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.

It’s Pride – Not The People – That Gov. Bentley Knows

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford One of the most famous scriptures in the Bible says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” That scripture kept running through my mind this past week as Gov. Bentley repeatedly claimed that he knows the people of Alabama “better than anyone” and that they are not … Continued

Craig Ford

June 24, 2016

Opinion

Breaking The Pattern Of Corruption In Alabama Politics

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford We’ve all heard the famous saying, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It’s more than just a saying, really. It’s a lesson from history that Alabama leaders have continued to repeat over and over again. The conviction of House Speaker Mike Hubbard, the suspension and pending hearing of … Continued

Craig Ford

June 14, 2016

Opinion

Six Years Later And Still No Jobs

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That also happens to be a pretty good description of our state leadership for the last six years. For six years, Alabama’s leaders have talked about “jobs, jobs, jobs” … Continued

Craig Ford

June 9, 2016

Opinion

Do We Honor Our Veterans?

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford As you celebrated Memorial Day this week, how did you take time to honor our veterans and, specifically, those who did not come back home alive? Our country officially recognizes two days out of the year, set aside in remembrance of those who have served our country. Veterans Day, … Continued

Craig Ford

June 2, 2016

Opinion

Another Missed Opportunity To Vote On The Lottery

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Another legislative session has come and gone, and the Republican leadership in Montgomery has still not allowed the lottery or casino legislation to come up for a vote. Every year, the Republican leadership tells us they need more money to fund the budget, but they refuse to consider the … Continued

Craig Ford

May 27, 2016

Opinion

Expanding Pre-K A Step In The Right Direction

By Minority Leader Craig Ford These days, it’s easy to think nothing good ever comes out of our government – especially here in Alabama! But for all the bad you hear about, there are a lot of great things going on in our state and in our public schools. A perfect example is Alabama’s pre-k … Continued

Craig Ford

May 19, 2016

Opinion

Alabama Leadership Has Become A Reverse Robin Hood

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford State leaders in Montgomery have become Robin Hoods—just not the kind that everyone remembers hearing about as a child. Instead of taking from the rich to help the poor, we’ve started taking from the poor to give to criminals. Alabama’s leadership has become nothing more than Robin Hood in … Continued

Craig Ford

May 13, 2016

Opinion

Throwing Money At Prisons Won’t Solve The Problem

By Minority Rep. Leader Craig Ford This week, the state House of Representatives will be taking up the massive prison bond legislation that Gov. Bentley and state leaders have made the centerpiece of their legislative agenda. There’s no doubt our prison system has serious problems and, in cases like Tutwiler women’s prison, some are so … Continued

Craig Ford

April 28, 2016

Opinion

The Case For Impeachment

By Minority Leader Craig Ford I’m not a lawyer, but I believe it’s important for those of us calling for the governor’s impeachment to make our case to the public and the legislature. The first point being that the governor doesn’t have to break the law to be impeached. Impeachment is about whether he is … Continued

Craig Ford

April 20, 2016

Opinion

State Leaders Have Lost The Benefit Of The Doubt

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Being in leadership comes with a lot of responsibilities; one of those responsibilities is the image of the place you represent. Gov. Bentley and our state leaders are the image of Alabama, and now, thanks to them, we have a serious image problem. In government, we have Democrats and … Continued

Craig Ford

April 15, 2016