Letter to the Editor: 

I have something that has been weighing heavily on my mind and my heart these last few weeks: the Alabama budget crisis. Now, most of you read that line, laughed and asked yourself “why does an old football coach give a darn about the budget crisis?” The answer is simple – Alabama is my home. I have loved Alabama since Coach Bryant gave me my first coaching job in 1965. I spent the best years of my life in Auburn, and now I live in Macon County, but only 12 miles from the stadium. So it saddens me to see the state I love facing this crisis. I have read articles, listened to the news and studied our options: (1) Governor Bentley’s massive tax hike; (2) the House GOP austerity budget; (3) the loan from the Poarch Creek Indians, and (4) Senator Marsh’s lottery and gaming plan. The best answer looks pretty obvious to me and that’s why I want to ask the citizens of Alabama to fully support Senator March’s lottery and gaming plan.