Alabama Governor Riley, in a teevee interview . . . . . . . .

[Stinky The Clown]

. . . . . says he and his family are headed for the beach this weekend. I think that's a good thing, even as it puts me in mind of the mayor of Amity, when faced with the fact that a shark was eating the town's beach-goers.

But what caught my ear was his view of how to combat the oil coming ashore. He is critical of the feds for helping Louisiana, in part, by taking the larger sea booms from Alabama and leaving Alabama with none. He is critical of the feds for sending so many people with so many responsibilities, but none who have the whole picture. He is unhappy as the feds seem (to him) unable to decide what might be the right thing to do in this circumstance or that.

He wants each state to be in charge of its own response. He wants each state to protect what it views as worth protecting and, presumably, what to leave unprotected.

All he wants from the feds is the materiél and manpower to do what each state decides to do. He terms this arrangement a "partnership".

That seems kinda out of balance to me. I see it as a way for a state to tax as little as it wants, to regulate essentially nothing, than then have the feds step in to bail them out when their unregulated life gets fucked up.

Gawd, I can't tolerate repubicans . . . . . . .

[Frances]

1. I agree with your post

People in Alabama don't want to pay taxes (does anyone?). But my whole childhood, I heard people talk about the evil federal government, even though Alabma received more taxes from the feds than they sent to the federal government.