Here We Go Again: State Embarassment # ----- (Too High To Count)

Sign of the times outside Montgomery, Alabama on I-65

*Updated October 5th
BAY MINETTE, Ala. -- A civil liberties group (ACLU) said Friday that an Alabama town should not start an alternative sentencing program that would give non-violent offenders a new choice: Go to jail, or go to church.

Translation according to Bay Minette: Attend one of our 56 county approved for your salvation churches or go to hell jail.

This might (emphasis added) be a good solution if the idea included any religious affiliation as a choice, but it doesn't, and we see it as an attempt to force a particular religious view on a 'captive' audience. A better option may have been community service or drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs for substance abusers.

There's just one problem with that according to Bay Minette Police Chief Michael Rowland: "There aren't no thirty-day drug rehabilitation programs." Who needs medically-based treatment programs when you have the Holy Ghost, right?

We acknowledge the intent of offering offenders a choice to attend a "north Baldwin County church for one year" may be borne in good intentions, but it's wrongheaded and feeds into the national perception of Alabama as a bible-thumping, judgmental and intolerant state that only accepts a fundamentalist Christian point of view to the exclusion of any other religions or even atheism.

We believe Bay Minette has adopted a stance that many outside of the south will view as a throwback to Alabama's past that never went away.

Harper Lee's legendary story "To Kill A Mockingbird" was the basis for an essay she wrote on the intolerance of Alabama during the 1930's and the rigid mindset of Christians in the small town of Maycomb, which was fictional in name only:

Religion was an important factor in the life of the town, with “foot washers”, on the way to buy supplies, going through the streets imposing their ideas and ideals on people. The beliefs about how one should live ones life leads to narrow minded bigotry.

Recall the Mack truck sized gaff by Governor Robert Bentley on his inauguration day that blew up in the media with all the fury of a Klan cross lighting and furthered the concept of 'same old Alabama':

''Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."

Alabama does not need anymore black eyes in the bad publicity department. The governor and state economic developers are pushing for foreign companies to come to the state and set up businesses to infuse our failing economy and help reverse high unemployment numbers. Bay Minette is not helping in that endeavor.

Proving to potential corporations that you are a "world class state" and firmly moving forward with the times is a big part of the attraction equation. Where does this archaic idea of 'church or hell jaill' fit into it?

What's next? Bringing back the chain gangs? Governor, what say you? On second thought, maybe you best not. That hasn't gone well in the past.

Church going is vitally important to the Alabama Governor. In fact, it might be, in his righteous minded view of things, what qualified him for the challenges of Alabama's highest public office:

"Listen, if you can be the Chairman of the Deacons for a large First Baptist Church that goes through a minister change and a music change you can do just about anything," Bentley said.

What will his response be to the bad press about Bay Minette's ROC program? Will he excuse it as 'the work of sinful liberals' who "don't understand the ways of the good folks of Alabama" or will he reel them back onto the plantation knowing they're putting him into a 'umm..governor about that..' position again?

That's the irony of this whole mess--foreign countries (and most of America) does not follow the pervasive fundamentalist Christian and Southern Baptist doctrine that accounts for the largest majority of believers in the state. We think Alabama needs to wise up and understand, like it or not, we're in the 21st century and the eyes of the world stage are watching what we do more than they think.

Especially when state officials have been jet-setting around globally, meeting big lobbyists on yachts, and proclamating grand promises (read: state income deleting tax breaks) of handing out incentives galore to entice foreign corporations to 'come on in.'

Bay Minette's local government backed ploy jeopardizes the states 'mission' by assuming no one will really notice 'whut we're doing down heah.' It got noticed alright. Big time.

What does Alabama assume foreign investors and business owners will think when they take notice of a community adopting positions, that for all intents and purposes, demands Christian repentance or burning in hell?

Or maybe this is a smoke-screen of sorts. A carefully crafted what they thought would be  positive PR message. Is Bay Minette really trying to save souls or is the true intention county money for politically connected economic developers? It won't be the first time Jesus was trotted out to pull a fast one over on the folks.

Whatever their real reason is, they stepped in it and there will be hell to pay for it.

So Say We The Opinion Board Of The Vincent Alabama Confidential 

 *Update--"Alabama town's church or jail now awaits Attorney General's opinion"
*photo credit: tumblr.com

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Developing Stories--Conecuh County Landfill and BP Contract $$ to Senator Trip Pittman

"No Opposition"?

Conecuh County, Town of Repton--The controversial mega landfill planned for Conecuh County saga is heating up again with the owners of the landfill (Conecuh Woods, LLC) filing for a dismissal of the case citing there is "no opposition" to the landfill.

March 11, 2011:

With more than 400 people seated in the auditorium and hundreds more in line at the start of the hearing, five county commissioners listened as Stone and his attorney took about 30 minutes to defend the Conecuh Woods LLC project that would be built on a 5,100-acre tract.

During several hours of the hearing, with people allotted five minutes to speak, six supported the landfill, while hundreds opposed it.

A hearing is scheduled for this Wednesday, September 21 @ 11:00 am in the Conecuh County Courthouse.

Opposition to the landfill is fierce and lawsuits have been filed to stop the project. "No opposition" is a non-starter of an argument, but that never stopped crafty lawyers from obfuscating the reality of an issue with propaganda before. It will be interesting to see how the court rules in the motion to dismiss.

The "Republican tractor" Senator Pittman

Baldwin County, Alabama--According to a report in today's Baldwin County Now, Grand Jury subpoenas have been served on Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant, City Administrator Greg Mims, Purchasing Manger Dan Ames and Information Technology Director Jason Colee "in that probe of the $635,000 contract to Pittman Trucking Company of Daphne in 2010" for post BP spill cleanup services.

