the 3:54 report
By Chip Drago
Mobile Bay Times
Clearing the desk to start the week.
It's true. Alabama's legislators are all wet. Or at least they were Thursday after a flash flood delivered four feet of water to the state house. Four legislators' cars were submerged, drowned as thoroughly as any ethics bill. The legislators withdrew to the old state capitol where they observed an atypical decorum. For about 30 minutes. Then things were back to a normal ruckus except that there wasn't any air conditioning and no where to get water.
"It was hot," said state Rep. Jamie Ison, R-Mobile. "It was an amazing day. The windows were open. That was the only little bit of relief. My hat goes off to all the staff. They had to cart tons of paper and bring it over for us to operate."
'Pass through' brouhaha
A local Democratic Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday evening at the Moorer Branch of the Mobile Public Library here to address fallout from a "pass through" contribution last November has been postponed while party officials seek peace.
The issue which created a bitter divide among committee members stems from
$8,500 in state
Democratic Party monies
that quietly passed
through the local party's
books en route to the
Mobile chapter of the
Alabama New South
Coalition to "get out the
vote." Some committee members objected to the maneuver as deceptive and improper, if not contrary to state and local procedures, and demanded to see receipts on the funds' ultimate use. Others suggest the detractors are making a mountain out of mole hill because the money went where the state party intended it to go and, arguably, achieved its purpose, a spike in turnout at Democratic precincts last November. Local treasurer Betty Gartman resigned in the wake of the controversy, but then sought to rescind her resignation. Her status remains unclear.
Local Party Chairman Brad Warren has been the most vocal critic of the incident. He said he remains hopeful that he and state Chairman Joe Turnham can come to amicable agreement that puts the matter in the past while also satisfying all parties on proper procedure in the future.
At last report, no compromise had been reached but state and local party officials planned to confer early next week.
The local Democratic Executive Committee has difficulty drawing a quorum to its meetings. It has 123 slots with 67 currently filled. Thirty-five members, or more than 50 percent of possible attendees, must be present to constitute a quorum.
Dean endorses James
Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean has endorsed Tim James for governor in 2010. Both are Republicans. James, a Greenville businessman and the son of former Gov. Fob James, is the only publicly announced candidate in the GOP field though numerous others are reportedly weighing their options, including two-year college Chancellor Bradley Byrne, State Treasurer Kay Ivey, former state Chief Justice Roy Moore and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos.
Mobile County Commissioner Steve Nodine, also a Republican, said he may endorse a candidate in the future. The county commission's sole Democrat, Merceria Ludgood, has not yet responded to an inquiry.
Bourne to say 'No'
Mobile attorney and Chickasaw City Councilman Adam Bourne is running for Place 2 on the State Bar Association Commission.
"I am running because our business has become too regulated and too expensive," Bourne advised his colleagues. "I will vote NO on any proposal that would increase your cost of doing business or that would take your time away from your family and clients. Remember, vote Adam Bourne, your 'Commissioner No.'"
Place 2 represents all attorneys with their principal office in Mobile County. Attorneys in the state's 13th Judicial Circuit are eligible to vote in the race for Place 2.
Others on the ballot for the Place 2 slot were Walter H. Honeycutt, Thomas Michael Rockwell and Harry V. Satterwhite.
Party pooper
State Rep. Spencer Collier, R-Bayou la Batre, will readily tell you that he doesn't represent a silk-stocking district. His constituents' Republicanism has more to do with conservative positions on social issues than capital gains taxes and worries on Wall Street. So Collier, perhaps as much as any other Republican legislator, found himself torn between loyalty to his party and service to his constituents over the proposed Food Tax Bill. In line with his party, he opposed any measure that would remove the federal income tax credit in exchange for the removal of the state sales tax on groceries. He hoped that a compromise could be reached. When Rep. John Knight (D-Montgomery), the sponsor of the bill, offered an amendment to phase out the federal income tax deduction over four years, Collier, but not his party, considered it a reasonable compromise.
“I am faced with the reality that over 95 percent of the residents of my District would benefit from the removal of the state’s portion of sales tax on food," said Collier in explaining his split from the GOP's ranks on the issue.
Collier said his vote for the bill was "the right thing to do ... a difficult decision" that placed loyalty to his constituents over loyalty to his political party.
Calling all Young Professional Republicans
The Young Professional Republican Federation of Alabama state convention is set Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham.
To see more details and RSVP, follow this link.
Keahey visits MADA
State Rep. Marc Keahey, D-Grove Hill, the Democratic nominee in the June 2 special election to fill the State Senate District 22 seat, attended a recent meeting of the Mobile Area Democratic Association. Keahey said it was a "huge" district encompassing all or part of eight counties and its voters were about equally split between Democrats and Republicans. He said that GOP nominee Greg Albritton wasn't the Republican establishment's first choice to vie to fill the vacancy created by the death in January of veteran state lawmaker Pat Lindsey, D-Butler. However, said Keahey, the GOP believes that Albritton can win the race and will fund his campaign sufficiently to give him a shot.
On another matter, MADA member Tom Haas, 81, dean of the criminal defense bar in Mobile County, urged haste in filling the U.S. Attorney post in Mobile with an Obama appointee. According to Haas, the local federal prosecutor's office here is "in disarray" and "full of right-wing, vindictive Republicans" who only "care about and help country clubbers and rich people in this area, I guarantee."
"Their prosecutions show that," Haas said. "It's like shooting fish in a barrel over there. They are vindictive and they take short cuts with justice."
According to Haas, a former assistant U.S. Attorney himself, the U.S. attorney post is "a good job and, if it's done right, it can help this district."
Mobile attorney Raymond Bell, presiding over the meeting, said his information was that something "was coming and coming soon."
Current Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicki Davis was recommended for the post by both the state Democratic Party and an appointments committee formed by U.S. Rep. Artur Davis (no relation).
Wallace website
Mobile City Council District 3 candidate Ron Wallace has launched a campaign a website. Click on the link to visit. The Mobile police detective is challenging incumbent Mobile City Councilman Clinton Johnson in municipal elections in August.
A firing offense
Mayor Sam Jones and the Mobile Police Department, announced the launching of a new initiative to end illicit gun possession and use — primarily among youths. A press conference to detail the program is set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 12 in the Mayor’s Conference Room, 205 Government St.
