Oh my goodness gracious (think of a deep southern accent lamenting life's travails)! What EVER happened to the good ole days ... days before wealth redistribution, unemployment benefits, welfare, marriage equality, immigration reform, and the measles?! America has just gone to hell in a hand basket according to Chip Beeker, an Alabama public service commissioner.
From The New Civil Rights Movement:
Meet Chip Beeker. A Republican who last November ousted a long-time incumbent, Beeker has a message and he's not shy about sharing it. His campaign, which took in hundreds of thousands of dollars, was focused on three issues: protect consumers, create jobs, fight Obama.
Yes, even at the local level, at least in Alabama, being anti-Barack Obama is a ticket to office – and a ticket to getting on Fox News, which featured Beeker's campaign ad last year.
Beeker is now using his powerful seat on Alabama's Public Service Commission to attack, well just about everything.
In a six-minute rant delivered at this week's commission meeting – a commission created to regulate utility rates – Beeker attacked U.S. District Judge Callie Granade's rulings that struck down Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage, and managed to travel between those same-sex marriage rulings to "the moral decline in our nation" to the measles outbreak.
From
JMG (and AL.com):
Via AL.com:
The first thing you need to understand is what the Alabama Public Service Commission is supposed to do - regulate utilities in the state of Alabama. If you didn't know that, you are forgiven - Alabama public service commissioners forget it all the time. Case in point, Commissioner Chip Beeker. Following the Pledge of Allegiance at the PSC's meeting Tuesday, Beeker went on a rant that can only be described as full-bore Alabama. God in schools, gay marriage, welfare for the poor and teenage pregnancy - all to Beeker are proof that things just ain't the way they used to be and things are bad. For a moment Beeker seemed to come back to the 21st century, lamenting a measles outbreak in a daycare in a public school. However, Beeker wasn't morose over the measles outbreak or people who don't vaccinate their children. He was expressing his dismay that such a thing exists as a daycare in a public school.
Speaking of wealth redistribution, a commenter at the above link observes that Beeker has redistributed $442,000 in USDA farm subsidies into his own pocket.
Actually, I long for a more fair and equitable wealth redistribution. Unfortunately, today all the wealth is going to the top one (or few) percent.
It appears that Alabama is ready to go with marriage equality on Monday if the SCOTUS denies the motion to stay the ruling.