Volume
1 Issue 1 - March 2001
Printable
Version
PRESS RELEASE!
DONALD V. WATKINS LAUNCHES POLITICAL NEWS WEB SITE FOR INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Birmingham, AL - Donald V. Watkins, owner and publisher of Voter News Network (TM), announced today the inaugural edition of a political news web site aimed specifically at independent voters. Voter News Network was first advocated by Watkins in December of last year when he encouraged black voters to become political independents. Watkins expanded the focus of Voter News Network to become the official voice of independent voters, regardless of race. The call for organizing groups of voters as political independents has been overwhelmingly positive. "After our initial declaration of political independence, we received thousands of calls and e-mails from black and white voters excited about joining our cause," Watkins said. "I have never seen a political event unite black and white voters like this effort. What we are learning is that voters have more in common when the political focus is on state and national pocketbook issues." Voter News Network's immediate goal is to communicate political news on key pocketbook issues to more than 150,000 adult Alabama residents monthly and to encourage those in the database to become political independents. The launching of VoterNewsNetwork.com is the first phase of the news service. This will be followed by the publication of a monthly newsletter. Expansion plans include a syndicated radio talk show, five nights per week broadcast throughout the state and interactive Web TV. Voter News Network's long-term goal is to increase the news service ability to communicate with more than 300,000 adult Alabama residents by January 2004, and to expand the web site to include news coverage for independent voters in other states. Sharon Childs-Long will serve as Editor-in-Chief for Voter News Network. Drew A. Watkins will serve as Associate Editor and Web Master. Voter News Network is a division of Donald V. Watkins, P.C. The web site address is www.VoterNewsNetwork.com . Voter News Network's mailing address is 2170 Highland Avenue, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL. 35205.
EDITORIAL: IT'S ABOUT FREE AGENTS AND INDEPENDENT THINKERS
It is not about which flag flies over the capitol dome! Nor is it about religious preferences! It is about economic development, educational quality, tax reform, health care and financial growth. Voter News Network is targeting key pocketbook issues that impact our daily lives. It is a news service focusing on the politics of Alabama and Washington. We are implementing a new political strategy for independent thinkers. Voter News Network is bringing us together as "political free agents." The political free agency idea was originally conceived to encourage black voters to carve out a political niche; to mobilize and organize an independent group that demands the attention of everyone seeking state or national offices. We advocated this concept in an editorial published in the Birmingham News, Montgomery Advertiser, and other newspapers around the state. The overwhelming positive response from non-African Americans to the editorial forced us to reevaluate our audience. [Editor's note: this editorial is available on the website VoterNewsNetwork.com] In response to the editorial written by Voter News Network's publisher, Donald V. Watkins, The Birmingham News wrote, " Watkins has a point, but it extends well beyond black voters. In fact, every voter should strive to pick leaders based on their record and their positions, not their party affiliation. Because it's not which party the candidate belongs to that matters; it's where the candidate stands on issues that affect the community, the state, the nation." We agree. As customary, for many officials, party allegiance has overshadowed what is good and what is right. Blind allegiance to any party dilutes political strength. Voters are taken for granted and ignored. Voter News Network's immediate goal is to communicate to over 150,000 adult Alabama residents monthly. The launching of this website is the first phase of the news service. This will be followed by the publication of the monthly newsletter. Expansion plans include a syndicated radio talk show, five nights per week broadcast throughout the state and interactive Web TV. Our long-term goal is to increase our ability to communicate with over 300,000 adult Alabama residents by January 2004, and expand the website to include news coverage for independent voters in other states. Our mission is to organize and mobilize independent voters by using every communication vehicle available. Voter News Network will work to make Alabama a national landmark for political free agents and independent voters.
LEGISLATIVE HOT POTATOES
Payday/predatory lending - is a hot potato in this legislative session. For the last two years Senator Roger Bedford (D-Russellville) has attempted to pass legislation under the cloak of "consumer protection" which does more to hurt consumers than help. The legislation, or "legal loan-sharking" as characterized by Rep. John Knight, (D-Montgomery) would allow check-cashers or payday lenders to receive up to 1200 percent returns on small loans from the retired and working class people who can least afford to pay. It is widely suspected that banks outside of the state fund these facilities in order to get around the restricted 36 percent annual percentage rate banks can charge. Trial lawyers do not oppose this bill because several would profit greatly from their ownership of check cashing and payday lending businesses. Of course, we expect to see this legislation again this year, and it will be one of the hot potatoes of this session. A likely solution would be for Speaker of the House, Seth Hammett, to appoint an ad hoc committee to study this subject and make recommendations as to how consumers, payday lenders and the banking industry can best address this problem. In an editorial last year, The Birmingham News said it best. "Payday lenders and auto title pawn shops, with their outrageous rates, shouldn't be allowed to feast on the poor." Fortunately, over the past two years, Representatives Knight and William Parker, (D-Birmingham) have been successful in defeating the legislation.
