Local News
Patricia McGriff announces Senate run
By Patrick McCrelessTwo years ago, the Alabama Legislature gave themselves a 62 percent pay increase. Patricia McGriff has not forgotten that vote.
McGriff, of Holly Pond, said that pay increase was part of the reason why she decided to run for the 4th District seat of the Alabama Senate in 2010.
“It should go to the people for a vote,” McGriff said of the pay increase. “If you don’t like what you’re getting for a part-time job, you should get somebody else to do it.”
McGriff’s candidacy was officially announced Saturday during the regular meeting of the Cullman County Republican Party.
“I’m doing this because the good people have got to stand up,” McGriff said in an interview with The Times Friday.
Paul Bussman of Cullman announced his plan to run on the Republican ticket for the senate seat in January. The 4th District includes Cullman, Lawrence and Winston Counties and is currently represented by Sen. Zeb Little (D).
McGriff, who has never run for public office before, was a public school teacher for 26 years before her retirement in 2007. She said her retirement status would benefit her as a senator.
“I’ve got all the time in the world to spend on this,” McGriff said.
In addition to the pay increase, McGriff said she is running due to the Legislature’s lack of focus on illegal immigration.
“I’m outraged that the current legislature hasn’t done anything about the illegal immigrant problem,” McGriff said. “It’s not that I’m against immigrants, I just have a problem with illegal immigration. They can come and do what they want and then just leave and nobody knows who they are.”
McGriff’s fight against illegal immigration began in 2003 when her first husband was killed in a vehicle accident involving two illegal immigrants, who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck.
“The problem with this story is that they only caught one of the illegal immigrants and although it was his car he claimed he wasn’t driving and that he didn’t know the name of the other illegal immigrant driving his car,” McGriff said. “Alabama tax payers provided him a lawyer and the lawyer told him not to talk. So, since they couldn’t prove that he was driving the only punishment he got was a trip back to Mexico. I sometimes wonder if he is back in the United States right now.”
In addition to championing illegal immigration policy, if elected, McGriff plans to focus on improving education in the state — specifically in the area of technical schools.
“I’m definitely committed to education,” McGriff said. “It is the key to attracting business in the area.”
McGriff said more technical programs should be implemented at two-year colleges such as Wallace State Community College.
“I think that will be good for the economy and attracting new businesses for the area,” McGriff said.
She added that public schools should increase their promotion of two-year colleges and not just emphasize four-year colleges.
McGriff and her husband Gary have four children and two grandchildren.
For more information on McGriff, visit her campaign web site at www.patriciamcgriff.com.
‰ Patrick McCreless can be reached by e-mail at patrickm@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.
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