Senator Pittman defended himself by feigning ignorance because he had not yet had the ethics training mandated by the state when the 'sweeping ethics reform package" was passed by the Alabama legislature in December 2010.

The Pittman Trucking Co. is owned by Senator Trip Pittman-R and Bob James of the Baldwin County Commission. Former Alabama Governor Bob Riley put Senator Pittman in charge (along with Rep. Steve McMillan-R) of $1.2 million dollars allotted to Baldwin County from BP to administer at his discretion:

The issue has grown out of Pittman Tractor Co. winning a bid from Fairhope to provide booms around the city and the Grand Hotel in the wake of the oil disaster. Citizen activists have filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission saying Pittman’s company should never have even bid for the job, much less received it, because not only is he a state senator, but he also had been chosen by Gov. Bob Riley to help oversee BP funds coming into Baldwin County.

The Alabama Ethics Commission answered the complaints by refusing to investigate Pittman and James. Have the feds finally taken notice of the huge impropriety of the senator's (and the former governor's) actions?

More on the back-story here
*Updated Monday PM--David Ferrara Mobile Press Register story on Pittman inquiry

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Brute Force Unchecked--84 Year-Old Man Beaten by Fairhope, Alabama Police Officer

*Updated--Thursday pm--We're hearing from more than a few sources that Officer Scott and Kevin Stokes "were calling each other by their first names" during the incident.
* Second update May 25th--Fairhope PD claims "no abuse, interference by Henderson"

Thug on the loose Officer Trent Scott (center) flanked by FPD Chief Dr. Bill Press (R) and Gary Glover (L) Chairman of the Citizen Advisory Committee, who dressed up for the occasion.

The Courthouse News Service reports on the incredible story of an elderly citizen who called the Fairhope Police after an accident occurred near his home in May of 2009. The driver of the car was "severely intoxicated," and the local citizen caller, Mr. Dorsey Henderson, who's now the epitome of no good deed goes unpunished, made the 911 call in an attempt to do what he believed was his civic duty.

What happened next is shocking and unbelievable to imagine, but it's what happens regularly in one form or another in this state that's rapidly become the poster child of bad behavior in every faction of its public and governmental agencies.

When Officer Trent Scott arrived on the scene, Henderson attempted to inform him of the driver's belligerent behavior and that the driver had been placed under citizens arrest. The officer allegedly told Henderson there was "no such thing as citizen's arrest in Alabama," and to "get out of the way, old man."

After Henderson tried to explain that he was only trying to help, Officer Scott placed him in an arm bar and slammed him face first into the ground, breaking his nose and eyeglasses. Henderson's wife, Dorris, watched from a wheelchair at the front window of her house, telling a 911 dispatcher that the officer was "beating the hell out of my husband."

We've not seen any prominent state media coverage of the story, but now that the Courthouse News Service and Raw Story have run with it, after the filing of a lawsuit in the case, this will be added as another piece of garbage to the ever growing pile of stench that Alabama seems to be hell-bent on becoming.

It's interesting to note that the rogue officer received an award for Officer of the Month in December 2010 from the FPD after this incident occurred. Alabama has this dysfunctional reward system for bad behavior that is unparalleled and unrivaled in any other state. One might say it's "world-class."

Additionally, a commenter to the Raw Story coverage states that they made a call to the FPD and were met with an acerbic and "nasty militant yell over you type" FPD employee who continued the denial line of Officer Scott that the victim "wasn't really hurt."

A "broken nose, torn rotator cuff and multiple contusions and lacerations" apparently don't fit the FPD's definition of injuries, and furthermore, if you beat up an elderly man, who committed NO CRIME, in front of his wife, not only are you not held accountable, you might even get official recognition for your 'outstanding service and devotion' to your job.

That 2010 award was based on his "determination and persistence in a drug investigation" because rooting out illegal drugs, democrats and gambling will elevate your position and pay faster than a rocket ship strapped to your behind bound for the moon in Alabama's way of promotion.

Nice to know we have our 19th century priorities all straight and continue to "move forward to being a world-class state" isn't it?

If you would like to have a go at the FPD here's your number: (251) 928-2385

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Riley Appointee M. William "Bill" Campbell, Jr. Indicted on $7.3 Million Theft of Alabama State Funds

"Riley's Boys" Former ADEM Director Glenn (L) & Bill "Sir William" Campbell Summer 2008

Guilty verdict returned Nov. 17th on all 96 counts
FBI release

**Follow up story posted April 12, 2011 


April 1, 2011 FBI Press Release:

BIRMINGHAM—A federal fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy indictment was unsealed today against the former state director of a college consortium of business development centers, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Pat Maley, and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent In Charge Reginael D. McDaniel.

The 96-count indictment, returned March 30, charges MAURICE WILLIAM CAMPBELL  JR., 59, of Rainbow City, with using his position as state director of the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium to obtain more than $7 million from the State of Alabama.

The indictment charges Campbell with conspiracy to defraud the state and a private non-profit institute he incorporated, and to make financial transactions intended to conceal the proceeds of the fraud. The indictment also charges Campbell with three counts of mail fraud, 56 counts of wire fraud, and 36 counts of money laundering. It also provides notice that the United States will seek forfeiture of $7,326,569.

About February 2005, Campbell incorporated the Alabama Small Business Institute of Commerce. Campbell was the president, a director, the initial registered agent, and the incorporator of the institute. The stated purpose of the institute was to enhance economic development, increase employment, and reduce business failure in Alabama through business education and workforce training.

The institute was formed as a nonprofit, with the representation that the corporation would not be operated for private profit, nor its assets at any time be used to benefit any shareholder, member, director, trustee, officer or other private person. The institute was expressly organized as a private, non-profit, charitable organization.

