Update: I skipped the week 10 edition of Legislative Roundup. Read week 9 below.
http://geekalabama.com/2012/04/05/legislative-roundup-week-9/
The Alabama Legislature just loves to help destroy the business environment of Alabama. A new bill HB 658 would actually strengthen the immigration bill. The Washington Post had an editorial about the immigration law and let’s just say it’s not good for Alabama. The editorial titled “Alabama, Fortress of Intolerance,” said this: “Alabama has devised a solution in search of a problem. Though relatively few undocumented immigrants live in Alabama in the first place, the thousands who did have fled, as lawmakers hoped. The cost has been to cement Alabama’s reputation for intolerance, raise a flag of hostility toward the outside world and, most likely, discourage business investment. By a cost-benefit analysis, Alabama is a loser.”
Even the New York Times had a negative piece over this law. Titled “Alabama Digs a Deeper Hole,” said this: “A new legislative session has given Alabama lawmakers an opportunity to repeal the cruel, destructive and embarrassing immigration law they passed last year — the worst in the nation. It looks as if they’re blowing it. The Legislature, with the support of Gov. Robert Bentley, who signed the bill into law, seems determined to tinker at the margins. . . . The governor and his fellow Republicans have a colossal mess to clean up — one of their own making. They should learn from Mississippi, where the Legislature looked over at Alabama’s disgrace and this month allowed a similar bill to die.”
I have to wonder if there are some people in Alabama who just hates all Hispanics. Not all of them are illegal; but they want them to leave for good. Hispanics; most of them legal have come to this country to make a great living but some people wants them gone so other folks can have jobs. I feel bad for Hispanics. They have some great businesses up in Marshall County and they feel like they are being threatened and harassed. Hispanics are projected to be the majority race in America by 2050. That means the white race will be a minority group. I guess that Alabama loves to keep shooting itself in the foot.
The Legislature also has amended a bill that would limit their very high pay. One legislator even called this bill an “monstrosity.” Why is this bill hated by some? You all get payed way too much while other state services and employees are being cut. At the same time; one legislator is pushing a bill that would outlaw the state government and any local government from establishing prevailing wages for skilled work on public works projects as required by federal law under the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 on one hand; but provide prevailing wages for convicts working for private industry on the other. So we love to pay the working class less while the upper class folks makes and keeps more money. Have we seen this story before?
One other thing that might doom Alabama is Jefferson County and Birmingham. The legislative delegation failed to pass a bill that would start-up the occupational tax again. I hate to say this but that tax will just get struck down again. But something has to be done to provide new revenue to the county. At the same time; the Birmingham Board of Education is now being investigated by the Alabama Department of Education. It’s just sad seeing the mess Birmingham and Jefferson County is in. And it needs to be cleaned up or it might harm the entire state. The commenters online that keeps on trashing Birmingham and Jefferson County could use that energy and help to change the areas for the better. But I do not see that happening anytime soon.
Related articles
- Legislative Roundup – Week 9 (geekalabama.com)
- Legislative Roundup – Week 8 (geekalabama.com)
- Alabama legislative panel to vote on plan to let Jefferson County Commission levy new occupational tax (al.com)
