Friday, October 25, 2019

Lauderdale Republican Executive Committee Condemns Ag Center




How does this affect the standing of Tim Melson, Lynn Greer, and Phillip Pettus in the local Republican Party?

Resolution on Proposed Agricultural Center in Lauderdale County, Alabama 
WHEREAS, $45 million has been proposed for an Agricultural Center in Lauderdale CountyAlabama; an
WHEREAS, a 40-year bond issue of up to $46 million has been authorized by the Agricultural Authority Board; and 
WHEREAS, the establishment of the Agricultural Authority Board to oversee the construction and operation of the Agricultural Center was passed without adequate input from the public; and 
WHEREAS, $1.2 million in annual in-lieu-of tax dollars allocated to seven cities and in Lauderdale County, the Lauderdale County Board of Education, the Florence City Board of Education, and the Lauderdale County Commission has been appropriated and redirected to the Agricultural Authority; an
WHEREAS, the two cent gasoline tax, which was promised to expire when the RTI Golf Trail bond issue was paid off, was extended for Lauderdale County and directed to the Agricultural Authority without consent of the taxpayers; an
WHEREAS, the bill to extend the two cent gasoline tax had to be rewritten to extend the tax only to Lauderdale County and exempt Colbert County before the bill could be introduced; and 
WHEREAS, no feasibility study for the project has been completed; and 
WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party Platform specifically states "We support lower tax models that adequately fund government without undue waste or programs better facilitated by the private sector"; and 
WHEREAS, the Agricultural Center as proposed is antithetical to the fiscally conservative principles of the Republican Party of Lauderdale County, Alabama
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Lauderdale County Republican Party Executive Committee does not endorse nor does it support the existing proposal to create an Agricultural Center in Lauderdale County, Alabama.
Joshua Dodd, Chairman 
Ralph Long, Secretary
John Hargett,, Treasurer





2 comments:

  1. Could Washington DC learn a few things from our local party officials!?? The local republican party leaders met with and consulted the local democratic party leaders and TOGETHER worked out the framework for this resolution to be drafted. And in this case, this is a bizarro example of how Washington should work. The leaders of both party's see the corruption of this project although individual elected members of one party are "promoting" it. Both party's leaders are attempting to inform the public of the waste and corruption involved in this project, all while fighting the propaganda and FAKE NEWS coming from the local print media! If only the party leaders in Washington cared as much about their voters as the one's in the Shoals. But, it is up to the public to investigate and listen to what these leaders are saying. Complacency has gotten this area's elected officials to the point where they can do whatever they want with taxpayer money in the first place. Let's hope the public listens to the party and not the people they voted for in the last election this time. Told you, BIZARRO WORLD!

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  2. This Resolution was entirely drafted by Republicans. Dr. Barry Morris, the former Florence City Councilman, spearheaded this effort and introduced the Resolution at the October 17th Republican Executive Committee Meeting. The Party voted to approve it by a vote of 20-3. You are correct that a broad majority of Republicans present at this meeting see the foolishness of the Ag Center Project. They are taking action by publicly calling it out, and standing up to elected officials of their own Party for violating the Party's Platform. It is true that both Republicans and Democrats have attended Ag Center Board Meetings and vigorously protested what is being done.

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