State Representative Marshall County District 27 2010

Guntersville, AL – Today, Wes Long, political newcomer and Republican nominee for State

House District 27, announced a plan to cut his legislative pay if elected and create a non-profit to

aid teachers in purchasing classroom supplies. Long was joined by fellow Republican nominee

for the State House Kerry Rich (HD 26) and Republican State Senate candidate Clay Scofield

(SD 9), who have both signed on with Long to provide this innovative solution that will benefit

teachers and students throughout their legislative districts.

If elected, Long, Rich and Scofield have made a commitment to cut their salaries in any given

year that the education budget must be prorated due to a decrease in revenue. Long’s approach is

in stark contrast to the actions of Democrats in the Legislature who recently voted themselves a

62% pay raise.

Long noted that while the Democrats were voting to give themselves a pay raise, Alabama

teachers were being forced to spend their personal money to purchase supplies for their students.

The group also felt that parents of students are already doing their part to equip their children

with supplies, and that leaves the community to shore up the difference in times of need.

“Much has been made about the 62% pay raise that Democrats in the Legislature voted to give

themselves with taxpayer dollars,” said Wes Long, Republican nominee in Alabama’s 27th House

District. “We believe that pay raise was wrong, and in a time when many Alabamians are

struggling to make ends meet and our education budget is shrinking, it is morally reprehensible

and fiscally irresponsible.”

“I wanted to come up with a solution that would not only demonstrate that I fundamentally

disagree with the legislative pay raise, but that would also relieve some of the financial burden

on teachers,” Long added. “We also recognize that parents are shouldering a lot of the burden on

school supplies already, so that leaves us and the community to fill in the holes so that our

children have all of the tools needed for success.”

Paid for by Wes Long for State Representative District 27 P.O. Box 617 Guntersville, AL 35976

Long announced at the press conference that he and his colleagues will form a non-profit

organization that is solely devoted to providing relief to teachers. The non-profit will receive

funding through the sacrifices that each of the Republican nominees has agreed to make and cut

their salaries if elected.

“I jumped at the chance to join this initiative because it is time to move Alabama forward, time

to move each community in our districts forward and create more jobs for our citizens,” noted

Clay Scofield, Republican Nominee in State Senate District 9. “We believe that those jobs are

priority number 1, but it starts in the classroom and we must ensure that our teachers have every

tool that they need.”

“We appreciate Wes bringing this idea to us and certainly believe that these are the kinds of

innovative approaches to government that a Republican majority will bring to the Legislature,”

Scofield added.

For his part, Kerry Rich (HD 26) also thanked Wes Long for stepping up and taking action to

assist teachers with their needs. Rich noted that the three Republican nominees are committed to

being representatives of the people in their districts who want to put government back into the

hands of the citizens.

“I have always believed that elected officials should put the people they represent before

themselves,” Rich said. “That is the way government should work, but unfortunately not the way

it has been working in Montgomery and we hope to regain the trust of the people.”

“We want teachers to know that we recognize this problem, and that we are taking a proactive

approach to alleviate some of their burden,” Rich added.

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Paid for by Wes Long for State Representative District 27 P.O. Box 617 Guntersville, AL 35976