BOB RILEY

The fight for reform comes down to a simple goal: giving our citizens the confidence that government serves the people first and the people only.

No two wars are ever the same. Some are just, some are unjust, but the basic commonality shared between them all is that young men and women heeded a call to service, overcame their fear, and fought for their side.

If we are going to save this country, if we are going to reestablish that belief in God, it's up to us. If we don't do it, who will?

Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed.

According to our Christian ethics, we're supposed to love God, love each other and help take care of the poor. It is immoral to charge somebody making $5,000 an income tax.

The amount of money we spend on education is important, but not nearly as important as how the money is spent.

Ladies and gentlemen: There can be no greater investment in Alabama's future than an investment in education.

One person can make a difference. In fact, it's not only possible for one person to make a difference, it's essential that one person makes a difference. And believe it or not, that person is you.

In a time of tight budgets, difficult choices have to be made. We must make sure our very limited resources are spent on priorities. I believe we should have no higher priority than investing in our children's classrooms and in their future.

You elected government officials to make decisions and it's about time they started making good ones.

The men and women who serve in our military have won for us every hour we live in freedom, sometimes at the expense of the very hours of the lifetimes they had hoped to live.

However, before we make the mistake of patting ourselves on the back, let's remember: government does not create jobs. It only helps create the conditions that make jobs more or less likely. The real credit for our economic renewal belongs to the people of Alabama .

Nothing is worse, or more of a breach of the social contract between citizen and state, than for government officials, bureaucrats and agencies to waste the money entrusted to them by the people they serve.

When money follows results - we will get more results for our money.

There is no longer time for statements like 'if only' or 'we can't.' We must and we will succeed. The only question now is how and when. I believe the time is now.

We've got to take care of the poor.

No skill shapes a child's future success in school or in life more than the ability to read.

The opponents of my budget propose taking $200 million out of our classrooms and instead spending it on a larger school employee pay raise. Our focus should be on making sure our children come first.

I ask you: turn a deaf ear to the special interests. Let politics stand down for a while. don't waste anytime thinking about future elections until we've done our jobs here.

The success of our economy shouldn't determine the success of our schools.

I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.

Drugs are the enemies of ambition and hope - and when we fight against drugs we are fighting for the future.

I hope we never get to the point that we put ourselves in Jesus' place. But when I read the New Testament basically, we get three mandates: to love God, to love each other, and to take care of the least among us. And I think this is at least a step in the right direction.

Perseverance is a virtue that cannot be understated.

Half a world away nations that once lived under oppression and tyranny are now budding democracies due in large part to America 's leadership and the sacrifices of our military.