Congress District 5

THE ISSUE

The TimesDaily Editorial Board offers its recommendations for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 5, in the June 3 primaries.

Parker Griffith has worked with veteran Congressman Bud Cramer for many years in behind-the-scenes efforts to help make the Tennessee Valley one of the most economically productive regions in the Southeast. Cramer, who announced earlier this year he would not seek a tenth term, has endorsed Griffith as his successor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Griffith directly entered politics two years ago when he was elected by a wide majority as state senator from Madison County. Griffith is a retired oncologist (he opened to first radiation treatment practice in Huntsville) and is a businessman. Of importance to voters in Northwest Alabama, he is familiar with the role that the Tennessee Valley Authority plays throughout the region. He says that TVA must be kept healthy because it is vital in the district's economic development efforts. He also recognizes that good highways are the key to bringing new industries to areas outside Huntsville, areas that he believes will get spin-off industries from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's decision to move more missile defense jobs to Huntsville. As a retired physician, Griffith is keenly aware of the challenges everyone faces with medical care. He doesn't have a specific plan for making health care more affordable and accessible, but he said access to health care is a right, not a privilege. We have no hesitation recommending Griffith to Democratic voters, especially those who have supported Cramer through the years.

Wayne Parker is no stranger to politics in the 5th Congressional District. The Huntsville resident ran against Congressman Bud Cramer in 1994 and 1996, and very nearly unseated the incumbent in the '94 race - the closest any Republican has come to defeating the popular Democrat. Parker has been in the banking, insurance and property development businesses most of his life and has a wide knowledge of the national and international financial issues that affect the country. Parker also has deep connections within the national Republican Party. He is an advocate of cutting spending but tailoring it to fit the country's greatest needs, including national defense, infrastructure and education. Unlike most of his primary opponents, he has not wholeheartedly embraced the so-called fair tax plan, which bases taxation almost entirely on personal spending. He worries that its implementation would create funding problems for a federal government already deeply in debt. Parker is probably more familier with issues that affect the Shoals than any of his opponents, including the importance of TVA and better highway connections to Interstate 65. He got an education about the western end of the district during his two campaigns back in the '90s, so the issues outside Huntsville are not new to him. There are a number of good candidates in this crowded primary race, but we feel confident recommending Parker to Republican voters.