[sedriskell]

Originally Posted by ttownfeen

I think the most power is held in this state by rural interests, like the large timber land owners, which is why the most powerful legislators in the state are from these one-horse towns nobody's heard of.

I think west central Alabama gets the short-changing contrary to popular belief at the state level. Look at our roads: every one of the major highways connecting Tuscaloosa with other cities (including the state capital) is still mostly two-laned (except for US 82 to MS, which is almost halfway four-laned), while in north Alabama every road that isn't somebody's driveway seems to be a near-freeway. The county government is having to build a bypass around that metro area on its own because the state wont do so. Tuscaloosa County is broken up in several rural districts to bring up their population numbers. Northport is the largest city in the state to not have a resident senator. The state is threatening to move 600 local jobs at Bryce to Birmingham because it thinks UA should solve its monetary problems. The RSA seems to be under the impression that Tuscaloosa/West Alabama is actually in Mississippi as the have so far not made any sort of investlike the RTJ golf trails/resorts and the office buildings seen in other parts of the state.

But, a lot of this get masked over because Tuscaloosa gets many benefits from local sugar daddy Richard Shelby's quest to build as many monuments to his own glory as he can before retirement.

Good point. Tuscaloosa's influence is more a national politics detail than a state politics one.

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

Paul Hubbert runs the AEA and is co-chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. Joe Reed is an officer of the AEA, vice-chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, and heads the Alabama Democratic Conference (black caucus). The AEA is by far the most powerful funding source for politicians in Alabama. So, the AEA has the most influence in the Democrat-controlled State legislature.

Fair enough. You're probably right.
But I think you'd have to look at the influence by issue. I'm not sure the AEA throws its weight behind every specific issue.
Also, its obvious the amount of pandering to large corporations, large landowners, and wealthy residents that goes on.