They told us it was coming ...

By Jennifer J. Foster

... and now it’s here.

Auburn University trustees have delivered the “staggering tuition hikes” President Jay Gogue said would be necessary to make up the shortfall produced by the power struggle among the members of the Alabama Senate. From the Associated Press:

Auburn University students will pay more for their education next school year because trustees have approved a 12 percent tuition increase.

Auburn’s board of trustees, faced with a record $60 million budget deficit, voted for the increase Friday and it will be applied to the main campus as well as Auburn Montgomery.

Tuition for Alabama students will go from $2,917 to $3,250 and rates for out-of-state students will jump from $8,167 to $9,130.

Trustee Jimmy Rane noted that an estimated 26 percent of Auburn students won’t be able to afford the higher tuition.

As the Alabama Senate said to students, too bad.

The AP notes that the increases will generate about $20 million a year for the university, about half the amount it will lose in the budget year that starts Oct. 1.

Don Large, Auburn’s executive vice president, said $60 million is the largest budget cut the AU System has ever faced. Approximately $40 million of the deficit is a result of the state budget, he said.

Auburn is one of four university systems, so far, forced to hike tuition to make up for the Legislature’s failure to provide for them. Increases include:

A 12 percent increase at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa;

An 11 percent hike at the University of Alabama-Birmingham;

A 14 percent increase at the University of Alabama-Huntsville;

A 14 percent hike at the University of South Alabama;

An 11.6 percent increase at Jacksonville University.

Read the rest of the AP article here.

Every time I think about this, I rue the fact that there are another two years until these senators can be held accountable for their mismanagement and failure.

Freedom of speech ... even for this?

By Jennifer J. Foster

Do you believe in the freedom of speech?

No, I mean really believe in the freedom of speech—as in, you believe and would fight to protect the right of someone to say something potentially morally repulsive to you.

If you think you do, then test yourself: Watch Massachusetts State Rep. James Fagan in debate on mandatory sentences for child sex offenders here (read bucklandb’s interesting comment below the video).

Here’s a report about Fagan’s comments, if you prefer to read, rather than watch and listen.

Let me tell you something: If that doesn’t stand up the hair on the back of your neck, something’s wrong.

You can probably guess that Fagan is a criminal defense attorney.

Hmm. Whom to believe ... Fagan, who opposes the mandatory sentences with his odious oratory, or Mark Lunsford, who supports them because he goes to sleep every night thinking about what happened to his 9-year-old daughter, Jessica?

“Why doesn’t he figure out a way to defend that child and put these kind of people away instead of trying to figure ways for defense attorneys to get around Jessica’s Law?” Lunsford told the paper. “These are very serious crimes that nobody wants to take serious. What about the rights of these children?”

That’s a first-round KO for Lunsford.

SIDEBAR: Remember that I am from the Tampa Bay area, as was Jessica Lunsford. I met Mark Lunsford once, at an event in Sarasota about a year after his little girl was killed. There was a vacancy in his eyes that only parents who have lost a child can understand. He never sought out the spotlight. He would have been content with a life of anonymity. But the spotlight found him, after Jessica was brutalized in ways I cannot even begin to describe. The public embraced him as he somehow existed from one day to the next. They found him to be an unassuming, bottom-line guy (example: In a statement to Massachusetts lawmakers considering Jessica’s Law, he said, “We have to show zero tolerance. I’m not trying to take away your discretion, but you’re not using your discretion”). Mark struggles every day; just to keep going, yes, but also to make sure that the horrors his daughter endured, and the never-ending nightmare his life is without her, never happen to anyone else. And that is how Mark Lunsford became the most reluctant of public crusaders for the most heartwrenching of causes: His raw emotion galvanized the movement that became Jessica’s Law and is increasing protections for children in states all across this country. END SIDEBAR

So, if you have the urge to write me a note about the constitutional requirement for defendants to have the best defense possible, don’t. It is possible to provide a defense that passes constitutional muster without psychologically tormenting defenseless children who have been violated in the most imaginable ways. Zealous defense does not have to be morally unconscionable.

