"Virtual Alabama" Big Idea or Big Brother?

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security has a program called "Virtual Alabama" that allows them to "see" certain areas in time areas of disaster and/or crisis. It sounds good on it's face, but there are some issues...

You won't find this discussed very much in the mainstream press even though the program has been up and running since 2007, the implications of Big Bubba (Alabama speak for Big Brother) are worrisome.

Who's big idea was this? Why none other than big ears *Bob Riley himself in 2007. It's too bad the citizens can't use the same technology to track our own elected politicians comings and goings--that would certainly yield some very interesting information.
(link to Office of the Governor documents)

From the Center For Investigative Reporting

The program can be used to determine the extent of storm damage relatively quickly, but the state’s also relying on Virtual Alabama for economic development projects, to determine if polluters are violating environmental laws, for establishing fire evacuation routes based on the floor plans of schools and for identifying critical infrastructure.

Users looking at a digital map of the state or individual communities can turn “on” and “off” with the click of a mouse the location of flood plains, fire hydrants, street lights, gas lines, water lines and more, the same way Google Earth already does for hotels, airports and restaurants. The general public does not have access to Virtual Alabama, however.

Unfortunately, our efforts to obtain homeland security grant spending information from the state of Alabama in electronic format, such as a spreadsheet, didn’t make it very far. State officials at the Alabama Department of Homeland Security told us in response to an open-records request that all such documents were in paper form only. We were welcome to drive a pickup truck to their offices with a copy machine in the back to duplicate records, one official said in response. But that wasn’t entirely practical.

A spokeswoman did tell us that about $150,000 in homeland security grants were used to create Virtual Alabama and to purchase a pair of computer servers totaling $45,000.

Auditors have at times raised questions about the state’s oversight of disaster assistance received from the federal government following hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina.

Auditors found in February of 2009, for example, that the city of Gulf Shores, Ala., had not complied with federal guidelines when it awarded $14 million in contracts for debris removal. They also concluded that contractors had overcharged Gulf Shores officials by $500,000. The city, in turn, charged duplicate invoices to the federal government leading to more than $400,000 worth of additional questioned costs, according to auditors.

"Big Brother" has long been a point of contention and accused of wanting to watch our every move under the auspices of 'national security and the greater good.' Virtual Alabama makes that a virtual reality, and a very unsettling one at that.

Think about the potential for abuse, here. One of the capabilities listed in the "Fact Sheet" is vehicle tracking. Someone with access to this software could potentially track your movements throughout the day.

Whatever happened to needing a warrant?

Whatever happened to freedom? 

Alabama has effectively engaged a small team of people whose job it is to harvest this data and make it available to decision-makers. They are constantly consuming more data and adding new functionality.

We just bet they are. 


Big Bubba is watching you Alabama.

Posted by Winger

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Clean Cool China Water On Tap in the US

From the country that brought us poisoned pet food, lead-filled children's toys and jewelry along with a plethora of other toxins, many US cities are using fluoride manufactured in China as an additive to the local water supplies.

Since 2007, most of the sodium fluoride has been imported from China because it's the least expensive on the market.

When it comes to something we ingest every day, using the lowest possible bidder who has an atrocious record on toxins, should not figure into the equation. Some claim that the form of fluoride they are using is not much better than mine tailings, the waste product of mining operations.

Industrial chemical poison from China in your water courtesy of the US government.

Feel better yet? You might if you stop drinking the China water.

Posted by Winger

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Birmingham Says"We're Open" (and Building More Places For Criminals to Loot)--Named 3rd Most Dangerous City in the US

The Birmingham Business Alliance rolled out their latest builditis campaign with nauseating fanfare promising to "move the region forward," and they have a catchy phrase for it that's been splashed all over the local media, in slick ads, and on billboards all around the city proclaiming "We're Open." (variations: "I'm Open" "Birmingham is Open")

That's music to the ears of all the crooks and rapists who have created a "Magic City" that's sure to be attractive to potential businesses, and here's the BBA is trying to convince us all that it doesn't exist. They're masters at look at the shiny thing and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain game.

Thanks to this Feb.17th US News report (using data supplied by the FBI) "The Most Dangerous Cities in the US" we can see that the Flash Harry's of the BBA are up to their same old tricks of promise them everything and get them to pay for it no matter how nonsensical it really is.

And just to add insult to injury, a previous report came out on Nov. 23, 2010 that had Birmingham ranked as the 10th most dangerous city. The BBA campaign rolled out in September of 2010, and maybe the ne'er do wells have flocked to the area in anticipation of the looting they can start looking forward to courtesy of the BBA's grand illusions.

