As an out-of-state student, I have the benefit of having two homes. I feel equally welcome here in Alabama and in the godless north. Well, if Missouri counts as the North. But that’s a column for another day. However, with these dual homes at times come difficult choices. Most recently I am forced to decide which state has more astoundingly silly state government.

I had previously thought the title fell to my original home state. After all, our lieutenant governor Peter Kinder was a frequent strip club patron to the point of creeping out one of the strippers before his time in the only slightly classier state government. This man is now a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, though one can only one that he will lose. We also have a legislature where it is acceptable to propose a bounty on river otters, as Rep. Robert Ross did a few years ago.

While I may not agree with many of Alabama’s policies, I had up until fairly recently believed that the outright silliness was not present here. I had even begun to feel that Governor Bentley, while we do not share a political party, was making good strides in prison reform and school funding. And then he had to start firing people because they were going to tell us about his sex life.

At this point even if it turns out that state funds were not abused in Gov. Bentley’s affair with Rebecca Mason, the whole thing is an embarrassment. For an elected official to be involved romantically with a member of his professional staff is opening up a slew of ethical questions that are not limited to tax dollars.

On top of the clear ethical problems here, there are some downright icky ones as well. Imagining Mr. Burns, sorry, Governor Bentley having sex is somehow much worse than even one’s own parents. And at least our parents having sex won’t lead to ethics inquiries at the state level.

If the ethics investigation discovers any financial wrong doing I think it is absolutely vital that Governor Bentley resign his position immediately. The trust of the people of Alabama has already been violated by the circumstances surrounding Spencer Collier’s termination. Those entrusted with the representation of the people should do their best to be upstanding citizens.

I hope in the future choices between my two homes will be for better reasons. 

Allison Mollenkamp is a sophomore majoring in English and theatre. Her column runs biweekly.