Page 4 DALEVILLE SUN-COURIER Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Sun-Courier
Daleville
RUSSELL QUATTLEBAUM CAROLINE QUATTLEBAUM
Co-Publisher
Co-Publisher
Managing Editor
Howard Quattlebaum, Founder • 1982-2004
OPINIONS
Hello Sun and Sun-Courier readers
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must be included. However, the writers’ name may be withheld
upon request.
As I write this I find
myself reminiscent of my
20’s, which is the age I was
when I last wrote an editorial for or in this area. Without giving my current age
away, let’s just say it’s been
awhile. Before, I was married with no children. Now,
I’m married with two grown
children. That being said, I
am extremely excited to be
the
back into a news reporting
role here in the EnterpriseJan Murray
Daleville-Fort Rucker areas
and look forward to seeing
Sun Staf Writer
and learning what’s going on
Your time has arrived. Share with our readers your thoughts on
in our beloved Wiregrass.
several years so I will answer
the news of the week, IN ONE OR TWO SENTENCES. Let off
Beginning my position that here. After several years
steam. Pass out kudos. Anonymously.
as a staff writer Oct. 2, I am in news reporting for daily
To submit your opinion to WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE, just getting my “feet wet” as newspapers in south Alathey say. If you haven’t seen bama, I adventured into the
go to www.southeastsun.com and type your brief comments in
the text box online below each story, email them to news@south- me out and about, you will work of financial social sereastsun.com or fax them in to 393-2987.
and if you have, then it was vices with the state of Alanice to see you! I very much bama. After that, I taught
look forward to meeting a variety of grade levels
more of you and covering in private schools – precommunity happenings, city school through third grades.
and county governments in All through both of those
Daleville/Dale County as careers journalism was not
well as the activities at Fort far away from me. I stayed
Rucker. It is my intent to be busy editing yearbooks,
thorough in my coverage advising teen journalists,
Good news: the House
and excellent in my writing working public relations
of Representatives passed
of your stories about your for the schools, etc. Later, I
the 2016 National Defense
communities.
worked about three years as
Authorization Act. The NDAA
Many have asked me a marketing director for an
is the annual bill that authowhere I’ve been these last area corporation.
rizes spending and policy for
the entire military, including programs and efforts at
installations in Alabama. This one wasn’t easy, as
ill-advised cuts in recent
In 1986 Richard Shelby
years have left Congress and
was a 50-year-old Congressmilitary leaders with diffiman from Tuscaloosa. He
cult choices. However, I’m
was elected to Congress eight
pleased to report that this
years earlier, after two sucNDAA does right by our
cessful four-year terms in the
troops and authorizes necesAlabama State Senate. Howsary spending levels for the
ever, Shelby was ready to
coming year. move up again. He was planSpecific to Fort Rucker,
ning to run for the United
this year’s NDAA authorizes: States Senate.
• $187 million for the stitutional responsibility to
Shelby had never lost a
procurement of 28 new Lako- “provide for the common
political race. He was six for
ta helicopters for the Army defense” of this nation by
six in races to represent his
Aviation Center of Excellence equipping our Armed Forces
with everything they need beloved Tuscaloosa and the
at Fort Rucker; and,
people of West Alabama. He gressional district was des• $47 million for elemen- to fight the enemy and deter
was a conservative Demo- tined to be the first African
tary school improvements on threats. In fact, one of my top
priorities as your Represen- crat, who had a stellar con- American district after reappost at Fort Rucker.
servative voting record. He portionment in 1990. The tea
Specific to Maxwell- tative in Congress has been
was safe in his U.S. House leaves were correct. That is
Gunter Air Force Base, the to fight against harmful cuts
to our military that erode our seat. In fact, it appeared that what happened to Shelby’s
NDAA authorizes:
the congressional seat was 7th district.
• Critical funding for readiness capabilities and
his for life. His decision to
Although it would be
C-130 aircraft improve- compromise national secuchallenge
an
incumbent
U.S.
a
daunting
task to upset an
ments, including $75 million rity. incumbent U.S. Senator, JereUnfortunately, Presi- Senator was a gamble.
for Avionics Modernization
Shelby’s friends cau- miah Denton had written the
Program (AMP) installation dent Obama had previously
tioned him that a race for the book on how to lose a Senand $33.2 million for C-130 threatened to veto this legislation, and some in the Sen- U.S. Senate against an incum- ate seat during his six-year
engine upgrades;
bent would be an uphill bat- term. Denton was elected as
• A $10 million budget ate may still try to block it.
tle and he should not risk Alabama’s first Republican
increase for the Defense That will not stop me from
his safe congressional seat. senator since Reconstruction
Information Systems Agency fighting to get it passed. Over
However, Shelby was unde- in 1980. He had been swept
(DISA), which has a facility the last year I have been
into office on the coattails
actively building a bi-parti- terred in his decision.