[Editor's Note: We made a request to Governor Don Seigelman's chief of staff, Paul Hamrick, for an article from the Superintendent of Banking on Predatory Lending. To date, we have not received any response from our request. If we receive one we will publish it in a future edition.]
UA TO GET NEW TRUSTEE - OR MAYBE NOT!
Recently, there has been a lot of hoopla about the nomination of Jacque Shaia as a candidate for membership on the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. Many people are excited and are celebrating this historic nomination (Shaia would be the first UAB graduate to serve as a board member). Certainly, those who support this nomination will be watching her journey through the Senate confirmation process. Whether Shaia will be confirmed is a popular discussion in business offices throughout the state. Voter News Network learned that several very powerful political alliances have formed for the specific purpose of defeating her confirmation. This alliance believes that it has the clout to defeats Shaia's conformation. This appointment will be one Senate item to watch.
IT'S POLITICAL JOCKEY-ING TIME
Redistricting - will surely bring everything right down to the line this year in Montgomery as the legislators start arm-twisting and eyebrow-raising to control how the lines deciding representation for the State of Alabama are drawn. We call it "political gerrymandering" since the winner will likely take all. This happens every ten years when our federal government, under the direction of the Census Bureau, attempts to count all of the residents of the United States. On the basis of these numbers, large federal dollars are divided among the states, which leads state officials to fight over where the lines in the states will be drawn and who will get the money. The numbers that represent Alabama will affect all state assistance programs causing heavyweight fights over where the district lines are drawn. Official Census numbers are expected to be released in April. We have learned that three groups are developing plans to submit for approval by the Legislature. The Alabama Education Association (AEA), led by longtime political operative Joe Reed, has already drafted preliminary plans, and has shared it's plans with AEA's pet legislators. House and Senate Republicans are also preparing redistricting plans that are expected to capitalize on major population shifts in many districts that are currently held by Democrats. The intent is to defeat the incumbents in the 2002 elections who have opposed the Republican agenda. The third group preparing redistricting plans is The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus. This group, chaired by State Representative, John Hilliard, (D-Birmingham), is developing a House and Senate plan to protect their current districts and their voter bases. Voter News Network has learned that several legislators, i.e., Sen. E. B. McClain, (D-Bessemer), Rep. Hilliard, Rep. William Parker, (D-Birmingham), and Rep. Eric Majors, (D-Fairfield), lead the political hit list on the AEA redistricting plan. Redrawing district lines is a state and federal issue. The House and Senate plan adopted by the State Legislature will determine the district lines for state legislative seats. Seth Hammett, (D-Andalusia), Speaker of the House of Representatives, expects this to be a "major distraction for House and Senate members." Every state and federal elected official has a very personal interest in how the district lines are drawn. In the past, elected officials have been removed from office by a simple stroke of the pen during the redistricting process (e.g., Ben Erderich, former District Six Congressman, lines were redrawn during the last census to remove a large percentage of his support base. He was defeated in the next election).
BUDDY OR BID PROCESS - PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS APPROVED BY STATE AGENCIES
Amendment One was a very hot topic for Alabama and especially for our Governor's staff during last year's election. Governor Don Seigelman's staff worked diligently to make sure that this item was approved. The Amendment will allow the state to divert over 35 million dollars per year from the Alabama Trust Fund. This money can be used by the Governor and state lawmakers to repair bridges and finance projects involving the state docks. There are plans to possibly turn the Alabama State Docks into a port for cruise ships. However, the focus on the Governor's spending of this money has targeted his method of selecting professional service providers. For example, millions of dollars will be spent on professional service contracts, i.e., bond teams, lawyers and consultants. It is unclear whether the Governor will use the bid process to award professional service contracts or will simply hand picking these professionals.