The institute received nearly all of its funding from the state through grants, contracts, and appropriations in the education budget. From 2005 through 2010, the private nonprofit Institute received more than $7.3 million in public funds to, among other services, provide education and training to Alabama workers.

The indictment charges that Campbell and others used the state funds provided to the Institute for personal gain through a variety of means, including the use of the mails and wires. The indictment further charges that Campbell and others created a number of other entities—into which state funds provided to the Institute were deposited and later spent—in order to conceal the source, ownership, and control of those funds.

There's more to the story of the ASBDC and we're seeing once again the bad behavior of "Riley boys" looting the state coffers and violating the trust of Alabama's citizens. Glenn had to resign his post as ADEM Director amid controversy and Mr. Campbell, well, we see what he's been doing don't we? At least we are seeing some of it, but we'll probably never know the whole story.

What we do know is that are too many quasi-governmental agencies in place whose duties seem to overlap each other and positions are created to put as many porkers at the trough as possible. Creating so many state governmental agencies also serves to shuffle money around and make it almost impossible to track the funds, thwarting any accountability until it's too late, as in the case of Campbell, and the money is long gone.

Big government does not lend itself to transparency and that's the idea. It was certainly Riley's idea it appears.

Riley added insult to injury and gave Mr. Campbell an additional plum role a full two years after the thefts began and appointed Campbell as a "special adviser" to the Alabama Rural Action Commission in Summer of 2007 according to the ASBDC newsletter:

Governor Bob Riley appointed ASBDC State Director, William Campbell, as a Special Advisor to the Alabama Rural Action Commission (ARAC).

Crows the rooster Riley about this multi-layered economic endeavor:  

Governor Riley said “I am excited about our efforts to expand the action commission model statewide.”  We have an exceptional leadership team in Central Alabama that is working hard to involve local citizens and to build the partnerships needed to improve the quality of life for citizens in this part of our state.”

How many agencies do we need in this state that are focused on economic development? Wouldn't it make better fiscal sense to have one central agency? The answer is absolutely yes! And if we had one main agency in place, maybe we would still have $7.3 million in our Education Fund coffers. And whose idea was it to fund the ASBDC with education fund money? The Alabama Legislature helped to make that happen through bill passage. Was that approved because ASBDC is affiliated with the four-year college system and the federal government was piping money into the state under certain approved uses?

Federal money has gotten Alabama into more trouble because of greed, misappropriation and the basic inability to balance the books more than anything else. Our politicians are like crack addicts with federal money and like an addict, they simply cannot be trusted to make fiscally sound decisions. Instead, they pass it around to their buddies and large campaign donors by creating all these redundant agencies.

We were in education prorartion twice under Riley and here we are again in Bentley's term right back in it again. Our schools and Alabama's children have to suffer because of grown men acting irresponsibly. It's no wonder the state education system and state budgets are in shambles. With all the dual salaries (double dipping), agencies doing the same thing under a different name and political payback, the government in this state is ripe for corruption and misappropriation of vast sums of money.

Campbell set up his own little "non-profit" drainer the Alabama Small Business Institute of Commerce that received all of it's money through appropriations, grants and contracts from the education budget. It was the perfect ruse to pilfer with wild abandon unchecked and unsupervised. He wrote checks worth tens thousands to unidentified women known only as "the Little Sisters." They probably were not the Little Sisters of Charity and didn't wear habits.

More play money went to Hooters, and swankier eateries like PF Changs and various clothing outlets like Neiman Marcus, in addition to repeated purchases of bracelets that were inscribed with "Lil' Sister" and "Sir William." 

This is sounding more like a cathouse than a house of charity and "Sir William" considered himself the large and in charge Mr. Big Bucks. The indictment alleges Campbell frequently bought expensive gifts for the women and we can only imagine what that might have been 'gratitude' for.

Others were culpable and aided the scheme, but those names have not been released yet. In fact, the original indictment was sealed in May of 2010 and the only reason anyone knows this theft occurred is because of the unsealing of the original indictment by a federal judge, who issued a new one this week. 

All of this was the end result of an IRS Criminal Division and FBI investigation.

Did Riley know about the indictment? It's hard to believe he didn't.

Did he know what Campbell was doing for five years? It's hard to believe he didn't know about that either, but we're not saying he actually did.

What we do think is that the sealing of this indictment was a political power move to not embarrass a sitting governor who was responsible for Mr. Campbell being in a position to pull off this alleged crime.

Now what does that remind us of? Maybe the $635,000 that went into Senator Pittman's and Baldwin County Commissioner James' pockets? Riley was the one responsible for putting Pittman charge of the $1.2 million in BP funds. But that turned out differently than Campbell's tomfoolery--Pittman has thus far escaped any justice for his scheme and the Alabama Ethics Commission refuses to even investigate the matter.

Or many others that have occurred during the last eight years. Riley has commended Ethics Commission director Jim Sumner more than once over the years for "his outstanding service to the state of Alabama."

He really meant 'Jim does what I tell him to do' in our opinions.

There are countless other examples of chicanery during the Riley administration, too many to list here, but there is one overriding theme to all of it--very bad judgement in appointing dishonest honest people in charge of huge amounts of money going to every place under the sun but where it was intended to go.

And here's Governor Dr. Dr. Bentley crying all over the state that "we're broke!"

The problem is that we're worse than "broke."

What we really are is 'broken' from decades of corruption.

Indictment is not a conviction and under the laws of the US, Mr. Campbell is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but the government is alleging some very serious misconduct.

