What kind of infrastructure update or repair will you work on getting funds for first in Jacksonville? I believe we probably have bridges that need updating so school buses can go over them. Also, the road from 431 to the Big Oak Community still needs to be repaired as it did 15 years ago when Eli Henderson promised to repair it. I would depend on the City Council and County Commissioners to let me know what needs to be done. However, when my tax plan is passed, the cities and counties will have home rule and their own money to make those repairs. www.carolhagan.com
Given that most of you stated at the beginning that you wanted to run clean Campaigns, how do you feel the election has progressed? I have ran a clean campaign.
According to Jacksonville City School’s Superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, our schools are losing $25,000 per month from our reserves as we continue to fill the hole caused by back-to-back proration and years of over-estimated state revenues. What will you do to help our schools? The first week in September I had a letter published in the Anniston Star about better utilizing our school buildings. I also left a copy for Dr. Eric Mackey at his office.
‘Year Round Use of School Buildings’
When the public school systems were started in this country, we were an agri-cultural society. The farmers needed their children to help with the farm work in the summer, so the school year was in cooperation with the parents.
Our society has changed so that the school year doesn’t have to have the summer off any more. The school boards have been trying to change the schools over to year round, but all they’re doing is spreading the 180-day school year over a longer time with more holidays during the year.
I have devised a couple of different ways to utilize the school buildings year round without making the children spread the year out.
1. Divide school year into 5 nine-week sessions.
Let children start to school the next session after their birthday, then after the fourth session, have one session off. Begin the next grade at the next session. If a child is not passing in one session, he can repeat that session rather than going the whole year while making failing grades. This would increase the use of the buildings by 20 per cent.
2. Since some are morning people and others are not, the day can be divided into two school days of four and a half hours and let the children decide which part of the day they would rather attend as much as possible. This would eliminate the need for a lunch hour and recess. Electives could be fulfilled through little league sports, dance classes, art classes, and music classes from an outside source for credit toward graduation.
3. By combining 1 and 2, the building usage could be doubled. Since we are having more babies born now than we have had since World War II, we will probably need more schools. But, like what has happened after that generation, if we build more, in about 20 to 30 years, we’ll have empty buildings. So, by utilizing our existing buildings to better advantage in the next 20 to 30 years, we won’t have empty buildings later. It would also free up funds for other things.” Buildings which have been left empty can be used for Charter Schools, private schools, or sold for other uses. My old alma mater, Noble Street School, in Anniston is sitting empty now. Hopefully, it can be sold and the money be used for school needs. Of course, that’s not in Jacksonville.
Republican candidate, K.L. Brown
How will you increase jobs in Jacksonville? I will work extensively with the Business Council of Alabama and the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council to bring new jobs to our district as well as to see that local industries have the best-trained employees possible. We have a responsibility not only to bring new jobs, but to try to safeguard the jobs we have in our district.
What kind of infrastructure update or repair will you work on getting funds for first in Jacksonville? I will work with local elected officials to assess their needs and then try to secure any funding possible to meet those needs, whether it is through a grant or through the AL DOT. If we are going to attract new industry, we must maintain our infrastructure.
Given that most of you stated at the beginning that you wanted to run clean Campaigns, how do you feel the election has progressed? We have tried to point out the differences in the candidates and in the process, have been accused of running a negative campaign. Once the campaign takes on a negative twist, it seems to get even more negative. I think the voters of this district are smart enough to figure out the facts and will discount the “politics”.
According to Jacksonville City School’s Superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, our schools are losing $25,000 per month from our reserves as we continue to fill the hole caused by back-to-back proration and years of over-estimated state revenues. What will you do to help our schools? When elected, I will meet personally with our superintendent and look for workable options to plug the proration hole. We have to work hard to see that our schools are properly funded and those funds get to the classroom where they are needed.
Democratic candidate Ricky Whaley
How will you increase jobs in Jacksonville? Supporting small business is the fastest and surest way to increase jobs. First, we need to get more money into people’s pocket to spend at local businesses, and the fastest way to do that is to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries, which I will vote for in this legislative session. Second, local small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage to the chains and retailers using tax loopholes and accounting gimmicks to pay no state income taxes. I will vote to close these loopholes.
Every penny of state income tax is earmarked for education. Raising more revenue making out-of-state corporations pay at least something will directly affect the largest employer in the town, JSU, whose budget has been cut 25 percent in two years.
I will also be in constant contact with the Alabama Development Office to make sure they prioritize our industrial sites for companies wanting to locate in Alabama.
What kind of infrastructure update or repair will you work on getting funds for first in Jacksonville? Right now there is a bill by state Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, would spend $1 billion over 10 years for infrastructure improvement in Alabama. Funds would come from the Alabama Trust Fund to improve roads and bridges in the state. Right now it is being filibustered by Republicans in the senate, one being our own Del Marsh, and I would certainly vote for it.
One quarter of these funds would go directly to cities and towns, and Jacksonville could absolutely use the funding. With the upcoming completion of the Eastern Bypass making the industrial sites in and around the Jacksonville area more accessible, there will be a need for improvement in traffic flow. I would consult local and county officials on what projects we should focus on, but one possibility would be a small bypass around the square to enhance its scenic as well as commercial value. Moreover, many of our county roads leading to and from Jacksonville need repair and widening.
Given that most of you stated at the beginning that you wanted to run clean Campaigns, how do you feel the election has progressed? Politics is tough, I expect to get attacked. But they went after my boys and I am disgusted that Koven Brown didn’t stop them.
On February 1, the Birmingham operatives running Brown’s campaign put out a press release of grainy picture of one Brown sign in the back of a truck that looked like Jack’s, and I was told I must call out my boys out for stealing. The picture was a set up, one Brown sign, in a truck, and they huffed and puffed.
I got angry, but it got worse when I saw Koven not only allowed this, but was quoted in their press release. He knew they were attacking Jack and Nathan, and instead of being a Christian and a neighbor and telling those Birmingham operatives “no, family is off limits,” he went right along with it.
It was an absolute low for their campaign. I won’t forget it. [Find the press release at: http://algop.org/node/512]
4.According to Jacksonville City School’s Superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, our schools are losing $25,000 per month from our reserves as we continue to fill the hole caused by back-to-back proration and years of over-estimated state revenues. What will you do to help our schools? There is no doubt funding is the biggest issue in Alabama education. We will spend $1.4 billion as a state on schools than we did just two years ago. JSU has been hit 25 percent, and Jacksonville City schools 18 percent in cuts over that period, a historic drop.
The reason for the drop is the state sales and income taxes. 100 percent earmarked to education by the Constitution, are the most vulnerable to an economic downturn. In the recent past, we have tried to close loopholes like big box stores pay themselves rent and taking a deduction, or paying themselves to use their corporate name and logo to a subsidiary in Delaware. These kinds of tricks and loopholes cost Alabama schools more than $500 million. Alabama families already pay their fair share, but when major companies pay less income tax than a teacher, you know something is wrong.
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