Archive for: March 2006

I’m an independent. I am really neither a Democrat nor a Republican, although I’ve been labeled both. I simply correct people who call me a Democrat, but more and more I am offended at the suggestion that I am a Republican. Here’s why — some choice statements made about the Feingold resolution to censure the President for his illegal terrorist surveillance program:

Jeff Sessions — “It [the censure resolution] has the potential to send abroad throughout the terrorist community and to those who are watching our resolve around the world a very perverse and false message.”

What? They even our President is answerable to the law? That our representative republic can publicly criticize the chief executive?

Orrin Hatch — “Wartime is not a time to weaken the commander-in-chief”

When is it time to weaken the commander-in-chief? When a Democrat is in office?

Lindsey Graham — “Censure is destructive. Censure breaks us apart at a time when we need to be brought together.”

The law and abuse of power don’t matter when we’re divided? That’s funny, because when we’re united, there’s no reason for a censure.

Arlen Specter — admits that the program is a “flat-out violation” of FISA, but then says “There is an involved question here . . . as to whether the president’s powers under Article 2, his inherent powers, supersede a statute.”

It’s an involved question as to whether an inherent (which is Republican for UNWRITTEN) Constitutional power supercedes the explicit (a.k.a. WRITTEN) parts of the Constitution and Congressional statute?

Bush — I did notice that nobody from the Democratic Party has actually stood up and called for the getting rid of the terrorist surveillance program. You know, if that’s what they believe, if people in the party believe that, then they ought to stand up and say it.

Read the resolution.  It doesn’t say we shouldn’t listen to terrorists.  It says you broke the law.  There is not justification for what you did.  You started this program at a time when the Congress would have passed any law you asked for.  But you’re above the law, right?  With you “inherent” imperial powers?

My good friend Danner over at the Free the Hops campaign has come to the correct conclusion that the Gourmet Beer Bill, SB390, will not pass this legislative session. The bill would have ended the 6% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) limit on beer sold in Alabama. It would have instead limited the ABV content to less than 15%.

The good news is that the bill did come before a commitee vote in the Senate Committee on tourism and Marketing, where it passed 5-0. While it is extremely unlikely that the bill will pass both the Senate and House before, it may come before the full Senate. At least then we will know which senators think they have a right to tell you what you can and can’t drink.

The Secretary of the Navy recently issued a policy directly from the devil. He says that chaplains “must be willing to function in a pluralistic environment in the military, where diverse religious traditions exist side-by-side with tolerance and respect.” That doesn’t sit well with Roy Moore, or a certain chaplain in the navy. Moore recently joined the chaplain at a press conference in Washington.

[Chaplain Lt. Gordon] Klingenschmitt says a Navy policy violates his First Amendment rights by prohibiting him from reciting Christian prayer at non-religious events. To make his point, Klingenschmitt, wearing his uniform with a stole around his neck, specifically invoked Jesus Christ in prayer during the news conference, and invited reprimand.

Gordon is an officer in the navy, so it is also against regulations for him to criticize the policies of the President of the United States. To me, that is a much clearer violation of the First Amendment. But guess what, dude, you signed the dotted line.

This guy also apparently disobeyed a direct order by appearing at the press conference in uniform. It is standard practice that military personnel are asked to not appear in uniform when involved in controversies where it may seem that they are directly representing the branch they serve. For instance, they’re not supposed to show up at political rallies in uniform. So this guy was told not to wear his uniform, and he did anyway just to piss people off. This guy is just a tool, and probably doesn’t deserve to wear it at all.

In order for the dome to happen, the current plan requires the cooperation of three governments in order to meet the massive funding needs. The city of Birmingham, Jefferson County and the state of Alabama all have to pitch in.

The city of Birmingham has just come on board. They will commit to paying $264 million over the next 30 years. That’s $8.8 million a year. Although the vote hasn’t taken place yet, it is estimated that it will be a 5-4 decision on the city council.

Governor Riley has indicated that he will push for funding from the state, but he won’t do anything until the city and county come together for this project. Fortunately, the Jefferson County Commission isn’t expected to pitch in their proposed part.

“Just the talk of a dome is killing this project,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Smoot. “If you were to court people on an entertainment district, convention expansion, competing for conventions with other cities, revitalizing the entire corridor, I think you’ll get a little more buy-in.”

Commissioner Gary White said a “Plan B” is needed because people have not supported the idea of a dome and county money may only be obligated to a scaled-back project. “They may need some additional exhibition space. They may even need an arena. But what they don’t need is that $624 million dome,” White said.