ALABAMA LEGISLATURE WILL FACE MANY CHALLENGES IN 2001 REGULAR SESSION by: Seth Hammett - Speaker, Alabama House of Representatives (Democrat)
It has been said that the toughest thing about success is that you have to continue being a success. The Alabama Legislature finds itself in just this type of situation as it begins its annual regular session February 6. Despite shifting political winds and an inherent resistance to change, the Legislature made significant progress during the past two years toward establishing a solid framework to move this state forward. The Legislature began a major reform effort last year by budgeting taxpayer dollars with an increased emphasis on accountability. It enacted bills to improve education by changing tenure laws, revising student-testing procedures and adequately compensating teachers. It worked to protect citizens by strengthening criminal laws, and it built upon the recommendations of the Alabama Commerce Commission to move Alabama down a more productive road for economic development. The House of Representatives even began efforts to streamline the state constitution and enact campaign finance reform. Now, with the Legislature at the midpoint of the current four-year term, lawmakers must build on their past successes and work together to meet new challenges. In the regular session, many of those challenges will involve a continuation of earlier initiatives. It is of utmost importance that legislators continue to expand the use of performance-based budgeting in the education and General Fund spending plans of the state. By setting specific goals and objectives for departments, agencies and schools, we can measure progress and ensure taxpayers that their money is being well spent. This method of budgeting runs contrary to past traditions in Alabama, and to continue it will require a further commitment to change and to spending money more wisely. And this must be done in an environment of declining state revenues that are resulting from a slowdown in the national economy. In pursuing more accountability in the budgets, lawmakers will have to keep education improvements as a top priority, while also seeking ways to comply with court orders to improve mental health services and childcare programs. Legislators will also have to tackle the issue of prison overcrowding by looking closer at alternative sentencing-a concept that could help ensure that our limited number of prison beds are occupied by those criminals who are the most dangerous to society. The Alabama Commerce Commission, created by Governor Don Siegelman, is expected to propose several bills this year to foster economic development. Last year, the Legislature passed commission-backed measures to restructure the Alabama State Docks, improve state parks, coordinate state technology efforts, improve rural airport development, repair substandard country roads and bridges, and liberalize investments from the trust funds that hold royalties from offshore gas production. This year, lawmakers will most likely be asked to address improvements in industrial incentives, adoption of a regional development concept for attracting new industries, simplification of business license application procedures, and public transportation funding. Legislators will be seeking innovative ways to stimulate job opportunities for Alabamians - particularly in economically distressed areas of the state. Lawmakers may also receive recommendations from the Governor's Commission on Environmental Initiatives, the Governor's Commission on Election day Procedures, and numerous other task forces that have been working on issues ranging from health care and teacher preparation to alcohol abuse and corrections. The effect of Medicaid reimbursement changes on Alabama hospitals need attention, as well as escalating health care costs and the effects of managed care. Add to the list of pending issues lethal injection, voter identification, title loan regulation, proration prevention funds, graduated drivers licenses, mandatory seat belt usage for all motor vehicle occupants, absentee voting reform, more constitutional revision, and the big unknown factor-redistricting. The Legislature is required every 10 years to redraw House and Senate districts to reflect changes in population. The U. S. Census Bureau must report its final statistics to the state by April 1, which will be about two-thirds of the way through the session. No one can predict the effects of redistricting on the passage of legislation, but it always has some effect. If nothing else this year, redistricting could become a major distraction for House and Senate members. It will be incumbent on all legislators to stay focused on the issues the public needs us to confront, and to deal with other matters as best we can. There is no doubt that the agenda is full, and time is limited. The federal government continues to shift more responsibility to the state, and lawmakers have less time to find solutions to problems. Hopefully this session can be characterized by a strong spirit of compromise. Legislators must work together, as there will be no time to waste at the drop of the gavel.
