Finance director unhappy with budget

Finance Director Jim Main, meeting with the media Friday about his appointment to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, said he did not know if he would recommend for Gov. Bob Riley to veto the $2.5 billion General Fund budget the Legislature passed on Thursday.
He echoed the comments of House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, saying he did not like lawmakers taking money from the cash-strapped Alabama Department of Corrections to go to festivals and other local events in lawmakers' districts.
"I am not particularly happy with it," Main said.
Since power was shut off to the State House due to flooding on Thursday, Main said he has not seen the bill so he has been looking at spreadsheets, which does not depict the full picture.
The budget also cuts funding to the finance department by $2 million, he said, at a time when the staff is trying to track the federal stimulus money that is coming into the state.
"We are trying to get our arms around the stimulus package," Main said.
The department has hired former Finance Director Drayton Nabers and another attorney who worked in the finance department to manage the stimulus funds.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen