A Back of the Bus Idea

Why did the Shelby County Arts Council (SCAC) agree to accept funding for a Civil Rights play from White Rock Quarries (WRQ), an egregious violator of the rights of the minority residents in Vincent, Alabama's River Loop community? Answer: because in the campaign to deceive it's all about appearances. Whitewashing corporate dirt doesn't make it brighter - it only serves as a false cover for the darkness underneath.

A story ran recently in the Shelby County Reporter touting the importance of a new Civil Rights play "Too Many Questions: An Evening With Virginia Durr" based on a commissioned work by the Vulcan Park and Museum in 2009. Virginia Durr was the wife of noted Alabama lawyer Clifford Durr, a staunch advocate for "those accused of disloyalty during the New Deal and McCarthy eras."

Clifford Durr was also Rosa Park's attorney during the tumultuous Montgomery Bus Boycott and a life-long friendship developed between the Durr's and Parks that endured for the rest of their lives.

The Durr's, like Parks, were tireless champions for right in an era of momentous wrongs.

We don't believe the characters of the play would approve of having their names and lives bastardized like the SCAC is doing by allowing a corporate villan like WRQ to be involved in the stage production about the struggle for human rights.

WRQ has their own brand of 'wrong' in mind that they intend to inflict on an entire area of black folks in small town Alabama with the development of a huge mining operation.

The SCAC is dead wrong to allow this charade of 'corporate good citizenry' by following the mindset of dirty money for a good cause washes away all sin and the fight for Civil Rights is over.

Not in certain areas of Shelby County it isn't. It never was.

The play is described as "very educational" an opportunity for area high school students to "learn about Civil Rights." We suggest that if the SCAC genuinely wants to educate high school students about the modern day experience of the plight of African Americans in Shelby County, they can start by talking to the residents of the River Loop.

The history of the Civil Rights movement in America is important. We do believe in continuing to educate young people about one of the darkest chapters in our American history after slavery. What we don't believe in is the usurping of a cause by those who would commit current sins against a segment of people they're posturing themselves as caring about.

Environmental racism is the new Civil Rights fight for African American communities and it's a fight they are losing more often than winning. When it comes to corporate and political greed, people of color, often living in lower income communities, are disproportionately and specifically targeted every day in the 21st century.

Landfills, mining operations and other invasive toxic industries are rarely found in white enclaves and suburbia. The worst toxic titans calculatingly and cunningly seek out the areas of perceived least resistance - areas where they think there are disposable segments of populations who are made even more vulnerable by corrupt politicians and officials eager to cash in on clandestine deals entered into out of the public eye.

Backroom deals don't begin to describe what happened in Vincent when the idea of a massive quarry was conceived.

Secret meetings between quarry representatives and local officials took place more than once, in another county, and they were restricted to groups just small enough to barely remain within the parameters the state's poorly written Sunshine law and Open Meetings Act.

County officials were also frequently meeting with those same representatives in their county offices. When records were requested by Vincent residents through FOIA from the county planning department, what came back appeared to be heavily edited.

WRQ even made the bold move of hiring the up-until-recently president of the powerful Shelby County Commission, Lindsey Allison, as their "additional counsel." Ms. Allison's law practice was exclusive to family law. To this day, she has never revealed how much she was compensated by WRQ, and despite more than one ethics violations complaint, the state Ethics Commission determined 'no wrongdoing had occurred.'

When multiple parcels of land were purchased in the area of the River Loop under well-cloaked shell companies, at highly inflated prices, not one inch of dirt belonged to a black resident. Every transaction was between white folks benefiting white folks. 

Otis McCrimmon

WRQ president, Jim Hurley, sent a letter to one of the more well-known residents from the area, Otis McCrimmon, only after millions had been spent by his company securing land. The intention of the letter was thinly veiled and was clearly an attempt to placate and pander to Mr. McCrimmon's justifiable ill feelings towards WRQ's actions. 

Mr. McCrimmon, like most of the folks on the River Loop, likes his life just the way it is. He moved on to family land from the city, and believed that was where he would live out his days, surrounded by kinfolk, and enjoying the peaceful picturesque area of Vincent they call 'home.' For Otis McCrimmon, some things are more valuable in life than money:

Otis McCrimmon, a 68-year-old lifelong Vincent resident, said he's worried about how a 45-acre plot owned by his family would be affected by the quarry.

McCrimmon said his land faces the proposed quarry in two directions.

His land and the land where the quarry plans to put a pair of retention ponds is only separated by a fence. McCrimmon said he was never approached about selling his land for the quarry, and if he had been, he would have likely said no.

Jim Hurley's feeble attempt at damage control was not at all well-received, particularly because it came through a local elected district representative, Vincent City Council member Bridgett Jordan Smith. Mrs. Smith, also a minority, infuriated her citizens by remaining persistently tone-deaf to their pleas for help against the quarry. Her behavior throughout the entire quarry process has been shocking in its arrogance against those she is supposed to 'work for' and 'represent' in local affairs.

Residents in the area consider her to be a sell-out to her 'own' people, and believe that she is acting for personal gain - either in a more powerful elected office and/or access to the monies the quarry will generate for the town. Adding insult to injury is the fact that she is related to some of the families in the area.

By enlisting Smith to deliver the letter, Hurley garnered even more animus from the River Loop residents, who perceived his choice of delivery as pandering to a low denominator - 'you're their black representative you carry the water for me.'

Bridgette Jordan Smith even had the audacity to channel the words of Martin Luther King as justification for a 'yes' vote on the quarry in public just last year. It had all the effect of a fire hose and dogs on her constituents, and brought gasps of shock from quarry opponents.

White Rock's representatives beamed with approval.

Mr. McCrimmon is on record as saying this about Jim Hurley: "In all this time that man has never set foot on my doorstep, never talked to me directly even though his property is right next to mine now."

What's next to Mr. McCrimmon is land that once belonged to the current Mayor Ray McAllister's daughter-in-law and former Vincent Zoning board member Robbie Greene. WRQ bought out the entire Greene family properties, including Robbie's parents parcel, for millions. All of them abruptly made a quick exit to another county.

Ray McAllister then moved from zoning board member to Mayor in the 2008 election.

Thanks to all of these unfortunate events, the entire community has been told to shut up and forced to the back of the bus. City leaders have refused all citizen's requests for one-on-one meetings and a community vote on the project. All of Vincent will have to pay the price of the county and city's 'police state' methods, but no one will suffer more from this forced action than the community of the River Loop.

If they were here today, Rosa Parks and the Durr's most assuredly would not approve of what is happening to Vincent's minority population. They would not believe that the process has been fair, just and non-discriminatory. In fact, we envision this is just the sort of instance all three would have worked to correct if they were called on for help.

What the SCAC is doing, by accepting WRQ's money and sponsorship, especially for a project of this nature, is a slap in the face to the memory of what the Durr's stood for. 

