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 23 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:20:04 GMT
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • 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;
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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.