To the editor:

Our fearless political leaders in Montgomery had rather see Alabama “Forever Poor” than “Forever Wild,” and they have hatched up a scam which will make sure this happens.

The scam works like this; the politicians plan to transfer about one half billion dollars from Alabama’s Forever Wild Fund to the state General Fund, where they can spend it any way they wish, to support their friends and further their political careers.

However, to transfer funds which were raised for a specific purpose, to the politician’s personnel accounts, will require a Constitutional Amendment, and this would be difficult if it were placed on the ballot at the General Election, on Nov. 5, 2012, in which a large percentage of the state’s taxpayers will participate.

Therefore, to insure the amendment’s passage, a special, one-issue, election was called for Sept. 18, 2012, at a cost to the taxpayers of mover than $3 million, plus another million or so to promote its passage.

The politicians know that this scam will work, because in 19789 a constitutional amendment was approved at a special election in Alabama, with less than 3 percent of the registered voters in the state voting in favor of the amendment. To further their arguments in favor of this amendment, the governor and other state politicians claim that these funds will be replaced, but they do not say how, or when this will be done. But as everyone knows, the only source of income for the state is through taxes, which will be paid by all the residents of the state, not by those that will participate in this special election. Therefore, you can expect a large tax increase in the near future.

The state politicians figure that they can convince most of the public and medical employees in the state to vote in favor of this amendment, by threatening their employment or their primary source of income, and at a single-issue, special, election, these two groups alone will probably be sufficient to pass the amendment.

I feel sorry for the medical employees in Andalusia, because they are “overworked and underpaid,” and if this amendment is not passed, they may have to open their offices on Fridays. However, if they can get this amendment passed they will probably be able to build more elaborate office buildings on South Three Notch Street, and they may be able to close these, and all their other offices, on Thursdays as well as on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Wyley D. Ward

Andalusia