The Tax-Man Cometh: Albertville

Courtesy of the Secretary of State, I just discovered that the city of Albertville, in Marshall County (near Gadsden), is also having a school tax election later this summer (August 21).

Beware! The Tax-Man Cometh: Lee County

For readers in the Lee County area, be aware that a school tax election has been set for August 28.  As reported by The Opelika-Auburn News, the ballot measure, if approved, would raise the county's property tax by seven mills, taking it from 50-cents per $100 of assessed value to $1.20 per $100.

 

Whether you are for or against increased taxes, vote early! (Just not often!)

Great White Conspiracy

I guess the great white conspiracy is still under way. The Birmingham News reports that the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has refused to review a tax case from Alabama.  The case alleges that caps on revenue from property taxes limits the amount of money available to public K-12 schools, which, the case further argues, means less money is available to Alabama's public colleges and universities, which, the case goes on to conclude, means less money is available for financial aid, which -- TA DA! -- means fewer blacks being able to go to college.

 

I guess what the case lacks in merit, the attorneys and plaintiffs deserve some credit for creative writing - if they are still in school.

 

No doubt there are a large number of kids who can't make it to college because they can't afford it. But then again, there are a large number of kids who decide to work their way through college if they don't have the cash or financial aid to pay for it.

 

I'm wondering though what the plaintiffs mean by the term "financial aid". Are they referring only to grants or scholarships: money that doesn't have to be paid back?  Or do they include student loans?

 

If I wanted to be snarky, I'd say that they surely didn't include programs like work-study since those students actually work and provide something in exchange for their cash.

More on the Benjamins

The Mobile Press-Register reported on President Bush's visit to Mobile yesterday. In the article, from the article:

President Bush's plane touched down at Mobile Downtown Airport shortly after 4 p.m. In a span of less than four minutes, the president greeted eight members of a welcoming committee, gave a President's Volunteer Service medal to Medical Society of Mobile County President Debbie Gardner at the foot of the airplane steps and jumped into the presidential limousine.

The motorcade then traveled straight to the convention center ...

As the article mentions, Bush went to the convention center to be a speaker at a fundraiser for Senator Jeff Sessions.

 

To thank that the president of the United States has only four minutes to spend with the general public but was willing to spend much more time at the fundraiser is discouraging and disheartening. 

 

Yes, that's the way politics is, but that doesn't mean its right.

Judicial Activism?

A federal judge has blocked enforcement of an ordinance in Farmers Branch, Texas, that would have required landlords to verify that a person is in the country legally before renting that person an apartment or house.  The federal judge stated the ordinance is an infringement on the federal government's constitutional authority to regulate immigration.

 

I imagine this case will be appealed, perhaps up to the U.S. Supreme Court. I'm wondering about the implications of the ruling if it withstands the scrutiny of appeal.

 

If only the federal government can regulate immigration, and the benefits that accrue to immigrants, I would like a judge to explain why this court's decision does not affect a state's requirement that a person be a U.S. citizen before being permitted to register and vote.

Some Remains are Less Equal than Others

The AP reports that the city of Vance is going to move the remains of the dead buried in a Civil War cemetary.  The relocation is precipitated by the city's plans to build a municipal park.

 

As if moving the bodies to build a park wasn't disrespectful enough, the mayor of Vance, Keith Mahaffey, told the AP that officials are "going to find nothing in the way of real remains ". 

 

Mahaffey made the comment after acknowledging that the cemetary contains the remains of an unknown Confederate soldier. The local chapter of the Sons of the Confederacy installed a gravestone for the unknown soldier last year.

 

I guess we should honor every soldier who has fallen in the defense of his fellow men and women - unless someone has a great idea for a walking trail, swings or picnic tables.

Hot Fuel

So, I read this article and everything came together for me:  the petroleum companies are behind a vast global warming conspiracy.

Bitch-Slap Bishop

Dan, over at Between the Links, reports that last Friday night, at a Republican Party fundraiser, members of that party gave Senator Charles Bishop a standing ovation.  The standing ovation for Bishop was attributed to Bishop's slugging of fellow Senator Lowell Barron on the last day of the regular legislative session.

 

I agree with the many people who believe that Bishop's action was wrong-headed (see here and here; for an alternative view, see here). But, frankly, I think that once again, way too much time and energy than is deserved is being devoted to this tempest in the small world under the Capitol dome.

