MUMBLINGS January 4, 2006

As the year 2005 sprang by, can you say it was a good year? Fortunately most people can, but some not.

Worldwide, the most horrible tragedy in history happened with the Tsunami, in Southeast Asia, when over 238,000 people died because of the huge waves. Millions are still without homes.

Here in the USA, Hurricane Katrina tore into the Gulf Coast and did billions in damage and completely wiped out many communities. Three states were involved: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Much of the same area, particularly Baldwin, had not recovered from Ivan, which hit the coast in 2004. Weathermen say that 2005 was the worst year in US history for storm damage, at least in the number of hurricanes. Hopefully, 2006 will be better, much better.

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The war in Iraq continues, and the terrorists who want to kill us continue to be more successful than they should be. However, it seems that things are improving and the American public is beginning to realize that President Bush and his general idea of “we won’t give up” is becoming more popular. How anyone could believe that Uncle Sam should pull out of Iraq and give up at this time is unbelievable. Yet, the majority of Americans seem to believe this.

The news media is partially responsible for this. The eastern liberal press continues to take every opportunity to make things look bad for Uncle Sam and President Bush. Congress as a whole, continues to be unpopular. This is understandable. Democracy is not the most efficient government on earth but as Winston Churchill said, It is the best government that has ever come along.

Of course Congress has done many good things but even when they pass good bills trying to help people, like the Medicare bill, it is turned over to a bureaucracy that sets the detailed rules and regulations and manages to complicate it to the extent that few people understand it. Maybe they can’t do better but they could surely try and I believe that they could simplify things.

Don’t misunderstand me… there are many good government workers but bureaucracy makes things so complicated and confusing that it causes Congress to be unpopular.

Many good bills failed to pass Congress in 2005 but to me one of the worst is the fact that the Senate failed to vote to allow oil exploration in the millions of acres in Alaska. This oil is badly needed and would do much to help make us more independent of foreign nations. Of course, environmentalists scream that this is the only huge track of land left in the United States that is still wild and forsaken. So what? The millions of acres of snow and tundra serve little good except to hold the world together.

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Continued

It is an ill wind that does not blow some good. Take Katrina for instance… it has made it necessary to employ thousands of people to do all the repairing and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast

Alabama’s economy remains strong with employment at one of the highest levels in history. November unemployment numbers recently released by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics are the lowest since 1976 and some claim the lowest in history, at least since the records have been kept.

Between October and November shows that unemployment has dropped from 4.5% to 3.6% in only one month.

According to a press release sent out by Governor Bob Riley’s office, naturally gives him credit under his leadership for such good conditions. Site Selection Magazine ranks the Alabama Development Office as the number one economic recruitment office in the nation.

The release also stated, Southern Business and Development magazine also ranked Alabama, “State of the Year” in both 2003 & 2004 for its economic growth. Also in 2004, Plants, Sites, and Parks magazine ranked Alabama as one of the top ten states to locate a business. Also the Alabama Industrial Development Training, the state’s work force training program, was named the top workforce training program in the nation by Expansion Management magazine in 2004.

The fact Alabama has the best state training program in the United States has been long known. It was started by my brother, Dr. T. L. Faulkner, state director of Vocational Education in 1952. It had the complete support of Governor George Wallace and the legislature, and its good reputation is known nationwide.

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There is no county in Alabama in a healthier economic situation than Baldwin. Unemployment is about 3%. If you don’t believe it go out and try to hire people. Thousands of houses and buildings continue to be constructed and good labor is in short supply.

Of course, the county has many problems, the worst of which are crowded highways and schools. However, much is being done about this. Even though it is hard to stay above the rapid growth in population, the County Commission and the Board of Education deserve credit for trying hard to make things better. Unfortunately things will get worse before they get better.

Still have much more to tell about India.

See you again soon, I hope.