Ron Sparks and his mean-spirited campaign
Qualifying day for the Alabama gubernatorial race was a rainy one. I spent my morning in the Montgomery office of the Ron Sparks campaign enjoying sandwiches and conversation with many people I’d never met before. The conversation was great, but we were all waiting for the moment Mr. Sparks arrived at the office after qualifying to run for governor.
He did eventually arrive and offered a few words. I ambushed him as he was eating a chicken salad sandwich and asked, “Mr. Sparks, you’re focusing a lot on college scholarships, but what about those of us who are done with college and looking for opportunities? The economy is hard and repaying student loans is difficult. What can be done for recent college graduates?”
I expected some glossed over answer. That’s the kind of question you have to ruminate over, then get it written down to streamline your thoughts. That would have been fine-- an acceptable answer.
Without a thought, he responded, “I think that’s looking backward, and what Alabama needs is to look forward. We should be concentrating more on scholarships for people who need them.”
I was flabbergasted. I left shortly after his comment. When I got home, I tore the Sparks for Governor bumper sticker off my car and tossed the yard sign in the trash.
Mr. Sparks’ campaign is centered around the education lottery. He continues to tell everyone that the future of Alabama is in our young people. Well, by Mr. Sparks’ flippant answer, I must be an old man-- at 26. I must not be a desirable vote.
How can I, as a young man and resident of the state of Alabama, not be part of the solution he’s desperately working toward? I want to help move this state forward, but some lottery that will not influence me as an individual at all is not the right way to go. I’m too cheap to buy a lottery ticket. My dad lives in Florida and I won’t even get one when I fill up on gas.
As for the lottery itself, he seems to believe that it will be some panacea to the state’s fiscal crisis. Whether it is or isn’t, relative gains will most likely be marginal for several decades. It took years for the Georgia and Florida lotteries to garner the kind of public trust (the monetary fund kind, not the truthful kind) they now hold.
Let’s not forget the state has been down this road before. The last thing we need is Siegelman Redux. In a Sparks administration, the religious right will, once again, rally as vociferously as the last time and shut down any possibility the state might have for gaining an education lottery. The public vote just isn’t there. And we’ll see history repeat itself-- a democratic governor flounders for a single term, then delivers the state to the right for eight years.
Lastly, Mr. Sparks’ portrayal of Representative Artur Davis is appalling.
When President Obama’s health care bill was put to a vote before the House of Representatives, Mr. Davis cast his vote as “no.” The bill was insufficient to provide for the nationwide problem that is facing our health care-- and his vote was justified. For Mr. Sparks to say he “failed the people of Alabama” is politically opportunistic. The health care bill, without a public option, is flawed.
Then, Mr. Sparks went on record with WSFA that Artur Davis has not performed well enough as a representative to warrant being elected governor.
Again, not true. I spent five of the best years of my young life in Tuscaloosa. I know how well Artur Davis represented District 7 and I was proud to call him my representative (something I am not able to say in District 2, sadly). Mr Davis was always vocal in support for increased federal funding the universities and K-12 schools in his district.
Mr. Sparks is also perpetrating the fact that Mr. Davis isn’t properly representing the constituency by running as a “post-Civil Rights” candidate. That’s what helped President Obama get elected in 2008.
The most important issue facing the state is not bingo or a lottery. It’s constitutional reform. Mr. Sparks’ campaign has not said a single word about the push for reform because the existing state constitution is beholden to lumber barons-- which he has gone on record attacking Mr. Davis for vowing to end.
There was a time before Governor Riley declared war on gambling. Ron Sparks had a legitimate campaign then. I shifted my support from Artur Davis to Mr. Sparks because I felt more politically in line with him. But since the bingo debate erupted and the FBI and grand juries got involved, the Sparks campaign can barely hold water. You cannot hinge your campaign on a single issue that will not help the state in the short term.
The other day at work I had two co-workers approach me about being seen on the news holding a “Ron Sparks for Governor” sign. That was in January-- before the bingo battle got out of control. I’m embarrassed that I stood on the steps of the State House with that sign-- forever recorded in celluloid. I don’t want to be identified as a Sparks supporter because of the Republican-like tactics coming from Carmichael Road.