 

Sure, Bishop should be called to account, if Barron really wants Bishop held accountable (see here). And, of course, the voters in Bishop's district may wish to keep this incident in mind if and when Bishop runs for re-election. Beyond that though, I'm not sure why the media and chatting class want to waste much more time on this. We all know that Alabama is poorly governed and reforms are necessary. Focusing an inordinate amount of attention on Bitch-Slap Bishop does little to improve governance in Alabama.

It's All about the Benjamins

The Mobile Press-Register reports that the Alabama Senate passed a resolution before the end of the regular session that could give state Senators a "substantial break" in the cost of their health insurance. According to the Press-Register:

The sponsor of the resolution, Sen. E.B. McClain, D-Midfield, said it's only fair that legislators be treated the same as regular state employees.

I wonder if Senator McClain realizes that part-time state employees do not received the same benefits as full-time state employees. My understanding is that part-time employees do not get the same health care benefits as full-time state employees.

Still, this legislation is yet another example of arrogance and self-centeredness of our state legislators, in general, and state Senators, in particular.

Fine Print

I used to read a column by James J. Kilpatrick called "The Writer's Art". Kilpatrick wrote about the use - and misuse - of the English language. He also released a book called Fine Print: Reflections on the Writing Art. I probably am a nerd, but I enjoyed the columns and the book. I guess that's because I like to write and I try to find ways to make my writing better. As a side benefit, mistakes that people make when they are writing can be humorous.

And, so, to the point of this post. I was driving along the main drag in Prattville the other day and saw a sign that read:

Alcohol
The Most Abused Drug By Teens

This message is a fine example of civic-mindedness. Someone wanted to remind folks that teenagers often have access to alcohol. And then it hit me. The message implies that teens actually make the alcohol!

Okay. The way we read and interpret words and sentences these days, I know that people will understand that the prepositional phrase "by teens" modifies the adjective "abused". But I picture teenagers hanging around a still like Uncle Jesse and "them Duke boys."

A better wording for the sign would be:

Alcohol
The Drug Most Abused by Teens

Even More Golden than We Thought

More on Nick Saban's contract with the University of Alabama.

 

Maybe he does have the power to displace the Bear as Alabama's prime divine entity.

All's Fair in Campaign Finance (when legal)

Over at Between the Links, a gentleman named Tim asked Alabama Representative Cam Ward , a supporter of U.S. Senator John McCain for president, how much money McCain donated to Ward's re-election campaign last year.  Ward replied:

I did receive a contribution from McCain and other Presidential candidates in the last election. In all fairness I endorsed him BEFORE receiving a contribution. It is a fair question to ask. I just dont think a 500 or 1000 contributuon in a campaign where you raised over 130000 is going to determine who you are going to endorse or not.

I would argue that a candidate like McCain gives money to politicians in Alabama to make sure they don't give someone like Ward a reason to oppose his or her presidential candidacy.  It's not they necessarily think that the contribution will win an endorsement (although Ward apparently did endorse McCain), it's pre-emptive damage control, a kind of hush money, if you will.

 

To me, another issue is why are presidential candidates who are not from Alabama giving money to candidates for state office in Alabama? I'm sure that McCain doesn't really know whether Ward is a good representative or not (not that I have anything against Ward, I'm just saying). 

 

Of course, all is fair in campaign finance, as long as it's legal.  However, one has to ask what is McCain's interest in getting involved in an election for a state legislative office in Alabama.  Sure, maybe McCain wants to help out fellow Republicans.  But it seems that McCain's (and other presidential candidates') direct interest is ensuring he doesn't give a political leader in Alabama a reason to oppose him. 

He's Golden without All That

So, hawking Golden Flake chips Co' Cola was good enough for the Bear but not for Nick Saban?

Transparency in Campaign Finance

You can't get much more transparent with your campaign finance efforts than Dan from Between the Links.  As the Mobile Press-Register reports today, Dan has formed a political action committee with the express purpose of "filter[ing] funds from controversial or unpopular groups to other PACs and candidates for the purpose of hiding the actual source of a candidate's campaign money from voters ."  He filed his paperwork with the Secretary of State's office this week.

 

Of course, this is the very definition of the problems with PAC-to-PAC transfers and the lack of transparency that some members of the Legislature, such as Representative Jeff McLaughlin, have been trying to address. Maybe Dan's effort will help highlight the issue for the public, although I suspect that most Alabamians tune out when they are told about the details of campaign finance reform.

 

Another issue in campaign finance reform that has gotten little attention is the fact that a court threw out a case involving a state Senator, Larry Means, who allegedly did not file his campaign finance reports as required under state law. The court ruled that it did not have the authority to hear the case, even though violations of the campaign finance laws is a justiciable matter.  The judge hearing the case contended that Larry Means' election should have been contested on the grounds of violating the campaign finance laws. Otherwise, only the Alabama Senate could determine whether Means should be able to serve.  Strangely, the judge didn't address the fact that even in an election contest, a court would have to determine whether Means violated the state's campaign finance law.

