Alabama Ticketgate Scandal Should Be Investigated
December 3rd, 2007 by Steve
Dan doesn’t think Alabama’s latest political scandal is such a big deal, but Brian does. The issue to which I refer is the recent allegation that the Alabama and Auburn football programs have been providing a large amount of football tickets to state legislators and government officials.
While these”gifts” have been declared legal IAW state ethics guidelines, I’m not totally convinced that other laws weren’t violated. For instance, were program administrators potentially guilty of violating this standard?
(b) No person shall attempt to use his or her official authority or position for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person. Any person who violates this subsection (b) shall be guilty of a felony and punishable by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period not to exceed two years, or both.
or this one:
(c) No person in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, or a city whether classified or unclassified, shall use any state, county, or city funds, property or time, for any political activities.
Obviously, program officials will likely deny that there was any political purpose or motivation behind their long term (and apparently ongoing) practice of handing out tickets to the very same people who introduce and vote upon their appropriations.
It might be different if they were providing tickets to members of the military, as the Auburn-Opelika News suggested, or giving them to needy children or the elderly, as I’ve suggested.
There are also campaign reporting laws which may have been violated, as well as the tax issues Brian somewhat jokingly raised.
Compensation for elected officials is a matter defined by state law. I don’t recall any hidden subsection in that law authorizing free football tickets and parking spots.
Whether or not the exchange of tickets for political influence is deemed legal or not, it certainly doesn’t pass the smell test. Even if it is determined that no law was broken, the actions still seem to meet the dictionary definition of bribery.
While Dan may not think this is such a big deal, I disagree. First of all, it’s not the total dollar amount involved; it’s the principle. If former Governor Siegelman is to spend time in jail for the exchange of political influence for $500K, shouldn’t legislators be held to the same general standard for lesser amounts?
Like the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, this isn’t so much a matter of the amount of money (although it is significant), but because it symbolizes an arrogance of power on the part of our legislators (and the education system) which needs to be checked.
It’s time to restore checks and balances on the elitism displayed by state officials. They need to be reminded that, as public officials, they are the servants and we are the masters. The double-dipping of state legislators has recently been exposed; it’s time to take a deeper look as the relationship between public officials and the state education system.
Dan is curious about how other Alabamians feel about this issue. So am I.
4 Responses to “Alabama Ticketgate Scandal Should Be Investigated”
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Dan wrote on 12/3/07 at 2:10 pm :
I do agree that it doesn’t pass the smell test. I guess I just don’t see this as a big political scandal. Bringing the practice to light is about as far as I think it should go. If the public thinks it’s outrageous, then I wouldn’t disagree with public pressure coercing the universities to stop it.
I guess alot of my feelings about it has to do with the fact that while the universities in question are purely public schools, I see them (and especially their football programs) and autonomous. Both programs are financially independent. The football teams make the school money, not the other way around.
It also may be true that I have just grown accustomed to seeing public officials as the beneficiaries of perks. I do find it interesting, however, that everyone is all worked up about the 4 tickets/parking passes each legislator received for the whole season and not the 24 tickets the governor receives for each game.
Steve wrote on 12/3/07 at 2:16 pm :
Dan,
I should have made more mention of the Governor. One wonders if Paul Hubbert uses some of those tickets to sit next to Riley on game day.
If we are providing millions of dollars per year (both from trust fund and earmarked) to the state university system, I no longer care how autonomous a particular program is.
After the meat and carrots and potatoes and seasoning have been added to the same pot, the final result is stew.
paul wrote on 12/3/07 at 2:55 pm :
I agree with Steve.
And if the football program is really autonomous,
the players should get paid.
T. Andress wrote on 12/4/07 at 10:57 am :
“TWO OIL MEN ARE MAKING MILLIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR AFFILITES”
Bush and Cheney have managed to get oil to close at above $97.00 a barrel (an all time high), gold is near an all time high and the U.S. dollar is at its all time low. There is more Federal money going to civilian mercenaries than to American solders. During the last seven years our borders have been left open, now we have over 14 million illegal immigrants. Every military power in the world has managed to slip spies up through Mexico and across our borders unchallenged.
Bush’s bad appointments have been in his own personal interests; he has disregarded his oath to protect and serve the U.S.A. Good job guys you have made millionaires of your GOP affiliates by awarding big government contracts to their sham organizations at the cost of bringing our country into a recession. You have redefined Democracy, the executive powers, our Judicial system and the role of our National Guards and the Military Reserves.
Alabama is right in the middle of Bush’s corruption. Bush has had to help Bob Riley win both his elections for governor. Slick Bob is being groomed as a potential vice president candidate for the 2008 election. But what about his connection to Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon during the 2002 election. Also, there is another cloud over Riley’s head that involves their conspiracy to eliminate his opponent Don Siegelman in the 2006 election which is starting to get national attention.
By showing no shame and declaring executive privileges the occupants in the white house have become fugitives that are untouchable. Charges can’t be brought against them, because the judicial system works for the executive branch in which the President is the man in charge. Congress has not been able to start an impeachment process because there are very few conservative (honest) Republican’s remaining in Congress who align themselves with the traditional Republican values. Bush’s new group of corrupt politicians are still using the name of the GOP and they still run on the Republican ticket; however, they are aligning themselves on Bush’s and Cheney’s corruption.
What’s the next move once a new president assumes office? What could possibly be Bush’s plan? How are they going to avoid prosecutions and possibly war crime charges? How are they going to prevent the Feds. from seizing their bank accounts and their assets. Will Bush perform midnight pardons? But, first they have to be charged with a crime to be pardoned. Who then would pardon Bush?
I believe that they have all their eggs in one basket. The new President will have to be a close ally. With so many facing possible prosecutions, I believe that what they did to get Bob Riley elected governor is just an example of what might happen to their presidential opponents.
I believe that Karl Rove has never been debriefed and that he is still using the NSA to do wiretapping to gather whatever information that he needs to eliminate top presidential candidates. I believe that Bush is using the Justice department to investigate all presidential candidates, and that Karl Rove is being given the results of their investigations to be used to blackmail and to generate smear campaign ads. This is the same thing that he and Donal Segretti done for Nixon. Segretti went to prison; however Karl was only twenty one and escaped prosecution. Maybe he won’t be as lucky the next time. If Karl’s tactics fail to get their candidate in the lead, I believe that Bush’s and Cheney’s crimes are so serious that the leading candidate will be assassinated regardless of whether he or she is a conservative Republican or a Democrat.