You Can't Hide Your Lyin' Eyes

• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away or look down to avoid direct eye contact.
• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, papers, appear to be writing etc.) between themselves and you.
From: "How to Detect Lies"

At our recent city council meeting, both were on display from our Mayor who appeared to be looking to White Rock Quarries president Jim Hurley for "reassurances" when valid points were made regarding the detriments of the proposed quarry.

In two of the allowed five minute presentations made by the opposition to the quarry, after 33 of these "reassurance seeking glances" we stopped counting. Once he figured out he was being watched so intently, he shifted to downward glances, taking up his pen and "reading" whatever was in front of him and a nervous facial tick replaced the sideways glances when he did look at the speaker.

His body language said enough to write a novel.

The rest of the council was just as interesting to
"read."

Council member Bridgette Jordan-Smith was on her Blackberry the entire time Anne Gibbons, a retired lawyer and class act of a lady, was speaking and did not bother to look up once, that is until the timer went off and Mrs. Gibbons speaking time had ended. Mrs. Gibbons has a lawsuit filed against the Zoning board for violations of their ordinances as well she should.

When Jo Mudd, another former lawyer, was speaking about property values and the mathematical models used to obtain them by experts, Ms. Smith made a weak attempt to dismiss them in calling them "academic" by selectively choosing one of the six forms of the adjective application of the word that suited her.

She wanted to appear smarter than she actually is and clearly did not have a full understanding of the material covered in English 101. Perhaps she missed that lesson or was distracted and daydreaming of her next theft of property scheme instead of paying attention to the instructor.
(She was convicted twice of theft, one a felony that was plead down to a misdemeanor which allowed her to run for City Council).

Not the kind of person that should have access to money belonging to the community, especially as "sketchy" as the record keeping is here in Vincent.

Alabama theft of property law is contained in Alabama Code § 13A-8-2. Theft of property -- Definition.

A person commits the crime of theft of property if he or she:

(1) Knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over the property of another, with intent to deprive the owner of his or her property;

(2) Knowingly obtains by deception control over the property of another, with intent to deprive the owner of his or her property;

(3) Knowingly obtains or exerts control over property in the custody of a law enforcement agency which was explicitly represented to the person by an agent of the law enforcement agency as being stolen; or

(4) Knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over any donated item left on the property of a charitable organization or in a drop box or trailer, or within 30 feet of a drop box or trailer, belonging to a charitable organization.

The state of Alabama has to prove three elements to convict a person of theft of property.

* that the defendant knowingly obtained the property of others
* defendant obtained that property by deception
* and defendant intended to deprive the others of their property
Note: Even if a record is expunged, it is still traceable through court records as to why it was expunged.

She is one of three council members that have publicly said they would vote their district citizens wishes. Most of her district is against it, but she publicly says they are for it.

Council person Mary Lee Reynolds, Mary Lee, Mary Lee, where to start with you.....this self appointed Queen of Vincent is a real piece of work. She spends 90% of her council meeting time actually looking the other way when anyone, including experts in their professional fields, says anything in opposition to the quarry. The look on her face resembles one who has sucked on far too many lemons. She makes no attempts to hide her disgust and disdain for anything other than what she believes.

She has been actively involved with the so called "Friends of Vincent" an opposition group to oppose annexation of Vincent into the neighboring community of Harpersville. That town has a no blasting ordinance on their books and the quarry would be a non starter with that ordinance in place. Vincent claimed to be setting the same ordinance up in their December 2008 recorded minutes, but it was never mentioned again after that one city council meeting.

Annexation into Harpersville would mean all the city officials would be out of a job and Vincent would have its first black Mayor in its history.

Mary Lee has read the "Friends of Vincent" petition twice now in public, the first time she specifically asked that it be off the record, the second time she did not. She was seen being congratulated in public, by WRQ lawyer Rob Fowler who told her: "Thanks for all your hard work on the No Annexation signs, we really appreciate it." (What does he mean when he says "we"?) To which she replied; "Oh it wasn't just me, folks from the church (that would be the Baptist church downtown that is the heart of money and power in the community as well as the church Mayor McCallister attends) helped too."

She would not attend her own district citizens meeting to address and listen to their concerns about the quarry because it was held in a church (to accommodate all the citizens who attended) and against her Southern Baptist beliefs. WRQ atty. Rob Fowler defended her by accusing her district citizens of wanting to hold "a political rally in a church rather than a district meeting."

I am sure he is attendance every Sunday at his local church and a leader in the church for christian values based on his behavior in Vincent.

Council person Johnny Edwards comes to these meetings looking like he just got off the bass boat from Lake Martin; dressed in a fishing t-shirt, blue jeans and a baseball cap. His casual appearance as a council member, in city meetings solidifies his casual attitude towards the quarry; he will go whichever way the bobber above the "lure" drifts.

Mr. Edwards spends most of his council meeting time looking down at "papers", but is not as egregious as Mayor McCallister in that regard.

He has publicly stated he would vote his district citizens wishes on the quarry, which is an overwhelming majority against. We do not have any reason to believe he will be a man of his word on that public statement.

Council person Larry King has a strong case for conflict of interest with this quarry and should recuse himself. He has been the operations manager for Nomis Seismographs for 17 years, which is the exclusive distributor for Saul Seismic who has been hired by WRQ.

He is one of two council members that actually look at speakers from both sides when they are addressing the officials.

He is the third and last council member that has said publicly he will vote his district citizens wishes and almost all are against.

Since he stands to gain financially from his official position, we doubt that he will do what he says and be a man of his word.

Council person Ralph Kimble is the only member opposed to the quarry. He tries every meeting to hold the rest of the officials accountable in different areas and is thwarted every time.

He proposes reasonable requests such as; to have the meetings held in venues where all the citizens can attend and hear what is being said.

Silence from his fellow members and "motion failed" is becoming the familiar tune.

At this last meeting, he proposed a delay in voting on the quarry and the Mayor, who thought he was talking low enough to not be heard, was overheard saying; "I am tired of this." One can only imagine what he was tired of since he already refused an area vote by the citizens on the quarry saying; "It will only delay things."

They are ready to get "their bonus" and move on, much like Robbie Greene did. (See the Long Hot Summer of 2007 posting).

There is more to the meeting and other shenanigans that were out in full view that night that will be covered in another post soon.

This will include discussion on the 101,000.00 discrepancy in favor of the city that "just magically appeared" in the recent budget.

We are watching them like hawks looking for the twitch of a mouse in tall grass.

Someone should because none of you have any respect for the laws of Alabama or your citizens.

Part II coming soon.