Tea with your fireworks
4th of July… family time, cookouts, fireworks, and this year… tea parties!
If that is your cup of tea then check out this list of ten tea parties around the state to find the one nearest you.
Related Articles:
July 3, 2009
Corruption in Alabama
Over at the Birmingham Weekly, Kyle Whitmire has begun a series of articles looking at the causes and possible solutions.
Should be interesting reading over the summer and maybe food for thought as we head into next year’s elections.
Daily Headlines, Friday, 7/3/2009
Birmingham News - Birmingham, Alabama population still shrinks as suburbs bloom, Census data shows
Birmingham News - Jefferson County Commission asks Alabama Supreme Court to void ruling that prevents cuts to sheriff’s department
Birmingham News - Judge denies John Katopodis’ request for a new trial
Birmingham News - Tax collections for Alabama’s Education Trust Fund down falling at pace not seen in decades
Birmingham News - Judge denies slew of defense motions in Larry Langford case
Birmingham News - Ron Sparks lays out agenda in bid for governor’s chair
Small Town Political Gazette
Alexander City Outlook - Coosa County Commissioners reopen bond debate - taking multiple bids would be wise
Dothan Eagle - Dothan mayoral forum held
BaldwinCountyNow - Robertsdale cleaning up act to avoid lawsuit - Law suits tend to motivate city hall
July 2, 2009
Sparks Offers Planks
Democratic State Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks revealed three planks today in his gubernatorial campaign:
- We will make a difference by creating the LifeStart Scholarship Lottery program.
- Second, we will make a difference by regulating, and taxing casino-style gaming in Alabama.
- Finally, we will make a difference by lowering the tax burden on every family in the state.
Apparently he has a ways to go to raise his profile. Washington Monthly wrote online today:
Rep. Artur Davis’ (D) gubernatorial campaign in Alabama got a little easier yesterday when state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb decided not to run. As of now, it looks like Davis will not face a primary opponent.
The site has since corrected the oversight.
Related Articles:
2010 Candidate Lists Updated
Johnny Ford used to be a lot of things. He used to be Tuskegee’s Mayor. He used to be a state Representative. He used to be a Democrat before he became the first black Republican legislator since Reconstruction.
Now, he used to be a Republican as he is a Democrat again, this time running for Senate District 28. The seat is currently held by Democrat Myron Penn who is undecided about running again.
This and several other updates are noted in the 2010 Senate Elections Directory, the 2010 House Elections Directory, and the 2010 Big List.
Sparks Announcement Today
Sue Bell Cobb is out of the governor’s race, and Ron Sparks may be attempting to step up his game. From a release from his campaign:
Gubernatorial Candidate Ron Sparks will make a major announcement concerning his campaign for governor. The announcement will include specific plans to guarantee advanced education for every child, reduce taxes, increase funding for Medicaid and education and create a disaster relief fund for agriculture. The Sparks plan will eliminate illegal gambling in Alabama and outlaw gaming in any county where it is rejected by the voters.
The announcement is scheduled for 11 a.m. this morning at his Montgomery campaign headquarters. Sparks faces Artur Davis in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Your Comments Welcome on Draft Constitution
Your input is solicited on the draft constitution from ACCR’s mock constitutional convention, but time is running out. You have until July 7.
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Daily Headlines, Thursday, 7/2/2009
Birmingham News - Former Birmingham, Alabama county commissioner John Katopodis found guilty in charity fraud trial
Birmingham News - One in three people in Alabama are obese, according to report
Birmingham News - Sen. Rodger Smitherman to ask Alabama to advance $25 million-$30 million for Jefferson County
Birmingham News - Anniston architect Julian Jenkins pleads guilty in 2-year college case to get charge reduced from bribery to aiding and abetting
Birmingham News - Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb decides against run for governorship
Small Town Political Gazette
Randolph Leader - Preparing for the demonstration that wasn’t
The Selma Times-Journal - Comments pour in on Perry County landfill
The Tuskegee News - Myron Penn undecided about 2010 run
July 1, 2009
Chief Justice to Sit Out Governor’s Race
Walt already hit the details on Democratic Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb taking a pass on the 2010 governor’s race.
Did you get the sense that she was struggling between head and heart on the decision? If you ever want to run for governor in Alabama, 2010 is a good year for it with no incumbent or sitting Lt. Governor in the race. Judging from what we were hearing, including from the Chief Justice herself, she really gave serious thought to running. But the arguments against it were obvious: she’d have to resign as Chief Justice as soon as she became an announced candidate, the Republican governor would replace the only Democrat sitting on any appellate court with a Republican, in return she would get only a shot at the primary (which would absolutely be no gimme), and even if she won the primary there is no guarantee that she would win the general election.
On top of that, factor in the damage that a potentially brutal primary could do to the Democrats in 2010 and the potential damage to her own political future. While Democrats generally are very supportive of Sue Bell Cobb, I don’t recall a single one telling me that they wished she would run for governor in 2010.