Yep, "We're Open" alright and it's going to be one hell of a melee' for Crime, Inc.

Here's the 'good' news:

Only St. Louis and Atlanta ranked ahead of the Magic City who tied with Orlando for third place. Birmingham's high ranking was due in part to the high rate of forcible rapes and robberies over the last seven years.

Crime Risk Index: 380

In 2009, the latest year on which the data is based, the murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area was nearly twice the national rate of five per 100,000. Likewise, the rate of all property crime in that area was 50 percent higher than the national rate.

Alabama as a whole was ranked 13th in the nation for the worst crime rate in March 2009. 

Is anyone starting to see a pattern here? What company worth its salt is going to look at these statistics and say to themselves; "sounds like a great place to set up shop in!"

Maybe before we start building crystal cathedrals and laying down streets of gold it might be a good idea to fix what seems to be inherently wrong with Birmingham first--Its corrupt and clueless leadership that is led around by the nose by the Mules and the BBA, and then maybe turn the crank on the complete ineffectiveness of the police department.

Sounds good to us.

Does it to you?

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Politicians Behaving Badly With Prejudice--John Wiley Price & Albert Turner, Jr.

Two stories of public malversation with the race card thrown down in the ugly game of local politics from rural Alabama to Texas.

Dallas County, Texas--In a Dallas County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday Feb 15th citizens were upset about the "controversial departure" of a county Elections Administrator who had been on the job for 24 years. They suspected that the administrator had been "forced out" by Commissioner John Wiley Price and a Dallas County Judge in what is rumored to be a power grab by Price.

Tensions run high in this part of Texas along racial lines on both sides of color, but Mr. Price's behavior in a public meeting with the press and numerous citizens present was reprehensible. We expect much more of our elected officials than to descend into race-based attacks on the citizens they represent and clear prejudice in the public eye, whatever their skin color.

Did this incident quickly descend into the gutter of racism because of a misunderstanding by Price in what the citizen, Mr. Turner, meant when he referred to him as "Chief Mullah" or was it simply the removal of civility and a glimpse into what Mr. Price is as a man? 

After Mr. Turner repeated the phrase a few more times, Price responded with: "All of you are white. Go to Hell." 

Here's some of the exchange that was all caught on video by a CBS affiliate in DFW:

The last public speaker at Tuesday’s meeting, Jeff Turner, began by stating that he would refer to “a certain member of the court” — Price — as “the Chief Mulllah of Dallas County.”

Court rules state that public speakers may not address individual commissioners by name.

As Turner spoke, he continued to call Price “Chief Mulllah.” Price interrupted Turner several times, yelling at him, “don’t call me Chief Mulllah” and “call me by my name.”

Mr. Turner explains in an audio clip on the link, that he was using the term to describe a man who wants control over everything in reference to areas of Afghanistan that are under the complete control of Mullahs, and that he was not using the reference as a racial disparity. Mr. Price, it seems, from reading other news stories on Dallas County politics, has developed a reputation as a controller and the citizens are tired of it. Kind of sounds like Perry County, Alabama and Albert Turner, Jr. doesn't it? He's coming up next.

Back to excerpts of the Dallas story:

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “mullah” as “a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law.”

Turner continued speaking, ignoring Price’s ongoing interruptions.

At that point, Jenkins adjourned the meeting.

As Price stood to leave, he looked at Turner and the five other citizens who addressed the court. Price said to them, “All of you are white.  Go to hell!”

Price repeated “go to hell” three more times. An unknown member of the audience said, “You should be ashamed!”

“I’m not ashamed!” Price answered. “I’m not ashamed! Go to hell!”

The madness continued after the meeting was abruptly adjourned, and Dallas County is now further divided by this unfortunate throw-down of the race card. Who's to blame in this? Is this a race and behavior debate, or is something else being missed altogether? Is the bigger problem what's really going on under the surface in Dallas County, and an honest discussion of the issue of one politician exerting too much control over many the real debate that should be happening? 

Reader decide.

Perry County, Alabama--On February 4th the Perry County Commission (PCC) gathered for a meeting that quickly descended into the Albert Turner, Jr. show of bully extraordinaire on the loose. Like Mr. Price, Turner has control issues and his mantra is 'my way or the highway,' or in this instance, we don't agree so you don't get to participate.

There's so much wrong in Perry County it would take a book four inches thick to tell it all, but the biggest problem in Perry County is Albert Turner, Jr. who's been the subject of earlier posts by us, and a few press outlets that are not afraid to call him what he is--a man with a racial chip on his shoulder almost equal to the size of his ego, that runs Perry County like his own personal kingdom.

intolerance and corruption define the politics of Perry County with Mr. Turner swaggering around as a mohair-suited walking weapon of mass destruction on fairness and accountability, especially where he's concerned. 