 

In any event, the court seemed to be overreaching in its opinion of state.  The campaign finance law doesn't state that an individual has to file an election contest to address violations by a candidate.  It merely says:

A certificate of election or nomination shall not be issued to any person elected or nominated to state or local office who shall fail to file any statement or report required by this chapter. A certificate of election or nomination already issued to any person elected or nominated to state or local office who fails to file any statement or report required by this chapter shall be revoked.

The second sentence quoted above even anticipates the removal of a state or local official from office if he or she fails to file the report.

 

The court basically nullified the campaign finance laws for members of the Legislature, especially if the violation is not found until after election day.  However, the laws would seem to still apply to other state candidates, such as those for governor, secretary of state, treasurer, etc.  It's incredible to think that a court would determine that the law as written doesn't apply to members of the very body that wrote the law, even without those members including a specific exemption.

 

The courts judgement in the Means case is about as cloudy as the money trail in Alabama elections.

 

Ron[ny] Has Little Lamb

Dan at Between the Links and Jeff at Politics in Alabama have already covered the news that Ron Sparks, the current Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, will not run against Jeff Sessions next year for U.S. Senate. From the media report, Sparks has stated that his reason is that Vivian Figures, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, is planning to run. He claims that he believes that the only way a Democrat can beat the Republican incumbent is for the Democrat to avoid a primary battle and the expenses associated with it, thus saving the money for the general election fight.

 

I think though that if we apply Occam's Razor, the reason behind Sparks' and Figures' respective moves is that they are both assured that Session will win regardless of who the Democratic candidate is. Therefore, the Democratic Party needs a sacrificial lamb. With Sparks' star on the rise, he is not to be that lamb. The Democrats, and Sparks himself, want to save Sparks for another day for a contest that is winnable.  Such as the 2010 governor's race.

 

At one time, the Democrats might have been tempted to not even field a candidate for that race. However, they learned in the 2000 general election that not fielding a candidate for a statewide office can help a minor political party (such as the Libertarians that year) meet the requirements to maintain ballot access for the next election cycle.  Without opposition from the Democratic Party that year in a Supreme Court contest, a Libertarian candidate received about 21% of the vote, one point higher than was necessary for the Libertarians to maintain ballot access for the 2002 election.  The Democrats aren't going to give a modest helping hand to a minor party again.

Let's Roll

A wheelchair-bound man in Michigan found new meaning in the phrase "moving on" when the handles of his wheelchair got stuck in the grill of a semi. While the man was pushed by the semi, the driver of the truck was oblivious to what was going on. The wheelchair and its rider were in a blind spot from where the driver was sitting.

 

According to the press report, "the truck, [the main the wheelchair] said, was going 50 mph. Luckily, he always straps himself into the chair, so he felt secure that he wouldn't fall out. But he was pretty sure he was going to die."

 

Press reports say the man may have been pushed anywhere from two to four miles or five miles..

Carve another ... um ... 25 notches

Despite the power struggle that shutdown the Alabama Senate for much of the last legislative session, the Senators and Representatives did a good bit of work in the last week or so to tweak our already bloated state constitution.

 

My last count - based on the Legislature's on-line information system, shows that our esteemed statesmen and -women in Montgomery passed no less than 25 more proposed amendments to the Constitution of 1901.  Most of them address issues at the local level.

 

As Dan at betweenthelinks has clearly argued, our Constitution stifles the ability of local governments to address local issues. In turn, the Legislature spends an inordinate amount of time addressing local issues for their constituents rather than dealing with state issues. 

 

I know the history behind consolidating power in Montgomery. However, I don't think it's unfair to expect that a body that has statewide jurisdiction do more than act like a glorified county commission or city council.

Rumors of War ... and War

With developments such as these, is there any wonder so many people speculate that the next world war will be ignited in the Middle East?

Shoot Up Here among Us

As she requested, Nancy Worley has been granted a delay in her trial.  The trial was originally scheduled for a June 18 start date, but Worley's attorneys contend they need additional time to review evidence provided by the Attorney General's office. 

 

Worley's trial should be an interesting spectacle. An employee who worked for her in the Secretary of State's office filed a complaint stating she sent a campaign letter to Secretary of State employees seeking their support and involvement in her campaign.  The letter included an envelope that solicited monetary contributions and had places to mark if someone wanted a bumper sticker, yard sign or other material.

