Though the word "poverty" typically provokes thoughts of individuals and families who lack the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter, there is another form of material poverty that isn't as conspicuous, but is nearly as serious: energy poverty. ...
Redemption from Addiction
While scientific research may not definitively prove the causal connection between poverty and addiction (or vice versa), there is an undeniable correlation between the two. Addiction can lead to broken families, neglected children, crime, and incarcerati ...
If the People Only Knew
“The people want to vote!”—the most oft-repeated catchphrase of the lottery debate. Even politicians who declare themselves personally opposed to a state-run lottery try to justify their support of it because “the people want to vote.” But politicians kno ...
Freedom from Morality Makes Us Less Free
A recent poll conducted by Dr. George Barna systematically explored America’s “shift in values.” Predictably, those polled value comfort, happiness, and acceptance, but they also claim to value independence, control, and freedom. These same respondents— ...
Alabama’s Shrinking Sovereignty
On Friday, the omnipotent U.S. Department of Education threatened to pull federal funding from public school districts that refuse to fall in line over transgender bathrooms. Many school districts will submit, knowing that they cannot afford to jeopardize ...
A Sad State of Affairs
Alabama is, once again, making national news for all the wrong reasons. In the modern political era, our state has seen two governors face criminal convictions, one of whom remains in prison. Now, our governor has been caught on tape confirming year-long ...
Election-Year Expectations
The New Year always comes brimming with new goals, possibilities, and expectations. This year, for many, those expectations are closely tied to the 2016 presidential election. Conservatives had a tumultuous year. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled with unbridl ...
Conservative Solutions to Poverty in Alabama
There is no shortage of ideological differences between conservatives and liberals or Republicans and Democrats, but perhaps the most divisive issue on the political spectrum is how to care for the poor. Admittedly, conservatives have done a fairly subpar ...
Legislative Session Postmortem: Three Themes
It's only been a few days since Governor Bentley signed the General Fund budget for fiscal year 2016 into law. We don't yet know what the fallout, if any, will be from the cuts, taxes, and transfers that were made to make up the revenue shortfall. What we ...
Alabama Senate Set to Vote Today on Budget: How the General Fund Budget will be Balanced
Alabama Senate Set to Vote Today on Budget: How the General Fund Budget will be Balanced The FY2015 General Fund Budget was $1.8 billion. With FY2016 revenue projections showing a $200 million decrease, the Legislature has struggled through the 2015 Regu ...