Author

Craig Ford

Craig Ford is the owner of Ford Insurance and the Gadsden Messenger. He represented Etowah County in the Alabama House of Representatives for 18 years.

News

Republican Legislators Need To Stop Blaming Democrats and Start Leading

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford The wheels have come off the bus in Montgomery. That’s the only way to describe what’s happening in our state legislature. Now more than ever is the time for legislators to reach across the aisle and work together to solve this budget crisis. But instead, Republican legislators are … Continued

Craig Ford

August 7, 2015

Opinion

Robbing Our Children Is Not The Answer

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford The crisis in the General Fund budget has dominated lawmakers’ focus this year, and for good reason. But one proposed solution that continues to come up, and it would be devastating for Alabama. State Sen. Paul Bussman (R-Cullman) has introduced a bill to combine the General Fund and … Continued

Craig Ford

July 31, 2015

Opinion

The “Element of Surprise” is Just Another Game

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Two weeks ago, Gov. Bentley surprised everyone when he called the special legislative session. Legislators had expected the governor to wait until mid-August to call the session, but the governor said he wanted to use “the element of surprise” and take pressure off legislators over the gambling issue. … Continued

Craig Ford

July 22, 2015

Opinion

The Smart Way To Spend The BP Money

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Alabama won a huge victory last week when the BP Oil settlement was announced. As a part of that settlement, the state will receive $2.3 billion dollars over the next 18 years, with a billion of those dollars being given to our state’s General Fund budget. That means … Continued

Craig Ford

July 17, 2015

Opinion

You Can’t Fix Something You Don’t Believe In

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford For months, we have been told that the state needs at least another $200 million to avoid catastrophe. We have been told that we are broke because the way we budget for our state government is broken. Unfortunately, what we have been told is true: our government is … Continued

Craig Ford

July 8, 2015

Opinion

It’s Time For A Real Solution To The Gambling Question

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Decisions made by the government and high profile court rulings consumed the news last week. Most of the breaking news has centered on the U.S. Supreme Court decisions. But there is one court ruling that hasn’t gotten as much attention, and it’s just as important to the people … Continued

Craig Ford

June 30, 2015

Opinion

Opposing Gambling Legislation Protects Gambling Interests, Not The People

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Last week, Gov. Bentley announced that he would not include any gambling proposals in the call for a special legislative session later this year. I believe Gov. Bentley is wrong to refuse to include gambling in the call for a special session, and I will introduce a gambling bill … Continued

Craig Ford

June 23, 2015

Opinion

Can The Legislature Solve The Budget Crisis?

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford It’s been a joke on the internet for who knows how long: somebody takes a picture of a stop sign missing a letter or the University of Minnesota’s logo painted on the 45 yard line instead of at midfield, and there’s a caption that reads, “You had one job … Continued

Craig Ford

June 12, 2015

Opinion

Combining the State’s Two Budgets Will Make the Crisis Worse Instead of Better

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford It’s no secret that the state of Alabama is in a budget crisis. It’s a crisis that we’ve known for three years was coming, but our state leaders waited until the elections were over before they publicly acknowledged it or offered any solutions. There have been several solutions proposed, … Continued

Craig Ford

June 3, 2015

Opinion

What Would Jesus Do?

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford We are often reminded that this nation was founded on Christian principles, and certainly a majority of the representatives in the Alabama legislature are Christians. So when the General Fund budget, which finances all government services and agencies outside of education, came up for a vote last week, I … Continued

Craig Ford

May 28, 2015