But the difference between filling his role as sentinel of the Constitution and a simply being a disgusting creep is all in how the attorney does his job. Fagan actually seems to relish the idea that he could cross-examine his clients’ vict—er, “alleged” victims—to within an inch or less of their sanity; that places him squarely in the camp of the latter.

Of course, Jessica was one victim who didn’t have the chance to take the stand. Forensic investigators had to tell her story for her.

But I can see James Fagan arguing that mental incompetence excuses John Couey for killing Jessica. He’s just the kind of person who would argue that Couey—whose previous sex offense was against a five-year-old girl—is too dumb to know that what he did was wrong.

Never mind that Couey had it together enough to plot the kidnapping, rape the little girl repeatedly, hatch and execute a plan to wrap Jessica in plastic bags, bury her alive and flee to Georgia, all while avoiding police detection over three weeks.

Here’s my question for those (few) who might say Couey’s mental deficiencies excuse his acts: If he didn’t have any understanding of right and wrong, why did he take Jessica at night—why not go over to her house during the day? Why did he avoid the police—why didn’t he go have a chit-chat with them or invite them inside when they knocked on his trailer door? Why did he bury Jessica—why didn’t he just let her go? And why, if he didn’t know right from wrong, did he flee to Georgia, where he was eventually arrested? Why run if you have nothing to hide?

Yeah. The jury didn’t buy it, either.

As to the freedom of speech issue, although it’s difficult to imagine a viler or more abhorrent statement than Fagan’s, it’s my opinion that the First Amendment does us a favor here. After all, the good people of Taunton, Mass., and the rest of the Third Bristol District now know how their representative really feels about children—his involvement in the Boys & Girls Club, Little League, youth basketball and Boys’ Clubs (and, no doubt, related pictures on shiny re-election newsletters) notwithstanding.

You know that old saying about giving people “just enough rope to hang themselves?“

I’ve never seen a better example.

One more thing: James Fagan also chairs the Massachusetts House Committee on Ethics.

Wow.

If you feel inclined to e-mail the good representative and share with him your thoughts about his comments about the exploitation of children and the protection of sex offenders, you can reach him at rep.jamesfagan AT hou.state.ma.us.

P.S. For more on Jessica Lunsford, click here for the St. Petersburg Times’ excellent web gallery about the case or here for TruTV’s report. (Warning: Some of the information provided at those sites is extremely graphic—as was what happened to Jessica.) Then click here to visit the foundation that bears Jessica’s name and learn how you can do your part to make sure that the interests of children are put before those of their predators.

And who are you, sir?

By Jennifer J. Foster

This story from CNN’s Political Ticker is hilarious:

He may be running for the most powerful job in the world, but Sen. Barack Obama still has to flash his gym ID like the rest of us.

Wanting to get a quick treadmill session in before his first public event with Sen. Hillary Clinton Friday morning, the Illinois senator headed to the newly-opened Washington Sports Club in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

But the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee did not get far when he and his entourage of Secret Service agents tried to walk past the front desk without stopping ...

“It’s always a rush in the morning, everyone’s trying to come in quickly,“ (the gym’s manager) said. “(The front desk employee) asked him for his last name and he said ‘Obama,‘ then she asked him for his first name.“

“It was very funny, she then realized who he was and said, ‘Oh I am so sorry!“ he added.

He might have the Democratic presidential nomination all but in the bag, but it seems that Obama might still need to work on that name ID a little bit.

Either that, or some headhunters from Homeland Security need to be getting that employee’s number.

Opelika Ward 3 showdown

By Jennifer J. Foster

Opelika City Council president Jerry Teel announced May 27 that he will not run for re-election from Ward 3.

Exactly one month later, two candidates announced their intentions to try to replace him.

Lucinda Cannon released a statement that she will run for the seat. 

Cannon, a 25-year veteran of the real estate industry, and is a commercial real estate sales agent at First Realty. She has served on the Opelika Planning Commission for 18 months.