Throwing money behind the right cause from the wrong people is more than hypocritical - it undermines the purity of what is supposed to be good and just. There are numerous organizations in Alabama who could have helped sponsor the Durr endeavor, WRQ should not be one of them. Where is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and why didn't they get involved?

All of the organizations aligned with the production are giddy with excitement over their idea and probably do believe they are standing on the moral high ground. That said, it's not plausible anyone in Shelby County is unaware of the outcry from the citizens on the River Loop against the 1,000 acre behemoth set to open right in the heart of their community.

No one who can help is listening to them. They're too busy trying to look like they care to take the time to act as if they do.

And they're missing an important lesson in human rights.

If any of them were to ask the River Loop residents how they feel today about what the county, the city and WRQ has done to their lives, they would hear echoes of some familiar words once spoken by the great Rosa Parks: "Why do push us all around and treat us like we're second class citizens?"

There's an education about Civil Rights alive right now in Vincent down on the River Loop, that's different than a stage production of decades ago, but it speaks in similar ways with an impact no put on event ever can.

We challenge the SCAC and all the others involved with this production to go and listen to those voices and learn what it really feels like to be 'black right now' in Shelby County.

So Say We The Opinion Board Of The Vincent Alabama Confidential

Shelby County Arts Council (205) 669-0044
Vulcan Park and Museum (205) 933-1409

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Dr. Bentley's Rx: Deception--Costs and In-Depth Details of Elevated Highway 280 Plan Remain Hidden

Works of "art" or outdated concrete behemoths?

August 11, 2010 Stan Diel Birmingham News--Dr. Robert Bentley, the Republican candidate for governor in the November election, today said he favors building an elevated toll road over U.S. 280 to relieve congestion.

Governor "Dr. Dr." Bentley prides himself on his medical curriculum vitae and claims to be the "smartest man ever elected governor of Alabama." He's convinced himself he's just what Alabama needs and will cure all of our ills with his own brand of corporate-infused republican medicine. Especially our so-called current state budget crisis that's resulted in deep cuts to education, slashed social services and a gutting of numerous programs that directly affect regular folks who are struggling just to get by.

“Alabama is hurting, and we need a doctor,” Bentley, a former dermatologist from Tuscaloosa, told voters in last year’s campaign. Once he took office in January and looked at the patient — the budget — he said: “We’re a lot worse off than you think.”

Predictably, the usual suspects joined in the chorus of misery: Speaker of the House Mike 'Road Man' Hubbard and Senator Jabo "Clueless" Waggoner. Neither of these two political animals experiences life by the drop as most of Alabama does. The same public who did not create the mess are the ones being asked to bleed for the good of the state's insiders economic prosperity--i.e. private profit equals public pain.

The 'Dr. who can't' seems oblivious to the practice of good-for-the-folks medicine, because he refuses to end cronyism, despite promises to the contrary, and he's created a public-private merger through ADO and EDPA that in effect allows wealthy private corporations an all access pass to the state till and taxpayer's money. In addition to allowing the appointing of like-minded players to power positions within the framework of the organization and to state offices.

Creating a public-private partnership, and placing it in the hands of Alabama schemers, won't remedy our politician and corporate inflicted ills--in fact, they'll only worsen the sickness of corruption that got us into the state we're in now by allowing more insiders to walk away with millions in taxpayer money and leave communities holding the bag. Corruption, theft and abandonment of long-standing public policy are real possibilities in PPPs as they give rise to entities larger than the original government: they can become monstrous-sized power structures with a full stranglehold on democracy and public good.

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” - Benito Mussolini

We're on a slippery slope that isn't going anywhere near the smaller government republicans swear they support.  Road building and economic development are the breeding grounds for these unholy alliances of state and corporate power. Foreign entities get in on the act too with groups like Cinta and Macquerie, who have been "nosing around in Alabama" looking for roads and bridges (Macquerie has one in Alabama already) to privatize and toll.

Will one of these two foreign investors own the Elevated Hwy 280 toll road? How can Alabama claim to pay for the project when the lion's share of toll fees will go out of the country? Isn't this selling off the state's infrastructure to the highest bidder? If the county a toll road runs through gets their hands on toll fees then Harris County, Texas should serve as a clear warning of the potential for misuse.
*(Must watch video at a republican campaign event in Texas of an audience member asking about PPP's and toll roads. The candidate sits down, a yes man jumps up, and with great animation addresses the audience member's query. Watch how quickly he evades real answers, executes a classic political bait and switch, and turns the argument into those "socialistic democrats" are the real problem lady!)

So many questions. So few demanding honest answers.

The special interests involved in the the antiquated Elevated Highway 280 plan are made up of some of these types of caballers: deep-pocketed campaign donors and selectively hand-picked beneficiaries of Alabama's supposedly hard-to-come-by greenbacks. Interests like the *road gang for one.
(*Section II-- "Who Is The Road Lobby?")

They're connected to Alabama's purse strings by way of Governors Riley and Bentley and consist of groups like: cement companies (ACPA SE, Cemex), an out-of-state engineering firm (Figg), and the strategically located likely road material supplier, White Rock Quarries (WRQ), who's set to blow the smithereens out of small town Vincent, Alabama. WRQ also just happens to be a subsidiary of the stinking rich Vecellio Group. Vecellio's subsidiaries include road building (Vecellio & Grogan is one of the largest in the nation) and asphalt companies among its corporate pool.

The coziness of certain players involved with the 280 idea and sheer coincidence of 'we do that too' is a bit too handy to discount as chance. Add to the mix that the second biggest take of the WRQ quarry profits goes straight into Shelby County's coffers, and their palpable disappointment that the project may not have gone forward starts to make a lot more sense to even a casual observer.

In March of 2010 ALDOT halted all work on the 280 project due to "a lack of consensus from local governments." Shelby County took a counter view to the Birmingham News and cried foul over the abrupt stoppage. (It's important to note that unchecked development by Shelby County created much of the traffic woes that exist on 280 today.) By the summer of 2010, after a full court press by certain entities working behind the scenes in all the cities that counted, from Jefferson to Shelby County, the project roared back to life as the must-build toll road to 'breathe life into our cities.'

Vincent's Mayor claimed the "town of Vincent cannot survive without the highway" and he used that claim to push through a fast vote on a resolution supporting the project. Does WRQ's Vincent Hills Quarry have anything to do with his fervent support and was he repeating instructed propaganda from BARD, who's creator and former Bentley transition team member, Stephen E. Bradley (Bradley & Associates), represents White Rock Quarries? Were Mr. Bradley and his BARD legal sidekick, Balch & Bingham lawyer Rob Fowler (also representing WRQ), the ones who led the charge to get as many cities on board as possible through those so-called supportive resolutions?

One other notable thread seems to run throughout the road gang and their high-minded ideas in Alabama: Figg Engineering.

