Bob Riley

Robert Renfroe "Bob" Riley ( born October 3, 1944 in Ashland, Clay Clounty, Alabama ) is an American politician ( Republican) and former Governor of the State of Alabama.

Early years and political rise

Bob Riley was born in 1944 in Ashland, where his family for six generations living on ranches and farms. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in business administration and then returned to his hometown, where he spent his high school sweetheart, Patsy Adams, married, with whom he has four children today. Then he opened with his brother a small shop where he sold eggs from house to house. The company grew and became one of the largest integrated poultry farms in the Southeast.

For the next 30 years, Riley led a number of successful businesses, including a food market, a trucking company, a car dealership, a real estate company, and a small pharmacy. In addition, he worked for more than 25 years as a rancher.

Riley decided in 1996 to pursue a political career by being elected as representatives of Alabama's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He defeated the Democratic TD Little and libertarians John Sophocleus. He served there from 1997 to 2003. Riley worked to pass the first balanced budget this generation, the first tax cut within the last 20 years, and a stronger national defense from his seat in the House Armed Services Committee. He also fulfilled his promise to remain only three terms in Congress.

Governor of Alabama

In November 2002, Riley was elected governor of Alabama and sworn in in January 2003. He was re- elected in 2006. He improved the educational system, put Alabama's economy on the right track and favored openness in the Governor's Office. Riley put on a leadership cabinet, zusagend the State Government to reform. He made open his administrative authority, and accountable. He also forbade the passage of pork and thus secured the taxpayers $ 40 million. He also leads a budget process a called SMART Governing, the offset to the taxpayer in a position to see how their money is consumed by any government agency.

Riley changed Alabama's economic development model. Alabama reached a record low of unemployment, creating more than 100,000 new jobs and a budget surplus. A strong and growing economy Riley allowed to raise the funding for education to more than 2 billion dollars. He invested in Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, and record amounts in their classroom. The state had the highest final amount ever to be paid into his Notzeitenfond allocation and prevention account.

Riley was sworn in January 2007 for his second term. He pursued an agenda called " Plan 2010". In addition, he also recommended to provide more funding for schools, including a bond, which should help the school system in construction projects and repairs. He also recommended pro- growth tax breaks that middle-class families will help to make health care more affordable, and to create new jobs.

In summer 2008, Riley came into the sight of Amnesty International when he condemned man Thomas Arthur a potentially exculpatory DNA test to prove his innocence with the words " DNA evidence will not relieve Mr. Arthur " withheld.