Kay Ivey Weaves A Tangled Web With TV Spot

Alabama gubernatorial candidate Kay Ivey made a name for herself as the state treasurer through TV spots for Alabama’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT) program. Ivey encouraged state residents to invest in the program with pleas to “invest now and secure your child’s education.”

While under Ivey’s management, the program’s portfolio value lost significant value and parents have pressed the state to rescue the fund with dollars from the state’s general fund. The controversy has caused enough uproar to prompt the obligatory Hitler downfall parody on YouTube.

In her first campaign commercial, Ivey touts her promise not to increase taxes. It’ll be interesting to see if this promise and her record managing the PACT program will come into conflict. How would Ivey recommend resolving the PACT situation if new taxes are off the table?

Kay Ivey Campaign Commercial #2 - Pledge 3-9-10 from Kay Ivey on Vimeo.

On her website, Ivey presents her vision of dissolving Pact and distributing its funds among state institutions and requiring those institutions in return to accept level or discounted tuition. She ignores the fund’s projected shortfall of $52 million projected by the Retirement Systems of Alabama and calls on the universities to accept the PACT funds because educating Alabama children is their mission. Ivey claims that her plan must be adopted during the spring 2010 legislative session in order to remain viable.