Tin Shop Tartan - Randolph County Alabama's Own Snarky and Surly Scot Gets All Native

Blogging from the suburbs of the Tin Shop community, Captain Plaid brings Progressivism, and a share of Quixotic angst, to the ridges and hollows of Randolph County, Alabama. Hardly a booster yet rooted here enough to fight, Plaidsters can perhaps find like cause in trying to build local solutions to global concerns. Education, environment, economy, entertainment, engagement ... Trust the Tartan!

Monday, May 08, 2006

Gerald Dial Doesn't Care about Rural Alabama!

I'd previously posted at Captain Bama on "Gerald Dial Single-handedly Talks Alabama Center for Rural Development to Death" yet The Mobile Register now gives us an insiders perspective on the legislation that DINO Dial killed. Larry Lee gives us " Requiem for rural Alabama center" where he contrasts the efforts of numerous citizens to get this legislation passed with the bizarre "logic" of DINO Dial. The opinion writing includes,

... support from such groups as the Alabama Farmers Federation, the Economic Development Association of Alabama, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Alabama Association of Regional Councils, the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, VOICES for Alabama Children and so many, many more.
About how the Senate version of the bill was co-sponsored by 16 senators from across the state, both Democrats and Republicans.

Finally, HB 358 was called. Under the rules of the Senate that day, it had 10 minutes in which to pass.

But Sen. Gerald Dial of rural Clay County had a different idea: He held the floor for 10 minutes, and HB 358 was history.

All the miles, all the meetings, all the work, all the support -- everything went down the drain in 10 minutes, killed by a senator from one of the state's most rural counties, where median family income ranks 47 out of 67 counties.

Sen. Dial later put out a news release trying to defend his action. He implied that HB 358 would've hampered how local communities interact with the Alabama Development Office.

You have to wonder if he ever read the bill. The ADO wasn't even mentioned in it.
Maybe if he had done what other legislators did and attended one of the meetings, Sen. Dial would have understood what HB 358 was all about.

Now we're again back to talking about rural Alabama -- rather than doing something meaningful.

About "doing something meaningful" a good start would be to send Gerald Dial home. Kim Benefield will listen, work hard, and look out for rural Alabamians. Peace ... or War!