South of the Tennessee River...

Barry Obama and the Redheaded Step Children

By J.J. Ray

Most will be wondering what Barry has to do with the redheaded stepchildren south of the Tennessee River. The answer is nothing right now. Actually many folks have asked me to quote on the State of The Union address by Barry. The Pepto-Bismol was ready and I took some after the speech. The nausea left and I slipped serenely into sleep. Of course, there is nothing that we can do about the rhetoric and baldfaced misnomers he loosed except shrug and hope for better days in 2012.

Now about the rest of us that live on the south side of the river in cities like Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. Has anyone ever wondered why we have to go to Florence all the time to eat or shop leaving our tax dollars in Lauderdale County when they should stay here? Driving through the main shopping areas on any given night, the eateries are full and store parking lots are full of Colbert county tags. Where have our leaders on the south side been? Asleep at the wheel apparently. What happened to our mall--it sits empty, the new Wilson Dam road, restaurants or Movie Theater?

Apparently, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals are content to remain the epicenter of the world for minimum wage employment. Mr. Mayors, why do we not have large chains moving here? Oh, I forgot we have a Billion Dollar White Elephant in Barton, that great golf course in Ford City and 43 new jobs coming to Wise Alloys. Mercy, I may have to increase my heart medication the shock is to great.

Could it be the liquor on Sunday law in Florence? Perhaps. The real reason however is much deeper than that. How about the old south mindset and the old money portrayed in so many books and movies. Why if the folks over here were to make a living wage instead of minimum wage, poverty could decrease and they might have a say in government. My goodness prosperity could set in, crime might go down and then the minimum wage folks would not have to live like third-rate citizens. The old money and lazy politicians would lose control of the minimum wage workers and that would be calamitous for them. They might have to move into the 21st Century.

Why are the armies that threw out the bums last election not ringing the phones at city halls? Why do we have to fly to Memphis and change planes to get to Atlanta? That is kinda like going around your elbow to get to your thumb. Bottom line is it is not necessarily the economy but the reluctance of our civic leaders to actually do their job. While we are talking about leaders, has anyone seem the phantom representative Mo Brooks over on this side of the state or our State Senator Abstaining T. Irons?

Be proactive--take a stand. Call or write those in charge get involved don’t just gripe. After all, we do pay their salaries they are supposed to work for us not the reverse.

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Another great column from J.J., and we understand he has a big story lined up. Stay tuned for a shocker...

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For all you on Facebook, be sure to check out Larry Fisher's Remembering Florence page. He's begun to sign off each day with a very interesting quote.


Shoalanda