**According to court records, Campbell was arrested on April 1, 2011, forced to surrender his passport and posted a Surety Bond of $100,000.00. Attorney of record April 1: Stephen W. Shaw 

FullIndictmentMWilliamCampbellJr
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Reports of New Oil Slick in Gulf "12 x 100 Miles Long"

*Updated March 20,2011 pm
 2nd update March 21

The Coast Guard is investigating reports of a potentially large oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico not far from the Deepwater Horizon site. According to a knowledgeable source, the slick was sighted by a helicopter pilot on Friday and is about 100 miles long. A fishing boat captain said he went through the slick yesterday and it was strong enough to make his eyes burn.

Zerohedge.com reports:

Independent pilots, including John Wathen of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care, are currently flying out to investigate the spill. Schumaker reports having seen the sheen on Friday, March 18, and confirms that it is rapidly expanding.

A Louisiana fisherman, who has chosen to remain anonymous at this time, also reports fresh oil coming ashore near South Pass, LA, and that cleanup crews are laying new boom near the beach.

The site of the sheen, near Mississippi Canyon 243, lies 30 miles from the Louisiana coastline. The Matterhorn field, at a depth of 2,789 feet (850 meters) of water, was discovered in 1999, leased and permitted in July 2001, and came into production in November 2003. It is located 30 miles SE of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

According to W&T, the field has produced an average rate of 5,200 barrels of oil per day, and has production capacities of 35,000 barrels of oil per day.

Stuart Smith of oilspillaction.com:

There are already allegations that the Coast Guard and other authorities are busy trying to cover up the spill, so stay tuned.

And now to our illustrious Alabama Governor Bentley aka Dr. Guy Hunt:

“We want to tell the rest of the world that our seafood is clean, it’s pure, and it’s delicious,” Bentley told members of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce in a speech at the University of South Alabama. 

We understand the motivation to help bring the seafood industry back in the Gulf, but even pre-BP Spill "pure" is not a definition that applies to the Gulf of Mexico. And this guy is supposed to be a Doctor, one who you would expect to always err on the side of his Hippocratic Oath of  "first, do no harm?"

After millions of gallons of oil and Corexit assaulted the Gulf we don't think all this rush rush to push Gulf seafood on the public so soon is at all wise. In fact, it's downright foolhardy and could be dangerous, maybe even actionable, or worse, if these geniuses turn out to be wrong.

But isn't it comforting to know that the Dr. Dr. has his priorities straight and realizes that "one of the most critical things we can do in Gulf Shores" is to spend $100 million dollars on a controversial, let's build our business donors a playhouse aka convention center:

The $100 million project was thwarted in 2008 when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Riley’s plan to let a private company develop the public land violated state law.

Prichard retirees have lost their state pensions, oil is still in the Gulf, we're in proration of our education system, but what the hell, let's just ignore all of that, spend millions we don't have and go right ahead with business as usual.

Is it 2014 yet?

**Update: A Coast Guard officer with a command center in Morgan City, LA, said today the Coast Guard has confirmed that oil is not coming from the Deepwater Horizon well but that they have found what appear to be smaller oil slicks in the Gulf. Their investigation into reports of large oil slicks is continuing. Additional photos and information from pilots John Wathen and Bonnie Schumaker who flew over the area yesterday are expected to be released today.
--Could this be why we are not hearing anything from the mainstream press?
Move along, nothing to see here…

(Raw Story) Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week (2010).

Even Anderson Cooper, Journalist, says this makes it “very easy to hide incompetence or failure.”

The "rule" is still in place and being strictly enforced. FOX News is calling it "silt."

 **2nd update--"Fresh Oil Continues to Wash Ashore in Bayou"
                      (pics and story)

**Wathen has pictures up @ bpoilslick.blogspot.com/

Credit: John Wathen. Photo taken Sunday March 19, 2011

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The $675,000 Sins of Senator Trip Pittman-R are Irrefutable and Actionable

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it"

Martin Luther King

Dr. Christopher Warner encapsulates the in-broad-daylight crime that occurred in Baldwin County, Alabama and raises compelling questions about why the Senator, and BC Commissioner Bob James, (Pittman's business partner) have not been held accountable for the underhanded and devious manner they demonstrated in pilfering over half a million dollars of the $1.2 million allotted to the area from BP.

The horse of justice for Baldwin County has no rider.

Letter reprinted with permission from Dr. Warner and cross posted at BaldwinWatchdog.com which also has the "smoking gun" documents uploaded on their site.

March 8, 2011
From the Desk of:
Dr. Christopher E. Warner
510 West Chase Court North
Fairhope, AL 36532

On November 20, 2010, the Saturday preceding the Iron Bowl, Connie Baggett of the Mobile Press Register published an article titled, “Senator's company awarded $639,000 while he supervised grants for boom work.”

Prior to this revealing article, no one knew of the second set of
paperwork submitted in May 2010, naming Oil Recovery of Alabama and not Pittman Tractor, as the documented contractor of record for the Fairhope Oil Boom Grant. Record of Oil Recovery of Alabama as the contractor for this grant was forwarded by Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Leigh Ann Ryals to Alabama Emergency Management offices in Clanton, Alabama, the official repository for the said document.

The question of the second set of paperwork, to the best of my knowledge, has never been clearly answered by Mr. Lee “Trip” Pittman, state senator, or Mr. Tim Kant, Fairhope Mayor.  The reason the second, submitted paperwork set exists, is because Mr. Pittman, who had been tapped by then-Alabama Governor Bob Riley to oversee the proper dispersal of the BP funds along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, was told by Baldwin Commissioner Gruber, Emergency Management Coordinator Lee Ann Ryals, Chief Legal Counsel Scott Barnett and Chief Administrator Michael Thompson that “they would have to file an Ethics Commission complaint within ten days” if he proceeded to attempt to give the grant money to his own company, Pittman Tractor.

