By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, June 15, 2017, US Senate Candidate Trip Pittman (R-Montrose) was in Pell City addressing the St. Clair County Republican Executive Committee and friends.
State Senator Jim McClendon (R-Springville) introduced State Senator Pittman (R-Montrose). Sen. McClendon said, “We have worked together for 9 years. Trip is probably the most fiscally conservative legislator we have in Montgomery.”
Sen. Trip Pittman said, “It is great to be with you, people who care about our country and our state.” It is an honor to serve with Jim in the legislature.”
Pittman said, “There is not a bigger issue than health. The sector is sixteen percent of our GDP.”
Pittman said, “I believe in term limits. Every year that I have been in Montgomery I have introduced term limits and I have decided to lead by example so I will not run for State Senate again. I first ran when then State Senator Bradley Byrne became Chancellor of the State’s two year college system and so I was first elected in a Special Election.”
Pittman said: “I wanted to run for US Senate when the special election was announced but Senator Del Marsh is a very dear friend. I was not going to run against him; but then on the last day of qualifying he announced that he was not going to run so I announced that afternoon; because I believe that the people of Alabama needed another choice.”
Pittman said that he was born in Birmingham and has a farm in Blount County. He spent most of his life except for four years at the University of Alabama in south Alabama. Pittman said that his father had a construction equipment company and his grandfather had an equipment company. After a few years of selling equipment for another company he started his own heavy equipment dealership.
Pittman and his wife have three grown children.
Pittman said that he spent the first part of his life starting his business and raising a family. While traveling by plane in 2007 to view some equipment his airplane caught fire and then crashed. Pittman thought then that he was going to die; but survived the crash. After spending nine days in the hospital, Pittman asked himself what he was going to do with the rest of his life. God kept me alive for a reason. “I decided I was going to run for public office.”
When Sen. Byrne stepped down Pittman ran even though more veteran politicians were in the race. Pittman won the Special Election to finish Byrne’s term; then has won two terms of his own.
Pittman said that the family is under attack because when you tear down the family you tear down the country.
Pittman said he served on the planning and zoning board in Baldwin County.
Pittman also cited his military experience with the Alabama National Guard.
In the Legislature he said he helped passed the toughest anti-illegal immigration law in the country but unfortunately the Supreme Court overturned much of it.
Pittman said, “I love this country I love this State. We need to preserve the free enterprise system. It is the best system for people to rise and the best way for people that work. It is also the best system for people that create. A debate that has to be made to educate young people about the advantage of the free enterprise system. You can compare two island: Cuba versus Taiwan and compare North Korea versus South Korea.”
Pittman added however that “Liberty requires personal responsibility.” If people don’t make the right decisions you have to pass more laws and spend more money on the State to enforce that.
In the Legislature, Pittman said that he fought to protect education and not let the General Fund take resources away from education.
Pittman said that people that do not work are never happy because they have no self-respect no matter how much stuff we give them.
Sen. Pittman warned that, “We are running almost $trillion deficits. That is unsustainable. Balancing the budget is not going to be easy. We have become dependent on that deficit spending almost like a drug addict. We need to get our free enterprise system going. We neeed the free enterprise combined with personal responsibility.”
On military policy, Pittman said that we have to be very concerned about getting involved in these long ground operations. We have tried nation building and that has not worked so well. I do not believe that we should send American troops into extended conflicts again without a declaration of war.
Pittman said that in the Alabama Senate, “I have been there balancing budgets. We have had to make cuts. They weren’t always popular.” Pittman said that he supported the Rolling Reserve Act, I fought Obamacare, I fought the expansion of Medicaid (it undermines the work ethic), and I fought illegal immigration. “There is a reason there is a naturalization process.” Pittman said that he was opposed to sanctuary cities and said that the law needs to be enforced everywhere equally.
Pittman warned, “There is a political revolution going on and it could become something a whole lot worse. I am digging a fox hole and I am not backing up.” Pittman said that he is running for US Senate because, “You can’t solve the problems that we have without being in Washington.” Pittman added, ”I don’t have all that Washington money.”
Pittman emphasized, “I like Jeff Sessions and I support Jeff Sessions. This is a unique opportunity for the people of Alabama to elect a proven conservative.” Because this is a special election turnout will be low so the people who go to the polls are going to be more informed. They are going to be passionate and not just vote on name recognition. “This is a great opportunity to get someone who is more conservative. I appreciate your vote and your consideration for your vote on August 15.”
St. Clair County Republican Party Chairman Lance Bell said that there is going to be another luncheon meeting in July with another Senate candidate and that, “I talked with two of the candidates for Governor.” Bell said that there would be more meet the candidate meetings as well as a gubernatorial debate in April.
The special major party primaries for US Senate are on August 15. The Special General Election will be on December 12, 2017.