So the county says: You can have money for the BJCC, but we’re not going to pay for a stupid dome that is about as good of an idea as Visionland was. If you build it, they will not come.

In response to South Dakota’s law banning all abortions in the state as a way to challenge to Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, the Oglala Sioux Tribe which is located in the borders of South Dakota, wieghed in:

The President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Cecilia Fire Thunder, was incensed. A former nurse and healthcare giver she was very angry that a state body made up mostly of white males, would make such a stupid law against women.

“To me, it is now a question of sovereignty,” she said to me last week. “I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction.”

I would laugh for hours if that happened.

The projected cost of a dome in Birmingham has gone up another 10%.  It will now cost $624 million to bring the publicly owned death star to Birmingham.  Mayor Kincaid says he will ask a Birmingham city committee to spend $8.8 million a year over the next 30 years to help finance the project.  Meanwhile, Birmingham city schools are among the worst in the country.

Kincaid hopes that the committee will approve the funding to put pressure on the Jefferson County Commission to also provide money for the dome.  The commission has so far opposed the dome project.

So if the city commits, the county might commit.  If the county commits, the state might commit.  If the state commits, we’re all doomed.

“I think it’s very positive that the city has made a commitment, but I think the state would still have to wait on the county,” Waggoner said. “The governor is not going to commit anything until the county decides one way or another what it is going to do.”

At this point, I say just build the damn dome.  If it fails (like Vision Land), I’ll just be proven right.  If it works, then I’ll of course be happy.  These guys are relentless.  This idea won’t die until Larry Langford, Mayor Kincaid and a few others die.  So what the hell.

The bill which would hold a referendum for a constitutional convention, SB52, is effectively dead this legislative session.  Beginning today, a Senate bill must receive unanimous consent to be sent to the House for consideration.  In other words, the rules allow a single senator to block the legislation.  Among Alabama’s 35 senators, there are plenty who would.

The chief lobbyist for ALFA, Freddie Patterson, was asked about the failed legislation.  His reply is priceless.

We just believe that a constitutional convention in 2006 or 2007 would be as dominated by special interests as the convention of 1901 was — just different people for different reasons.

ALFA, along with the AEA, is one of the most powerful special interests in the state.  Both have been very successful in keeping a constitutional convention away from voters, despite the fact that a majority of voters favor a convention, according to recent polls.

So even though the legislature is running out of time to get anything done, and even though we already have a Tax Fairness Bill that would relieve some of the tax burden from the poor, Bob Riley continues to waste everyone’s time by pushing for an expanded tax cut. The governor sent an amendment to the House floor yesterday that would have expanded the tax cuts at even more expense of the Education Trust Fund.

Riley’s proposals were greeted with loud boos from the floor of the House as Education Finance and Appropriations chairman Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, announced them to the membership.

The House voted 63-38 to table the governor’s amendment. Lindsey said the amendment would undo the work of several months.

“We have worked for weeks to prepare a responsible tax cut,” Lindsey said. “You have voted for it, it has passed this House, and I don’t understand what the governor is trying to do with this executive amendment.”

He’s trying to undo the political horror he did with his Amendment One proposal. He’s saying, “Look at me! I’m trying to cut taxes for rich people.”

The Vestavia Hills Library Board voted to remove Scrushy’s name from their name and sign. All changes are expected to be done by mid-summer. Scrushy said he isn’t happy because he donated that building to the library, but the library said they’re just trying to update their image from a marketing perspective. Yeah, right.

Now if they could just rename Richard Scrushy Blvd. near downtown Birmingham.

Instead of applying to 11 lakes in Alabama, the bill that would kick house boat owners out so that out-of-state developers could come in now only affects 3 lakes, including Lake Harris, which is the only lake the Georgia devlopers wanted. The developers refused to committ to the deal unless house boats were banned. Alabama Power proposed the legislation, probably because they own 10,000 acres around Lake Harris. Don’t you wish you could get laws changed to make you more money?

Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, said the changes were made in an effort to overcome opposition to the bill. Originally, the bill addressed boats on 11 lakes. Now it applies only to Lake Harris, Lake Martin and Lake Weiss.

Sen. Dial has already attempted other amendments to the bill to overcome opposition, including “grandfathering in” existing boat owners. Bob Ingram tells us that Sen. Dial’s boat ban has support:

Needless to say, the support of Alabama Power will also be a huge plus. Dial said he had received overwhelming support for the legislation from neighborhood associations on the various lakes as well as from bass fishermen.

Alabama Power owns about 10,000 acres around the lake, and would make a huge profit if Georgia developers came in to make some money, so that part’s obvous. The Bass fishermen and association support is another story.

