Blogs

Where do we stand on the I-10 connector and just where will it come across in Alabama? / Here's a different spin on an I-10 connector.  With the need for obviously large sums of money needed we may need to add to the existing angle of "commerce" to garner the needed appropriations. What about an I-10 connector that also connected Ft. Benning, Ft. Rucker and the military installations on the coast (preferably P.City) which would also create another evacuation route between I-65 & 75? Appropriations could then come from several "pools" of funds .... would naturally be a bi-partisan effort, etc.

The I-10 connector could be very beneficial to Southeast Alabama.  In fact, in the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill, I requested $1 million to go towards the project for the Dothan area.  Of course with any project that big in size, cost will be an issue.  But the I-10 connector is a long-term project that could see a strong return on investment and benefit the Second District.

I like the specific proposal to link our important military installations along the corridor and think the participant has hit the nail on the head.  Sometimes we forget that President Eisenhower proposed the interstate highway system as a matter of national security, and that model is still relevant today.  We get the best finished product when we can accomplish more than one task at a time.  I will look into your proposal at the federal level, and I encourage you to contact my office to share your thoughts.

Why are you not supporting the employee free choice act? This is very important to all working and middle class Americans. and yes every union employee in your district. YOU actively solicited political contributions from these unions and now you're not wanting to help these labor organizations, WHY? / The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would introduce a card-check procedure that would allow a union to be recognized without an election by secret ballot. The most troubling part of the bill is the provision for compulsory arbitration. This would allow the government to settle deadlocks in contractual differences between management and workers. I don't see any freedom in the EFCA and would hope that Congressman Bright never supports this.

I have said from the beginning- including during my campaign- that I am opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act in its current form.  The right to a secret ballot is a basic tenet of American democracy, and we should never compromise the secret ballot in any election over which the federal government has some authority.  We must strike a balance between labor unions and business, but as I've said, The Employee Free Choice Act would tilt the balance unfairly towards union members and could potentially hurt some small businesses, many of which are already struggling in this economy.

What's in the future for Ft. Rucker utilizing recently awarded TARP funds?

To my knowledge Fort Rucker recently received money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or the stimulus, which is different from TARP funds.  Though I did not support the stimulus, it contained some money for important military construction projects and upgrades across the country.  As funds from the stimulus became available, I made it clear to the Administration that Fort Rucker should be a priority for any new military construction.  Fort Rucker will use the money to improve the quality of life for our service men and women, and given Fort Rucker's importance to the Wiregrass, these funds will benefit the entire region.  I certainly believe those projects are a wise use of taxpayer dollars.  To read more about the ARRA funds, please visit my website.