 

Worley doesn't deny sending the letter and, in fact, has acknowledged sending the letter in public comments. The Montgomery Advertiser reports that Worley's attorney, James Anderson,said  "Worley wrote the letter because she wanted to avoid discussions about the campaign during office hours." He even went so far as to say ""No good deed goes unpunished."

 

While it's Anderson's job to defend Worley and get her off the hook, his comments are absurd, based on the evidence shown on television and described in other media. 

 

If Worley wanted to avoid discussions about the campaign during office hours, why would she initiate a discussion by sending the letter to her staff?

 

Was it really a such good idea for Worley to send a campaign letter to people she can fire or otherwise discipline?  If not illegal (although I suspect it was illegal) was it ethical?  (I know, I know. A discussion of "Alabama government" and "ethics" often leads to pronounced cognitive dissonance.)

 

Personally, the most amusing statement this week was Worley's invocation of Jerry Clower. She said she is ready to go to trial but that her attorneys wanted a delay.  She said, ""I always quote the Jerry Clower story where he was chased up a tree by a bobcat and he told someone on the ground, 'Shoot up here among us. One of us needs some relief.'"

 

I love Jerry Clower's homespun, down home humor. And I'm familiar with the story she mentions. However, her overall comment is absurd. Anyone who has followed Worley's exploits knows that what she wants, she gets. And if her attorneys are seeking a delay, they certainly have her blessing.

 

Frankly, I think it's Alabamians who need a relief. From Worley.

Cowardly Lion

According to The Huntsville Times, state Senator Lowell Barron has called on fellow Senator Charles Bishop to resign from the Alabama Senate. Barron's "suggestion" is part of the fallout from Bishop's slugging Barron on the last day of the Legislature's 2007 regular session.

According to The Times, Barron said:

"If I were Sen. Bishop, I would consider resigning to prevent further embarrassment to our state and show the nation and the world that Alabama doesn't tolerate this type behavior."

Despite this strong statement by Barron, The Times reports:

Barron said he will wait until after the Senate Ethics Commission makes a determination in the case of Sen. Charles Bishop, R-Jasper, before he decides whether to file criminal or civil charges against Bishop.

Further:

Barron would not say whether the committee should expel Bishop, but he added, "If I were Sen. Bishop, I would consider resigning to prevent further embarrassment to our state and show the nation and the world that Alabama doesn't tolerate this type behavior."

"It is not my desire to file charges against Mr. Bishop, only because of the continued damage it will do to the reputation of the great state of Alabama," said Barron.

Barron seems to talking out of both sides of his mouth. On one hand, he claims he wants to show the world that Alabama doesn't tolerate the kind of behavior exhibited by Bishop on the Senate floor. What better way, though, to show zero-tolerance than for Barron himself to file charges against Bishop?

In fact, Barron's filing charges sooner rather than later would show how at least one Alabamian (i.e., Barron) will not tolerate that kind of behavior.

Waiting for the Ethics Commission to make a determination - and not expressing even a wish that the Ethics Commission should remove Bishop from office - shows a lack of seriousness on the part of Barron. Grandstanding, with an eye toward public consumption, is about all Barron can muster. He does not have the courage of his convictions.

But what do we expect from what passes for leadership in the Alabama Legislature these days?

Welcome.

Thank you for visiting my blog. There's certainly plenty of good stuff to read on the Internet, so I appreciate your time and interest in checking out my contribution to blogosphere.

My plan - as I guess with most bloggers - is to share my take on various issues without, hopefully, just being an echo-chamber for what you may read on other blogs. Yes, I may touch on issues that others are also covering. But, just as hopefully, I would like to offer a different take on things.

(Although, at times, there is just no way to offer a different take. For example, Senator Bishop was really out of bounds trying to KO Senator Barron, even if Barron has earned the disdain of many people. There's really just no other way to cover that story. Although I think, perhaps, I may have a different angle on Barron's recent comments about the skirmish. See the first regular entry for this blog.)

I plan to cover events here in Alabama as well across the nation. Most of the focus will probably be on politics, as with many blogs. But if I see something else that catches my eye, I'll post on that too. I guess I just need some place to vent my ideas when the people around me tire of listening.

As for me, I'm an Alabamian that has made his way to nearly every corner of the state. I've worked with government officials as well with people in the private sector. And I have family from southwest Alabama to east Alabama to north Alabama. So I try to catch the news from all over, from my vantage point in south-central Alabama.

I look forward to sharing with you. And, maybe if things take off, you'll share in return.