In short, Mr. Pittman was told he could not proceed with the Pittman
Tractor paperwork and become the contractor.  He thus obliged the same day with the second set of paperwork, explicitly citing Oil Recovery, and not Pittman Tractor—as he had agreed not to go forward with it after he was told of the possible Ethics Commission complaint.

THE SKINNY: At this point, after being advised by four (4) Baldwin County officials, Mr. Pittman certainly knew it was unethical for him to use his position and privileged knowledge of the situation (tapped by Governor Riley) to garner the contract.  Nevertheless, moving forward he practiced to deceive for the simple sake of greed.

Moving forward, Mr. Pittman worked with the City of Fairhope to illegally secure the boom grant funds.  We know that the City was complicit in this transaction because the return email dated May 8, 2010 from Lee Ann Ryals to City of Fairhope employee Ken Eslava initially asking about the status of the boom contract proves that the City knew Mr. Pittman submitted a second set of paperwork under a different company name, as detailed in Ms. Ryals’ response.

Moving forward, Mr. Pittman received checks totaling $639,000 from the City of Fairhope, even though he had been told by Baldwin County officials not to do so for obvious ethical concerns.

On February 17, 2011 I requested under the United States Freedom of
Information Act a copy of the submitted documents from Baldwin County Emergency Management to Alabama State Emergency Management in Clanton, Alabama.  This request was made via email to Mr. Bryan Prescott, Chief Counsel for EMA in Clanton.

Mr. Prescott was unable to find the requested document in the grant file paperwork. He told me as much. I knew that Connie Baggett and F. Paul Ripp had previously unsuccessfully tried to get this document. However, I had given Mr. Prescott, along with my request, a copy of Ken Eslava’s email that contained Lee Ann Ryals’ response alluding to a second set of paperwork under a different company name being sent to Clanton.  I asked Mr. Prescott to find this document, as we knew it existed.  He informed me he would call Ms. Ryals for more information, and would get back to me.

Mr. Prescott called me back within minutes.  He said he spoke to Ms. Ryals.  She told him she filed the document electronically on their EMITS emergency information server. He found it there and sent it to me, forthwith.

The document file contained the boom grant contractor of record documents from Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope.  Again, Fairhope referenced “Oil Recovery of Alabama” and not Pittman Tractor, as contractor.

This is an extremely simple matter.  Mr. Pittman was told “no” by county
officials doing their jobs when he tried to use his position for personal gain. He pretended to agree with them.  Surreptitiously he and Mr. Kant and his city workers went against the warning of county officials, and wrote the checks to Pittman Tractor.  Further, Mr. Bob James, Mr. Pittman’s business partner and County Commissioner, used his clout to fire and/or demote the aforementioned county employees who knew of the scam.  Mr. Pittman, according to these named former County Employees, even scoured the Baldwin County offices and the Clanton EMA office, for incriminating documents, removing all that he found to cover up the crime.

One must ask oneself another question: “If Mr. Pittman would say one thing and do another regarding securing the illegal grant money, what leads one to believe that Mr. Pittman was honest after the fact and used the money as prescribed to purchase and place protective boom along the Eastern Shore? Further, why would the City of Fairhope do business with Pittman Tractor, which has no contractor’s license?  The grant application repeatedly states that a true contractor is required.

The above information has been presented in various and sundry forms,
including a 130-page complaint compiled by multiple concerned citizens of the City of Fairhope.

The information of the particulars of this crime has been presented to the following law enforcement officials:
1) Fairhope Police Chief Bill Press
2) Hallie Dixon, Baldwin County District Attorney
3) Luther Strange, Alabama
Attorney General
4) The Alabama Ethics Commission.

As of this writing, nothing has been done to enforce the applicable laws of the City of Fairhope, Baldwin County and the State of Alabama.

For justice to be unequivocally served in this sordid case, the brazen,
corrupted, perpetrators of this crime against a disaster backdrop (11 people died in the Horizon Oil Spill Disaster) must be made to feel, in their hollow bones—the full power of the law.  Further, the tax-paying public, which faithfully lives by this same law, must see clearly and unabashedly, that this is finally the case.

Respectfully,  
Dr. Christopher Edward Warner

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I'm Jabo Waggoner and I Don't Have a Clue (following "Meet the New Boss" article)

Senator Waggoner has taken a real beating over his controversial hiring of Paul Hamrick and this morning he 'responded' in a radio interview that made everything clear as mud.

Some highlights (and lowlights) of the 'selection process' and Jabo's glaring inability to fully understand what he did when viewed through the sick-and-tired-of-it lens of the people. So much for the "new day in Alabama politics." How long did that last? Two seconds?

Jabo was asked about the decision to hire Hamrick:

"We put out a request for somebody and got 5 or 6 responses back. There was certain criteria we demanded such as they couldn't be a lobbyist or anyone with a conflict with another entity..."

He went on to list some of the potential candidates without names:

A "former president of a newspaper" (that one came later in the interview)

Former Lt. Governor

Pensacola resident (don't we have some developer honcho from there?)

Someone who wanted $10,000 a month (contract was for $5,000)

A lobbyist (big surprise)

Paul Hamrick

Jabo said that he "consulted with Senators Del Marsh, Arthur Orr and Trip Pittman" but the ultimate decision was his. We'd like to know what Pittman was doing in the discussion since he has shown himself to be ethically challenged at best, and capable of willfully working the system for hundreds of thousands of BP money in his pocket at worst.

Is Waggoner the reason the Ethics Commission is hands off with investigating the controversial oil boom contract work by Pittman and Baldwin County Commissioner James?

