GOV 2010: Ron Sparks in Birmingham

by: mooncat

Sat Apr 04, 2009 at 12:03:57 PM CDT

Less than two hours after formally announcing his intention to run for governor of Alabama, Ron Sparks was in Birmingham telling the Downtown Democrats about his vision for Alabama.  The crowd was substantial, although not quite as large as in February when Lt. Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. spoke to the group and Congressman Artur Davis made his own announcement downstairs in the Harbert Center lobby.

Now in his second term as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, state law prohibits Ron Sparks from running for that office again.  By everything I can tell, he's done a good job as Ag Commissioner.  His remarks Friday emphasized the importance of agriculture to Alabama's economic future, the need to develop an alternative fuel industry, expand trade with countries such as Cuba and India and insure that our educational system prepares students to work and prosper.

His remarks were short -- less than 13 minutes start to finish -- so I am giving you the video of his entire speech for context.  Part 1 deals with Sparks' vision for Alabama, the importance of agriculture in the state and his thoughts on education while Part 2 covers alternative fuels and trade.  I have not cut out any of his remarks, but since he talked about education at both the beginning and the end of the speech and I have spliced those two segments together as Part 1.  Part 2 was the intervening segment.

Part 1, Vision for Alabama, Agriculture, Education

"The people of Alabama have helped me get where I'm at today. ... I do know how to work, and I do know how to win and I do know how to tell the truth and that's exactly what my campaign's going to be about in 2010." 

"I'm here today to talk about things that are important to me and important to this state.  ... The number one industry in this state is agriculture.  ...  Let me tell you why I've fought so hard for agriculture in this state.  It's because I don't want other people putting food on my table like they're putting gasoline in my automobile."

"If we're going to use Alabama tax money to bring jobs to Alabama and bring business to Alabama, we need to use Alabama people to fill those jobs and build those businesses."

"We know that every child in Alabama is not afforded the same education across this state.  We need to make sure that happens."

"I am a firm believer that letting a kid quits school at 16 is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. ... [Those dropouts are] going to go from the schoolhouse to the courthouse to the jailhouse.  Our prisons are full of high school dropouts."

"My vision is to expand the state.  My vision is to help Alabama.  Vision means that I have the ability to look into the future and make good decisions, that makes Alabama great.  I have hope and I have vision and there's nobody going to come before you and tell you they love Alabama any more than I do.  I'm a product of Alabama.  ...  I know how to work hard.  I appreciate work, I appreciate business and I appreciate people."

"If you get on this train and you follow me, we're going to make Alabama a better place to live."

Part 2, Alternative Fuels, Trade, Jobs

"We're going to rebuild Alabama one way, with alternative fuels.  We're going to rebuild rural America with alternative fuels.  Every gallon of fuel that we can make in Alabama is one less gallon we have to bring out of that desert."

Sparks touted his leadership of past trade delegations to Cuba, India and Africa, saying "I don't see anything wrong with people in Cuba eating Alabama chicken."

"I'm pro-business.  I think it's good that we go out and promote and bring new industry to Alabama but I also think we need to be paying attention to those industries and businesses that have been here and built our communities. ...  That's a priority of mine, to bring the best minds we can to Montgomery and start talking about how we promote our businesses ... and how we keep the jobs we have here in Alabama."

He also made a strong case for country of origin labeling (COOL) for food products citing the 2007/2008 problems with imported catfish, baby formula, toothpaste and pet foods.

"Folks, if they can't produce it at the same standard that we produce it in this country, I don't want it."
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All in all, this speech reminded me of the one Sparks gave in June 2007 at the Outlaw Steakhouse in Marshall County.  Ron Sparks is a more polished speaker now -- he still had notes but rarely referred to them -- but he hit the same themes and used much of the same language as in 2007.  The take away is that Sparks is one of us, just a regular guy doing a job and doing it the best he possibly can.  It's compelling at a gut level. 

I think Ron Sparks is one of the good guys -- as far as I know there isn't a hint of scandal or corruption in his career -- and I think all the initiatives he talks about, from developing an alternative fuel industry to reducing the dropout rate, are good ones.  Still, I came away from the Birmingham speech without a sense of his overarching vision for the state.  He has good ideas, but they are individual good ideas and I'm still waiting and listening to see how they fit together to form a comprehensive plan to move Alabama forward. 

Ron Sparks did not take questions after the speech, but his staff asked a couple of bloggers (I was fortunate to be one of them) to chat with him briefly as he left the meeting.  Sparks indicated that he is not overly concerned about money, but plans to run an aggressive campaign on the issues and said he is "looking forward to talking about who can win this campaign in November."

OK Commissioner, but I think Alabama Democrats have two good, strong, clean candidates in the governor's race -- articulate, too -- and either of them can beat the Republican nominee in November.