Cannon is an Opelika native who has “lived most of her life in the city,“ Beverly Harvey writes in today’s Opelika-Auburn News. Cannon has served two one-year terms as chairman of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, facilitates the City of Opelika’s 20 Under 40 program and is a former teacher. She also administers the W. James Samford Foundation.

In a statement e-mailed to the media from her campaign consultant, Susan Fillippeli, campaign chairman Bill Brown said he “can’t think of a better combination of experience for Opelika. As a former teacher, Lucinda Cannon is passionate about making sure we have good schools for children. As a realtor, she understands business, growth and planning issues and will use that knowledge effectively on the City Council. And as a member of the Samford family, she is committed to not only preserving Opelika’s heritage but to assuring its future for our children and grandchildren.”

Perhaps in a swipe at ethical clouds that have dogged Teel, Cannon told Harvey, “I think I’ve proven myself as far as integrity.“

Cannon’s priorities include attracting new industries and businesses to Opelika, bringing in more high-paying jobs, devoting equal attention to Opelika City Schools and focusing on roads and public safety, Harvey writes.

“I see that Opelika has a bright future,” Cannon said. “We have a lot of positive things going for us, and I’d like to keep the momentum going.”

Read the full story here.

Harvey reports that Joey Motley will challenge Cannon for the seat.

Also an Opelika native, Motley, 51, is a lifelong resident of the city. He is a business manager at H & W Motors.

Previously, Motley worked as a plant manager for WestPoint Stevens for 34 years. He served on U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers’ manufacturing advisory committee in 2006 and 2007, Harvey writes, and his experience with WestPoint will provide him insight into how industries depend on and work with the city.

“I think we all have gifts,” Motley told Harvey. “I think leadership is one of mine, and I think I need to use it.”

Motley approves of the city’s current direction with regard to economic development and growth. Like Cannon, Motley also emphasized Opelika City Schools and public infrastructure as city priorities.

Read more about Motley here.

Qualifying opens Tuesday for the Aug. 26 city elections. 

Opelika residents, what would you like to hear these candidates—or Mayor Gary Fuller or challenger Rainer Meadows—say about your city and their plans for it? For those of you who live in Auburn or Lee County, there are plenty of issues on which local governments interact; what’s on your mind about this election? What are the cities and the county doing well, and what would you like to see them do better?

Let me know what you’d like to know, and we’ll get your questions answered here in the Caller Blog.

Obama and Clinton: Together at last

By Jennifer J. Foster

Barack Obama united with his former foe, Hillary Clinton, today in an appearance that was—for me, at least—just as awkward to watch as it must have been for Clinton to do.

Bill Clinton must have known how weird it would be: He didn’t even show up.

If you missed it, the watchword this week has been UNITY—UNITY in the Democratic Party, UNITY between Obama and Clinton , how UNIFIED the Democrats are against John McCain and the GOP.

First, there were those grainy cell phone pictures Thursday that were smuggled out of the joint appearance the two candidates made with Clinton’s top donors in Washington. Someone recorded part of the candidates’ remarks with a device that produced sound like it was leftover from one of Gueglielmo Marconi’s experiments.

Just as we were breaking out the secret decoder rings to make sense of the audio/visual from that event, word came down that Obama had written a $2,300 check to Clinton’s campaign, doing his part to help with her $20 million campaign debt.

“OBAMA WROTE THE CHECK TO CLINTON PERSONALLY!!“ CNN breathlessly panted in a banner below the “Breaking News” graphic.

SIDEBAR: Isn’t there just a little bit of irony in the fact that Clinton ran up that incredible debt with television spots, most of which attacked Obama—and he’s now helping to pay them off? Yes, of course he was doing it to set an example for his supporters to help do the same, yadda yadda yadda. But it’s still ironic. You gotta love politics. END SIDEBAR

Clinton followed by writing a $2,300 check to Obama’s campaign, presumably as an example to her followers to do the same.

Someone throw me a lifeline. I’m drowning in irony.