Jabo plays the blame game and says that "we underestimated the opposition" as if the only outcry came from the left, *which is opposite of the truth, and he says it "couldn't be worse timing coming on the heels of the governor hiring Sparks." First shot officially fired in what will be an escalating blame the Dr. Dr. Bentley game.
*(Paul Hamrick confirmed in an interview that too many republicans had concerns.) 

The senator is right about the number of democrats being hired by these "new republicans." People are very upset about it, but because of that, shouldn't he have known better? The answer is yes, absolutely!

But he's not listening and he just doesn't get it. He tried to pull a fast one and he got slapped for it. Big. Time to send some bags of quarters to his office for clue purchase.

Then he lamented on Hamrick "not being an issue for the last 4 or 5 years" and he "has been working informally for the republicans all that time." We have to wonder how many in the party faithful knew about this and if they did, why are they outraged now? Why haven't they been upset for the last few years? Or, when Jabo says "informally" does that mean no one knew and/or it was fine as long as Hamrick wasn't made public?

This raises more than a few questions for us and we're going to look a little deeper into it later, but the most obvious is how have political loyalties become so blurred?

The last part of his weak defense was just utter nonsense and he knows it was, but folks who don't pay attention, which is most of the voting public, wouldn't catch it:

"Not many people are aware of the heartbeat of Montgomery. It's hard to find a republican purist that has never worked in a democratic campaign. I'm disappointed to start the process over because it's so hard to find somebody."

Translation--it's hard to find somebody that me and my circle of three think will play our version of the game. This whole brouhaha was an inside deal involving some formerly elected officials in the mix, one was Steve French an inside source tells us, that are bending Jabo's ear and are still in the pile, even though they don't have an office on Goat Hill because the people told them "NEXT."

Here's a suggestion Senator Waggoner, tell the washed up has-beens to go home, accept defeat and stay out of the people's business! You've been voted out, so get the hell out of the state house boys. There's no reason for you to be there. It's ridiculous that Jabo even allows this to go on, but it's not at all a surprise.

How's that "new day" looking so far? And just for the record, 'purist' and 'Montgomery' are oxymorons Senator Waggoner.

Waggoner then put out a call on air: "....if anybody knows of someone to let me know." 

Anybody want a job paying $5,000 a month that can help Jabo and the republicans out? 

Requirements are simple:

Ability to lie at the drop of a hat

Listen to only what you are told to listen to--with a tin ear

Parrot propaganda designed to cover the machine and pull the wool over on the folks

Demonstrate a strong ability to be oblivious to criticism on cue

Able to forget your own morals and adopt the ones of those around you

It won't be difficult really, and you'll have lots of tutors on Goat Hill who will be only too eager to help you learn the fine art of helping yourself.

**Update on Riley gifting AG Strange--Bentley asks for $7.9 million back

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Alabama Beaches Are Not Clean--Oil,Tar Balls and Disclored Water Remains on the Gulf Coast

Despite the claims of former Alabama Governor Bob Riley, ADEM and every other talking head trying to convince the world that "Alabama's beaches are in fantastic shape" after the BP Oil Spill, the following video by John Wathen of Hurricane Creekkeeper shot in Fort Morgan, Alabama (Baldwin County) on February 9, 2011 seems to suggest otherwise.

John says that the areas around the hotels and condos seem to be the areas that cleanup is the most aggressive. Wonder why? Nothing like a grand illusion to portray the same.

Notice any birds around as you watch the video?

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Cellulosic Biofuel is a Boondoggle-- Governor Bentley, Explain Yourself and Your Big Biomass Boligee

Biomass Plant in Michigan

We've written about the proposed biofuel plant in Boligee, Alabama before and what we really suspected it was all about--one great big federal and special interests fleece job. But Governor Mule Bentley claims it's a way for him to live up to his campaign promises of "jobs, jobs, jobs," and Alabama's press refuses to question the project. Why?

We say Governor Bentley is full of biomass with this idea and what happened in Baldwin County with the same proposal gives credibility to our argument that this is not a job creator as much as it is a money trough for certain interests at the taxpayer's expense:

MOBILE, Ala. -- Facing bankruptcy and a $10.4 million judgment from a lawsuit, Jack W. Boykin approached a city in southern Illinois last week with a project that he said would create 200 jobs.

Billy McDaniel, the mayor of Metropolis, said that Boykin — an originator of the failed and allegedly fraudulent Cello Energy in Baldwin County — inquired about an industrial park in the city that could be home to one of a half-dozen alternative fuel plants that he planned for the state.

In 2009, a federal jury in Mobile awarded $10.4 million to a company that owned a pair of paper mills in Monroe County and invested $2.5 million in Boykin’s supposedly revolutionary technology to turn wood chips and other plant matter into cheap fuel.

Two years later, testimony at the federal trial indicated that the Cello Energy plant in Bay Minette had never been completed and had produced just $17,000 worth of fuel. Lab testing showed that a batch of Cello’s fuel contained no biomass material.

Today, the plant sits quiet in Bay Minette. No one answered the phone last week. 

In a second article on Cello Fuels we can see that the Boligee proposal and the Baldwin County boondoggle mirror each other in the manner in which they were discussed and conceived:

Jack W. Boykin -- with his Baldwin County company, Cello Energy -- was one of those. He persuaded investors to pour millions of dollars into his promise to produce cheap biofuel using wood chips and plant matter, even tire scraps.

Boykin had a lot of backers. David Bransby, an Auburn University agronomy professor, vouched for Boykin’s concept. So did the Environmental Protection Agency, which once named Cello as one of two companies that largely would enable the country to produce 250 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year by 2011.