Similar to the citizens in Dallas County,Texas, Perry Countians are tired of living under one man's tyrannical rule.

Brett Harrison is a member of the PCC and as such he has a right and duty to be present at any meeting of the PCC. Mr. Harrison is also a party in the lawsuit against Mr. Turner by the Impact Group who are having to sue PCC president Mr. Turner, for access to what should be open public records, and for holding past questionable meetings in violation of the Open Meetings Act. In this February meeting, Turner sought to punish Mr. Harrison for being part of the lawsuit and wanted him out of any discussions about it. 

Mr. Harrison seems to be the only one on the PCC who is trying to bring some sanity into the fray and realizes that what the commission is doing on many fronts are blatant violations of Alabama's Sunshine Law (ASL) regarding meetings and public records. 

Every member of the PCC stands to get into some serious trouble if this nonsense masquerading as government does not follow the laws. Joining the lawsuit to produce the public records may be strictly a self-preservation move on Harrison's part, but it's the right thing to do for obvious reasons.

In what may be a placating move, the PCC voted to use county funds to pay for Commissioner Harrison's legal fees arising from the lawsuit and Harrison himself voted against it. Another wise move on his part. He's giving the appearance of doing what he can to follow ethics guidelines and comply with the ASL.

Unlike Mr. Turner, who strong-armed the PCC into allowing county funds to pay for his defense against an assault charge and the pending civil case against him. No documents have been produced about who the law firm is and what fees the unnamed firm will charge to defend him. Turner, full of his usual bravado, publicly dares anyone to apply Alabama's Sunshine Law to him and relishes in the fact that he is above all scrutiny and questioning. 

Or so he deludes himself to believe because of his 'friends' in high places.

Details of the assault charge:

Albert Turner Jr. Guilty of Harassment

---

Judge Lynn Bright found Albert Turner Jr. guilty of harassment in Perry County District Court Wednesday, March 30th. 2005.
Turner was originally charged with Assault III, but the lesser charge was applied after the probable cause hearing showed conflicting testimony as to what actually happened. According to the complaining witness, Vinnie Royster, Turner attacked her during a meeting with other Perry County Commissioners regarding comments made by Turner in a radio broadcast the previous Sunday. Turner, while promoting the proposed landfill in Uniontown, referred to those black citizens that opposed the landfill as "hanky-head ******s". 

As Royster played a recording of the broadcast for Commissioner Johnny Flowers and others, Turner came into the room and started yelling at Royster; poking her in the chest. Royster poked Turner back, then according to Royster "the next thing I knew, he hit me with his fist". Turner then reportedly grabbed Royster around the throat, and held her to the ground until other commissioners and two deputies pulled him off of her. Royster had to leave the meeting in an ambulance.
Turner was ordered to pay a fine of $400, court costs, and restitution to be worked out at a later date. He's stated he will appeal the case to Circuit Court, where he wants his case heard before a jury.

It was an ugly incident that happened in full public view of many witnesses. Turner can't hide from what he did and what it implies he is, but he's trying with a little help from his special 'friends.'

Turner is well-connected politically, and there isn't any doubt in our minds that he enjoys protection from certain elected representatives and a state senator or two, (one of whom just happens to have a law firm), along with certain minority religious groups that are more political action committees than they are organizations of Godly men.

That's becoming a recurring theme in Alabama that is beyond reprehensible, and it's  ushering in a new form of acceptable slavery that is overseen by black masters of influence, in conjunction with a few equally well-connected white devils, who aid and abet their dirty deeds against their own.

It's all about the money and the control and it does not matter how they get it as long as they do. But if you raise any questions about their shenanigans, they quickly throw down the race card to avoid letting you see what cards they're really holding.

It's become a very effective tool for less than honorable men to bluff their way through their political careers, playing the game of lowball poker with gusto, having learned that personal profit and political influence are a winning hand for poor behavior.

What the actions of both of these men show us, is not only the consequences of too much power in one man's hands, they also call our attention to a bigger problem-- that honest and open debate of the race issues that continue to plague us as a society, are immediately folded when the race card is dealt.

 So Say We The Opinion Board of the Vincent Alabama Confidential

*Additional link on Turner and his pig-in-poke idea regarding a local hotel in the area. Seems to us that there weren't a lot of sharp minds in attendance with this idea and the almost comical way it played out.