“This lake has made Pell City,” said Dick Whatley, a Pell City Realtor.

He said the lake has helped recruit industries and economic development.

“When we bring these people in, we take them out on the water on a houseboat,” he said.

Whatley said banning houseboats on Logan Martin Lake will hurt the local economy.

…

Former St. Clair County District Attorney Van Davis, who was representing the local bass club, said the club opposes the legislation.

He said the group is concerned about how this legislation surfaced without anyone knowing about it.

“The way it came about, it looks almost like they tried to sneak it in,” he said. “We’re concerned because what will be next?”

…

Donn Brascho, LMLPA [Logan Martin Lake Protection Association] president, also opposes the bill, although the LMLPA directors have not been able to meet for an official vote on the matter and may not have time before the bill is voted on in the House or Senate.

“Personally, I don’t like the way it was pushed through legislation,” Brascho said of the bill.

…

Don Greer was the only person at the LMLPA meeting who spoke in favor of the bill, saying it could stop Logan Martin from becoming overcrowded like Lake Lanier.

…

“It has been stealth legislation,” said Pell City Mayor Adam Stocks. “Money is going to buy this bill.”

He said the bill will affect the economy of Pell City and St. Clair County.

“This is absolutely an absurd bill, in my opinion,” he said.

…

St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon said there is room for everyone on Logan Martin Lake.

“This looks like something more about economic development somewhere else than houseboats,” Batemon said.

Well, I guess these guys don’t matter as much as rich Georgia developers and Alabama Power.

It passed. If signed by the governor (which it will be), you can start shooting people who come into your house or car beginning June 1, 2006.

The Alabama House on Tuesday approved a bill that would give Alabamians immunity from prosecution if they kill people who frighten them in their homes, cars or other dwellings.

The House overcame opposition from black lawmakers and voted 82-9 to approve the bill, which expands and strengthens Alabama’s deadly force law. The Senate-passed legislation now goes to Gov. Bob Riley.

If someone invites you into their home, you’d better start getting it in writing. I’m not even one of those “guns are bad” people. I’m about as Second Amendment as you can get. But this law is ridiculous.

According to Doc’s Political Parlor, the Knight-Lindsey Tax Fairness Bill has been approved by House committee by a unanimous vote.  It must now be passed by the full House as well as the Senate.  The only bad things I’ve heard about this bill is that it doesn’t go far enough in relieving the tax burden from the poor.  A better plan, in my opinion, is the plan proposed by Alabama Arise and sponsored by Rep. Knight, SB291, that would remove the federal income tax deduction from state filers.  The extra money would go to relieve that tax burden from the poor.  But better is the enemy of good enough, and this bill will do many things on its own:

The following is from Doc’s Political Parlor, and shows the highlights of the Knight-Lindsey bill.  It is not indented for clarity:

Highlights:

• Fully implemented in 2007!
• Deduction per child raised from $300 to $1000 for under $20,000 income, and to $500 for up to $100,000 income.
• Deductions raised to $2500 for a single person making under $20,000, to $4,000 for a head of household, and $7,500 per couple. Deductions gradually taper to existing level at $30,000 of income.
• Tax cuts primarily for those under $20,000. No one pays more.
• Everyone with children up to $100,000 will pay a little less.
• Tax threshold for family of 4 raised from $4,600 to $12,600 in 2007.
• Cost about $58-60 million.
• ~$18 million to come from interest from Education Proration Fund, the rest from the Education Trust Fund.

Time is running out for this bill to go through.

Apparently there is some disagreement on this issue among self-proclaimed Christians in office and certain Christians ministers. Two ministers from north Alabama went to Washington to join hundreds of other ministers to protest the proposed legislation that would make illegal immigrants felons. The bill would also make felons out of those who help to immigrants.

The were granted an audience with Sen. Jeff Sessions where they tried to change his mind on the bill. By “granted an audience,” I mean they were able to find him on his way to a committee meeting.

“He was quite upset and frustrated that we were there,” Higgs said.

The 65-year-old Higgs, a Methodist minister, said he tried to put his arm around Sessions’ shoulder “in what I thought was a pastoral gesture.”

” ‘Get your hands off of me,’ ” Higgs said Sessions told him.

According to Higgs, Sessions added, “You church people are always concerned about these humanitarian things. We’ll take care of the laws.”

A Spokesman for Sessions have downplayed the incident. He also denied that Sessions said the last quote about “you church people.”