CEO Linda Figg, who has close ties to Vecillio, suitably "impressed" former Governor Riley so much he put her company on the state dole in 2005. Figg has been raking in the megabucks from state coffers on projects around Alabama ever since, including the Hwy. 280 plan. She's a mover and shaker who carries substantial clout according to Concrete 2011:

Linda Figg: CEO Figg Engineering Group, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A. The Figg Group is a relatively small but highly influential consulting firm specialising in bridge engineering, with a portfolio of inspirational structures which have realised the company’s philosophy of ‘creating bridges as art.’

We would like to know why these special interest's projects, including the far from economically challenged Ms. Figg, don't seem to be suffering from the same "debridement procedure" that the good doctor governor is applying to programs that deeply hurt average and low-income Alabamians.

And why is ALDOT being evasive with their figures to Figg and others?

Queries have been made to ALDOT by numerous individuals asking for the full amount to date spent on (the now double its initial estimate of $800 million) the Elevated Highway 280 plan. So far, ALDOT is avoiding an honest answer. John Cooper, Director of Transportation for ALDOT, recently received the green light from Governor Bentley's ATRBTA board to "talk privately with an engineering company that (allegedly) came up with a lower cost estimate."

“Governor Robert Bentley believes transparency in government is critical to earning the trust of the people it serves.”

Bentley campaigned on that issue of transparency too. Yet, the board he chairs (and John Cooper sits on) thinks it's appropriate to conduct state business "privately" about a public use road project. Trust is gained through open transparency throughout a process and quickly lost by selectively applying transparency at will, Dr. Governor. Why is the cloak of unaccountability being thrown around your appointee Mr. Cooper?

What else is ARTBTA, Governor Bentley and ALDOT not telling us about this project?

And why can't the press get it right on what the actual figure is?

Birmingham News' transportation reporter, "Driving Miss Crazy" Ginny MacDonald, has stated in her online "Live Chat" that ALDOT has "paid out $316,000.00 on the Highway 280 study" as of early summer 2011. Where is she getting her low-balled information? From ALDOT's press chat room?

Ms. MacDonald has cited difficulty in obtaining the figure because of "ALDOT in-house work, private contractors, etc." but assured readers in the "Live Chat" forum she "will get the information" from ALDOT. 

We haven't experienced the degree of difficulty she claims to have encountered. In fact, without much effort, the VAC has a memo (displayed below) to ALDOT's Finance and Audits Department, dated June 8, 2010, requesting payment of a Figg Bridge Engineers invoice in the amount of $1,143,915.00.

That's just ONE invoice--from 16 months ago! And it's a much higher figure than Ms. MacDonald has been parroting to the public through the news media forum on a subject she claims to be knowledgeable about.

This one invoice is more information than has been reported in any news agency in the state on what has been charged to ALDOT --and state taxpayers-- by the company that has been working on the elevated toll road for years!

Transparency anyone?
Figg Eng. Invoice to ALDOT

More on this topic in a subsequent post about Governor Bentley recently repeating the Riley era mantra and asking the feds for sooner-than-agreed-to increases in Alabama's share of offshore oil and gas royalties. Road building and O&G royalties--yes, they are connected.

photo credit: David Johnstone

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Finally! Recall Proceedings Have Begun Against Vincent Mayor and 4 City Council Members

You don't push some people without one day expecting them to push back.

*Updated Tuesday afternoon see below

It's been a long time coming, but finally, Vincent, Alabama residents opposed to the massive rock quarry that was been railroaded through approval by a non-responsive and corrupt city government, have challenged the Mayor and four council member's jobs with a recall petition.

Vincent Mayor Ray McAllister, City Council members Bridgette Jordan-Smith, Johnny Edwards, Mary Lee Reynolds and Larry King are all targets of the petitioners. The one lone dissenter, Ralph Kimble, did not sign the petition.

It could not happen to a more deserving group of turncoats in our opinion.

Expect BARD bullies Stephen Bradley and Rob Fowler to run to the protection of the city leadership, in addition to a hurry up by ADEM to issue a permit. Wonder if they'll try to pull a trick and skirt the public meeting requirement before permit issuance?

While we're on this subject, let's have a look at the idiot in charge of Vincent and his outlandish claims of what an almost 1000 acre quarry will and won't do. 

(video link, takes time, abt. 3 minutes, to load after commercial, be patient, it's worth it) 

Here's a translation transcript sent to us by a reader that is spot on, and written in southern colloquialism befitting the geniuses that run Vincent who fancy themselves so educated:

"Fact:  Vincent has the largest live decorated Christmas Tree in the state of Alabama."   "Now - back in July - after a year of investigating...we voted to re-district some property   and they have made a lot of commitments to the town of Vincent - they are putting in the most modern equipment....... they say ZERO dust....folks don't like dust."  
 
"I went to see a little quarry... and I say --- how purty the water was going over a little water fall.... the man say --'I work here at this here quarry and git you a jar and git you some water and it's gonna be bettah than what you got in your city water....... the good news is we gonna git 125 jobs....not that 125 jobs is a lot of jobs."  

"That paper place is closing....we be right across the riber from dat. People gonna spend their money locally."  
(How many Vincent residents worked for dat Bowater place? We tol’ the folks these heah jobs was going to be Vincent jobs for Vincent folks…maybe we lie a lil’ here and there.)

"400K from ADECA - to pave the #1 worst road in the state of Alabama..."   

Ol’ Spencer Boy Bachus got them a grant for a fire truck and let dem quarry folks off da hook for the $350,000 they promised to give Vincent for da' truck- thank God for Homeland Security and FEMA.  (You know they get so little done right).   

The Mayor claims "Vincent is beautiful, we got us some parks…" 
(he really did mention Gorman Park - who ever wrote this speech might should have warned him about the discarded condoms lying around.)   

Maybe some of dem folks at da Chamber meetin' will go on down to Gorman Park and see for demselves, after all the Mayor put an invite right out there didn‘t he?   

Good for you citizens of Vincent!

*Update-- The never-friendly-to-citizens Alabama League of Municipalities (ALOM) is claiming that the residents cannot use recall based on this section of Alabama Code. Note the section applies to Commissioners only, and according to the LOM, only in one city in Alabama is there a provision (thanks to the Aladumba legislature) that provides the right to recall-- Dothan. 
(So the rest of you are out of luck. How stupid is this?)

The Vincent residents used this section of Alabama Code. 

Which clearly covers recall of at least the Mayor (and any Commissioner according to this section.) 

So which is it? 

Is the ALOM citing the code section that serves their purposes and is on the side of denying the people of Vincent, or any other municipality for that matter, the right to recall their elected officials everywhere but the City of Dothan, Alabama? 

Just whom do you really serve ALOM? Never mind. We know the answer.


If ALOM is correct, then it is one of the most poorly written laws imaginable, and no community in Alabama is afforded the right to recall their elected officials.
Even our state constitution speaks to the right of the people and their government:
"People are the source of power"

This should be the test case for every Alabama community to be afforded clear and concise remedy to bad government in the form of recall when the citizens demand it. 

