roundup73007

The Political Round-Up

See ya'; Power company powers the incumbents;

Democratic candidates forum set; Talking bloc grants & taxi cabs; Computer crash buys time for scofflaws

By Chip Drago

Mobile Bay Times

Word began leaking out last week that state Supreme Court Justice Harold See would not seek re-election in 2008.

A Mobile Bay Times' source tipped us to the development last week, but it was Doc's Political Parlor that over the weekend first reported See's intentions.

The judge has now reportedly confirmed his plans in a letter to friends and supporters.

The conservative Republican jurist was the target of the infamous "skunk ad" in 1996, yet won. He lost an earlier try for the state's highest court. See was a beneficiary of the Karl Rove-led strategy in the mid-90's when the GOP made great inroads into Democratic domination of the state's Supreme Court.

Some political savants believe See, 63, will step down from the bench early next year, allowing Gov. Bob Riley to install an appointee who would gain a leg up as an incumbent in the 2008 election cycle.

Names being mentioned as possible contenders for the seat include Democratic Judge Deborah Bell Paseur, Court of Civil Appeals Chief Judge Bill Thompson, Judge Sam Welch, attorney Rob Riley, the son of the governor, Judge Kelli Wise of the Court of Criminal Appeals and Civil Appeals Judge Craig Pittman, the latter five all Republicans.

See wrote in a letter dated July 26:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support and prayers over the past 12 years as I have run for and served on the Alabama Supreme Court. I am writing to tell you directly of my prayerful decision not to seek another term on the Alabama Supreme Court when my current term ends in January 2009.

My decision has been all the more difficult because of the privilege I'm foregoing of once again working with you on a campaign for the future of Alabama.

Together, I believe, we have made a real difference. The economic boom and job creation we are experiencing owe no small debt to an environment of equal justice and the rule of law. Even more important, we have helped to secure freedom by reasserting the constitutional guaranty of the separation of powers -- that judges should be judges and not rewrite the laws in the guise of 'interpretation,' and, the other side of that judicial forbearance, that the judge has a duty to protect the judicial function from encroachment by the other branches. I am proud to say I serve in a judiciary that consistently refuses to substitute its policy preferences for those of the legislature, and that also refuses to yield to pressure when it is properly performing the judicial function.

As we look to the future, I pray that we will be guided by what the drafters of the American constitution understood, that the flawed nature of mankind requires a system of checks and balances, but also that the continued success of our republican form of government will depend on our encouragement and selection of people of character and courage to take on the offices of government, and on an engaged and committed public to hold government. -- all government -- accountable.

Alexander Hamilton described judiciary as the weakest branch. It depends on public support to protect it from becoming the servant of the legislature that sets its budget and fixes its salaries, or of the executive that holds the force of arms. Such independence from the other branches must not be confused with independence from the law. The Constitution requires of each judge dedication to the rule of law. Every six years we voters have the duty to review each judge's performance, and to ask not 'Did the judge do what I would like to have seen done in this case?,' but 'Did the judge follow the law, whether I like the result or not?' It is our holding judges accountable to their constitutional duty to follow the law that assures our freedom.

Thank you for your commitment to Alabama and our nation, and thank you for your friendship. Please keep me, my family and my colleagues on the Court in your prayers as I complete the responsibility you gave me when you elected me to this office.

Sincerely,

Harold See

Power company powers incumbents

The Southern Company, which lists Alabama Power Co. among its subsidiaries, has been the top benefactor of all three members of Mobile's congressional delegation, according to Open Secrets' calculations.

U.S. Sen. Richard C. Shelby's career profile dating back to 1989 reveals the following top contributors:

1) Southern Co., $128,841;

2) MBNA Corp., $111,550;

3) Drummond Co., $90,000;

4) HealthSouth Corp., $85,925;

5) Citigroup Inc., $81,999;

6) Vulcan Materials, $77,000;

7) Cunningham, Bounds et al, $76,388;

8 ) JP Morgan Chase & Co, $75,984;

9 ) PricewaterhouseCoopers, $66,700;

10) Balch & Bingham, $63,400;

11) University of Alabama, $61,769;

12) First American Corp, $57,000;

13) AmSouth Bancorp, $56,347;

14) (t) Beasley, Allen et al, $53,700;

14) (t) Colonial BancGroup, $53,700;

16) Morris, Haynes & Hornsby, $50,700;

17) Intergraph Corp., $49,610;

18) Collazo Enterprises, $47,000;

19) National Assn of Realtors, $46,250;

20) Ernst & Young, $45,200.