at Gunter;
One
factor
that
the
averof Ronald Reagan, who car• $7.6 million to replace san coalition of lawmakers to
age political observer was ried Alabama in a landslide.
the squadron operations make the case for protecting
national defense in the bud- not aware of was that Shelby Alabamians knew very little
facility at Dannelly Field;
probably sensed that his con- about Denton, except that he
• $33 million for ele- get. Working together, we will
mentary and middle school fight to build pressure on the
renovations at Maxwell Air Senate and President Obama
to enact this 2016 NDAA into
Force Base; and,
• $75 million in cyber law and then follow it with
operations
procurement a defense appropriations
for the Commander of bill that fills in this funding
United States Cyber Com- authority structure. 1571
In the last great clash of galleys, the Ottoman navy
mand (CYBERCOM). Maxis defeated at Lepanto, Greece, by a Christian naval coalition
well’s Air University recently
Martha Roby represents under the overall command of Spain’s Don Juan de Austria.
launched the Air Force Cyber
Delegates from nine of the American colonies meet
College which is focused Alabama’s 2nd Congressional 1765
on instruction in this emerg- District. She is currently serv- in New York to discuss the Stamp Act Crisis and colonial
response to it.
ing her third term.
ing front of global warfare.
1849
Edgar Allan Poe, aged 40, dies a tragic death in BalThe bill also contains
timore. Never able to overcome his drinking habits, he was
Contact Me
important authorizations for
military personnel, includKeeping close contact found in a delirious condition outside a saloon that was used
ing a 1.3 percent pay raise for with you is my top priority as as a voting place.
French Minister of the Interior Leon Gambetta
troops, $281 million in fund- I am traveling between Ala- 1870
ing to ensure commissaries bama and Washington, D.C. escapes besieged Paris by balloon, reaching the French prostay open; and empowering As the 112th Congress gets visional government in Tours.
In attempting to find ways to lower the cost of the
commanders to permit ser- to work, I hope you will stay 1913
vice members to carry fire- updated on my activities by automobile and make it more affordable to ordinary Americans, Henry Ford took note of the work of efficiency experts
arms at installations, reserve joining me at:
centers and recruiting cen- • Web site http://roby.house. like Frederick Taylor, the “father of scientific management.”
The result was the assembly line that reduced the time it took
ters.
gov/
Overall the 2016 NDAA • Facebook page at Congress- to manufacture a car, from 12 hours to 93 minutes.
1944
Prisoner uprising at Birkenau concentration camp.
authorizes $611.9 billion, man Martha Roby
Iva Toguri D’Aquino, better known as Tokyo Rose,
which includes both the base • Twitter page at RepMarthaR- 1949
is sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason.
Department of Defense bud- oby
East Germany, the German Democratic Republic,
get and funds for Overseas • Flicker page at Martha Roby 1949
Contingency Operations.
Sign up to receive Con- is formed.
A fire in the Windscale plutonium production
This is a great deal of tax- gressman Martha Roby’s 1957
payer money, no question. Weekly Column at http:// reactor (later called Sellafield) north of Liverpool, England,
But, I strongly believe that roby.house.gov/contact-me/ spreads radioactive iodine and polonium through the countryside and into the Irish Sea. Livestock in the immediate
Congress must fulfill its Con- newsletter.
area were destroyed, along with 500,000 gallons of milk. At
least 30, and possibly as many as 1,000, cancer deaths were
subsequently linked to the accident.
1976
Hua Guofeng, premier of the People’s Republic
of China, succeeds the late Mao Zedong as chairman of the
Communist Party of China.
1985
Four Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
hijackers seize the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro and
demand the release of 50 Palestinians held by Israel.
1993
The Great Flood of 1993 on the Mississippi and
The Southeast Sun/Daleville Sun-Courier accepts letters to the
editor about issues concerning the community, state or nation. The Sun
Missouri rivers ends, the worst US flood since 1927.
requires that all letters be signed and include an address and telephone
1996
Fox News Channel begins broadcasting.
number so that the letter’s origination can be verified. No letters will be
2001
US invasion of Afghanistan in reaction to the teraccepted for publication without this information. However, the name
rorist attacks of 9/11 begins; it will become the longest war in
of the letter writer can be withheld from publication upon request with
good reason.
US history.
The Sun reserves the right to reject any letter deemed libelous or
2003
California voters remove Democratic governor
slanderous. Letters concerning personal disputes that do not involve a
Gray Davis from office in the state’s first successful recall of
public impact will not be accepted. Internet forwards will not be accepted
as letters to the editor.
a sitting governor (only the second successful recall of a govLetters may be mailed to: The Sun, P.O. Box 311546, Enterprise, AL
ernor in US history); a Republican candidate, bodybuilder/
36331-1546; faxed to: 334-393-2987; or e-mailed to: news@southeastsun.
actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wins the election to replace
com
Davis 17 days later.
