U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said one of the first things he would do if elected governor is “clean up our cities,” as “we’re having people shot every day” and that “people are afraid to go out on the streets.” The Republican candidate for Alabama governor made the comments Wednesday during a speech to the Rotary Club of Birmingham.
Tuberville said Americans are losing the ability to engage in activities outside the home, from shopping to parents playing with their children. He called for more law enforcement, but added some judges are not holding those arrested accountable and would “slap them on the hand.”
He mentioned former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and alluded to the broken window theory in approaching crime. That practice consists of targeting minor crimes in an effort to foster a climate that reduces more serious crimes. Giuliani promoted such tactics while in the mayor’s office through the 1990s. Critics say studies have found little evidence the strategy is effective and argue it has led to over-policing, particularly of minorities.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin have rejected Tuberville’s campaign ad promise that he would send National Guard troops to their cities. Violent crime and homicides have dropped in the last year in Birmingham and Montgomery.
‘Jobs are coming’
Much of the speech revolved around business topics. Tuberville highlighted several major economic development projects including a $2.4 billion submarine manufacturing facility planned for northwest Alabama, the U.S. Coast Guard’s purchase of the former Birmingham-Southern College campus, and Fannie Mae relocating its San Francisco office to Birmingham.
“We want downtown Birmingham to explode,” he said.
Tuberville said he’d put an emphasis on workforce development in education but offered no specific proposals. He said his major job as governor is to recruit manufacturers and that workers are needed for those companies. He said education should get away from “all this nonsense and indoctrinated kids” and teach basic subject matter and “how to use their hands.”
“We’re going to structure everything for business in this state,” Tuberville said. “I am so sick and tired of red tape.”
He called for eliminating state sales tax on groceries, an issue state lawmakers have taken up in recent legislative sessions. Tuberville said he also wants to reduce the state’s income tax. He said he would not raise taxes adding “we’re way overtaxed in this state.”
Tuberville touched on data centers, a topic that has drawn bipartisan scorn this year. This summer, Tuberville made bullish remarks on data centers calling them “gold mines” and added that opposition to them was stirred up by Chinese influence. More recently, he has said data center developers should not receive tax breaks and that local communities could decide if they wanted the facilities.
“I am 100 percent for data centers because I’ve studied them for the last 3 or 4 years,” Tuberville said in comments to reporters before the speech.
Tuberville dismissed environmental or noise pollution concerns. He said data centers will not raise electricity rates for customers in Alabama. Tuberville said that decisions on data centers are made on a local level, but as governor he would be a “proponent.”
The former college football coach nodded to his previous career when describing his approach to the governor’s office.
“You’re like a head coach and you’re only as good as the people that you hire,” Tuberville said.
He said he would pick 70 to 80 non-politicians to put a “game plan” together for state agencies.
“This ain’t a Democrat or Republican job,” he said. “This is a job for five million people. And if you don’t do it right, you’re going to screw it up for five million people.”
Questions from the floor
After the speech, Tuberville answered questions from Rotary Club members. The first speaker asked about taking part in a candidates debate. Tuberville’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, has repeatedly challenged him to debate, but Tuberville has said there is “no reason” to debate because he tells people what he’s going to do.
One club member commented that Tuberville’s words about being a leader for all Alabamians did not square with his rhetoric, for instance, calling Democrats communists. The speaker went on to ask about Tuberville’s views on a state lottery to support education. Tuberville said he was not a gambler and that he was neither for or against a lottery, but the public should have a chance to vote on the issue.
Another questioner pointed out Alabama is one of a few states that didn’t expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and that rural hospitals in the state are in financial crisis. Tuberville responded that the state could not afford to expand Medicaid. Proponents have said expansion would mean less uncompensated care, better cost-sharing with the federal government and higher tax revenue leaving Alabama in a stronger fiscal position. He touted $203 million dollars rural healthcare is set to receive under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tuberville suggested rural hospitals should keep their emergency department services, convert some beds to mental health services and reduce the overall number of beds in facilities.
“Insurance will end up paying it and we’ll be able to work with it,” he said.
Jones is scheduled to speak to the club on Oct. 28.
