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| Mayor William Bell, the man who won't, without a personally enriching "incentive" first |
Birmingham's mayor and city council seem content to thrill to tune of their own sniping and neglect what should be important priorities in the aftermath of the April 27 tornadoes.
Mayor William Bell and the Birmingham City Council have wasted close to a month arguing over debris removal for Pratt City and other areas in Jefferson County. Meanwhile, the federal clock on FEMA funds continues to tick away with a June 12 deadline coming up fast. After the deadline, federal assistance drops from 90% to 75%, increasing the costs to the county and state.
But there's another cost that cannot be measure so easily--the price of frustration and squalor in the Pratt City area because of this lunacy masquerading as leadership.
Governor Bentley has told the county in not so many words to 'get their rears in gear' and commenters to Birmingham News stories about the 'council of none but themselves' have echoed the sentiment.
In a city that wrote the sheet music for the familiar tune of 'corruption, cronyism and pay-offs' we think that debris removal should begin at City Hall before moving onto Pratt City. There is simply no excuse for the inept inaction by the city leaders, unless there is something else going on that is delaying the city from reaching a consensus.
John Archibald has a pretty good idea what it is, and it centers on Birmingham Mayor William Bell's past business connections to one of the three private firms being pushed on the council by Bell. The main sticking point for the council has to do with a little pocket change, $10 million dollars worth, that has to be paid upfront first.
In contrast, the ACOE (corps) does not require money upfront, and is more than capable of doing the job, yet still, Mayor Bell insists on his costly scheme plan being voted on and approved by a majority of the council before anything happens.
We say--Fiddlers, meet Mr. Archibald's pen:
A couple of questions: is the Council being obstructive just to be so, or just fiscally responsible, having legitimate concerns about 'sweetheart' contracts? Am thinking of recent NUSA flap, where it turns out certain staff member(s)were alleged to be involved in the pricier travel arrangements through a 'friendly' agency.
ReplyDeleteI confess ignorance to the quality of FEMA work--or is it the Army Corps of Engineers?
Arch lit them up with his column and I bet you'll still see some smoke rising from City Hall today.
ReplyDeleteIt is transparent as glass what Mr. Bell is up to and he should have never proposed a company that he not only has ties to, but a company that has fleeced the county!
ReplyDeleteBirmingham has become a super sewer itself and in need of a Roto-Rooter service call.
ReplyDeleteThe look on Bell's face in the picture tells you all you need to know about him. He's always scheming for his interests, he's gotten away with it, now he is emboldened to be more open and brazen about it. He knew MP would be a target, but he's the Teflon Mayor in his mind, and above reproach.
ReplyDeleteHere's to hoping he is not above federal investigation!
Why didn't Archibald mention BARD's involvement with Malcolm Pirnie? Seems to me that was an integral double team effort in Jefferson County.
ReplyDeleteMayor Bell is just as bad as the last crook in the mayor's office and deserves to be sharing a cell with him! He's got a real nerve playing what's in it for me while Pratt City suffers!
ReplyDelete"Bell, as interim Birmingham mayor a decade ago, sold the assets of the Birmingham Water Works, a move that brought millions to Malcolm Pirnie when that company became the water works' engineer. Bell, after losing the mayor's race, was paid thousands of dollars as a consultant for Malcolm Pirnie."
ReplyDeleteIs that clear enough for even a person living thousands of miles away to understand? Bell wants Pirnie to give him a little beak wetting on the sly by trying to get them hired to do some of the debris removal.
It couldn't be any clearer how corrupt this is showing itself to be.
Birmingham is on its way to ruin.
ReplyDeleteIt's very sad the mostly minority population of Pratt City has to suffer because of the corruption of William Bell, especially since he is a minority himself and should do everything he can to help those folks.
Shame. Shame. Shame!
LET THE PAYOFFS BEGIN!!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Mayor Bell and Mayor Scott in Cordova are related? They act like crooked cousins.
ReplyDelete