MUMBLINGS May 4, 2006

Time and elections wait for no one. Four weeks, June 6th we will be going to the polls in Baldwin County, and the state of Alabama, to select those who have chosen to run for various offices. This is the way it is done in a republic, of which the United States is. We elect people to make the decisions for us, and if they do not, under the democratic process, we can vote them out of office next time they come up before us.

People have a tendency to look down their nose at elected officials, who make the statement that they are not going to vote for certain issues, unless the public is given a chance to vote on it. The officials forget that’s why we selected him or her to make these decisions for us.

Congratulations to Baldwin’s two circuit judges running for re-election ;without opposition, Judge Charles Partin and Judge James Reid. Also District Judge Jody Bishop and Probate Judge Adrian Johns are running without opposition. This is a perfect way to run.

The reason they have no opposition is because they have been doing a good job, and a majority of the people are pleased with them.

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A few years ago juries rendered huge verdicts for the plaintiff, and the Alabama Supreme Court could do nothing about it. Then tort reform was passed, giving maximum judgments the plaintiff could receive. Now it has swung too far the other way, and many attorneys say it is difficult to get the Supreme Court to rule with the juries. In fact, lawyers have also told me that the Supreme Court has gotten extremely negative.

All Alabama Supreme Court Judges are Republicans. Although parties should not have anything to do with it, it would appear to be a good idea to be equally divided

Baldwin County has two judges seeking re-election to the Supreme Court. They are Champ Lyons, Point Clear, and Lyn Stuart of Bay Minette. Both are able judges and just as honest as the day is long, but even honest people can be dead wrong. There is no more brilliant attorney in Alabama than Champ Lyons, and Lyn Stuart is of the same caliber. Both are my friends.

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Continued

When it comes to the State Supreme Court and Civil Courts all of those running for re-election have one kind of opposition or another, either Republican or Democrat.

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Between now and June 6th, we will talk about some of the interesting elections in the county.

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In order to have more influence on the delegates to the Republican and Democratic Conventions the legislature has pushed up the vote to the first Tuesday in February, 2008.This will be about the second state to designate the people’s choice for president and vice-president, for both Democratic and Republican parties.

Heretofore, we have been voting bunched with a number of other southern states, and have received practically no attention from the national candidates. This early vote on Alabama’s part will change this. Unfortunately, the legislature made the elegant selection on a day that is very unsatisfactory to Mobilians. It falls on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, when most people are not interested in national politics. Most of the people in charge of Mobile voting say that it will be practically impossible to hold it then, and that the legislature has a year to change this, but whether they will or not, is not known. My guess is the rest of the state could care less about Mardi Gras.

See you again soon, I hope.