This nation and this state are experiencing economic times unlike anything weve seen in our lifetimes. In plain words, our state and our families are hurting, pounded by rising jobs losses, declining home values, foreclosures, unrelenting health care costs, and credit card companies squeezing all they can out of card holders.

One thing is certain: Nobody in our nations capital, or even here in Montgomery, foresaw the complete economic meltdown that we find ourselves in today, an event unseen since the Great Depression. Thankfully, during good years we had the foresight to save for such a rainy day, and our savings accounts reserves, championed by the Alabama Legislature, have spared our schools and our seniors from what could have been a catastrophic financial scenario this year.