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ISS - Well-Connected Law Firm Involved in Dirty-Trick Plot Against Activists, Journalists

The face of corporate law

Sue Sturgis of Facing South blows the lid of off some dirty dealings by Hunton-Williams, an international corporate law and lobbying firm deeply rooted in Richmond, Virginia and conveniently close to the seat of power Washington, DC.

If there were any doubts that we have become a corporation nation of undue influence from large law firms and their powerful corporate clients, then Ms. Sturgis' story should put those to rest once and for all.

Excerpt from the story:

Hunton & Williams is also a political player, both in terms of campaign contributions and lobbying.

The firm itself has donated directly to the campaigns of numerous members of Congress in the past decade, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In 2010 alone, it contributed to congressional candidates -- all Republicans -- including Reps. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Shimkus (R-Ill.).

Hunton & William is also a major lobbying force, with lobbying income of more than $2.8 million in 2010. Among its biggest lobbying clients are energy firms: Energy Future Holdings Corp. (formerly TXU Corp.), Southern Co., Gas Processors Association, FirstEnergy, and Kansas-based Koch Industries, a diversified oil company whose owners are major funders of conservative causes.

Also among the firm's lobbying clients are North Carolina-based Duke Energy and Progress Energy, which recently announced merger plans, and Americans for Affordable Climate Policy, a group formed by Duke Energy and other coal-dependent utilities to ensure that any carbon cap-and-trade system established by Congress includes free pollution credits for industry.

With a prestigious client list like that, why would Hunton &Williams risk it all by engaging in ethically questionable and potentially reputation-damaging behavior like spying on and setting up activists and journalists?

One possible answer might be found by following the money.

Read more link:

ISS - Well-connected law firm involved in dirty-trick plot against activists, journalists

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US Court Revives Lawsuit Against Drummond Company in Colombia Coal Killings

Illustration credit and previous story: Birmingham Free Press

 US Court Revives Lawsuit Against Drummond Coal in Colombia Coal Killings - KansasCity.com

From the story--A lawsuit claiming an Alabama coal company executive paid paramilitary forces to kill three Colombian union leaders was revived Thursday when an appeals court ruled the victims' children could sue in the U.S.

The mine operator, Drummond Company Inc., was cleared of any wrongdoing by jurors in Birmingham during a 2007 trial in a similar lawsuit brought by the union and the victims' widows.

The new complaint claims a witness who was previously in jail in Colombia can now testify that he saw a Drummond executive give a briefcase full of cash to an illegal right-wing militia to have two of the union heads killed.

Read more here

Here's the back story on what happened for those who are not familiar with the case from Sue Sturgis of Facing South

EleventhCircuitCourtDrummondReversal2011

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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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Vox Populi in Conecuh County, Alabama--No Landfill

**Updated Feb 16 (see end of post)
WKRG--Dozens Protest a Proposed Landfill in Evergreen, Alabama. 

It would be located near Repton and would be the largest in the country

The people do not want this dump despite the continued push and a four year battle by certain interests and some local well-to-do influences who have been persistent in their push to make Repton the biggest stinking heap in the country. We have learned that there is a back story to this issue that's not been reported in the media.

A local Repton citizen tells us that a meeting occurred last July that was called by Representative Larry Miilender who invited local government leaders to meet and discuss how to "move Conecuh County forward." We were surprised to learn that an NAACP led group was in attendance at this meeting represented by Jerome Boykin which also included the former Mayor of Evergreen, Alabama, Larry Fluker and Reverend Freddie Stallworth.

They were all in agreement for the landfill according to our source, and we have to wonder what dog they have in the fight considering the NAACP has taken a position of environmental justice and worked against landfills in the past.

There weren't any other "groups" in attendance, so what was Rep. Millender's motive behind inviting the NAACP? We would ask the same question of any other group who would be invited to what was supposed to be a meeting of local government officials discussing ways to improve their community's economic status. It smacks of undue influence and Rep. Millender and his 'guests' should explain their real agenda.

We hope this isn't similar to the Perry County coal ash dump that was a scheme conceived and implemented  by minority Alabama officials, the Jones Group lobbying firm (minority owned and run) and the son of the late Civil Rights era leader Albert Turner, Sr. who all worked together against the good of Perry County's minority residents. If Alabama's minority citizens cannot count on 'their own' to protect them, then that's a sad state of affairs that speaks to bigger issues going on with the so-called champions of minority rights.

We think that is an under-reported issue that the press won't touch for fear of retribution by these powerful groups that will defend themselves by playing the always explosive race card.

