By Staff
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
On Monday evening while watching the televised debates between Alabama candidates for the office of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, respectively, I was again reminded of at least two ills in our state government; (1) our antiquated, obsolete, cumbersome and oft amended 1901 state constitution which (a) denies to our counties and cities "home rule" by placing in the legislature the powers and many of the functions traditionally and more practically accorded to those home based levels of government, and which (b) contains numerous racially based provisions which, if ever justified, have long since become obsolete and contrary to federal law; and (2) "double dipping", which the Alabama legislature indulges for its members who are also employed in the public school system as teachers or administrators and those compensation as legislators exceeds $30,000 annually.
The initiative for the abolition of these two ills lies with the Alabama legislature. It is worthy of note that neither of the gentlemen who represent our community in the state senate and house of representatives, respectively, and who have a combined length of membership in the Alabama legislature in excess of 50 continuous years, has initiated or supported legislative action leading to a new constitution or to the termination of "double dipping" by state senators and representatives who are also public school teachers.
Perhaps on the eve of this quadrennial election the course of the concerned is obvious.
Robert H. Maxwell
Atmore