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Guest Commentary-- BBA, Birmingham News, BARD and the Coziness of Special Interests in Alabama Business, Media and Politics

Big Mules in New Wagons
By: Conner Cambran

A seemingly innocuous Associated Press report, New Governor Looks at Changes in Business Recruitment, warrants a re-read and a closer look at Governor-Elect Robert Bentley’s push for a public-private partnership agency to recruit industry to Alabama.

What's the problem with Governor-elect Bentley’s current proposal?

Certainly, Alabama’s business and industry titans could offer valuable advice on how to attract more industry, right? Yes, but wouldn't the Business Alliance for Responsible Development (BARD) and their very powerful members (e.g., Drummond Company, U.S. Steel, Alabama Power, Protective Life Corp, US Steel) also stand to gain an unbalanced degree of power?

Consolidation in economic development is certainly in vogue. The Birmingham Business Alliance was created by merging the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce with the Metropolitan Development Board and Region 2020. Now, Operation New Birmingham may be enveloped by the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) as well.

Charles McCrary is not just the chief executive of Alabama Power. He is also the chairman of the EDPA and vice chairman of economic development at the BBA. He is also chairman of Bentley's transition team. Stephen Bradley, BARD creator, is the "message man" for Bentley and his form of messaging is one-sided and questionable at best.

Alabama Power was a founding member of the EDPA and was one of the largest contributors to the chamber, MDB, Region 2020 and ONB. Funding all entities meant the company had to write a lot of checks each year in an attempt to lure new industry -- industry that would consume large amounts of electrical power.

True, successful business/industry CEOs could provide insight on recruiting other businesses or industries to the state. But could BBA members use their power to block competing businesses from setting up shop in the state?  Could they propel certain projects in order to gain contracts for their own companies? 

Some argue that the elevated Hwy 280 is just such a “sweetheart deal” for developer Daniel Corporation. HealthSouth, which still owns 40% of the so-called digital hospital where Daniel hopes to have Community Health System’s Trinity Hospital relocate, for paving contractors, for White Rock Quarries (which will certainly provide the materials for the road work with their ideal location in Vincent, Alabama, a "stone's throw" from Hwy 280), and other BBA members.

The merging of big business and government and/or quasi-government agencies warrants closer scrutiny. An eagle eye, in fact. But don’t hold your breath waiting for the area’s main newspaper (Bham News) to explore the pros and cons of such a union. One of the BBA’s executive committee members, Birmingham News publisher Pam Siddall, was feted by Trinity Hospital and the BBA upon taking the position at the News.

Consider the “merger” of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Development Board into the Birmingham Business Alliance.

The Chamber formerly boasted of both large and small businesses as members and proudly printed a membership directory.

We don’t know if the BBA counts all of the Chamber’s previous small businesses as members because we cannot find a published membership directory. We do know that Alabama Power, Drummond Company, Harbert Management (formerly Harbert Corporation, an Alabama-based construction company with worldwide contracts) and other heavy hitters are represented on BBA committees by their principals.

In reviewing the list of the BBA’s Big Mule committee appointees at BBA Names New Board Officers, you likely won’t recognize all of the names. Neither do we. But we recognize enough of them to convince us that it’s worth a Google search on the others to just to see how many of the Big Mules are pulling this wagon.

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Federal Indictments in Alabama: One Down Ten to Go--Lobbyist Massey Pleads "Guilty"

Jarrod "the snake" Massey

As a result of the FBI probe into Alabama corruption and bribery involving lobbyists and elected officials, which netted eleven suspects, one has now decided to admit his guilt in an effort to save his no good hide from a stiffer penalty.

Mr. Massey is the founder of Mantra Governmental (page by cache status only) and the following is from the site on their ethics:

MANTRA Governmental is proud to be a leading provider in Alabama’s government relations industry in the areas of ethics and operating standards. We practice and maintain an internal ethics program maintained by counsel that exceeds the ethical requirements of our industry. All MANTRA professionals are required to participate in the program which includes annual training on the rules and guidelines regulating the government relations industry in Alabama and abroad.

To be blunt, it appears Massey has sort of shot all that to hell hasn't he?

Former popular Alabama legislator (a white dem, a rarity in Alabama, who served as a republican governor's floor leader) William F. "Noopie" Cosby, Jr. counts Mantra Governmental as one of his lobbying clients. (page 20 0f 84 Ala. Ethics Comm. 2010 lobbyists) What does this say about "good guy" Mr. Cosby?

You can read more about Mr. Massey, his recent plea and his admissions of who he bribed (and how much) here. We thought some of the comments following the story were interesting and we would like to include some of them below before they possibly disappear from view, which happens frequently with Al.com. (Readers also tell us their accounts no longer work for commenting and they get a "session timed out" constantly.)

"Massey acted on his own and is now making a plea deal. What a jerk. This guy used to sit at the bar at the Renaissance Hotel and run his mouth about how much of a big shot he is and talk about his shady exploits over shots. The more this buffoon drank the more he talked. He is nothing more than a bag man with a big mouth."

"Massey is a womanizing, loud mouth, drunk who would gallivant around Alley Bar and the Renaissance Hotel in his girly red little convertible with his "Lobby1" license plate. Then this idiot gets indicted and goes and buys a Porsche! How stupid can you be? He is a loose cannon."

"Who can trust anything Jarrod Massey says? He is a paid liar. Didn't any of you ever see the movie "Thank you for Smoking"? That's all lobbyists do. Lie. Lie. Lie. And apparently Massey liked to drink and womanize too. I've heard all kinds of stories from my friends who live in Montgomery and saw this pig out at bars. He is a lying, cheating, sack of manure and deserves to rot in jail for both his involvement and his ratting."

These comments are an accurate reflection of what the public thinks about "paid liars" like Massey. Montgomery is full of these smarmy types who are ticks on the dog of Alabama politics. Together with the corporations they represent, they are bleeding the state of millions of dollars every year. 

Why is this allowed to happen? 

Lobbyists have a lot to do with it.

Our new governor has signaled his willingness to continue this process with his close affiliation with super lobbyist Michael J. Davis of Balch & Bingham, among other individuals with controversial histories he has surrounded himself with.

You cannot move forward with new ideas surrounded by minds that are rooted in the past.
This is one of the main reasons that there will never be true ethics reform in Alabama--it would cost these lobbyists their power, the legislators their perks of office and strong accountability and true transparency would sweep all of that away. 

It's ingrained into our political process to be corrupt, on the take and morally bankrupt. In fact, it seems to be a job requirement for political office.

Politicians in Alabama are content to stay with what and who they know and the familiar to them rather than expanding their thinking and ideas to new ways of doing things. This is what makes the prominent claim of Alabama's republican super majority of a "new day in Alabama politics" disingenuous on its face.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"

Mr. Massey is merely a reflection of the atmosphere of Alabama politics. Men like him flourish because they are allowed to thrive in a calculated environment that makes it possible.

Left In Alabama did an excellent posting on the DOJ investigation complete with links to the actual documents. A very interesting read!