Readers of this site know that we aren't shy about calling things the way they are, and if what you're doing is against any class of the people, we're going to call you out on it every time. The people will always come first in our view, not special interests or scurrilous politicians who are seeking personal enrichment over all people's rights to live and work in clean environments and have a strong voice in what happens to their communities.

The ongoing war against certain classes of people in Alabama, particularly in poor and economically depressed areas, which Repton is, deserves much more attention than it gets from Alabama's mainstream media. In addition to really examining what the state's role is in these unjust 'crimes' against Alabama's less fortunate. 

The state of Alabama is at the top of the list of egregious offenders through their supposed environmental management department ADEM, who enjoys fat profits from toxic entities that choose Alabama to dump on and pollute at their will knowing there won't be any strong repercussions from ADEM.

ADEM doesn't shut any environmental offender down no matter how many violations they rack up, and that list is growing longer every year. Instead, they occasionally bring enforcement violations against them that don't serve as any real deterrent as much as it does to further increase revenue for the agency.

They're in the business of profiting from pollution and are responsible in large part for Alabama the Beautiful becoming Alabama the garbage heap of the United States.

And with landfills, Alabama attracts the waste industry with some of the lowest fees in the country, which in turn, sends out a message to the waste industry that we're wide open and willing to accept all the toxic waste you can bring us.

Alabama's permitting process is part of the attraction. ADEM leaves most of the decisions about whether to allow a landfill to local governments, and the siren song of a quick and steady income source has proven attractive to county commissions and city councils statewide. Alabama is home to nine landfills that accept garbage from more than one state.

This "dumping on Dixie" attitude has gone very badly in the past. One word--Emelle.

The same thing will happen in Reston if this Conecuh Woods landfill comes in. What ADEM should do is deny the permit in the first place, but they're hiding behind the horribly written Alabama laws on landfills and giving the appearance of leaving it up to local government to decide. But that's a hiding in plain sight ploy, because they are fully aware that the laws are written to allow approval with a no vote.

Reston is in very real danger of becoming the second Emelle, and if we didn't learn anything else from the "Cadillac of Toxic Waste Dumps" we should learn that it is an idea whose time should not come again.

The people of Reston have spoken again and again. 
They do not want this landfill. 
Who's listening?

So Say We The Opinion Board Of The Vincent Alabama Confidential 

Letter to Region 4 EPA, November 9, 2010 outlining the problems with Alabama landfills 
**Update--Baldwin County has thrown its opposition the landfill in the ring. But they need to make their reasons clear--is it because of decreased revenues to their landfills or for the better reason that the landfill leakage will threaten their watersheds and communities?

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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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Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange--Velvet Hammer or Iron Fist?

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange is reportedly lining up 'sledgehammers' of justice to dismantle the state's thick wall of public corruption.

In yesterday’s edition of the Birmingham News John Archibald wrote an interesting column about the coming ‘Hammer Time’ attitude of the AG’s office on the heads of elected officials who betray the public trust and defile Alabama Codes of Ethics. We’d like to think this might be a real turning point by the AG's office, but we suspect it’s really more of a velvet hammer in a political glove.

Archibald is a sharp tack and not much gets past his BS detector. He’s done some of the hardest hitting commentary to ever come out of the Birmingham No News and we are admirers of his courage to report what others will not.

That said, it’s no secret that Big Luther is positioning himself for the biggest office in Alabama--the Governorship. And even though we’d like to believe that this get tough hammer he’s swinging by assembling these hard tack men to go after corruption is solid, we’re just not buying it.

Big Luther has far too many Rileyites in his office and the former he wouldn’t know what ethical behavior is if it whacked him the head governor has high praise for Strange. That’s enough to set off more than a few pings of alarm in our minds.

And let’s not close to door on the recent article by Bob Martin that reveals the alleged oversight of foreman Riley in building Big Luther’s new house:

Riley called Strange to his office to lay out what he wanted from the new attorney general … and what he would do in return … a classic quid pro quo offer.

Riley told the incoming attorney general that he wanted him to “protect” his children and also direct any business he could to them. For that, Riley told Strange, he would support him for governor in 2014 and raise $2 million for his campaign.

No Alabama politician does anything with public fanfare, as this is, without their own agenda being the real driving force, we’ve seen that bear out time and time again.

The true test of what Luther says and what Luther does will be if there is an increase in stepped-up investigations into his own party members that end in convictions, not administrative window dressing and a slap on the wrist with a promise you won’t do it again re-alignment.

“Hammer time” in Alabama? Maybe.

But we think it’s going to be more of a pick and choose who to whack ball-peen hammer of authority rather than the non-discriminating iron fist of tough justice for all.

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