PARTY POLITICS: BEST WAY TO GO by: Earl F. Hilliard U. S. Congressman - 7th District - Alabama (Democrat)
(Editor's Note: In the latter part of this article, Hilliard discusses his legislative agenda and special committee assignments)
I am very happy that this organization is going to concentrate on getting people to become politically motivated. Its charge should be to inform the people about the political process. I am convinced that Democrats produce the best results for the people. I have no problem with your getting things from the Republican Party or interviewing other people to receive information from members of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is the party of African-Americans. It is inclusive of all Americans and has always provided the things that made life better for everyone. The Democratic Party deals with real issues. It's not a party that deals with superficial window dressing. I invite you to compare the Democratic Presidential Cabinet of Clinton and the Republican Cabinet of President George W. Bush, in terms of the number of African-American appointments and who articulates the interest of African Americans. You will find that the Democratic Party is the right party. When you look at the number of appointments of the current Governor of the State of Alabama and the Last Governor of the State and examine the quality of people appointed and how they articulate African-American interests and concerns on the state level, you will discover that the Democratic Party is the party that best suits the interest of African-Americans. After you make the comparison between African-American appointments on both local and national levels, there is no doubt that the Democratic Party is the right party of the people. As far as my legislative agenda for the 107th Congress is concerned, I will fight to maintain programs that support public education and programs that benefit low-income workers. I will fight to maintain affirmative action and introduce measures that would restore the voting rights of ex-felons. I will introduce legislation that will prevent police and other organizations from interfering with the people's right to vote and access to the polls. I will also introduce legislation that would move election days to Saturday and Sunday to make it more convenient for working citizens to vote. In addition, I will fight to insure that all Americans have the right to vote and that their votes are counted. As Co-chair of the Home-Health working group of the House of Representatives, I plan to introduce legislation to support Americans who are being treated for medical problems in their homes, rather than in hospitals and nursing homes. I will support patients first, doctors, hospitals and other providers secondly. I firmly believe that comprehensive health care must be accessible to all Americans and I will support that legislatively. I will introduce legislation to support equal pay for women for comparable work. I also plan to be actively involved in international relations. In Agriculture, I will probably be chair of a sub-committee concerning Agriculture. In this powerful position, I will work to support family farms, small farms, and Alabama farms. We have lost too many small farms and this trend needs to be reversed. I support agricultural and environmental development and I believe that a balance between these interests will make this a state that is both productive and a beautiful place to live.
FLAT TAX PROPOSAL by: Richard Shelby U.S. Senator - Alabama (Republican)
As Congress convenes and begins its work this year, we are hopeful that the inauguration of a new president will bring new opportunities to reform the cumbersome Internal Revenue Code and reduce the overwhelming tax burden the Code has placed upon American taxpayers. Since 1986, there have been nearly 6,500 changes to the Internal Revenue Code. This has created a convoluted tax code which penalizes those who are not savvy enough or wealthy enough to pay a professional to work out their tax liability. Furthermore, because the tax code is so complex, even experts - including the IRS - are unsure of what is required to be in compliance with the current law. According to Daniel Pilla, a tax litigation consultant, in 1993 the IRS telephone taxpayer assistance program provided about 8.5 million Americans the wrong answers to even the most basic inquiries about the tax laws. If the IRS cannot figure out the code, how can the IRS expect the American people to do so? A flat tax will eliminate the complexity and correct the vast and pervasive inequities of the current system by dramatically simplifying the tax code. Rather than wade through stacks of complicated IRS forms and instruction manuals, under a flat tax, taxpayers will file a simple postcard size return. This simple form is easily completed in minutes without the use of expensive professional assistance. The flat tax would decrease the cost of compliance to the government, and would save taxpayers time and money. With a flat tax, all American taxpayers would be taxed on wages, salaries and pensions at the same rate, 17% when the tax is fully implemented. In place of itemized deductions that often favor special interest groups, each taxpayer would be given a generous standard deduction of $11,000, or $22,000 in the case of filing jointly. Taxpayers would receive an additional $5000 standard deduction for each dependent. Therefore, a family of four would need to make over $32,000 before they would pay a single penny of taxes. Taxing everyone at the same rate does not mean that the wealthy will pay the same amount of taxes as lower income Americans. People who make more will still pay more under the flat tax. All that is changed is that every American would be treated equally and taxed at the same rate. Under the current law a person with a taxable income of $41,199 is taxed at 15%. However, someone who makes just one dollar more is taxed nearly twice as much, 28% to be exact. Under the flat tax such arbitrary taxation would be non-existent. Under a flat tax this will end. People will not have to hire an accountant or attorney simply to comply with the law. Everyone will fill out the same simple return, everyone will be taxed at the same rate and everyone will pay their fare share. The Joint Economic Committee has found that the "flat-rate income taxes are significantly more favorable to economic growth than progressive taxes. Personal income in flat rate income tax states grew at a rate 25 percent faster than did personal income in states with a progressive rate structure." Enactment of the flat tax would spur economic growth and investment by eliminating the double taxation of savings and promote jobs and higher wages. The flat tax does away with government micromanagment of people's personal finances and allows them to spend, save or invest their hard earned money as they see fit. The flat tax promotes the American family by eliminating both the marriage penalty which unfairly punishes married couples by forcing them to shoulder a greater tax burden than had they remained single, and the death tax, which has a devastating effect on small businesses. Eliminating the marriage penalty would likely create an increase in income for most families that would allow them to finance family vacations, education and retirement. Furthermore, because the death tax forces many Americans to sell businesses that their family spent a lifetime building people would be able to keep the fruits of their parents and grandparents labor, which are often a hallmark of their heritage. Perhaps the most important virtue of the flat tax is that it supports the basic values of work, savings and individual liberty. It has been a commitment to these principles that has made America the most successful economy in the world. The time for major tax reform is now. Proposed amendments to the current tax code only perpetuate the complexities and inequalities of the current system. The flat tax would not only simplify the tax code so that all taxpayers could easily complete their own returns, it would more importantly treat all Americans equally. Only by treating every taxpayer equally can our tax code ever achieve true fairness.