Speaking of sordidness, here's a riddle for you folks in Alabama, especially the Vincent area:
What do a married WRQ lobbyist, Tuesday afternoons and barely dressed babes in short plaid skirts all have in common with each other?

A correct answer wins the photo solution.
*(we have a winner, enjoy your photo and we hope you will put it to good use!)

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Walker County, Alabama & ADEM Wars With Tires, Child's Toys and Old Mattresses-- Not Concerned With Coal Mine Contamination

In a state that has so many significant environmental problems it's comforting to know that under new director, Lance LeFleur, ADEM has its priorities straight regarding "serious threats" to the environment. Walker County serves as a skewed example of the misplaced concern over what it is really important to crack down on (i.e. coal mining) for community health and the environment of its citizens and what's not as big of a threat in ADEMs view--like arsenic and mercury in the groundwater and tributaries of the Black Warrior River from coal mine discharges.

Old tire dumping "could be a felony."

Child's toy and old mattress "threatens" environment in Cordova Walker County, Alabama

These recent statements from various Walker County personnel and one Jasper physician about the illegal dump sites found in the area, and the "threats" they pose, makes us wonder why we haven't seen this type of saber rattling and condemnation before about the effects of coal mining on the local environment in Walker County. Well, no not really, we know why, one word: Drummond.

Trent McCluskey, administrator for the Walker County Jail:

"This is a serious issue that is destroying parts of our county. ....this behavior is endangering the inhabitants of our county."
Walker County Sheriff John Mark Tirey:

"This is a serious problem...In some instances this would be a felony."

Jerome Hand ADEM Public relations:

"Across the state this is a major concern. We will help in cost recovery for the cleanups of these areas..."

"State agency is willing to do it's part to help local officials rid Walker County of illegal tire dump sites."

Sumiton Mayor Petey Ellis (who just happens to own a business near one of the dump sites):

"This is a good thing and they are doing a good job taking care of this problem. This is making our city and entire county look better and it is making a safer place for citizens."

Jasper physician Dr. Casey Vague:

"Health problems are a major concern around dumps of any size."

(It's interesting that his opinion is important for this specific issue, but anytime ADEM wants to issue a new landfill permit anywhere in the state it's not a problem.)

McCluskey's parting thoughts end the article with this:

"Walker County is home to a lot of good people. Walker County is not a mere waste receptacle for the thoughtless. Report illegal dumping. Help to protect the environment."

We'll agree that illegal dumping of any kind is not to be taken lightly but when you have "state and local agencies rallying" to save the county from these potentially "felonious transgressions" and ignoring many of the real ones it can all be summed up in another image.

ADEM & ASMC on Alabama's environment

Recently, the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) approved a permit for the Sheperd's Bend/Poplar Springs Mine despite strong resistance from the Birmingham Water Works Board, physicians, lawyers, engineers, environmentalists and others who warned this proposed coal mine would have devastating effects on Jefferson County's drinking water, in addition to the groundwater in the surrounding area. The mine will be discharging into the nearby tributary waters of the Black Warrior River.

Cordova Mayor Jack Scott, who was himself a coal miner for twenty-two years, presides over the community where the mine will be placed and shows that he is a Mayor of vision with the following remarks;

"We support it. This is Walker County. We are famous for strip mining coal," Scott said. "It'll have no effect but positive for Cordova."

He can't summon any sympathy for pollution concerns of the Birmingham Water Works, which has a water intake just across the river from the proposed mine site. For Scott, the Water Works tap is a raid on a local resource.

"I couldn't care less about Birmingham," he said. "They are going to suck the river dry." 

The Shepherd Bend site is five miles from downtown, and Scott does not believe it would thwart redevelopment. Nor is Scott concerned about mining's impact on the river.

"Things happen, but it is highly regulated. It's not like it is going to ruin the river," Scott said. "The land is not as pretty after it is stripped but coal is a necessity. This country was built on coal. If everybody blocked coal companies from stripping, we'd be back in the 1600s." 

Between this jughead's lunacy and Alabama Representative Sanders recent claims of blacks would return to the "days of Jim Crow and cotton fields" if republicans are elected November 2 is it any wonder we are the laughing stock of the nation?

Closer examination of the linked story from the Daily Mountain Eagle reveals that it may really be about the Mayor and city anticipating a big cash windfall that will allow them to have their hands directly in the funds. Now why does that sound familiar....? Oh yeah, that's right---the City of Vincent and why they approved a controversial quarry (from Shelby County's and Governor Riley's behind-the-scenes persuading) located in one of the riskiest places you could choose to put a such massive excavation.

Home grown corruption in Alabama's counties and small communities is why we have so many "ethically challenged" politicians in the state house--they learn it on local levels first and carry it with them to Montgomery and Washington.

In yet another really bonehead move by ADEM and the ASMC they permitted this recently approved Walker County mine with the following justification:

Randall Johnson, director of the Surface Mining Commission, said the permit issued today is 4,200 feet upstream from the water intake. *The company will be required to monitor water quality and make corrections if the discharges from the mine violate water quality standards.

* (Yep, the fox will be required to watch the hen house as usual)

"We wanted to make sure we are not going to get any metals or sediment that would compromise the quality of water going into the Birmingham water works intake," Johnson said. "We do not anticipate any problems. If we issue a permit we issue one that is environmentally sound and I think that is what we have here."

We're not even going to bother to go into the long list of how many times ADEM and ASMC decisions are anything but environmentally sound because there's not enough room in three sites to cover them. In fact, we have not been able to find a single one that is environmentally sound or one that's sound on any level for that matter.
ASMC Commissioners (note Dorman Grace the former Ag 2010 candidate. Mining and Ag are as far away from each other as you can get because one seeks to preserve lands while the other intends to destroy them.)

The conclusion of this fight is hinging on the University of Alabama's next move since it owns all the contiguous land to be leased to the mine which will add much more acreage to the 34 acres that are permitted now. The mine is counting on that UA land which is why they have pushed so hard to get a permit on the 34 acres. This has got to be uncomfortable for the Roll Tide big house because many of its alumni and trustees (Drummond among them) have deep ties to big coal and big business.

The proposed mine still has a ways to go before it is fully approved. Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center are challenging the pollution discharge permit granted by ADEM. Also, the ASMC still has to decide on whether to approve a mining permit for the Drummond Company subsidiary.

For a university dedicated to improving the state of Alabama, leasing the land for a strip mine would be an aberrant decision. This proposed mine, more than an hour away from campus, does not visibly damage the university itself, but it has the potential to harm two communities and the reputation of the self-proclaimed flagship university of the state.

The University of Alabama should decide not to lease its land, even if the mine passes all regulatory tests. A university’s purpose is to prepare its students for the future so that they can improve their communities. This university needs to prove that it practices what it preaches.

It will be interesting to see what the next moves are by UA. If you are a former student of UA and care about this issue, take a moment to let the university know what your take is on it. The last thing UA wants is a black eye (literally) of any kind and their public perception is paramount to them as any resident of Alabama knows.

