JAMES MADISON QUOTE - 1822

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."

SCOTTSBORO WEATHER - SUN & MOON RISE

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Snake Rock Award, Jackson County Legislative Delegation


The Daily Sentinel published an excellent article about the TVA in lieu of Tax handouts by the Jackson County Legislative Delegation. Here's a link to the article:http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=6f04c9850e6e8d56


The Legislative Delegation gets the Snake Rock Award. This award will be bestowed on politicians and government's officials who act as a "snake in the grass" and fail to tell the citizens the truth of an issue.


The TVA in lieu of tax is not theirs to hand out, it is county money disbursed from the state treasurer to the county and municipalities of the state served by the TVA. The Delegation passed a series of Local Acts to divert a portion of the funds into the Legislative Delegations accounts. The last Local Act was passed in 1999 which was not advertised in the local press as to the specifics of the Act, a violation of Alabama's Constitution. This law placed a cap on the amount of money the county could receive over the previous years TVA in lieu of tax disbursal. Any amount over last years disbursal goes to the Delegation, less a small amount to the hospital and the EDA. This year it appears the Jackson County Legislative Delegation will receive about $1,000,000.


The Delegation uses these county funds to hand out to what ever organization they feel as deserving and of course, who supports their reelection. The Delegation maintains they have no responsibility to disclose the deliberative process of the fund disbursal. They state the open meetings law of this state does not pertain to them. The passing out of the TVA in lieu of tax fund is simply, a scheme to further their reelection.


Fortunately the rock, which has a snake on it, is to large to move. The rock is located at Goose Pond, they will have to settle for this picture.

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