BLACK VOTERS MUST BECOME POLITICAL FREE AGENTS by: Donald V. Watkins Birmingham, Alabama December 12, 2000
The time has come for black voters to explore new political strategies and form expanded strategic partnerships. One of the strongest sources of influence in America is political power, especially when it is well-organized and energized. In recent years, the political currents have changed in statewide and national elections. Our blind (and often unreciprocated) allegiance to the Democratic Party has diluted our political strength. Black voters are taken for granted while our voices are politely ignored by too many statewide and national Democratic Party officeholders. In Alabama, the Party's hierarchy seems to be hopelessly locked into a death spiral with longtime Democratic Party chief Joe Reed, who was soundly defeated by black voters in his 1999 Montgomery City Council re-election bid. Often, the only reward blacks receive for our party loyalty centers around political convention trips for a few of our political leaders and the appointment of some of their family members and friends to political jobs. Rarely do black voters experience any meaningful benefits for this party loyalty. Some pundits claim that black voters should switch to the Republican Party. This is not the pathway for leveraging our political strength. The Republican Party has attracted many white voters fleeing the Democratic Party's family of political outcasts (i.e. blacks, hispanics, gays, union members, trial lawyers, women activists, liberals, etc.). Historically, the Republican Party has not actively solicited our voices or votes, and has no real agenda for doing so today. Black Republican Party leaders wield no real power. They often serve the Party faithful as nothing more than political eunuchs. Black voters can earn a well-deserved political premium on their voting power by becoming political free agents, just like professional athletes. Free agents in sports reserve unto themselves the right to join new teams whenever it is in their best interest to do so. We can accomplish this by organizing and mobilizing ourselves as independent voters, and by teaming with other groups of independent voters. We should focus on statewide and federal elections. Our loyalty should be expressed on an election-by-election basis to the candidate who is most sensitive to our core issues. Our support should be directed to the individual candidate, not the party. Candidates, regardless of party affiliation, work hardest for the political support of independent and swing voters. This is almost their singular focus from the time the candidates receive their party nominations until the Fall general elections. It should also be ours. Several of my business friends and associates decided recently that we already have the resources in place to begin implementing this political restructuring with Alabama's statewide politics. In January 2001, we will initiate the following steps: 1. We will seek to organize, energize and mobilize a group of 200,000 independent voters by January, 2002 and 300,000 by January, 2004. We have current databases which allow us direct access to over 150,000 adult Alabama residents, most of whom are registered voters. We will encourage the registered voters in our databases to become political independents. We will urge and assist non-registered voters in this database to become registered voters. The databases are predominantly black, but include whites and other ethnic groups. We will make a concerted effort to mobilize all of the individuals in the databases, regardless of race. 2. We will distribute an issue-based monthly newsletter to the individuals in our databases. The newsletters will be non-partisan updates on key issues, including economic development, the quality of our educational systems, tax reform, healthcare, and personal financial growth. The newsletter will have a special focus on the core issues black voters share with white voters. For example, the need for comprehensive tax reform, affordable health care, economic development, and a sound social security program are critical issues regardless of one's ethnic background. 3. We will form strategic political alliances with other groups of independent voters to leverage our collective political voices. We realize that independent voters often share similar views on a wide range of political issues. We will focus on those issues we share with other groups of independent voters. 4. Our organizing group is spearheaded by Alabama-based businessmen and women, not career politicians and officeholders. These established business owners are generally considered to be social moderates and fiscal conservatives. They actively monitor the political, business and financial climate of Alabama. Their backgrounds are diverse and well-respected within the business community. None of these individuals is an elected official. These men and women are located in the state's major metropolitan centers. 5. We will grade statewide and federal elected officials against established criteria designed to measure their sensitivity to the shared core values of independent and swing voters. We will inform our base of voters of the grade each candidate receives. 6. We will fund our political outreach activities with our own money to insure the non-partisan nature of this voter education and turnout effort. Unlike existing political groups, we will not solicit or accept money from candidates or political parties. In fact, we will raise campaign contributions for candidates supported by our group of independent voters. Our voter education activities will be ongoing. Our voter turnout efforts will begin after the parties' nominees for statewide and federal office are chosen. 7. Once we establish this political restructuring in Alabama politics, we will work diligently to organize and mobilize independent voters in a similar fashion in other states. We have seen in recent Alabama elections that a group of ten to thirty thousand well-organized independent voters can swing elections for statewide office. Our status as political free agents will inspire strong competition for our votes. It will also force a moderation in political tactics and rhetoric from candidates who prefer to sail into office on the strength of divisive issues. Finally, it should prevent the hijacking of statewide elections by political extremists. This new political strategy is long overdue and deserves a chance to work for our benefit. We can expect plenty of criticism from professional politicians who have a vested interest in maintaining the political status quo. They will get over it, or get left behind.
