Bob Riley (Alabama)
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Robert Renfroe "Bob" Riley (born October 3, 1944) is an American politician in the Republican Party. He is currently the Governor of Alabama.
Riley was born in Ashland, Alabama, a small town in Clay County where his family had ranched and farmed for six generations. Riley attended the University of Alabama, graduating with a degree in business administration. Riley is married to Patsy Adams Riley, also from Ashland. The couple has four children and four grandchildren. As Governor, he is a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Republican Governors Association.
Riley was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 defeating his Democratic opponent, State Senator T.D. "Ted" Little (Auburn, Ala.) and Libertarian John Sophocleus, and served from 1997 to 2003.
2002 gubernatorial election
Riley did not run for re-election to the House in November 2002, instead running for Governor of Alabama and defeating the Democratic incumbent, Don Siegelman by one of the narrowest margins in Alabama history. Early results showed Siegelman winning the election, but a late-night recount of the votes cast in Baldwin County gave Riley the victory. The conduct of the recount was challenged by Democratic supporters who, contrary to Alabama election law, were not present for the recounting.
Amendment One
In the first year of his administration, Riley proposed "Amendment One," which would have made sweeping changes to the state's tax system, regarded as one of the most regressive in the United States.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The plan essentially consisted of income tax breaks for the lowest income brackets, offset by numerous tax hikes on consumers and some upper income earners. Riley presented his plan in Christian terms, arguing that the existing system was unfair to the poor. The plan would have resulted in an overall tax increase of $1.2 billion per year. [link] Many conservatives attacked the plan on the basis of the tax increases included in the plan. While Riley's plan enjoyed liberal support, some liberals criticized the plan for giving tax breaks to large corporations, such as Alabama Power Company. The plan was rejected by voters on September 9, 2003, with 68 percent opposed to it. This was largely due to massive negative advertising financed by opponents of the proposal, including the Alabama branch of the Christian Coalition. While studies of the plan by economists and accountants showed that a majority of Alabamians would see lower overall taxes under the plan, polls showed that a majority of Alabamians - apparently influenced by opponents' advertising - thought their personal taxes would be higher under the plan.In the wake of the defeat of Amendment One, Riley, acting through his revenue commissioner, ordered that property tax appraisals be made annually, rather than the [quadrennial] reappraisals that had been established practice. Because property values tend to increase over time, making appraisals more frequently has the indirect effect of increasing the taxes paid by property owners. Riley has been attacked for this action by his opponents in the 2006 gubernatorial election. They claim he has raised taxes without a vote of either the Legislature or the people. [link] Riley claims he is merely following the language of the law, and the advice of his attorneys.[link]
Industrial development
Riley has claimed credit for helping to spur economic development in Alabama. He points to the opening of an aeronautics engineering facility in Mobile by EADS, the parent company of Airbus, which may ripen into an aircraft assmebly plant if EADS secures future contracts. [link] Riley has also claimed credit for the 2005 opening of a major automotive plant by Hyundai in Montgomery, and the construction of many tier-two manufacturing plants for Hyundai around Alabama. Riley's critics have pointed out that Riley has failed to emulate the success of predecessors, such as Siegelman - during whose administration the Hyundai plant was successfully recruited [link] [link] - and Jim Folsom, Jr., in securing automotive manufacturing plants. Specifically, when Kia announced in March 2006 it would build a maunfucturing plant in Georgia, [link] Riley was criticized by Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley [link] and Siegelman, [link] for Alabama's failure to mount a serious bid for the plant. Critics have also stated that recent developments are a consequence of national economic recovery. They have also pointed to the loss of thousands of Alabama's historic textile jobs during Riley's administration, although this may well be attributed to global economic trends.Other issues
In 2005, Governor Riley was criticized by some Mobile County residents after issuing that area of the state a "mandatory" evacuation order in advance of Hurricane Dennis's landfall. Residents felt the issue was better addressed during Hurricane Katrina using a layered approach with sections of the county evacuated instead of the entire county.On August 28, 2005, Governor Riley declared the state of emergency for the approaching Hurricane Katrina, at the same day, he requested president George W. Bush to declare "expedited major disaster declaration" for six counties of south Alabama, which was approved by the evening of August 29. 350 national guardsmen were called on duty as of August 30.[link][link][link]
On November 9, 2005 Riley called for a citizens' boycott of Aruba, alleging that the local government was engaged in a cover-up of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.[link][link]
Also in November 2005, Riley suffered further criticism when his former Congressional press secretary, Michael Scanlon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the Jack Abramoff scandal. It further emerged that, as a Congressman, Riley had signed a letter on behalf of the U.S. Family Network, opposing expansion of casino gambling in Alabama.[link] The U.S. Family Network was revealed to be an Abramoff front, funded by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which operated competing casinos.[link] Riley has denied knowing the source of this funding.
Recently, American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks inducted Riley and his wife into the Soul Patrol.[link]
2006 re-election campaign
In 2003, Alabama state politics gained national attention when the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, Roy Moore, refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the court building. Riley reportedly supported Moore, but ultimately did not play a large role in the dispute, and said there was nothing he could do to prevent Moore from being removed from office by a judicial ethics panel. Moore challenged Riley in the June 6, 2006 GOP primary, but Riley easily prevailed, garnering about 2/3 of the vote.As of May 10, 2005, Riley's approval ratings were 36% approving and 52% disapproving of his job as governor. [link]. By September 20, 2005, Riley’s approval ratings had increased substantially to 58 percent approving and 38% disapproving [link]. Analysis of this increase seems to indicate that it may be attributed to the public’s perception of Riley’s response to Hurricane Katrina. As of February 14, 2006, Riley's approval ratings had slightly decreased, with 52% approving and 43% disapproving of his job as governor[link]. As of June 15, 2006, his approval rating is at 63% with a disapproval rating of 33%. [link]
See Alabama gubernatorial election, 2006.
Electoral history
- 2002 Race for Governor
- *Bob Riley (R) - 672,225 - 49.2%
- *Don Siegelman (D) (inc.) - 669,105 - 48.9%
- *John Sophocleus (Libertarian) - 23,272 - 1.7%
- *write in - 2,451 - .2%
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