Bentley, who will face Bradley Byrne Tuesday in a runoff election for the Republican governor’s nomination, spoke to the audience on his family’s humble roots, his stance on several issues and his continuing goal of running a clean campaign free of negative advertisements.
“I’m the son of a sawmill worker,” Bentley said. “Back in those days, most people where I grew up in Shelby County were either farmers or sawmill workers. Watching my father work as hard as he did for me and our family taught me — as well as our friends and neighbors taught me — what’s important, and that’s faith, family and a job.”
Bentley stressed his top goal as governor would be the effort to get the people in the state of Alabama back to work.
“The number one issue in this state right now is that we've got to get people working again,” Bentley said. “The unemployment rates for Alabama is just not acceptable. What we need to do is have Alabama jobs for Alabama people. We shouldn't be contracting jobs to out-of-state companies. We need to employ Alabama workers for these jobs. Whether it’s jobs for cleaning up the gulf oil spill or road construction, it needs to stay here.”
Bentley explained his plan for offering tax breaks and tax incentives to businesses that hire unemployed workers, which he believes could be instrumental in efforts to cut the unemployment rate and get Alabama’s economy moving in the right direction.
“It’s a feasible way to motivate our state’s employers to reopen their door for new workers.” Bentley said.
The Health Care Reform Bill was also a point of contention for Bentley, who sees many parts of the bill as being unconstitutional.
Bentley said the bill “lends itself to a socialistic form of healthcare like in Canada and Europe, and it’s not what America wants. It needs to be challenged.”
Bentley said he opposes all forms of gambling on the grounds that it is morally, ethically and economically destructive, and would like to see it eliminated from Alabama entirely.
“We don’t need gambling here in Alabama and we need to rid ourselves of it” Bentley said. “The only way this is going to be done is by changing the state constitution and voting the amendments that allow gambling in every form out. The people of Alabama have to be given the chance for us to rid ourselves of gambling.”
He did however say that if the people of Alabama were to vote to allow gambling in Alabama, steps should be taken to make sure it is limited and secured.
“If the people decide to keep it here, we have to make sure it’s put to good use by defining it, limiting the places it will be in and making sure it’s taxed.”
Bentley believes his success in the June 1 Republican Primary was aided by his refusal to take part in political mudslinging, a stance that struck a chord among the state’s Republican voters.
“I've never run one single negative ad,” Bentley said. “I don't think criticizing your opponent and their record has ever put a single person back to work. Our No. 1 problem is our economy and we need to talk about issues. I’m going to talk about my stance on these issues, and I'm going to continue to do that through the general election too.”
Bentley is also quick to point out the importance of the completion of the I-22 corridor, which he says will have “an outstanding impact on our state.”
“I think it is essential that we complete I-22,” Bentley said. “That gives us a corridor from Birmingham to Memphis that will give us a tremendous area here in Walker and Winston counties for economic development. Without a good infrastructure, you cannot bring jobs into an area. In my plans, I’m going to appoint a highway director that understands the significance of I-22 and we’re going to make sure it’s completed.”
Bentley’s visit to Double Springs came on the heels of an appearance by his opponent who stopped by the Main Street Café on July 1 during Byrne’s Moving Alabama Forward bus tour.