*** Mr. Watkins is Chairman of Alamerica Bank and a lawyer who served as Special Counsel to former Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington, Jr. from 1985-1999. ***
(An Advertisement in the January 31, 2001 issue of the Washington Post)
CONFIRM JOHN ASHCROFT!
To Members of the United States Senate:
I am an African-American from Birmingham, Alabama. I live in a state known around the world for its long and ugly history of racial segregation and pervasive discrimination. I am a former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ("NAACP") and Southern Christian Leadership Conference ("SCLC") trial attorney and a staunch supporter of each organization's mission and goals. After graduating from law school in 1973, I spent the next two decades litigating and winning landmark school desegregation, fair housing and equal employment opportunity cases for the NAACP and SCLC. In 1976, I obtained a full and complete pardon from the State of Alabama for Mr. Clarence Norris, the last known surviving "Scottsboro Boy". I voted for former President Bill Clinton twice and supported him in his fight against impeachment. I also voted for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman last Fall. I am a political independent who assesses a political candidate or appointee's fitness for office based upon the content of his character -- NOT his party affiliation. I believe it is time for the United States Senate to confirm John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Here is why: 1. As a former Governor and U.S. Senator, John Ashcroft may have played political hardball, but he is not a racist. When John Ashcroft was first nominated to be Attorney General, I read the newspaper stories about his successful effort to defeat the federal judgeship nomination of Missouri Supreme Court Justice, Ronnie White. I was highly concerned. I watched the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. There, I saw a different story. I learned that Messrs. White and Ashcroft were skillful and brilliant players at the game of legislative hardball. Mr. White, while a state legislator, used his powerful committee chairmanship position to engage in political jousting with then Governor Ashcroft. Years later, Mr. Ashcroft continued the jousting by using his influence as a Senator to defeat Mr. White's nomination to become a federal district judge. The defeat of Justice White was hardball, not racism. Mr. White himself testified that John Ashcroft was not a racist. 2. It is time for America to have an Attorney General who will enforce the law equally and fairly for all Americans. As Black Americans, we see the problem of crime in America up close and personal. Black Americans are among its greatest victims. For us, it is particularly important that the enforcement of our law be strong, effective and fair. Mr. Ashcroft has also promised to investigate all alleged voting rights violations, particularly those lodged in Florida in the aftermath of last Fall's election. We expect him to prosecute any criminal violations if federal laws protecting voting rights were broken in Florida. 3. It is time to restore civility and dignity to the Senate confirmation process. Americans have watched the Senate confirmation process deteriorate over the years since the Robert Bork nomination in 1987. What used to be a calm exploration of a nominee's qualifications often now becomes a trial by ordeal. Both political parties decry the so-called "politics of personal destruction" and then eagerly employ it. Special interest groups on all sides regard a confirmation battle as a fundraising opportunity and a test of strength, regardless of its impact on the nominee. A vote for John Ashcroft will not, in itself, restore civility to the confirmation process, but it will help. It is time for all Americans to stop fighting the outcome of last Fall's election and give President Bush a chance to govern. President Bush has selected a diverse and inclusive cabinet. We must give his team an opportunity to lead this nation. If Mr. Ashcroft does not live up to his commitment to enforce our federal laws on an even-handed basis, we can deal with that in the political arena at a later date. Until then, we should respect President Bush's choice for Attorney General.
Sincerely,
Donald V. Watkins
Founder and Chairman, Alamerica Bank