Blast from the Past: Alabama has it's first elected African American Congresswoman #NetanyahuSpeech

Terri Sewell: "It's an historic election because it's about you, not about me"

Yeah right.  In light of the fact the elected Congress Critter from Alabama's 7th Congressional district, and the only African American Democrat who attended  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address before a joint session of Congress I thought it appropriate to re post this blast from the past.

It's no secret I am not a supporter of Terri Sewell, not because she isn't nice, accomplished young lady from a good family, but because I don't believe she has the experience or the political skills to represent the interest of the voters of the 7th district. I'm going to be frank, and say the out of state money and the wall street connections worry me. I fear this is another case of affluent white folks deciding who should represent poor black folks.

My worst fear has come to past. Republicans, enabled by the media (again) and the neo liberals (again) bought and paid for the only African American seat in congress (again). I'm sure they are patting themselves on the back and high fiving their "victory" this morning, but this is wrong on so many levels. For one thing it proves it's not about the people, it's about the money, the power and the influence. It's proof the residents of the 7th district didn't get to decide who represents them in congress (again).

So much for waiting, watching , and HOPING , Congresswoman Terri Sewell makes us all proud as the first Alabama African American Congresswoman.

#SkipTheSpeech

From the Files of Stuck on Stoopid in Alabama Second Editon

Artur Davis

Just when you thought things couldn't get any wackier in Sweet Home Alabama we learn former democrat turned republican,  Congress Critter Artur Davis is back and running for Mayor of Montgomery, Al.

Either Davis  believes voters in Montgomery have a chronic case of amnesia, or, he thinks they are stuck on stoopid.

Bye-bye, Democratic Party ... or as the right wing Daily Caller originally put it: Former Alabama Democratic Rep. Artur Davis has come out of the closet -- as a Republican.

In the interest of full disclosure, and for those who don't know,  Artur Davis ripped his drawers with me a six ago, and I hold my non support of his gubernatorial aspirations partially responsible for me being booted and banned from the pages of Left in Alabama. 

Davis supporter, and regular columnist for Alabama Media Group Cameron Smith  says,  Even if you don't like Artur Davis Montgomery should hear him out.

Alabamians from both ends of the political spectrum are willing to take pot shots at Davis. Democrats rejected his gubernatorial bid because he was not liberal enough for their base, and many Republicans are skeptical of a candidate who used to be a Democratic gubernatorial candidate. And then there is the matter of his leaving for Virginia once that race was done.
But unlike many politicians, Davis is more interested in answering his critics than avoiding them.

 Pots shots?  Is that what you call honest criticism of Davis' actions?

Alabama District 7 is 61.7% African-American. 72.2% live in urban areas (primarily Birmingham, Bessemer, Tuscaloosa, Selma and Demopolis). The district’s median per capita income was $26,672.
NO group is disproportionately uninsured than Black folks, and he voted AGAINST healthcare reform.
Uh huh.
No group is at the BOTTOM of nearly all healthcare statistics like Black folks, and he voted AGAINST healthcare reform.
Uh huh.

RedEYE can't wait to see how Davis answers his critics. 

Davis is a political enigma in Alabama, the kind of moderate pragmatist that drives the partisan purists wild, a market-minded politician who sees a helpful role for government to play. Davis embraces it noting,

RedEYE can't wait to see how that embracing nothing works out for Artur this time.

Stuck on Stoopid in Alabama to be continued.....

From Selma, Alabama to Shelby County, Alabama: Mission Accomplished

 President Lyndon Johnson, with Martin Luther King, Jr, Ralph Abernathy and Rosa Parks signing the Voting Rights Act August 6, 1965

"Today is a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any battlefield. Yet to seize the meaning of this day, we must recall darker times."

 Is it a coincidence a challenge to section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 falls at the end of Black History Month , in the year 2013, on the same day President Obama unveils a statue of Rosa Parks in the U.S. Capital?

The Voting Rights Act effectively attacked persistent discrimination at the polls by keeping close watch, when it comes to holding elections, on those places with a history of preventing minorities from voting. Any changes, from moving a polling place to redrawing electoral districts, can’t take effect without approval from the Justice Department or federal judges in Washington.
But the Voting Rights Act allows governments that have changed their ways to get out from under this humbling need to get permission through a “bailout provision.” Nearly 250 counties and local jurisdictions have done so; thousands more could be eligible based on the absence of recent discriminatory efforts in voting.

Shelby County, Alabama claims it's changed it's evil ways. Between keeping grown people from gambling with their own damn money in Alabama,  Attorney General Luther Strange (yes you read it right) whines the Voting Rights Act is unfair to Sweet Home Alabama.

On Wednesday , the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether there has been enough change that Alabama and 15 other states should no longer be subject to federal approval of any election rules. That approval is currently required under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
Strange likens the provision to asking, "Mother, may I?" He says it's outdated and unfair in the post-Jim Crow South.
"What Section 5 does is impose a burden on our states that really is unnecessary in 2013," Strange argues. He points to statistics that show Alabama is second in the nation, behind Mississippi, in the number of African-Americans holding public office.

Shelby County, Alabama  is Selma, Alabama  in reverse.  Shelby County is one of the fastest growing counties in Alabama,  ranking among the 100 highest income counties in the U.S., compared to Selma, located in the heart of Alabama's Black Belt.

