Editorial: A Penny for Your Thoughts - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: A Penny for Your Thoughts

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By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 

  • Thursday, May 9 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-09 23:20:06 GMT
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
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MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

Maybe we should already know that Alabama along with 46 other states legally sells our personal information on the registered voter rolls.  Maybe we should – but most didn't.

Anyone can buy your name, address, phone number, birthday, sex, race or even your voting records according to a 1989 Alabama law later updated in 1994. Do those random evening phone calls from polling companies or unrequested mail from politicians make more sense now? 

It probably won't make you feel any better when you hear how much the state of Alabama charges for all of this valuable information – a whopping penny. All told Alabama pulls in $45 thousand dollars a year selling this information.

An uninvited phone call at dinner or the thought of my name, address and phone number being sold to credit card companies all over America is just not acceptable.  I know our state needs revenue in a desperate way, but this revenue stream and access to our personal information should end. 

That's our thought on this – free of charge - won't even cost you a penny.