Riley’s weakest speech ever

This evening (Tuesday, 12 January 2010), in his final “state of the state” address to the legislature and the people of Alabama, Governor Bob Riley delivered one of the worst speeches I have ever heard – it was definitely not his personal best.

The way I see it, good-bye and good riddance Bob. You’ve screwed Alabama seven years too long.

You and your cronies cry and whine over public scrutiny given to your $13,000,000 no-bid contract to some nefarious, no-name, no contact information, no website, no identity, no address “company” with ties to your Washington Republican insiders called “Paragon,” claiming no other company or person could do the work. But you’ve been proven wrong by the Huntsville Times, which reported that over 150 Alabama-based companies could have done the work you awarded to that Virginia “company”  by deliberately abandoning the publicly competitive process that saves taxpayers’ dollars.

You boast about jobs you’ve created, but at $55,600/year, which is Alabama’s average household income for a family of three, that $13,000,000 could have employed 233 people in Alabama for a year, or 117 for two years – which is the contract’s term.

It is indeed ironic that paragon means the highest and greatest example; and in this case, it is one to avoid.

Oh… and since you are the undisputed King of No-Bid Contracts – having awarding more no-bid contracts that any other governor in Alabama’s history (against which you campaigned as candidate) – let me publicly call you an ASSHOLE, LIAR and HYPOCRITE.

Alabama Governor Bob Riley addresses the people and legislature in his final "state of the state" address, Tuesday evening, January 12, 2010 in the Montgomery capitol building.