Hank Fowler (a.k.a Tom Parker III or Roy Moore IV) has decided which justice to run against in the upcoming primary election.  The retired air force colonel has his sights on the seat currently held by Justice Tom Woodall.  All of the Republican justices on the court have angered the disciples of Roy Moore, but the Fowler has to decide which seat to run against on the ballot.  Woodall and the other justices followed a federal court order to remove the Ten Commandments monument, and then voted to removed Chief Justice Roy Moore from office for failing to do so himself.

More recently, Woodall aroused the anger of Tom Parker (another faithful Moore-ite and fellow justice) by voting in deference to a precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the execution of criminals convicted for crimes they committed as juvineilles.  Their decision commuted a death sentence for Renaldo Adams, a rapist and murderer, to life in prison.

Woodall said the eight justices were following the law.

“I believe all people have an obligation to follow the law, especially judges,” Woodall said.

The incumbent, who was recently endorsed for re-election by the Business Council of Alabama, said, “True conservative principles are following the law and not declaring war on the law, which appears to be what he wants everybody to do.”

Fowler seems to be starting a pattern.  He is currently an aide to Tom Parker, and is running on a platform of supporting Parker’s controversial statements about the Renaldo case.  Parker was formerly an aide to Chief Justice Roy Moore, and won on a platform of supporting Moore’s controversial Ten Commandments issue.

The only way I could possibly vote for Don Siegelman is if he won the Democratic primary, Roy Moore won the Republican’s blessings, Loretta Nall died, and Mickey Mouse personally asked me not write his name in. Still, this guy just won’t go away. He does have some bad news this week, as Judge Fuller again refused to throw out certain charges based on faulty wording. Even though, as I posted, Fuller had denied the motion to throw out 28 of the 34 charges against him already, the attorney asked him to reconsider.

Apparently he went home, thought about it, and came back yesterday to say “no” again. Don Siegelman is probably the most seasoned politician in Alabama. The fact that he MIGHT still win the Democratic primary while he is under indictment for corruption in office is enough testament to that. I still imagine he’ll be handily defeated, but the staying power of this man is somehow admirable. Steve Flowers understands what I mean by this:

Siegelman is the only one of the four who can be labeled a true political animal. We like to refer to someone with this dedication to political life as having the George Wallace syndrome. A political animal who has the George Wallace syndrome is totally focused on the brass ring. They totally disregard money, family, social life, and the normal things that most people strive for in their life to be a political star. The only person who rivals George Wallace in this regard is Don Siegelman.

Lawmakers and lobbyists alike have agreed that there will be no keg bills going through this legislative session.  Although this comes as no surprise, it does still come as a relief.  Although touted as a way to curb teen drinking, it is also a way for the beer industry to make more money while looking like they were taking a stand against teen drinking.  As any kid in 4th grade can tell you, it costs less to buy things in bulk (like a keg) than individually (like a trunk full of cases).  Most consumers save about $30 from buying the beer in a keg.
The parent patrol this times consists of Rep. Jamie Ison (R-Mobile) and Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Bibb).

Rep. Jamie Ison, R-Mobile, said she will try again next year to establish a statewide keg registration system to trace purchases of the large beer containers. It appears that Sen. Bobby Singleton’s industry-backed proposal that would effectively ban private keg parties outright will not be resurrected in 2007…

[Ison] continued, “I recognize that this is not an absolute answer to under-age drinking, but this is something we need to do. … And we need to continue to educate our young people on the consequences of drinking.”

You know if you made all alcohol illegal (except for circumstances involving religious ceremonies and such), then we wouldn’t have an alcohol problem at all.  It would also eliminate crime, and especially organized crime.  For the humor of this, see the history of the 28th and 31st amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The Montgomery Advertiser is holding one of their directed surveys online, apparently in response to Roy Moore’s decision that Alabama voters are too dumb to vote for good candidates. They ask:

Are Alabamians smart enough to decide for themselves whether to hold a constitutional convention and to decide whether a proposed new constitution should be accepted?

You can answer with a brief letter by clicking here. Some of the better responses should be shown online and in print.

Abdul Rahman was released today.  He is alive, which is good, but the law and the new Constitution in Afghanistan mean nothing in that country.

Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Eshak Aloko told the AP that prosecutors had issued a letter calling for Rahman’s release because “he was mentally unfit to stand trial.” He also said he did not know where he was being held.

The court said he must be killed, so they let him go on a technicality.  A made-up technicality at that.  What if Alabama had let Rosa Parks out on a technicality.  What if we had said, “It’s the law here, but we’ll piss off the rest of the country if we throw her in jail.  Let’s just say she’s crazy and let her go.”  No bus boycott, no federal court orders, no change.

Afghanistan is the same backwards country it was yesterday.  They learn nothing.