Artur Davis has my vote, and I guess that’s all that matters.
He did eventually arrive and offered a few words. I ambushed him as he was eating a chicken salad sandwich and asked, “Mr. Sparks, you’re focusing a lot on college scholarships, but what about those of us who are done with college and looking for opportunities? The economy is hard and repaying student loans is difficult. What can be done for recent college graduates?”
I expected some glossed over answer. That’s the kind of question you have to ruminate over, then get it written down to streamline your thoughts. That would have been fine-- an acceptable answer.
Without a thought, he responded, “I think that’s looking backward, and what Alabama needs is to look forward. We should be concentrating more on scholarships for people who need them.”
I was flabbergasted. I left shortly after his comment. When I got home, I tore the Sparks for Governor bumper sticker off my car and tossed the yard sign in the trash.
Mr. Sparks’ campaign is centered around the education lottery. He continues to tell everyone that the future of Alabama is in our young people. Well, by Mr. Sparks’ flippant answer, I must be an old man-- at 26. I must not be a desirable vote.
How can I, as a young man and resident of the state of Alabama, not be part of the solution he’s desperately working toward? I want to help move this state forward, but some lottery that will not influence me as an individual at all is not the right way to go. I’m too cheap to buy a lottery ticket. My dad lives in Florida and I won’t even get one when I fill up on gas.
As for the lottery itself, he seems to believe that it will be some panacea to the state’s fiscal crisis. Whether it is or isn’t, relative gains will most likely be marginal for several decades. It took years for the Georgia and Florida lotteries to garner the kind of public trust (the monetary fund kind, not the truthful kind) they now hold.
Let’s not forget the state has been down this road before. The last thing we need is Siegelman Redux. In a Sparks administration, the religious right will, once again, rally as vociferously as the last time and shut down any possibility the state might have for gaining an education lottery. The public vote just isn’t there. And we’ll see history repeat itself-- a democratic governor flounders for a single term, then delivers the state to the right for eight years.
Lastly, Mr. Sparks’ portrayal of Representative Artur Davis is appalling.
When President Obama’s health care bill was put to a vote before the House of Representatives, Mr. Davis cast his vote as “no.” The bill was insufficient to provide for the nationwide problem that is facing our health care-- and his vote was justified. For Mr. Sparks to say he “failed the people of Alabama” is politically opportunistic. The health care bill, without a public option, is flawed.
Then, Mr. Sparks went on record with WSFA that Artur Davis has not performed well enough as a representative to warrant being elected governor.
Again, not true. I spent five of the best years of my young life in Tuscaloosa. I know how well Artur Davis represented District 7 and I was proud to call him my representative (something I am not able to say in District 2, sadly). Mr Davis was always vocal in support for increased federal funding the universities and K-12 schools in his district.
Mr. Sparks is also perpetrating the fact that Mr. Davis isn’t properly representing the constituency by running as a “post-Civil Rights” candidate. That’s what helped President Obama get elected in 2008.
The most important issue facing the state is not bingo or a lottery. It’s constitutional reform. Mr. Sparks’ campaign has not said a single word about the push for reform because the existing state constitution is beholden to lumber barons-- which he has gone on record attacking Mr. Davis for vowing to end.
There was a time before Governor Riley declared war on gambling. Ron Sparks had a legitimate campaign then. I shifted my support from Artur Davis to Mr. Sparks because I felt more politically in line with him. But since the bingo debate erupted and the FBI and grand juries got involved, the Sparks campaign can barely hold water. You cannot hinge your campaign on a single issue that will not help the state in the short term.
The other day at work I had two co-workers approach me about being seen on the news holding a “Ron Sparks for Governor” sign. That was in January-- before the bingo battle got out of control. I’m embarrassed that I stood on the steps of the State House with that sign-- forever recorded in celluloid. I don’t want to be identified as a Sparks supporter because of the Republican-like tactics coming from Carmichael Road.
Artur Davis has my vote, and I guess that’s all that matters.