UA President Dr. Robert E. Witt
(205) 348-5103

witt@pres.ua.edu

In the meantime, citizens of Alabama stand warned--in the eyes of ADEM if you dump a tire, a broken child's toy or an old mattress somewhere other than your residential waste receptacles and local landfills you could be a felon, and may be vigorously prosecuted from your "thoughtless" actions if you dare soil Alabama's pristine environment and endanger the health of an entire community with your "toxic" Playskool, Serta and Goodyear castoffs.

Notice--this does not apply to any members, friends and business associates of the Drummond and Walter families-- State of Alabama

WalkerCountyStripMine2010BWRK
Janice Barrett of Wild South sums it up nicely in a Letter to the Editor from the September 25th edition of the Birmingham News. Judging from the reader's comments, with the exception of one, most people get it--this mine is a really bad idea any way you look at it.

“In 1819, when Alabama entered the Union, its leaders designed a great seal that featured the state’s waterways. In adopting this symbol they affirmed their belief that the future of Alabama lay with its rivers.
It did, and still does.”
Harvey Jackson III
Rivers of History

 

Smilin' Bob Riley and The Partnership of Shelby County, Alabama

Can someone please name another county in Alabama that Governor Riley has such a keen interest in that matches his interest in Shelby County, Alabama? If there is another county website with a picture like the one below from The Partnership of Shelby County, Alabama, what would they hope to convey with this type of image that seems better suited to a personal photo album than it does as the web presence of an economic Shelby County Chamber of Commerce committee? Does it mean to say come to Shelby County and climb aboard the Riley express to whatever you want?

Photo from homepage of shelbycountypartnership.org October 20, 2010. Pictured are: Heather Ruth Stripling, Jennifer Trammell and Lindsay Humphries with Bingo Bob.

Why is Governor Riley "tickling the ribs" of these women?

Additional information from The Partnership website;

Strategic Business Development

Mission: To promote the creation, expansion, and preservation of Shelby County businesses of all types and sizes through education, access to information and contacts, as well as assisting public and private efforts to improve the business climate in Shelby County while maintaining the quality of life Shelby County residents have come to expect.

We have written extensively on the environmental problems in Shelby County resulting from industrial development and business and residential developments. The EPA audit for the county outlines their extensive problems and has earned them a noncompliance notice for their stormwater management program (SWMP). In addition to citing the non-existent industrial inspections by the county that are having a detrimental impact on the county's environment. So, the question we have is what's their definition of "maintaining the quality of life" and what have they heard from their citizens about what "Shelby County residents have come to expect" in that regard?

If the residents were fully informed of what is really going on in the county and their environment we don't think they would be happy with the county's actions and the glaring lack of good stewardship in maintaining a healthy environment for its residents. Clearly, the county is more concerned with economic development at the cost of the environment. The EPA 2009 audit and CWA violations of some of the residential developments (linked in the R sidebar of this site) in the county illustrate that point with compelling documentations.

We took note of a tweet on Ms. Trammell's twitter page:

Shelby County Reporter | Vincent Town Council approves White Rock quarry request http://ping.fm/Zoctx 6:10 AM Jul 16th via Ping.fm

It's so nice to know that this was maybe her first tweet of the morning to alert her "tweetettes" about what the majority of the residents of Vincent, Alabama do not want--White Rock Quarries 886 acre Vincent Hills monstrosity. Maybe she ought to come and buy one of the houses that WRQ scared the longtime Carlisle Road residents out of and experience the same joy that Vincent's minority residents will have to endure by living next to this huge quarry. 

This tweet appeared in-between various bible verses. What was that *story about "love your neighbor as yourself?" Vincent residents aren't feeling any love from Shelby County Ms. Trammell we can assure you of that. What they're feeling is bowled over by Columbiana.
*(Parable of the Good Samaritan) 

More from The Partnership site;

About Us/Contact:

It is the vision of The Partnership to create a unified voice for developing the human, physical and financial capital to support the current and future economic vitality in the greater Shelby County region.

What is meant by the term human capital and how is that quantified? Is that a dressed up term for workers, similar to garbage men being described as sanitation directors?

Let's have some more fun with photos from the 2009 Partnership launch:

Jennifer Trammell in one of her more "professional" moments. Who was the bonehead who thought this photo portrayed anything business-like? It almost seems to say: "I told you I would get the Governor here, are my blood red, painted just for Riley nails in the shot too?"

C'mon Jen you know how much we like to play paper dolls together...

The absurdity is great comic relief and it just shows you what pillars of intellect and the razor sharp judgment these egotistical hand baskets possess that we have running this county. And as much cheekiness as we are applying to these images, we are not claiming there is any type of physical relationship going on between the Governor and Ms. Tranmmell, we're just having a bit of fictional fun with them.

We are going to close this with a question that is serious and deserving of not only of a good answer, but it also deserves some further investigation: Why does the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce employ Dr. Robert Wayne Nichols as a lobbyist for the SCC? (page #23) He's got one hell of a pedigree that's for certain.

Heavy hitters like this don't come cheap to a county that is claiming they have slashed their budget "to the bone" and cannot "afford pay raises." Between what the county jail spends for Pine Sol and what they are paying this fellow it starts to make sense why they claim those two "hardships" which affect everyday, hard working, average Shelby County workers, but not polished older gentlemen with cute little dogs.
(We'll agree with what you say on your Facebook page Doc, because we also pray everyday for "the strength to not slap an idiot" ourselves.)

Dr. Echols and dawg wishin' everybody a Roll Tide Christmas y'all! (Love the pom pom too)

The following municipalities and cities do not have COC lobbyists according to the 2010 Alabama Ethics Board registered lobbyist list: Montgomery County, Baldwin County, Jefferson County, City of Mountain Brook and the City of Vestavia Hills.

Shelby County is considered heavily politically connected, the pictures above prove some of that and what are the legislators and elected state representative for the county not able to accomplish in their own state house that an expensive, well-heeled lobbyist can? How much is it costing the county to employ Dr. Echols and what do they get for their money?

Why does the Shelby County COC require a lobbyist while there are none in the above communities listed where you might expect to find someone to represent their economic interests to the legislature?

It's a simple and valid question and probably, in truth and secrecy, one that has a complicated answer that we won't ever really know.

 

Shelby County Commission and Ethics--One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

(Originally published October 1, 2010)
Once again the Birmingham News proves our point about its bias in heralding the Shelby County Commission as a bastion of ethics in a recent article about their projected $82 million fiscal 2011 budget. We've written quite a few articles about Shelby County and any regular reader of this site should be well acquainted with the pervasive corruption and lack of ethics that seems to thrive in Columbiana.

