On a more personal note

I want to thank everyone for their kindness and prayers during a period of time that has been extremely difficult for me.  Many of you may recall that my two grandmothers stood beside me and held the bible during my first inauguration.  Those two ladies were a truly special part of my life.  And though we know that with each passing glance and heartwarming smile, they inch ever closer to the day where we have to let them go, it never makes saying goodbye easy.  And though I lost both of my grandmothers over the last two months, their memories and their values will forever be embodied in the way I live my life. Thank you for your continued kindness and support for me and my family.

There has been a lot said the past few weeks about campaigns and party politics.  What I’d like to do today is talk to you about the financial crisis facing our state. 

Whether or not you voted for President Obama is not important.  We must all recognize that if it had not been for the federal stimulus money that President Obama fought so hard to secure, our educational and Medicaid system would be in shambles today.  Our school children deserve better and our senior citizens deserve better.  That is why I’ve had the courage to stand up and tell the people of Alabama the truth about where we are today and the dangerous path we are headed down in the very near future.  We are amidst the worst economical downturn in my lifetime.  Our educational system is struggling to stay afloat.  People are genuinely concerned about the major Medicaid budget deficits we face in 2011.

I’ve repeated this message time and time again - I refuse to raise the taxes on the working men and women of Alabama, but I will regulate taxes on the fastest growing industry in Alabama and that is gambling.  And while we continue to demagogue that issue, only 7% of our children get the pre-K they deserve.  Our nursing homes are lacking critical funding.  Let me be crystal clear.  I have never claimed that our campaign has a silver bullet to solve all of the state’s ailments during these tough economic times, but rest assured that I understand the problems facing our state and have a comprehensive plan to address the critical needs of our state.  Some of my opponents have continued to criticize my plans to build a better, stronger Alabama, while offering nothing substantive of their own.

I understand the value of casinos and an educational lottery and the economic impacts they would have on our state.  I read in the newspaper about the millions of dollars leaving Alabama to fund other states’ education systems and how nursing home funding will be cut by $16 billion over the next 10 years.

As governor, I’m just not prepared to let that happen in Alabama.  I will fight for our seniors.  I will fight for our children and I refuse to apologize for standing up and giving a voice to the people of Alabama.  We are all tired of politicians who will say anything and do anything to get elected.  That is not what my campaign is about. 

My campaign is about issues, problems facing this state, and working together to come up with creative solutions to address these problems.  I think it is high time that we in Alabama begin to look past party politics to make sure Alabama moves forward during these tough economic times.  As governor, I pledge to do just that.