W. Fred Woods: Write-In Candidate
for the AL 3rd Congressional District
Every two years, voters across this great land of ours go to their polling places to cast their votes on a plethora of candidates and issues vital and important to their respective locales.
This year is no different. In addition to the attention-grabbing presidential race, voters here in Lee County will cast their ballots on statewide offices and amendments that could preserve the Forever Wild program, limit legislative pay and stop the annexation of small towns by their larger neighbors (to name a few).
We’re also obliged to pick between two candidates for our U.S. congressional district, where the Hon. Mike Rogers (R-Anniston) will take on Lee County Commissioner John Andrew Harris (D-Opelika) to defend the seat Rogers has held since 2003.
In the last election, feeling that neither candidate deserved the voters’ support, I endorsed former OHS athletic director and head football coach Spence McCracken for the job. The platform of “God bless America and God bless the Dogs” garnered the coach a few dozen write-in votes (more than I expected, to be honest).
This year, I find myself in a similar situation - neither Rogers nor Harris seems completely deserving of the job that they seek - and am forced to come up with another write-in candidate who could better serve the needs and desires of the AL 3rd.
After much prayer and soul searching (and blindfolding myself to throw a dart at index cards with potential candidate names on them), I believe I’ve found the guy:
William Fred Woods, editor of the Opelika Observer and a stalwart employee of the United States Department of Agriculture for decades.
Here’s a bit of bio, courtesy of an article written on Woods by Ann Cipperly:
“Woods’ diverse career included being an extension specialist, researcher, a policy advisor for both U.S. and foreign government and a national program leader for public policy for research and extension education. Over the years, he received many honors including the SAEA Lifetime Achievement Award, the K.J. Hildreth Award for Career Achievement in Public Policy Education and the Woods Award for Excellence in Public Policy.”
Read that last part again: The Woods Award for Excellence in Public Policy, as in the W. Fred Woods Award. They named the award for excellence after him; enough said, right?
Woods has served with distinction in Armenia after the fall of Communism, helping the Armenian government create and develop its agricultural policy.
He's helped craft portions of our tax code, and once even had to help IRS officials figure out how to implement a tax credit for farmers Woods helped develop.
He’s spent his entire career working to help bridge the gap between policy and practice, and has the ability to explain complex documents and figures as if he were discussing the latest sports scores.
I’m proud to get to work with the man every single day, and I know that if we send Woods back to Washington, we’ll be sending a man who can cut through the bullcrap and idiocy that currently plagues our nation’s capitol.
He wouldn’t put up with falsities or misinformation from congressional colleagues; he speaks truth and expects others to act the same.
He’s worked across the aisles for years in his roles with the USDA, and could help bring a much-needed spirit of bipartisan cooperation back to the “people’s chamber.”
Of course, when I asked Woods if he would mind being the McCollum-backed write-in this year, he demurred and pulled a William T. Sherman/Calvin Coolidge/Lyndon Johnson move, saying “If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve.”
Well...
Even if Woods stays true to his threat, I’m left to genuinely believe even no representation whatsoever would be better than the choices we have.
Fred Woods for Congress: Let’s Cut the Crap and Work Together.
Works for me.
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