There is no doubt that Barack Obama made history when he trounced John McCain in the presidential election, but I think it is jumping the gun to laud him with accolades and he has not even been ascended the presidency. So, Perry county, a small central county in Alabama has decided to honor Barack Obama with such an accolade. Perry county’s residents, who are mainly black, gave him more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day. They have created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect. The Perry County Commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as “The Barack Obama Day.” County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday.
The sponsoring commissioner, Albert Turner Jr., said the holiday is meant to highlight the Democratic president-elect’s victory as a way to give people faith that difficult goals can be achieved.
The county commission’s three black members and one of its two white members voted for the resolution.
Commissioner Brett Harrison said Wednesday he voted against the resolution because of the holiday costs to the county, which has a $2.2 million annual payroll and is one of the poorest in the state. He said closing the courthouse would also idle some state employees.
“I’m a Democrat, but just in these financial times, it’s not using the county’s money wisely,” Harrison said, according to media reports. “The recognition is certainly well-founded.”
Amen to that! We are in a financial nightmare in this country and the last thing that is needed is to waste the precious resources of any county in the United States. People need to stop jumping the gun. Give this man a chance to go into office as the next president and do the job he has promised.
Filed under: " Commissioner Brett Harrison, "Barack Obama Day, Perry County
Black Political Thought 