News from Greater Birmingham Republican Women

Commissioner John McMillan comes to the Department of Agriculture & Industries with a legacy of perseverance and purpose. For six generations, his family has worked the land and enjoyed the natural resources of Alabama.

His longstanding commitment to public service, preserving the environment, and economic development make him a natural fit for the challenges he will embrace as the department's new commissioner for the next four years.

McMillan grew up in Baldwin County in the same house in Stockton where his 99 year-old mother, Madie, still lives surrounded by family. After attending Stockton School and Baldwin County High School, McMillan attended Rhodes College where he earned a BA in economics. He met his wife Kathryn in high school and they celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary this past July.

His interest in agriculture began at a young age while working on his uncle's farm and in his father's sawmill. After college, he continued to work at the family sawmill for nearly 20 years. Over the years, McMillan's life's work continued to focus on agri-business, forest products, wildlife protection, natural resource management and the protection of private property rights.

His first venture into public service was in 1969 when Governor Albert Brewer appointed him to a vacancy on the Baldwin County Commission. He fell in love with public service and decided to run for State Representative in 1974. After being elected that year and re-elected in 1978, he was able to serve on the State Administration Committee and chaired the Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Committee. While in the legislature, McMillan was twice chosen as the "Conservation Legislator of the Year."

Governor Fob James appointed McMillan as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Some of his accomplishments include being able to play a major role in rebuilding Gulf State Park afterHurricane Frederick, passing legislation to protect Alabama's wildlife and fisheries resources, and being responsible for the $449 million dollar offshore oil and gas leases which led to the establishment of the Alabama Trust Fund.

In 1983, McMillan was given the opportunity to work for the Alabama Forestry Association and in 1986 was selected to direct the association as its Executive Vice President for the next 20 years. There, he became known as a protector of landowners' property rights and a champion against property tax increases.

During his career McMillan has stayed active in community improvement and development at local, state and national levels. He has had the opportunity to chair the Alabama Forestry Council, the Alabama Forestry Planning Committee, the Alabama Council of Association Executives and the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee. He was also a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, Alabama Farmers Federation, Business Council of Alabama, North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, Society of American Foresters, Alabama Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Montgomery Rotary Club, American Society of Association Executives, and the Auburn University President's Commission on Agriculture.

McMillan has also served as Chairman of the North Baldwin United Way and President of the Bay Minette Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Minette Kiwanis Club.

Besides an enthusiasm for community and public service, McMillan loves all types of hunting, fishing and enjoying nature.

He and Kathryn have two sons, Murphy and William, and a daughter-in-law Beth. Murphy and Beth are the parents of their two grandchildren, El, 11 and John, 6.

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT VICKI BAILEY

Dear :

September is here already. Kids are back in school and this weekend each of us will be cheering for our favorite college football team. The fall has always seemed to me as a time to get back to business. As we prepare to face the challenges in the election of 2012 we need to take advantage of opportunities to learn about our candidates and how to win campaigns.

This month several members of GBRW will be attending the National Federated Republican Women's Biennial Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The convention is a great time to exchange ideas with other clubs around the country and to learn from the seminars presented. Closer to home everyone should make plans to attend the AFRW Biennial Convention in Huntsville October 28^th & 29^th. There will be great speakers and lectures to attend as part of the convention package.

It is a great time to get involved, get educated on the issues and be a part of winning back the White House for the GOP!

Sincerely,

Vicki

Many thanks to Judge Suzanne Childers for hosting our Membership Tea in her beautiful home. We had a great turnout and GBRW has several new members. We had wonderful food and conversations. It was a great time to visit and get to know each other better. Thank you Judge Childers.

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Fans for Marines in Afghanistan

This photo is of a 36" Tower Fan.

List Price: $45.52 at Sams. It was about the same at Walmart.

The Tower fans come in different heights. Price is determined by height.

If a fan is too pricey consider going in with friends and/or other members.

Fans and/or donations will be gladly accepted at our meeting on September 12.

Food for Thought!

Ellen Buffington has requested that we schedule some of our "Food for Thought" get togethers after work and has graciously offered to coordinate. Thank you Ellen!

Dear Members,

Let's do a "Food for Thought" on Friday night September 16th. We can meet at 6pm, Chuck's, off Hugh Daniel drive ( Go left up the short hill). Please email me if you can come and I will tally a total and make the reservation. Good food, good wine list, and nice.

I'm open for suggestions on restaurants, and would like to move it each month to a different area of town. Please bring your friends and any interesting Republican news or comments.

Thanks!

Ellen

jellenash@gmail.com

An Unusual Economy?

By Thomas Sowell · Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Many in the media are saying how unusual it is for our economy to be so sluggish for so long, after we have officially emerged from a recession. In a sense, they are right. But, in another sense, they are profoundly wrong.

The American economy usually rebounds a lot faster than it is doing today. After a recession passes, consumers usually increase their spending. And when businesses see demand picking up, they usually start hiring workers to produce the additional output required to meet that demand.

Some very sharp downturns in the American economy, such as in the early 1920s, were followed quickly by bouncing back to normal levels or beyond. The government did nothing -- and it worked.

In that sense, this is an unusual recovery in how long it is taking and in how slowly the economy is growing -- while the government is doing virtually everything imaginable.

Government intervention may look good to the media but its actual track record -- both today and in the 1930s -- is far worse than the track record of letting the economy recover on its own.

Americans today are alarmed that unemployment has stayed around 9 percent for so long. But such unemployment rates have been common for years in Western European welfare states that have followed policies similar to policies being followed currently by the Obama administration.

Those European welfare states have not only used the taxpayers' money to hand out "free" benefits to particular groups, they have mandated that employers do the same. Faced with higher labor costs, employers have hired less labor.

The vast uncertainties created by ObamaCare create a special problem. If employers knew that ObamaCare would add $1,000 to their costs of hiring an employee, then they could simply reduce the salaries they offer by $1,000 and start hiring.

But, since it will take years to create all the regulations required to carry out ObamaCare, employers today don't know whether the ObamaCare costs that will hit them down the road will be $500 per employee or $5,000 per employee. Even businesses that have record amounts of cash on hand are reluctant to gamble it by expanding their hiring under these conditions.

Many businesses work their existing employees overtime or hire temporary workers, rather than get stuck with unknown and unknowable costs for expanding their permanent work force.

As unusual as 9 percent unemployment rates may seem to the current generation of Americans, unemployment rates stayed in double digits for months and years on end during the 1930s. Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration followed policies very similar to those of the Obama administration today. He also got away with it politically by blaming his predecessor.

GBRW Objectives:
· To promote an informed electorate through political education.
· To increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government through political participation
· To foster cooperation among Alabama Women's Republican Clubs.
· To support objectives and policies of the Republican National Committee and The Alabama Federation of Republican Women.
· To work for the election of Republican Party nominees.

Greater Birmingham Republican Women meet the second Monday of each month at B&A Warehouse, 1531 1st Avenue South.

We welcome articles and announcements to be considered for this newsletter. Please e-mail them to Mary Saggus at msaggus1@yahoo.com.