From the very first post on this possibility, I always thought it made little sense for her to run for governor, and I didn’t figure she got to be Chief Justice by doing things that made little sense. While the heart sometimes wins out over the head, the Democrats I talked to believe that Cobb made the sensible decision for herself and for her party.
Will the ABAD* wing of Democrats turn to someone else for the governor’s race? Or are they running out of steam?
*Anybody But Artur Davis
Related Articles:
Cobb is out
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Sue Bell Cobb has will not run for governor. Her quoted statement is below the fold.
Why Johnson Had a Deadline to Announce Candidacy
Dana Beyerle has a piece explaining why Gov. Bob Riley gave Bill Johnson a deadline of Friday last week to announce whether or not he was running for governor in the Republican primary.
Johnson was the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. It’s the cabinet level agency that manages grants for communities, counties and the state.
Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson on Monday explained Riley’s reasoning.
“Bill has told others the governor gave him by last Friday to decide whether to run for governor or not,” Emerson said. “It’s just if you’re in charge of a state agency that disburses funds, it may lead some to question the disbursement of the funds if you’re running for governor, and it’s better not to have that in place.”
Incidentally, the article also lists Sam Franklin Thomas of Huntsville as a Democratic candidate for governor. According to this Huntsville Times article that first reported he would be a candidate for governor, Thomas moved from Detroit to Alabama three years ago, which would mean that he does not meet the seven year residency requirement to be governor.
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Davis Expands Team This Week
My email inbox tells me that a number of people on both sides of the aisle are taking note of Artur Davis this week expanding his gubernatorial campaign team by two political strategists, Joey Ceci and David Mowery. From opposite ends of the state, both have experience with conservative electorates, and each was at the helm of a winning Democratic Congressional campaign in 2008 (with freshman Blue Dogs Parker Griffith and Bobby Bright, respectively).
From Davis’ release:
Both Joey and David have a proven track record of winning hard-fought races in parts of our state that have been trending Republican. They are also experts in fending off the Republican attack machine that gears up every two years. Joey has an extensive knowledge of North Alabama politics and has managed the campaigns of both U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer and U.S. Congressman Parker Griffith. He has also run a number of winning local campaigns in the Tennessee Valley. David has spent his career winning elections in the Wiregrass and South Alabama, where he most recently managed Congressman Bobby Bright’s race – turning the 2nd Congressional District from red to blue. He also ran Mayor Todd Strange’s winning race in a nonpartisan election in Montgomery. Joey Ceci and David Mowery give us a powerful one-two punch in two regions that may hold the key to the 2010 governor’s race.
Mowery was interviewed last week in National Journal here.
The Shell Game
Video from the Alabama Policy Institute explaining how PAC to PAC transfers work and why this is not a good thing.
Also, in today’s, Al Jareeza, interesting article, The Pervasive Nature of Corruption which argues at certain points, a minimal amount of graft is needed to make things happen in developing countries to eventually fade away as prosperity occurs.
H/T: to anon in today’s digest comments for applying the nudge
Daily Headlines, Wednesday, 7/1/2009
Birmingham News - Jefferson County Commission slashes budget by $31.7 million, to lay off hundreds
Birmingham News - Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale asks a judge to block the county’s attempt to cut $5.1 million out of the office’s budget
Birmingham News - Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford fires city attorney, calls department inefficient, sloppy
Birmingham News - Priscilla Dunn wins runoff for Alabama Senate 19 seat
Birmingham News - Jury deliberates in federal fraud trial of John Katopodis, former Birmingham councilman
Birmingham News - Attorney for Alabama Press Association says the Adamsville City Council broke the law when it held a closed session last week
Small Town Political Gazette
The Selma Times-Journal - Davis discusses stimulus funding in Selma
Athens News-Courier - State Rep. Mac McCutcheon to bow out if police chief job is a conflict
The Clanton Advertiser - Article and editorial about a proposed 1 cent county sales tax
June 30, 2009
Daily Headlines, Tuesday, 6/30/2009
Birmingham News - Birmingham City Council set to OK draft budget with 7% for departments, but increases council office spending
Birmingham News - Jefferson County Commission members say they can’t settle job tax suit
Birmingham News - ADECA seeks stimulus money for 16 Alabama communities
Birmingham News - Judge Mark Fuller gives federal prosecutors until July 27 to argue on new trial for former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy
Birmingham News - Birmingham’s search for city school superintendent search complicated by board of education election
Birmingham News - Lawyers for Jefferson County, bond insurers differ on next steps in receiver case
Small Town Political Gazette
The Times Journal - - Collinsville could get stimulus funds
The Daily Sentinel - Jackson County Commission tends not to use recommendations
The Atmore Advance - Escambia County Commission: Clean up or pay up
June 29, 2009
Daily Headlines, Monday, 6/29/2009
Birmingham News - Birmingham, Alabama planners seek grant for electric buses, vehicles to link neighborhoods to downtown
Birmingham News - State Rep. Merika Coleman and Rep. Priscilla Dunn face off in special Democratic runoff to fill state Senate District 19 seat
Birmingham News - First coral snake in 40 years seen in the wilds of central Alabama
Birmingham News - OUR VIEW: Alabama courts need to resolve quickly the fight over electronic bingo
June 28, 2009
Daily Headlines, Sunday, 6/28/2009
Birmingham News - Birmingham, Alabama City Council members remain vexed over Mayor Larry Langford’s budget numbers
Birmingham News - HOW THEY VOTED
Birmingham News - Jefferson County leaders get hurricane warning from the Alabama’s EMA chief
Birmingham News - Outside Looking In - Believe it or not, some doubt our smarts
Birmingham News - OUR VIEW: Jefferson County commissioners must agree on a budget cut plan to deal with loss of occupational tax
Small Town Political Parlor
Dothan Eagle - Seagle calls opponent the Chamber candidate
Greenville Advocate - Workers try to find work after lumber mill closes
Demopolis Times - City can not be divided right now - an editorial
Prattville Progress - All bark? Animal control ordinance has little bite to it - an editorial
Daily Home - Stop complaining and take action - easier said than done
June 27, 2009
Which GOP Governors Most Likely to Reach the White House?
