On October 8th the Covington County Commission voted to grant a local Baptist men’s group $3,000.00 to “get men to go to church”. I do not know what country these commissioners live in, but here the government does not use tax dollars to promote any religion. We do not give $3,000 to get anyone to go to any church. There are two problems here. The first is the obviously unconstitutional use of governmental authority in endorsement of a single religion (Baptist). The second problem is the ethical questions raised when government servants decide to hand cash over to private entities that they may have personal relationships with. Using your power to enrich your friends is unethical, and illegal. According to the Alabama Guidelines for Public Officials and employees… If any member of the committee (or any family member) is a member of any church this affects, they are in violation of State law. The churches in our area are more than able to fund themselves, and they are more than capable of getting people in the pews. Use your citizens’ money in a more productive way.

Ned Carter