As an elected local official, I would respectfully request our state house not waste time on local issues, I have read this week the state house intends to take up a measure that would force local governments and school boards to seek approval from them if consideration of a name change to a school or if a monument were to be removed.
This is another waste of time and a continuation of Montgomery attempting to control the entire state from a high perched observatory.
I feel their energy would be better served attempting to figure out funding for education that would allow us to gain ground nationally and internationally. Home rule is a difficult subject in our state and this one should be a no brainier.
We continually seem to cast ourselves into a negative light around the country with these types of illogical banners we wave, seriously, this seems nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to confederate monuments and symbols being taken down around the country and in our own state.
The representatives in Montgomery would have us believe this is about states rights and standing firm against Washington elites, and the irony is, they are taking up a measure to do the same thing to local office holders and citizens that they claim is being done to them as our representatives.
We all know that perception can become reality in the public eye, when will we stop giving off the wrong perception to America and the world in Alabama.
Respectfully,
Joe Cochran
Pinson, Alabama