sin that will drag our state to hell" fallacy. Did you know that every phuking other state in the continental US allows EITHER casino gambling or lotteries besides Utah & Wyoming? So basically, it's us and the Mormons. We may have room to speak down our noses if we were at the top of any list concerning education or economic standing, but you'd have to hold one upside down to find us at the top.

You would actually vote for Davis?  The same Davis that said that a politicians first and foremost responsibility was to get re-elected, the same Davis that got mad at other AA members of congress b/c they wouldn't vote for Obama's "spend us into prosperity" programs and questioned their "blackness"?

I wouldn't vote for Davis for anything, it wouldn't matter to me if he got us legalized gambling.  If I have to go another 4 years w/o it or vote for Davis, then I will still be driving to Mississippi.

EDIT: What I have in bold automatically strikes him from my list, fuck him, his first responsibility as a rep/gov/senator is to make sure that he is doing the will of his constituents........more of the fucking fuckers need to figure that shit out.

[Kaos]

I would vote for a drunken organ grinder's monkey before I would vote for Bradley Byrne. 

I would vote for a pile of ostrich dung before I would vote for Bradley Byrne. 

I would vote for Prowler before I would vote for Bradley Byrne. 

[ggraf71]

I honestly have no clue as to who I will vote for. Living so close to the GA line, I and many other Alabamians venture into GA on Monday and Friday for the Mega Millions and now on Wednesday and Saturday for the Powerball. Alabama citizens are paying for the GA youth to go to college. I saw a statistic somewhere a few years back where the bordering lottery states' highest revenues were all on the state lines.

How can these politicians turn a blind eye to this problem? Why not see it for what it is and accept the fact that no matter where or how, people will gamble in this state. I hate to say it, but I agree with Davis and Sparks' comments.

[BZ770]

I work in Miss and I enjoy grabbing a 24ounce beer on my way home.  Cant do that in Bama.

[Thrilla]

I work in Miss and I enjoy grabbing a 24ounce beer on my way home.  Cant do that in Bama.

When I moved to Georgia from Alabama and found I could buy a 40 oz in any gas station...I cried tears of joy for 3 days straight.  And I always drink them out of a brown bag.