State Rep. Alan Boothe entertained the Troy Exchange Club Thursday with humor, facts and predictions.

Boothe opened his presentation by saying that he has no control over the issuance of Social Security checks.

“A lady called me and said that, if she didn’t get her Social Security check next month, there was going to be trouble and it would start with me,” Boothe said. “I told her that I was a representative in Montgomery, not in Washington. She said, ‘Well, you’re just about as bad.’”

Boothe told the Exchange Club members not to expect much to happen in the January Legislative session.

“The Legislature is a lot like an hourglass,” he said. “A lot goes in but a little comes out.”

Boothe said, however, that he is pleased with some local developments including ATRIP funding to assist 16 road projects in Pike County and a parking lot paving project at CGI.

Boothe said that he recently spoke at the National Recycling Association meeting in Nashville and highlighted KW Plastics in Troy.

“KW Plastics is the largest recycler of plastic materials in the world,” he said. “The only limitation that KW Plastics has is acquiring raw materials. They are getting some raw materials out of landfills in Mexico. The U.S. can’t supply all the raw materials they need.”

Boothe said that the City of Troy does a good job of recycling but Alabama, overall, does not.

Boothe said the Legislature passed a irrigation bill that will be of great benefit to the farmers.

“Crops just will not grow without water,” he said. “Take corn. There are five days in the life of corn when it has to have water. Irrigation is the only way a farmer can be guaranteed water.”

Boothe said the irrigation bill will give farmers a $10,000 tax credit on the installation of an irrigation system.

“The bill is an incentive to irrigate,” he said. “A hundred thousand additional acres of irrigated land would be equal to the location of an automobile assembly plant being located in the state. It’s that big.”

Education continues to be a top priority item for the state.

“We must do what is in the best interest of the students,” Boothe said. “And, that does not mean keep putting money in the same programs.”

Boothe said Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the country.

“Twenty-six percent of our people live below the poverty level,” he said. “We’ve got to better educate our children.”

Boothe reminded the Exchange Club members that, due to reapportionment, at the end of the next legislative session Jimmy Holley will be Pike County’s new state senator.

Boothe closed his presentation by encouraging the Exchange Club members to support Pike County farmers and Pike County agriculture by purchasing tickets to the Pike County Farm-City Banquet on Nov. 7. Tickets are available at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce on the square in downtown Troy.