From their socialistic, property devaluing and controlling Comprehensive Plan to the recent news of Shelby County not wanting federal scrutiny of their election process, one doesn't have to work too hard to see there are big problems in one of Alabama's largest, whitest, mainly republican and most powerful counties in Alabama.
("A Path to the Future" Shelby County Comprehensive Plan)


We'll certainly refer back to the 2009 EPA federal audit of Shelby County's Stormwater Management Program [SWMP] and its damning lack of inspections, improper permitting, lax or non-existent oversight of commercial and residential developments, removal of heavy industrial site inspections (167 currently in the county per the EPA document 2008 numbers), *scant amount of "inspectors" and the woefully inadequate funding to the SWMP  to carry out even the most basic of duties they should be doing.
*(Note--when we had someone call about the audit EPA Region 4 was not happy the document was "out there." They said it was "leaked" and "not supposed to have been released.")
EPAFederalAuditShelbyCountyAlabama2009

County Manager Alex Dudchock (aka Comrade Dudchock) spins the less than glowing audit as simply the EPA asking them "to improve in some areas" which is far from anything resembling the actual findings in the 34 page audit;

Shelby County was also recently audited by the EPA for their storm water management program.

"Well when they came in they had a variety of things that they found as areas that they want us to improve. Yes it's going to cost us more money, not dramatically," said Dudchock.

"Now I don't know if the EPA is going to force us into something that forces us into something on down the road that we have to do that, but right now we're planning on paying for it out of our own pockets from existing revenue rather than jumping into another assessment. But there's more to be said on that," said Dudchock.

"We have not had our permit issued yet we answered to EPA. We had a very good meeting with them. They said they like what we are doing and what we plan on doing."

"We're going from 5 sampling sites to 20 so you can imagine our internal costs. They went up 37% from last year to this year."

Listen closely to the claims of "budget management and cuts" by the fashionably blonde Ms. Allison and Dudchock who appears as the well-fed man in the tan blazer, white shirt and no tie.



Let's take a look at how "efficient" the county has been with its SWMP and what they have spending on this  courtesy of Mr. Stephen Bradley's mouth moving before his brain engages propaganda when he referred to Shelby County as a "model of cost efficiency" regarding their SWMP;
(As Rachel Maddow said in the report on Haley Barbour, "We can fact check these things.")

Consider this: Shelby County performs all necessary functions to comply with clean water laws for all of unincorporated Shelby County, as well as Alabaster, Pelham, Helena, Moody and Indian Springs, *with a staff of two parttime employees and an average annual budget of $45,000. 

Source: Bham News Editorial, page 2-B Vol 119 August 20, 2006 "Storm-water Group Misuses Law " by Stephen Bradley, president of Bradley & Associates and representative of BARD

MERLIN_3491976

This sourced article was during the time that BARD was muscling Jefferson County, Alabama to pull out of its SWMP because they were "doing too much and it was not cost effective." We know how that turned out because the EPA just recently slammed JeffCo for their SWMP and they're in the deep end of the BARD swamp and facing a possible million dollar expenditure because of it.

Yep, we can fact check these things and we do.

$82 million in revenues expected and all Shelby County can spend on their SWMP is $45,000.00? These might be important facts to know, but nothing from the Birmingham News will ever tell you that.

In a Shelby County document the county claims:

"Shelby County shall promote proper management of environmental resources to accommodate growth while preserving and enhancing the economic, ecological and scenic, and recreational values associated with the natural environment" 

Just because you say it that does not make it so and with a county that has such a large number of industrial sites along with five active quarries (soon to be seven with Vincent and the *still being pushed Montevallo proposed quarry that Sen. Bachus and the republican machine were against the first time around) in addition to the large number of ADEM files (yes, we have them) on repeated violations of the Clean Air Act [CAA] and the Clean Water Act [CWA] the county engages in double speak every chance they get. And they sure do a great job of making it sound lovely until you notice the cracks in the wall of propaganda in sentences such as "It is noted that ADEM assumes a low-profile, non-aggressive posture when enforcing state and federal regulations."
* (Note--A Vincent resident informs us that Ms. Goddard stated that "it's not over yet" when she was asked about the Montevallo quarry in a public place.)

From the document:  A strategy to ensure environmental quality and a higher quality of life in Shelby County was developed along with the above goal. 

The components of this strategy are common to most or all of the issue area discussions that follow. This strategy consists of: 1) ensuring quality development practices are followed; 2) be proactive and effective in enforcement efforts; 3) provide infrastructure that adequately protects the environment; and 4) support community organizations seeking to improve environmental quality.

§ 10.2.1 General Concerns
(1) Pro-environment public attitude. The Environment and Conservation Committee found a definite strength in that the residents of Shelby County generally have a pro-environment attitude. A General Opinion Survey supports this finding. When asked specifically about the Cahaba River or Lake Purdy, respondents strongly agreed that it was very important to protect these areas. However, when asked if drainage and erosion were problems, most respondents had no opinion or did not think it was a problem. This response was surprising since drainage and erosion directly impact the Cahaba River and Lake Purdy. From the large number of "no opinion" responses, it seems likely that most respondents were not sure whether a problem exists but have some concern that a problem could evolve. Most respondents also felt that development should be guided away from steep slopes, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.
*(Note--The people don't know what is not reported on. The Vincent quarry is to be built in an area with three wetlands and within one mile of the threatened Coosa River and will discharge to that river. Did we mention the area is primarily minority?)

(2) Environmentally sensitive developers. Generally, developers of the larger developments in Shelby County are considered environmentally sensitive when developing property. It is perceived that this sensitivity is due to market pressures as well as genuine concern for the environment.
*(Note--See the R sidebar section "EPA Formal Actions Shelby County, Alabama" "Perceived" by whom exactly?) 

(3) Lack of enforcement authority. The Environment and Conservation Committee acknowledges that the enforcement of such regulations is the responsibility of other agencies although but feels that the county could exert influence in these areas with better communication and education.
*(Note--EPA told the county they could not rely on ADEM alone and the county had no justification for removing it's heavy industry inspections, but they already knew ADEM was lax and enforcement was not happening. If we make them follow the EXISTING LAWS they may get "upset" and move--there goes the money.) 

(4) Lack of state enforcement. The lack of personnel and money to enforce existing laws by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is a weakness in the system. It is noted that ADEM assumes a low-profile, non-aggressive posture when enforcing state and federal regulations.

(5) Lack of local enforcement. The lack of authority and resources to enforce regulations was also perceived to be a problem on a local government level. Those agencies charged with enforcing environmental regulations in the county possess no clear understanding of their role in relation to other agencies or have no legislative mandate to do so. The resulting confusion often results in NO ACTION BEING TAKEN.
*(Note--But the county can add the "Home Rule" Amendment to Alabama's Constitution and make sure the county isn't liable for anything that may result from an "environmentally (read: economic) proactive" decision.) 

