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

We Cannot Get Help If Our Leaders Do Not Ask For It

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford The storms that hit Etowah County and Alabama last week have left a devastating impact on our community. While the EMA is still working on a damage assessment, it is already clear that in Etowah County we have suffered far more damage than the required threshold to be declared … Continued

Craig Ford

May 5, 2014

Opinion

Powdered Alcohol is Dangerous It Should Be Outlawed in Alabama

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Earlier this month, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau briefly granted approval to a new powdered form of alcohol. A couple of weeks later, the agency withdrew its approval, saying it was given in error. The incident brought powdered alcohol to the national media’s attention, as well as … Continued

Craig Ford

April 29, 2014

Opinion

Jobs Should Be More Than Just A Campaign Slogan

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford “Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.” It’s an election year, and you have probably seen that campaign slogan on billboards and yard signs all across the state. But are we really creating jobs here in Alabama? Or is job creation just more election year rhetoric like the teacher pay raise? The news … Continued

Craig Ford

April 23, 2014

Opinion

Deception, Broken Promises the Status Quo in Montgomery

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Despite months of promising a pay raise for educators, it turns out all the governor’s talk was just that: more election year rhetoric. After four years of constant assaults on our public schools, this budget and the governor’s empty promises for a pay raise are just one more attack … Continued

Craig Ford

April 15, 2014

Opinion

We Need More Women in State Government

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford There is no doubt that I would not be the man I am today had it not been for the women in my life. From my mother to my wife and daughter, they have all shaped who I am. But more importantly, they have also helped shape the community … Continued

Craig Ford

March 31, 2014

Opinion

Gov. Bentley’s Idle Threats Have Cost Him and Educators

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford One of the worst things a politician can do is make idle threats—and that is exactly what has happened with the education budget. Earlier this month, Gov. Bentley announced that he would veto any budget that did not include a 2 percent pay increase for educators and increase funding … Continued

Craig Ford

March 25, 2014

Opinion

Shame on Them!

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Budgets are about priorities. Whether it’s your personal budget or the state’s budgets, we find a way to pay for the things that are most important. What we have learned this year is that a pay raise for our educators and retirees is not important to the leadership in … Continued

Craig Ford

March 18, 2014

Opinion

Let the People Vote!

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford We are now more than two-thirds of the way through this year’s legislative session in Montgomery and, once again, our state leaders have denied the voters of Alabama the chance to vote on a statewide lottery. This goes beyond just arguing over the merits of a state lottery. This … Continued

Craig Ford

March 11, 2014

Opinion

It’s Time to Make State Employees a Priority in the General Fund Budget

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford State employees play a vital role in our state’s economy and in providing critical services that we rely on. We ask a lot of our state employees, and we trust them with tremendous responsibility. They run the state’s Board of Nursing and the Medical Licensure Commission. They maintain our … Continued

Craig Ford

March 4, 2014

Opinion

The Dangers of a Supermajority in Montgomery

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford We’ve all heard the old saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” There’s a lot of wisdom in those words. Our founding fathers understood this concept and the necessity for and value of compromise. So when they created our government, they created it to operate within a system of checks … Continued

Craig Ford

February 25, 2014