Thus far, no company has proven an ability to produce cellulosic biofuel in commercial quantities. *Range Fuels, a company for which Bransby served as a scientific adviser, recently closed a biofuel plant in Georgia after obtaining significant funding from the government and private sources. 

*Range fuels is another brainchild of venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, the same investor behind the proposed Boligee, Alabama CE Plant Coskata. Cello Fuels was said to be backed by $12.5 million from Khosla, although a spokesman for Khosla "denies" he was ever involved with Cello. Court proceedings seem to indicate that Khosla was involved with Cello. What is clear about Khosla is that he is on a mission to become the "Baron of Biofuels."

An assessment of Khosla from chemical engineer Robert Rapier:

"I felt like he [Khosla] came into the energy industry without a very good comprehension of if, but felt that he would apply his golden touch from Silicon Valley to show the dinosaurs how Silicon Valley innovates. I also felt like he was attracted to people who made grandiose claims, but didn’t have the proper historical perspective to determine when something was truly novel (and really worked)."

We understand the EPA's desire to support alternative fuels, but thus far all that has really happened is that millions of taxpayers dollars have been invested in companies that have gone bankrupt and not lived up to all of their grand promises that Cellulosic Ethanol (or ANY biofuel) can be produced on a viable scale, if at all. 

Edmunds Inside Line reports that Alabama-based Cello Energy, which was supposed to produce 70 percent of the EPA’s 100m gallon/year cellulosic ethanol goal, has been convicted of fraud. A jury has awarded over $10m in damages to investors after witnesses testified that Cello’s supposedly biomass-derived fuel was actually petroleum based. Furthermore, it turns out that Cello only has the capability to produce 20m gallons of its putative biofuel per year. The EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) had banked on Cello to produce 70m gallons per annum. The downside? If (when) America’s cellulosic ethanol producers fail to meet the 100m gal/year mark inn 2010, the EPA could sell credits which would increase the biofuel’s price to $3/gallon. Current futures place the fuel’s value at $1.77/gallon. Alternatively, the EPA could postpone the ramp-up to 100m gal/year… but who’s expecting that to happen? Meanwhile, so-called “second-generation” biofuels continue to act as a subsidy magnet for an industry that is wholly addicted to feedstock-based fuels and government assistance.

The Baldwin County story of Cello clearly illustrates that biomass is a huge profit source for flim-flam men who take full advantage of the race to energy alternatives. Since the Boligee biofuel project has been in the works for two years, this was obviously a Riley scheme that was passed down to Bentley.

Executive Order 37 was established by Riley in 2007 and it set up the Alabama Research Alliance Trust Fund a $10,000,000 dollar fund that was reported to use the interest on the principal to fund alternative energy projects:

“Innovative approaches are needed to make our nation energy independent and to free us from our dependence on foreign oil,” Riley said in the release. “By generating alternative energy from renewable sources, these projects will serve as an example that other governments may follow to cut energy costs and stretch taxpayer dollars.”
The grants, which were awarded from the Alabama Research Alliance Trust Fund, are being administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. According to the governor’s press release, interest earned from the $10 million trust fund is used to support alternative energy research in Alabama.

Riley has more than a passing interest in Bentley carrying this ball because he created the game with this Order and the slush fund that followed, so of course it's a great idea because it's Riley's idea.

When it comes to economic development, let's face it, Bentley isn't the sharpest tack in the toolbox. That's why he's surrounded himself with men who seem to control what he does and he makes a huge misstep in carrying on Riley era pie-in-the-sky deals without fully understanding them beyond what Bob Riley tells him. After all, it was Riley who told the Bentley administration this about economic development deals in the works:

"If they have any questions about our economic deals all Governor Bentley has to do is call me and I'll confirm to him what was discussed about a particular project. I'm always just a phone call away."

That's a convenient way to make sure your prey gets into the 'trap,' in addition to paving the way for Big Luther to ride to the governorship in 2014. Why do we say that? This is why, in addition to the ridiculousness of CE in Alabama and its real 'viability' on a mass scale:

Riley also predicted the term of his successor; Dr. Robert Bentley would be “a disaster” making it easy for Strange to be successful in 2014.

If we have said it once, we'll say it again, better watch your Bass Doc, you're getting dangerously close to one of many well-planned gotchas.

Bentley is just not smart enough to question the validity of Riley's previously brokered deals. Or maybe he's just going along with the Mules that he surrounded himself with who are in place to be sure that previous deals to fleece Alabama and the US taxpayers, while they laugh all the way to the bank, stay on course.

So, that leaves us with our original question when Governor Bentley announced the project for Boligee, Alabama--who will really benefit from the Boligee boondoggle?
And why isn't the Alabama media asking the right questions about the Coskata project?

**Coskata partnered with Monsanto subsidiary Ceres, Inc. to provide cellulosic switchgrass stock for it's Pittsburgh plant. This link provides compelling evidence that to solve one problem, we'll create others that won't be without serious repercussions.
Facts about biomass plants that are not being discussed. 
An Unsustainable Idea (see part 6)

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FY 2008-2009 Annual Report Alabama Ethics Commission

There's no waste like government waste.

The Alabama Ethics Commission's own report shows this agency of 16 employees to be a wasteful use of Alabama's money and more of a over-bloated, taxpayer funded, figurehead entity than it is money well spent to protect the citizens of this state from elected officials who do as they please, rather than follow the written laws.

And yes, Mr. Evans, there were laws on the books already to go after Senator Pittman.