And that brings us to today’s all-out lovefest. It began with an hour-long flight to New Hampshire, where the two appeared at an outdoor rally. There were the niceties on the tarmac, the chit-chat between the two, the handshakes and a little laughter. Before the plane took off, videographers were permitted to come and film the two sitting side by side—but with no audio. Ooh! Finally, some suspense! What could they be discussing? Her thoughts on his VP—and whether she’s interested? A Supreme Court nomination? A spot on the Cabinet? Universal health care? It had to be something like that, something super sensitive and top-secret, for the campaigns to require no audio!

Actually, it was just the opposite: A videographer reported that the the nominee-to-be and the almost-nominee were discussing ... the plane. It seems that Clinton had used it during her excursions throughout campaign season. No word on whether they were discussing maintenance records, engine noise or overhead bin space.

And that brings us to the actual event ... which was in, of all places, a town called UNITY!!

You know, why didn’t they just wear those sandwich boards: Hey, national media! HILL-A-RY SUPP-ORTS ME!!!

Unity, New Hampshire. I’m serious. You can’t make this stuff up.

Actually, what is cool about it is that the town split its votes, 107-107, between Clinton and Obama.

Copy editors had a field day with the headlines. “Obama and Clinton Sing Kumbaya in Unity, N.H.,“ said the Wall Street Journal. CBS offered, “Welcome To Metaphor, New Hampshire.“ “Ex-rivals Obama, Clinton appear in unity display,“ the AP wrote. “Obama, Clinton bury the hatchet in Unity,“ said AFP.

NOTE: To whomever came up with this idea for this event: I’m glad you’re out there. My family thinks I’m was the hokiest person on the planet. Wait until I tell them about this.

The event itself was carefully scripted. The people, however, were not. In the midst of Obama’s remarks (which he delivered directly from a script, one of the only times I’ve seen him do this all campaign) (the other was the other day when he was talking about energy policy), someone yelled out something like, “Hillary rocks!“ And Obama, who is known for his playful banter with the crowd, felt compelled to yell back, “She rocks!“

Hillary Clinton rocks?

Hillary, of the much-maligned pantsuits and cackling laughter and sometimes-Southern accent—she rocks?

Groundbreaking, yes. Tough, certainly. Tenacious, absolutely.

But, “she rocks?“

That’s just plain weird.

Hillary referred to the contentious primary campaign this way: “I’m proud that we had a spirited dialogue. (pause) That’s the nicest way I can think of phrasing it.“ (laughter)

Then, the pitch: McCain and President Bush “are like two sides of the same coin, and it doesn’t amount to a whole lot of change,“ she said.

SIDEBAR: Did the rally organizer also write this speech? Just wondering. END SIDEBAR

For their part, not everyone at the rally was convinced. From the AP:

The reunification of these campaign rivals wasn’t without its awkward moments.

Despite the praise and smiles between the two, some in the crowd still sensed a space between them. Their embraces were slightly awkward, and Clinton stood with her hands clasped formally in front of her as Obama spoke.

Eileen Quill, a 64-year-old retired teacher from nearby Sunapee who had supported Clinton, said: “I think she’s usually a wonderful public speaker, and so is he, but she looked a little stiff and the whole thing wasn’t entirely comfortable.“

What about behind the scenes?

Aides said the atmosphere on the bus from the airport to the rally was “festive,“ but said the two avoided talking about the campaign for the 90-minute ride. As they and their staffs ate a lunch of sandwiches and salads, Obama and Clinton made small talk, at one point commiserating and comparing stories about how difficult it is to live life under a microscope, as public figures do.

Oh, yeah. Downright “festive,“ for sure!

So that was that. As I was writing this post, I thought of a song my sister and I used to sing when we were kids: “I don’t need anything but you,“ from the 1982 film Annie. Check out the lyrics here, and watch a clip here (to about 2:15).

Now, tell me, doesn’t that seem like what the campaigns were trying to show us today? And there’s all sorts of irony here—how about the line where Annie says, “I’m poor as a mouse,“ and Daddy Warbucks responds, “I’m richer than Midas?“

“I’m $20 million in debt,“ Clinton would say.

“I’ve ditched public financing,“ Obama would reply.

Oh, for the folks at JibJab to rewrite the lyrics to that song for these two. Now that would be something worth seeing!