Free Iron Bowl Tickets news release
For Release:
December 16, 2009
Contact: Jim Metrock 205.822.0080 jimmetrock@obligation.org
GROUP ASKS RECIPIENTS OF FREE IRON BOWL TICKETS TO DONATE TO CHARITY
BIRMINGHAM, AL – Obligation, Inc. a Birmingham-based child advocacy organization is asking all state officials who accepted free tickets for this year’s Iron Bowl game from Auburn University to do two things:
- Donate at least $65 per ticket received (face value) to a charity that benefits children before year’s end;
- Publicly promise he or she will not accept free or discounted tickets to next year’s Iron Bowl from the University of Alabama.
Obligation’s president Jim Metrock said, “The practice of giving public officials free Iron Bowl tickets and free parking is outrageous. This ‘holiday gift’ was not available to average, hard-working Alabamians. These public servants were enriched simply because of their office. Some officials may even have sold their tickets for a real cash windfall.”
According to Auburn University 446 free Alabama/Auburn tickets were given out to 219 officials and staff.
Metrock said, “Every person who received these tickets should have known how desperate charities are this year. According to Charity Navigator, 86% of nonprofits surveyed in 2009 reported that the economy was having a ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’ effect on the services they provide. A charity could have raised thousands of dollars raffling off just two tickets. Instead these state officials, who could easily buy their own tickets, received an ‘Iron Bowl Bailout’ courtesy of a state-supported university.”
Metrock said, “Next fall, Obligation will urge potential ticket recipients to refuse Iron Bowl tickets. We’ll urge the host school, the University of Alabama, to give free tickets directly to charitable organizations. As long as this distasteful practice continues in our state, Obligation will try to make children the beneficiaries and not politicians.”
Obligation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995. Obligation seeks to advance public education by researching and reporting on intrusive commercial marketing in public schools. Obligation is a private foundation that is self-funded and does not accept donations. https://obligation.org
[Second page of news release]
Recipients of free Iron Bowl tickets:
139 legislators (2 each)
Governor’s Office -22
Delivered to:
Bryan Taylor 3
Jeff Emerson 3
Dave Stewart 3
Ken Wallis 3
Bob Riley 2
Elaine LeFleur 3
Josh Blades 3
Sommer Vaughn 2
Lt Governor’s Office -6
Delivered to:
Jim Folsom, Jr. 3
Mike Martin 3
Attorney General’s Office -4
Delivered to:
Troy King 2
Daniel Morris 2
Speaker Office – 4
Delivered to:
Seth Hammett 2
Jeff Woodard 2
2 each:
ACHE Charles Ball
ACHE Ralph Buffkin
ACHE Jeff Coleman
ACHE Thomas P. Davis
ACHE Philip C. Dotts
ACHE Larry J. Hughes
ACHE Andrew G. Linn
ACHE William E. Powell
ACHE Stephen Shaw
ACHE Missy Ming Smith
ACHE Roberta O. Watts
ACHE Ronald W. Wise
ACHE Gregory G. Fitch
PSC Lucy Baxley
PSC Jan Cook
PSC Susan D. Parker
Judicial Robert G. Esdale
Constitutional Beth Chapman
Constitutional Kay Ivey
Constitutional Samantha Shaw
Constitutional Ron Sparks
State Official Dave Avant
State Official Jerry Bassett
State Official Joyce Bigbee
State Official Joseph Borg
State Official Ed Castile
State Official Lewis Easterly
State Official Frank Gitschier
State Official Norris Green
State Official Pat Harris
State Official Michael Hudson
State Official Don Ladner
State Official Alva Lambert
State Official McDowell Lee
State Official Anne Elizabeth McGowin
State Official Maury Mitchell
State Official Greg Pappas
State Official Glen Pringle
State Official Brenda Smith
State Official Michael F. Sparks
State Official Cynthia Underwood
State Official Donald Williamson
State Official Jeff Woodard
State Official Joyce Wright
Other David Bronner
Other Marcus Reynolds
Gov Cabinet Richard Allen
Gov Cabinet A. C. Blalock
Gov Cabinet Nancy T. Buckner
Gov Cabinet Irene Collins
Gov Cabinet John Harrison
Gov Cabinet Carol Herrmann-Steckel
Gov Cabinet John Houston
Gov Cabinet Doni Ingram
Gov Cabinet Barnett Lawley
Gov Cabinet Brock Long
Gov Cabinet Joe McInnes
Gov Cabinet Chris Murphy
Gov Cabinet Bill Newton
Gov Cabinet Jim Ridling
Gov Cabinet Tim Russell
Gov Cabinet Lee Sentell
Gov Cabinet Tom Surtees
Gov Cabinet Neal Wade
Gov Cabinet Jim Walker
Gov Cabinet Ken Wallis [On list twice. Could be error.]
Source: December 3, 2009 email to Obligation from AUBURN UNIVERSITY spokesperson Mike Clardy.
