continued from page 5 together a road and bridge program if he or she had been working alone . Likewise , everyone could have provided their own thoughts on how the money should be divided , the right amount of new taxes that should be levied and what roads should be given priority . In the end , however , success in this kind of battle lies in identifying your leaders , trusting their judgement and then pulling your weight for the common good . That ’ s what Tim Choate meant when he said we must have one voice . And this past session , there were some who didn ’ t understand that we can succeed only if we are all pulling together .
One single county or 10 counties or even 20 or 30 or 40 are guaranteed to fail unless the remaining counties join together to provide that unified , undivided , single voice . Influencing public policy in Alabama is not the job of our staff alone . In fact , it is their role to move this Association into a place of leadership and respect – and then it is our place to close the deal . It is our responsibility to use our individual influences , relationships and political skill to achieve our collective goals . And it is our job to pull in one direction , with one voice .
This past session , one single commissioner – who said the right thing to the right person at the right time – could have led to the passage of the ATRIP-2 Program . Things were that close , and we were that close to success on the House floor that day . Standing before you tonight , I wonder if everyone did everything they could ’ ve done . What if I came out there right now and sat across from each of you , looked you in the eye and asked , “ Did you do everything you could ’ ve done ?” If I did that , I wonder – would your answer be “ Yes , I did all I could ” or would you look away ?
Because not only could one person have led to our collective success , but also one person – who goes off on his or her own – well , that one person can do more damage than any of us can imagine .
I remember a few years ago when our 9-1-1 directors gained national attention for pulling together and enacting a statewide program to fund 9-1-1 activities with a single statewide fee . I remember that a whole lot of blood , sweat and tears – and give and take – went into that legislation . But in the end , the 9-1-1 community pulled in one direction . And the result was a new law that most people had thought was impossible . The same can be said for the passage – and voter approval – of the Amendment 4 powers we discussed earlier , or the passage of the self-governance authority , or the omnibus pay bill enacted years ago , or the establishment of a new property insurance program or even the collective effort that has been necessary to move every county toward the successful completion of the $ 1.2 billion ATRIP Program . All of those achievements were possible because every single person did his or her part , while at the same time being willing to compromise and accept what is best for the full membership . If we are to succeed on the difficult roads that lie ahead of us – passage of ATRIP-2 , a stronger local voice on the state retirement system board , reform of our juvenile justice system and updating our state ’ s workers ’ compensation laws , among other things – we must become laserfocused on unity . It is important that we address problems “ in house ” and before they become public . We cannot give our opponents a way to divide county against county or commissioner against sheriff or tax official . I truly believe that any public policy issue can be resolved , in a positive way , if true leaders will provide true leadership . Tonight , I challenge each of you to be a true leader in this Association . I challenge you to resist those who encourage you to be a voice of division and dissent . Be part of the solution , not part of the problem .
Yesterday , I sat with pride and listened to the discussion about leadership in courthouses all over this state . And , like most of you , I wiped away tears when Commissioner Peavy talked about his passion for serving as a foster parent . The new members of our leadership “ PLAN ” group are setting a standard for all of us to use as a goal . In the coming year , I hope you will search your soul , find your passion and get busy being a true leader in your community .
Some of you may not know this , but I was originally appointed to the county commission by Gov . Bob Riley . I have never forgotten the challenge he laid in front of me when he called to tell me that I was being appointed . He said that he was not appointing me to go to meetings at the courthouse . He told me that I was being appointed so that I could be involved , join the Association , work with my colleagues all over the state and go about being a part of a common solution . He told me to accomplish something – not to simply sit in a chair at a commission meeting . And I took him seriously . Ever since I received that call , I have tried to fulfill the commitment I made to him , to the voters in Dale County and to each of you .
As we start our year together , I am here tonight to deliver the same message to you . If you plan to just sit in your chair this year , if you plan to do nothing , if you plan to sit by and watch all of your colleagues dedicate themselves to something truly inspiring , then I ask you to please just sit their quietly . Yes , I am asking that if you cannot join us actively , then please just sit there quietly and let those of us who want to get some-
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