Pawlenty to headline ALGOP’s RWB dinner

By Jennifer J. Foster

From the Alabama Republican Party today:

ALGOP Announces Speaker for 2010 ‘Red, White & Blue Dinner’

Birmingham, AL – The Alabama Republican Party is pleased to announce that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will be the keynote speaker when the Party hosts its 2010 “Red, White & Blue Dinner” on February 5th at the new Renaissance Hotel in downtown Montgomery.  For information on the dinner, please call the ALGOP headquarters – 205.212.5900.

Representative Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn), Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, released the following:

“We are honored to have Governor Pawlenty join us in Alabama, “ Hubbard said. “His visit will be a great way to kick off a highly anticipated election cycle in 2010.  Governor Pawlenty’s conservative leadership in Minnesota and his proven record on taxes, veteran’s affairs, education and fiscal responsibility are many of the reasons that we believe he will be a popular draw. We look forward to welcoming him to Alabama and appreciate his interest in the Party’s success in 2010.“

Byrne announces statewide leadership team

By Jennifer J. Foster

Thanks to the technical skills of the Opelika-Auburn News’ resident computer whiz, my blog has a new category for press releases.

Our first such entry comes from Alabama Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne, who announcing his statewide leadership team last week.

One note: Auburn/Opelika connections are all over this announcement. Jimmy Rane is, of course, a member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees; Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller sits on Byrne’s steering committee; state finance committee member Dan Broughton lives in Opelika; and Oline Price, who will chair Byrne’s effort in Lee County, is also Lee County’s Revenue Commissioner.

Conservative reformer Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne, who, as former chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system has been credited with cleaning up an entrenched culture of institutional corruption inside the postsecondary system, today announced a distinguished group of Alabama business, civic and community leaders who have committed their support to him and will serve, under the leadership of Campaign Chairman Jimmy Rane, as key advisers to the Byrne for Alabama 2010 campaign.

Making today’s announcement, Byrne said, “It is truly an honor and a distinct privilege to announce the tremendous group of leaders who have generously offered their support and considerable time, talents and resources to this campaign and to our goal of moving Alabama forward on the strength of proven, experienced and uncompromising leadership.

“The men and women who have agreed to lead our campaign as members of our State Steering Committee, State Finance Committee and as leaders in their counties truly represent the best and brightest in Alabama,“ Byrne added. “Their dedicated support is tremendously energizing; each of them has a long-time and proven commitment to building a better Alabama; and their support will be critical to our campaign as we mobilize our grassroots effort and take our call for serious ethics reform, meaningful education improvement and new job creation through vigorous economic development to Alabamians all across the state in the coming weeks and months.“

An enthusiastic Rane also weighed in on the impressive leadership team during a festive event celebrating the Grand Opening of Byrne for Alabama State Campaign Headquarters in Montgomery.  “The proven leaders and respected citizens represented on the Byrne for Alabama 2010 leadership team are indicative of the strong support Bradley Byrne has already earned from one end of Alabama to the other,“ Rane told a cheering crowd of supporters. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to working with this winning team of committed Alabamians to make sure Bradley Byrne is elected the next governor of this great state and has the opportunity to continue his successful record as an inspiring leader and tireless reformer.“

To read the rest of the release and see the names of the others who will coordinate Byrne’s campaign throughout the state, click here.

GARVEEs—and why something you’ve never heard of is so scary!

By Jennifer J. Foster

My friend and fellow blogger Kris, of The World Around You fame, wrote a great post last week about an issue that’s popped up in the Alabama governor’s race.

This story actually started a few months ago, when Ron Sparks entered the campaign. Sparks didn’t waste much time getting behind the idea of a lottery; the revenue it could generate could raise the bar for Alabama’s schools, roads, jobs and everything else, he said. In fact, almost everything he’s proposed since joining the race has been based on the passage of the lottery (which, in case it matters, Alabamians seem to be indicating no more support for than when the defeated it in the past).

Sparks finally came out with an economic development plan (or is it a transportation plan? I guess it’s a little of both; the latter feeds the former) that, as Kris mentions, ISN’T BASED ON THE LOTTERY!

Hey! I knew he could do it!

Instead of lottery funding, Sparks proposes to retool Alabama’s transportation system—roads and bridges—on the strength of so-called GARVEE bonds, a program that uses future federal infrastructure grant funds to finance the debt service on the bonds. It is, he says, “a proven means of front loading infrastructure investments.“

Sparks maintains that the immediate $400 million he plans for construction and repair of roads and bridges would result in improved highway safety, the attraction of new industry, the generation of thousands of new jobs and economic impact of nearly $1 BILLION annually.

An economic impact of $1 billion a year, without raising taxes? I know what you’re thinking, Alabamians: Sign me up!

Well, as your Mama told you long ago, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

What are GARVEE bonds, exactly?

Leave it to Kris the policy wonk to answer the question that everyone is asking but no one cares enough, or has time enough, to research.

He checked it out, and here, with apologies to Don Henley, is the heart of the matter:

... It’s clear that (Sparks) wants to invest without raising taxes and that can be a scary proposition.

It IS a scary proposition! I wish Congress would develop a curiously strong fear of it.

Kris continues:

I think it is certainly an idea worth examining and perhaps trying on a small scale, but to propose to immediately spend $400 million worth of federal funding we haven’t gotten yet, backed (most likely) by the oil and gas reserve if the money never materializes sounds like more risk than I’m willing to take.

I keep telling Kris that he should be running for public office.

Or does he have his head screwed on too straight?

What do you think? Do you dig (get it?) the idea of GARVEE bonds to finance wholesale and immediate infrastructure? Or would you rather pass on Uncle Sam’s debit card for now, rake a few leaves this fall and earn some cold, hard cash to pay things off as you go along?

Here’s a hint: Compulsive spenders—like congressmen and women—shouldn’t be left alone with the means to support their habit.

Let me hear from you in comments.