Compare the appropriation amounts with the expenditures and ask yourself why this agency is spending 78.29% of its $1,607,898.00 FY 2009 Appropriation Funds on personnel services and employee benefits, and then compare that with what they take in from investigations and penalties: (which is supposed to be their main function)

                                                                                                            FY 2008                     FY 2009

Complaints Filed with Ethics Commission                                     223                           263
Complaints Closed After Preliminary Inquiry                                *196                         *264
Cases Presented to Commissioners                                                   13                             25
Cases Closed by Ruling of Commissioners                                       1                               2
Cases Forwarded to District Attorney or Attorney General             4                               6
Administrative Penalties Assessed by Ethics Commission            5                             16

Fines Collected by Ethics Commission                                 $2,600.00                $6,435.64
Restitution Collected                                                                      $280.00              $32,439.25

(*Includes complaints/cases that were received prior to October 1, but closed during the
current fiscal year.)

If anyone knows of a private business that can successfully operate and remain profitable under the same manner that this bean counter of a glorified lobbyist fees collection agency does we'd like to hear about it.
 

While we're in the realm of the surreal, how about an explanation for why a candidate for a local Sheriff's race who puts a campaign sign on a four-wheeler ATV, finds himself the object of an EC investigation and is found guilty of two counts of "using his office for personal gain," but a sitting state senator (and his Baldwin County Commissioner business partner) who are enjoying over half a million dollars in profits because of their elected positions, do not even warrant an investigation by the EC?

Ethics Commission Annual

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The Arrogance of Hugh Evans III and the Alabama Ethics Commission in the Senator Pittman Ethics Complaint

*Update Feb.10th-- Mr. Ripp responds
                             Baldwin Watchdog and Lagniappe sound off
*2nd Update Feb 11th--Pittman and Evans refuse to talk won't return phone calls to the Press-Register
        
This letter will speak for itself about the unmitigated gall and complete ineffectiveness of the Alabama Ethics Commission, Chief Counsel Hugh Evans III and their unfathomable refusal to go after Senator Pittman.

Reprinted here with permission from Mr. Ripp.

Ethics Commission Evans III

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You Can't Fix Stupid

A few stories that are testing the strength of our craniums in their absurdity.

Alabama State Senator Scott 'the Judas' Beason-R is just another recent example of an Alabama republican who just can't seem to shut the hell up. His dunderhead comment about "emptying the clip" to a like-minded audience at a republican breakfast meeting in Cullman County, Alabama has put the state back into the *national media spotlight of shame.
*(the "no news" story is up over 1000 comments in response)

Beason and his senate republican buddies remind us of the rich jock types in high school who were given a pass on anything they do, encouraged to behave badly and who wore their badges of misdeeds with pompous pride. Like the equally appalling and highly arrogant tractor on the loose, Senator Trip Pittman, Beason declares the story is "not news," and it's all being "whipped up by the liberals." Here's his response to anyone who took offense to the comment:

"It was a metaphor and anyone who thinks that advocates violence, their sanity probably needs to be tested.” 

These clowns just don't seem to understand that there are 49 other states past Alabama's state lines with IQ's larger than their own egos. Make that 48, Mississippi is exempt for obvious reasons.

Goodwater, Alabama--A man on cruthches was shot not once, but twice in a Goodwater courtroom last week after he allegedly waved his crutches at the judge and "tried to get the Judge's gun away from him." It's important to note that the accused was on crutches after a double hip fracture and after the first shot, as he was falling to the floor, he was shot again by a local policeman. Like most courtrooms, Goodwater has a camera in the courtroom and we would like to know why the recording has not been released to give validity to the authorities account of the event.

Kayla Talton of Sylacauga told the Montgomery Advertiser that the man, Keith Ford, was told he would have to go to jail if he was unable to produce $800 to settle his case. Talton said Ford threw his crutches to the floor, and the judge told him to "get up against the damn wall and shut up."

Ford told the judge he wanted an attorney and he wasn't going to jail. At that point, Talton said, an officer grabbed Ford. When Ford pulled away, the officer shot him twice, first in the stomach and then "in the side or the back."

It's turning into a racially charged story and the Alabama NAACP has asked the DOJ to investigate. Are none of the officers who guard the courtroom equipped with tasers? This was a bad move by the officer who used a shotgun to swat a fly and we say that Judge Carlton Teel could use a few refresher courses on how to behave from the bench. But maybe he is just carrying on the same bad behavior of his predecessor, his brother.

Loretta Nail has some interesting thoughts on this story and she knows Goodwater:

Goodwater is a strange place as far as the legal community goes. It's like an incestuous cabal of related judges and lawyers who run the whole town. The Teel's father was at one time a State Representative. His three sons, Robert, Frank, and Carlton currently control Goodwater. Robert used to be the judge and he retired. Frank Teel is the Asst. DA who was arrested by the ABI for extortion in May of 2010. And Carlton Teel is the current municipal judge. They are white. The vast majority of Goodwater residents are black.

Alabama burning in Goodwater, Alabama.

The University of Alabama's crimson and white image is stained black by the ugly pallor of racism, again. A black student was walking by a white fraternity house last week and someone yelled out the dreaded N word to him, followed with "Hey boy, come here." President Witt has yet to fully address the issue and we've heard stories of male and female Greek society members who left their societies after being told they had to attend certain events in "blackface."

The real black face here is the systemic racism that exists on the UA campus. It even has a name-- "The Machine." 

UA is refusing to release any details of punishment for the racist student citing "privacy laws." How do you spell cover up? U-o-f-A.

Overheard--Hugh Evans III Chief counsel for the Alabama (no) Ethics Commission has penned yet another sarcastic and angry letter to a citizen who asked for justice to be applied to an elected official who definitely violated the people's test of ethics.

But, the EC's bar is so low that 10 men with guns and briefcases wouldn't be found guilty by this useless excuse of the overseers of ethics violations.

More on that next post.

But for now, lots of aspirin please...

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