Ken Rudin at NPR.org places Bob Riley 11th (out of 22) on his ranking of Republican governors most likely to reach the White House. Me? I would have put Riley ahead of Sarah Palin and Mark Sanford.
Honk if You’re Running for Governor
Bill Johnson resigned Friday as director of ADECA (”abruptly,” says Charles Dean of the Birmingham News) to run for the GOP nomination for governor. Why choose to get that word out late on a summer Friday afternoon? Is it that important to get the word out before the Red State summer dinner? Or is there some other dynamic at work?
He joins Robert Bentley, Bradley Byrne, Kay Ivey, Tim James, and Roy Moore in the race for the GOP nomination.
Related Articles:
Daily Headlines, Saturday, 6/27/2009
Birmingham News - Alabama senators and representatives for Jefferson County seeking summer session to restore occupational tax
Birmingham News - Hoover draft budget pegs 8.5% drop in revenues
Birmingham News - Former Birmingham City Councilman Bill Johnson enters Alabama governor’s race
Birmingham News - Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Larry Langford, council spar in lengthy budget talk
Birmingham News - Rove interview now set
Birmingham News - Alabama earmark survives challenge
Small Town Political Gazette
Monroe Journal - Grim Editorial cartoon
Cullman Times - Times Editorial: Are students in the city worth more than in the county?
Troy Messenger - Keep the numbers in perspective - an editorial about unemployment rates
The Sand Mountain Reporter - New hiring plan in Albertville may get sticky
June 26, 2009
Friday Note
Whew… more to post than I can keep up with… Travel is keeping me busy but I will try at least to update the 2010 House Elections Directory today.
I wanted to squeeze out a post or two on Thursday but I am headed for the Appalachian Trail and had to spend the day looking for my passport.
I hate to miss the state GOP’s Red State Summer Dinner tonight. For the parties, this period leading up to the 2010 primaries is a bit like baseball’s spring training or spring football. Come the regular season, party loyalists will all be on the same team pushing for victory, but right now some of them they are squaring off against one another and sizing each other up. The shared expressions of camaraderie (whether spontaneous or summoned) I imagine will have a slightly different undercurrent as candidates, candidates-to-be, and their coteries assess one another and the 2010 landscape. If you are part of the backslapping and gladhanding tonight and have any stories worth telling, I’d be glad to hear them.
Daily Headlines, Friday, 6/26/2009
Birmingham News - Alabama Board of Education considers changes to state’s testing plan
Birmingham News - Naval officer Jonathan Pohnel, former Boston City Councilwoman Maura Hennigan vouch for generosity of John Katopodis
Birmingham News - Motorcycle ride to benefit northern Jefferson County volunteer fire department
Birmingham News - Jefferson, County Commissioner Bettye Fine Collins shelves budget-cut resolution
Birmingham News - Senate District 19 hopefuls Priscilla Dunn and Merika Coleman vie for money
Birmingham News - About 50 young lawyers volunteer to handle divorce cases free for those who can’t afford to pay attorney fees
Small Town Political Gazette
The Monroe Journal - Salary cuts for Monroe County Commissioners
The Sand Mountain Reporter - Greg Price to run for District Judge
The Cleburne News - Lambert winds court case against City of Heflin
BaldwinCountyNow - Fairhope solons continue to spar over new city position
June 25, 2009
Daily Headlines, Thursday, 6/25/2009
Birmingham News - Hundreds of Jefferson County workers face layoffs in new round of budget cuts
Birmingham News - Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties make EPA top 20 list for cancer risk from airborne pollutants
Birmingham News - SCLC demands action on Jefferson County crisis
Birmingham News - U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions criticizes Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor on gun rights
Birmingham News - John Katopodis did not explain questionable charity spending, witness says
Birmingham News - OUR VIEW: High court’s denial means only the Alabama Legislature can save Jefferson County occupational tax