On the personal financial side, Shelby reported a net worth of between $8,413,018 to $30,095,003 which ranked him 16th among all members of the Senate.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions' career profile dates back to 1996, showing the following major supporters:

1) Southern Co., $82,750;

2) Balch & Bingham, $73,575;

3) Collazo Enterprises, $55,000;

4) Drummond Co., $49,250;

5) Blount Inc., $45,725;

6) State of Alabama, $38,000;

7) University of South Alabama, $36,900;

8) Dynetics Inc. $36,250;

9) Torchmark Corp., $34,000;

10) Intergraph Corp., $33,950;

11) American Hospital Assn., $33,000;

12) Alabama Farmers Federation, $32,500;

13) Vulcan Materials, $31,900;

14) AmSouth Bancorp., $30,298;

15) Mitchell Co., $28,200;

16) Lockheed Martin, $28,000;

17) SouthTrust Corp., $27,300;

17) University of Alabama, $27,300;

19) Compass Bancshares, $25,000;

20) Northrop Grumman, $23,625;

Sessions' net worth was pegged between $977,071 and $3,007,000 which ranked him 54th among the 100 U.S. senators.

U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner's whose career profile is relatively brief at just five years listed the following top contributors:

1) Southern Co., $56,068;

2) University of South Alabama, $42,731;

3) National Assn of Realtors, $36,000;

4) Alabama Farmers Federation, $34,664;

5) National Beer Wholesalers Assn., $29,750;

6) Balch & Bingham, $29,500;

7) National Restaurant Assn., $28,997;

8) Scotch Lumber Co., $26,900;

9) American Medical Assn., $26,500;

10) Metcalfe & Co., $25,500;

11) American Bankers Assn., 24,500;

12) Mitchell Brothers, $24,450;

13) AFLAC Inc., $22,000;

14) National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn., $21,367;

15) American Society of Anesthesiologists, $20,348;

16) Drummond Co., $20,000;

17) University of Alabama, $19,350;

18) BellSouth Corp., $17,500;

19) National Assn of Home Builders., $17,000;

19) Northrop Grumman, $17,000;

Bonner's net worth is between $1,271,026 and $5,822,000. He ranks 112 among all members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Calcedeaver Volunteer Fire and Rescue gets $272,000

U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) recently announced the award of funding totaling $272,000 for the Calcedeaver Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in Mount Vernon, Alabama, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

The department received $83,101 for operations and firefighter safety and $189,573 to buy a vehicle, including pumper's, brush trucks, tankers, rescue vehicles, ambulances, foam units, and fireboats among other items.

Candidate Forums

A Democratic candidate forum in the special election to fill the District 1 seat on the Mobile County Commission will be held Monday, Aug. 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Toulminville branch of the Mobile Public Library, 601 Stanton Road.

Scheduled to participate are: Merceria Ludgood, Earline Martin-Harris, Thomas Sullivan, and Douglas Wicks. The public is welcome.

Another candidate forum in the county commission contest is set for Wednesday, Aug. 15 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Bernheim Hall in the Ben May Main Library at Government St. and Washington Avenue, according to moderator Robert Battles. Call 518-1262 for more information.

Two Council Committee Meetings Scheduled

On Tuesday, July 31, the Mobile City Council Entitlement Committee will hold a meeting in the 9th Floor Conference Room immediately following the regular Council meeting at 10:30 a.m. The committee will discuss the distribution of Community Development Bloc Grant funds.

On Wednesday, August 1, the Council Public Safety Committee will meet at 12 p.m. in the 9th Floor Conference Room to discuss taxi cab far increases.

URGENT – Amnesty Program Extended Through Friday

Due to crashes of Municipal Courts’ phone and computer systems, the City of Mobile Amnesty Program has been extended until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3.

Anyone who believes they could be eligible for the Amnesty Program is urged to go the city’s website, or any public library in Mobile to find out if their name is on the list of people who owe money for unpaid tickets and/or fines. People who are interested in the program are urged to drop off their payments at Mobile Police Headquarters, any Mobile Police Precinct, or the District Attorney’s Recovery Unit, second floor of Government Plaza’s North Tower.