ALLIANCE
FOR CITIZENS RIGHTS
ALLIANCE
FOR CITIZENS RIGHTS
SPEECH
Delivered Before the Governor's Commission on Constitution Reform, March 7,2003
by Ken Nelson
Good morning gentlemen and ladies. My name is Ken Nelson and I represent myself and my family.
I have read a lot about constitutional reform and its relationship to Alabama politics. When I read about this Commission being formed by a conservative Republican Governor I became concerned that the Commission might yield to pressure from special interest groups and be unbalanced and one-sided in its make up. I would like to hold a survey just to put my mind at rest and know that your findings will be fair and impartial.
I would like to conduct a brief survey by asking a few questions of the Panel. If you would, please just hold up your hand, without comment, if a question applies to you.
(1) How many members of the Christian Coalition are present on this Commission?
(2) How many members of this Commission are associated with ALFA?
(3) How many members of this Panel represent any citizens groups?
(4) How many members of this Panel are Democrats?
(5) How many members of this Panel are Republicans?
(6) How many of you on this Panel are attorneys?
(7) How many of you are involved in some way with the Alabama Education Association (AEA)?
(8) How many of you are members of the ACCR?
Come now, gentlemen and ladies, you are being far too modest. My information, which is the ACCR’s own latest news letter, says that there are at least 21 ACCR members and at least 14 attorneys among you. I have heard your Chairman, Mr. Jim Bennett, is on the payroll of the ACCR. I wonder how many more of you are being paid by the ACCR? The EXCLUSIVE goal of the members of the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (ACCR) is to totally destroy and trash the Alabama Constitution. Let’s see now, of the 34 total members of your Commission, my count is 21 ACCR which is 62%, at least 14 Lawyers which is 41%, 2 out of work politicians, and a lot of Democrats and a few Republicans. So much for this Commission not being CONTROLLED by special interest groups. It most definitely is CONTROLLED and the FIX is in to TRASH our Alabama Constitution.
Thank you !! gentlemen. I am greatly comforted. This means that the AEA is well represented. This means that the Alabama Trial Lawyers are well represented. This means that several unemployed politicians are cared for. This also means the loosing party in the Governors’ race is represented far better than the people that elected the present Governor. Your Commission is a total FARCE.
Oh, I almost forgot the esteemed publisher of the Huntsville branch of the New York Times, who also happens to be on the ACCR Board. Well, so much for fair, unbiased reporting of the issues.
Let me see now, does that cover everyone? Let me see, who IS NOT represented? Oh yes! The average working men and women of Alabama, that’s who IS NOT represented!! Who on this illustrious panel really speaks for the average Alabama citizen?
I am beginning to see it more clearly now, thank you! The FIX is in and this is a SCAM! You people on the Panel really don’t want us here do you??
Maybe that is why you hold these meetings in a college town, so you can fill the room with academics and the students under their control. Maybe that is why you hold YOUR meetings at 10:00 A.M. on a workday, so that working people like myself have to lose a day's pay in order to attend. But, of course, these professors and these AEA members are still drawing their pay, even right now, at this very moment. How convenient.
Of course, the question I really wanted to ask was: Why are you all wasting taxpayer money and our time with this CHARADE?? Why don’t you just give the Governor the ACCR Panel’s report? Because that is what you intend to do --- isn’t it? All of YOUR meetings just to make the public think you really care about what they think. This is a total SCAM to TRASH the Alabama Constitution.
Well, I hope that the Governor is listening, because I can tell you what the public wants. They want OUR government officials to spend the money they ALREADY have far more wisely and not just demand more money to throw away. We want you to stop trying to TRASH our Alabama Constitution and STEAL our property and freedoms through zoning and land regulation and smart growth and sustainable development and regional government and eminent domain and calling it "HOME RULE." We want OUR schools to teach OUR children math and English and science and TRUE HISTORY----NOT use OUR tax money to brain wash OUR children with your socialist, globalist indoctrination in YOUR GOVERNMENT Schools.
Well, it is easy to see that you have got your panel STACKED and as I said before, the FIX is in to TRASH our Alabama Constitution. You obviously have the votes to pass the report you wrote before this CHARADE even started. But, at least, don’t lie to us and say you represent the people of Alabama----because you do not. This is all about money and power. OUR tax money and your grab for power over us. Power over the people and power over our land.
Governor Riley, WAKE UP!!! This so-called Commission is a travesty!! Another political lie!!!
Thank you for your INattention.
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