WHERE
SUN DON’T SHINE
Readers speak out
Providing for Alabama’s
common defense
During my marketing career my personal life
became very complicated.
I will share just a short bit.
In June 2010 my husband of
31 years was diagnosed with
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig’s
disease. Our lives instantly
changed. I left my teaching
job and went home to care for
my husband who was told he
had two to five years to live.
Stunned. That’s what
the diagnosis did to us. It
stunned us, stopping my
husband’s career as an avionics technician at Fort
Rucker almost immediately
and forcing me to work from
home for the most part – my
boss at the time allowed me
to complete almost all of my
work via computer from my
home. During the first three
years after the diagnosis I
wrote an online blog titled
“A Day in the Life of a Real
ALS Family” which has now
been converted into a book,
“How ALS Changed Everything – Learning to Keep On
Keepin’ On”, which is now
available on Amazon and
Kindle. So journalism was
even close at hand during
those years. However, never
did I think I would return to
newspaper work, but I am so
glad I have!
I am happy to say my
husband has passed his fiveyear mark and is still fighting
ALS . He does live in Enterprise Health and Rehabilitation Center (EHR), as his
care became too difficult to
manage at home. EHR has
provided excellent care for
the last two-plus years and
because of that I am able to
return to work full-time. I
hope to be here at The Sun
for many years to come.
If you have something
you would like to see covered for the newspaper in
the Daleville/Fort Rucker/
Newton/Clayhatchee areas,
please feel free to email me
the information or give me a
call at the office, (334) 3932969.
Until next time, Happy
Fall Ya’ll! I’m glad to be
back!
Jan Murray is a staff
writer for The Southeast Sun
and Daleville Sun-Courier.
The opinions of this writer
are her own and not the opinion of the paper. She can be
reached at (334) 393-2969 or
by email at [email protected].
Richard Shelby, Alabama’s Senator for 30 years
U.S. Rep.
Martha Roby
Steve Flowers
Today in History
Letters to the editor
guidelines
had been a naval officer and
a well-known national POW
in the Vietnam War. His patriotic POW position sold well
in Alabama, especially with
Reagan headed to the White
House.
Denton let it be known
early that he wanted to be
the moral police chief of
the U.S. Senate. He clearly
wanted to be the point man
and most ardent voice for
morality, chastity and antiabortion issues. He was not
interested in bringing home
any bacon for Alabama or
fixing any potholes. He actually bragged that he was a
national U.S. Senator and
not an Alabama U.S. Senator, thus openly signaling
that we would only have one
U.S. Senator, Howell Heflin,
to fight for our interests in
Washington.
The examples of constituent neglect and disinterest by Denton are too
numerous to recant, but a
few examples will give you
an idea of his cavalier attitude toward reelection. Each
year the Alabama Farmers
Federation sends an entourage of 200 to 300 of the most
prominent farmers in the
state to meet with and lobby
their senators and congressmen on federal issues affecting farmers. These men are
the most respected leaders
and centers of influence in
their counties. Heflin and
the other congressmen literally met them at the airport
to court them. They would
have breakfast and dinner
with them.
However, these farmers
had to have an appointment
with our “National Senator”
Denton. They arrived at his
office at the appointed time.
All 300 of them were kept
waiting 2 1/2 hours, then an
aide came out to tell them
that Denton was too busy
dealing with national issues
and did not have time to
meet with them. One of the
wealthiest and most prominent men in the state called
Denton six times to simply
express his opinion on an
issue. Denton is yet to call
him back. Thus, he vowed to
give Denton’s opponent all
the money he needed to beat
Denton.
In addition to not
returning phone calls, Denton never answered letters from constituents, even
heartfelt handwritten notes
of interest on federal legislation. He was basically considered a nut in Washington
and was consistently ranked
the most ineffective senator
in the 100-member Senate.
He made colossal blunders
in the 1986 campaign. He
said he was too busy to come
home and campaign and kiss
babies.
Shelby beat Denton but
it was close. Shelby had to
spend some of his personal
money the last week of the
campaign to carry out the
upset. Alabama has been the
better for Richard Shelby’s
1986 gamble. He has been
our Senator for 30 years, having been reelected in 1992,
1998, 2004 and 2010. He will
be easily reelected to a sixth
six-year term next year.
See you next week.
Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column on
Alabama politics appears in
over 60 Alabama newspapers.
He may be reached at www.
steveflowers.us, join him on
Twitter (“Steve Flowers”) and
like him on Facebook at www.
facebook.com/SteveFlowers
InsideTheStatehouse