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From today’s podcast episode:

List this

Alabama is often criticized for showing up near the wrong end of some state rankings.

Well, since it’s Friday, and we want to end the week on a high note, we have a couple of rankings that might make you feel a little better about your neighbors.

First, AL.com’s William Thornton reports that, according to Forbes Advisor, we lead the nation in personal financial responsibility.

Should I say that louder?

Forbes Advisor surveyed people on their budgeting, saving, spending, credit-card habits, their retirement accounts and their financial goals.

The other ranking was by 24/7 Tempo and listed the “drunkest” states in America. It was based on binge drinking and heavy drinking within a 30-day period.

AL.com’s Leada Gore reports that Alabama ranked 48th on that list with only 14.8% of adults reporting drinking excessively.

In the least surprising results in the history of state rankings, Wisconsin came in No. 1 and Utah No. 50.

Inside our state, our “drunkest” metro area was Daphne-Fairhope-Foley with where 21.5% of adults reported drinking excessively. (Is that why so many people are moving to Baldwin County?)

Here’s hoping these surveys aren’t simply calling into question our honesty while taking surveys.

Back taxes … and a little more

There are several pending Alabama lawsuits right now over whether counties that seized and sold properties for back taxes ought to be able to help themselves to any extra money made in the sale.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision could end up affecting those cases.

AL.com’s Sarah Whites-Koditschek reported that the high court has ruled in favor of a Minnesota property owner — a 94-year-old woman — whose property was seized over $15,000 in back taxes and fetched $40,000 in a tax sale.

The decision is good news for Alabama attorney Will Hereford, who is representing clients in similar cases.

He said the government is “limited to taking property for public use and if they take property from someone, the person has to be fairly compensated for the takings.”

Car-theft blues

A Bessemer, Alabama, man pled guilty to his part in an interstate auto-theft ring that involved at least $1.6 million in stolen vehicles, reported AL.com’s Carol Robinson.

The group operated out of Jefferson County, and thefts and sales took place in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Dexter Sherrod Pearce admitted to stealing and transporting at least 24 vehicles.

According to records, he made over $227,000 off the thefts from May 2020 until August 2022.

The calendar

It’s National Bubba Day — a day set aside to celebrate the many people nicknamed Bubba.

Here in Alabama, we probably ought to extend that to people actually named Bubba, people who are often called Bubba by strangers at Walmart, and people who identify as Bubbas.

So here’s to Bill “Bubba” Bussey, Bubba Wallace, the fictional Bubba Blue, and Bubba Watson (for those who consider the Florida Panhandle part of Lower Alabama).

And, of course, all the many others.

The podcast

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