§ 10.2.3 Prime Farmland Concerns
(1) Economic Loss. The potential economic loss from the conversion of prime farmland to non-agricultural use could represent the decline of a sector in the local economy. Losing a productive farm can be likened to losing an industry. And, with the loss of prime farmland, farming interests will be more likely to move to other prime sites outside the county rather than move to other marginal sites within the county. Since the value of agricultural products sold in Shelby County accounts for one-tenth of one percent ($3 million) of the total volume of business in the county, the loss of farm income would be minor. 
*(Note--Read: Get off that limestone laden farmland that's been in your family for generations hayseed and go ahead and move to another county because you don't fit "the ideal" of this one anyway. Besides we weren't making enough money off of you.)

(2) Preservation of Rural Lifestyle. The importance of maintaining existing farms and protecting land that is most suitable for farming affects some characteristics of the rural lifestyle. The rural lifestyle and the perception it lends to the quality of life in Shelby County was found to be an important factor in the general attractiveness of the county.
*(Note--If you're Wilsonville (home of Alabama Power's EC Gaston plant) then this applies to you with the recent Mayberry-style plan (A Place to Call Home) Goddard & Co. (Shelby County Planning Commission) dreamed up for this mostly white area. Vincent, forget it, you're just a bunch of poor, uneducated people anyway.)

Sections 1 and 2 are contradictory on their face and would have to be "selectively enforced" which the Comprehensive Plan allows the county to do. If the county really wanted farms and the "preservation of a rural lifestyle" they would attract green business not unsightly cement factories, limestone quarries, lime production facilities and other visual and physical pollutants and polluters.

None of which promote the "attractiveness" of any county which most rational people would agree with.

And who is on this Environment and Conservation Committee? Who's ever heard of them and does it still exist? Are its members of similar backgrounds as the appointment of Joe Howle (manager of environmental services for Vulcan Materials) to the Alabama Water Resources Commission by Governor Riley? Were there no other qualified individuals than an "industry insider" who may be able to influence policy available?

What process did the county employ to form this committee? They've done a very poor job being good stewards of the county at the very least and at worst it's nothing more than a perfunctory figurehead committee with no real functions and goals.

This speaks for itself and requires no further explanation from us, except maybe this item and maybe this one too. And let's not forget the telling words from Doug Smedley about the Calera lawsuit:

The Alabama Attorney General's Office, along with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, filed a water pollution lawsuit against the city of Calera June 10, 2008.

The lawsuit states that the city's wastewater treatment plant violated its permit by discharging polluted water into Camp Branch, which is a tributary of the Coosa River.

Calera Sewer Operations Director Doug Smedley said that in July 2007, treatment plant workers discovered oil flowing into the plant.

"The oil, estimated at approximately 10,000 gallons, was waste from the Alabama Power Company." Smedley said. 

*(Note--that's the same entity of our previous posts that is very problematic)

“Hopefully, we will improve the system for three or four years, and then when we have to renew with ADEM after that, they will say we can stop where we are,” Smedley added. “I’ve seen that happen numerous times before.”

That was not the first time the Calera plant had come under fire for polluting--they have been creating problems for years. Mr. Smedley's words were in response to a six year time period "imposed" by ADEM. The county certainly does sound environmentally sensitive and "proactive" doesn't it?

We might also add the hiring of the Chair of the Shelby County Commission Lindsey Allison (a family law attorney) as additional counsel for White Rock Quarries Vincent Hills project. Did you know that quarries require family law attorneys? Neither did we. They may, however, require someone in a powerful position to assist them in ramrodding the unwanted and ill-advised invasive project into the small and unsophisticated Town of Vincent.

The project will result in a huge financial gain to the county more so than the community of Vincent who will bear all the liability thanks to Shelby County's Home Rule Amendment to the Alabama Constitution which reads in part:
"The legislature has a right to waive or limit the county's liability by law"

Ms. Allison predictably defends this unsavory, unethical and questionable "hiring" and apparently does not enjoy being questioned about it:

In a related matter, a group opposing the quarry said it plans to ask County Commission Chairwoman Lindsey Allison to recuse herself from participating in any matter involving the quarry that comes before the commission.  

Allison has been hired by White Rock Quarries to represent the company in a lawsuit filed by a Vincent resident who's challenging procedures the town's planning commission used in recommending that White Rock's rezoning request be approved by the council.  

''At this time, there is no current issue before the Shelby County Commission that requires me to vote or make any discretionary decision,'' Allison said. ''Why are we asking the question?''  

Should that time come, Allison said she would take appropriate steps.

''I have a history of making sure I'm not in conflict on any issue that comes before the commission,'' Allison said. ''I'll conduct myself accordingly.'' 

Source: Bham News, Community News page 1-SC Vol 123 June 2, 2010 "Quarry Trucks Irks Some Residents" by Malcolm Daniel staff writer

MERLIN__6911629

Mr. Daniel did good with this story and asked the hard questions, but we can't say that for all of his coverage regarding the Vincent Hills quarry. Far too many times he seemed uninterested and/or unable to delve deep into the surrounding issues and ask the tough questions on the project and who was involved in it. Citizens tell us that he spent more time in the Vincent offices of White Rock Quarries and Town Hall than he did with the citizens who opposed the project by a margin of 3-1 according to the figures provided to us.

More than a few citizens recounted to us that he was asked to probe the claims of "job fairs" by White Rock spokesperson Kathy Copeland along with the large number of out of town residents she was instrumental in enlisting to come to Vincent to inflate support for the quarry. Which presented a skewed picture of support largely due to non-residents being promised a job and dinner if they "would show up in Vincent and wear a t-shirt and hat" that displayed "Yes, for Vincent Hills."
*(Note--We have more than a few individuals accounts that it was Ms. Copeland who directed this and these interlopers were contacted by robo calls.)

When Mr. Daniel was told this information his repeated response was "They want a job, don't they have a right to come looking for a job?" Yes, Mr. Daniel they do, but this is not a job fair, the project is still being considered and has not even been approved yet. This is a City Council meeting (or one of the few public meetings) where citizens of Vincent get to address their elected officials (no discourse is allowed and they will not respond in any way) who will not meet with any citizen outside these forums (who opposes the quarry and requests a one-on-one meeting with their elected officials) and voice their support or opposition in strictly timed five-minute allotments.

Logical and factual explanation that absolutely deserved more probative reporting, but Mr. Daniel seemed to laugh it off dismissively and repeated his same nonsensical statement again. His stories were one-sided in feel and somewhat of a just the selective minimum facts presentation

And now we have this glowing article of Shelby County's high ground ethics by Mr. Daniel and the Birmingham News to cause our digestive systems upset. It just proves our point that the News has a clear agenda and we would be willing to wager that a certain PR man may have influenced this article. So, the county proves it can be a real money machine--what does that have to do with ethics?

If we can fact check information, connect the dots and present the other side of the story with previously published information and some diligent research then why can't the Birmingham News do the same?

What's more important to the public at large--a deadline and a steady paycheck by a small number of certain news writers or an accurate story to a much large number of citizens whose lives may be affected by important issues and who absolutely deserve to know the "rest of the story"?

We know the answer to that one.

Shelby County, Alabama, the Birmingham News and ethics--two of these things are definitely not like the other.