The median income for a household in the Black Belt region was $27,130, and the median income for a family was $35,698. Males had a median income of $32,226 versus $22,021 for females. The per capita income for the region was $15,633.
A July 1, 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the region's population at 575,783, a decline of 2.25% since 2000.

If you want to know the inside scoop, resident Blogger Legal Schnauzer writes extensively about the going on in idyllic Shelby County, Alabama. 

It's the Courts Stupid!  This is what some of us tried to tell some of y'all back in 2000.

To better understand how to approach the white moderate power structure, we must first realize how King's criticism of the moderates of his time is not different at all from a criticism of our time.  When King says that "the white moderate is more devoted to ‘order' than to justice" he is clearly referring to both the actions of Bill Clinton and Al Gore after the 2000 Presidential Election.  In a 2001 article called "Civil War 2000" published in The Black Scholar, Charles P. Henry writes:  "Kweisi Mfume, president of the NAACP, reports that his organization begged the Clinton Justice Department to intervene in the voting irregularities that occurred in Florida on Election Day.  Mfume says, ‘the Justice Department turned away.'' After the elections, Mfume asked the Justice Department to hold hearings – ‘the Justice Department just looked away.' Despite the lack of response by Clinton's Justice Department, he was given an ‘image' award by the NAACP in 2001!

In one of the first scenes in the 2003 film, Fahrenheit 9/11, Al Gore and the entire U.S. Senate rather stoically and sternly denied the Congressional Black Caucus their right to challenge the 2000 election results when all they needed was a signature from one senator.  Did they believe they were "keeping order" by doing this?  Also, Al Gore moved assiduously to silence not only the NAACP when they were trying to sue the state of Florida for disenfranchising black voters, he also asked that the Congressional Black Caucus be silent and not be too vocal about the racist disenfranchisement of black votes in the 2000 election.  This disenfranchisement was racist because the company that was hired, Choicepoint, to create voting rolls in Florida, improperly and incorrectly identified a disproportionate number of African-American registered voters as felons.  The Clinton Justice Department and Gore both probably believed that by silencing the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus, and encouraging low media coverage of this disenfranchisement, they were "keeping order." 

So, here we are 13 years later, the Supreme Court who selected George W. Bush, is poised to overturn Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act thanks to another small Alabama county.

Shelby County wants to play the "test case" to insure that certain white politicos will get elected over any non-whites across the South.

Can you hear us now?

The Difference Between "Us" and "Them"

 

Fist Dap jobsanger

Might as well start the year off right (pun intended).  Sorry, but I am one of the Howling Left who doesn't get it.  I am NOT happy about the fiscal cliff  compromise.  Clearly, Obama, the upper middle class, heirs, and some of the American people  won, but guess who lost...the usual "suspects" aka Obama voters.  You know, the people who actually voted for the candidate who ran on, and won on, a $250,000 threshold and no cuts to Social Security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid twice. It's Deja Voodoo all over again, President Obama pandering to those who MIGHT vote for him, at the expense of those who DID vote for him.

I know there are some who believe the Tea Party is on the brink of extinction and can be removed, but I'm not one of them.  Republican controlled state legislatures and governors offices have gerrymandered themselves into a majority in the House, and an organized minority in the Senate, insulating them from being voted out. They don't have to do anything but obstruct the evil democratic agenda and they have a government job with government benefits for life.  Unless, and until, the Suckers who hate Obama more than they love America wake up and smell the coffee, we are stuck with them.

Which has me worried about Alabama's lone African American seat in Congress.  Looks like Rep. Terri Sewell (D. 07)  is facing a challenge from Stanley Mack, who calls himself a conservative who happens to be a black man. (code for republican  front man).  Regular readers know I am a critic of Sewell, but at least she is a liberal who happens to be a black woman.  The last thing the citizens in black belt need is a conservative who happens to be a black man representing them in Congress again.

Has the Alabama republican party finally gotten their claws into Alabama's lone democratic seat in Congress?  Strike that.  Did the Alabama Democratic Party  enable the Alabama republican party to get their claws into Alabama's lone democratic seat in Congress?

I HOPE not.

The difference between us and them is we believe in helping the least of these. ~RedEye 

Playing the Black Card

When black folks raise a legitimate issue regarding racial inequalities/injustice, Righty's and the media say we are  playing the Race Card, in an attempt to marginalize and minimize the issue.   It's their way of saying STFU and STFD and wait on us to decide what is racist, or not.  RedEye Roll

So what do you call it when Righty's and the media play the Black Card?  What's the Black Card you ask?  Everyone knows the easiest and only  way for a black face to be a Talking TeeVee Pundit Head, or a rising star, is to be a black, conservative, republican.

Case in point, Artur Davis  (r. turncoat) was the only black face taking part of the Round Table discussion on  ABC's This Week.   As if he speaks for the majority of black folks.  As if he has any credibility.  But that's the point, he doesn't have any credibility, that's why he's on TeeVee.

The same can be said for former republican chair Michael Steele, and former Presidential candidate Herman Cain.

Righty's and the media aren't the only ones who play the Black Card, so called Progressive outlets do it to.

Left in Alabama played the Black Card big time during the recent Alabama Gubernatorial race, to the extent those who didn't go along to get along with them, like myself, were banned from the Blog.

I have to wonder if they are playing a new Black Card in a recent post praising Congresswoman Terri Sewell for being in the forefront of a Congressional Black Congress walkout over Attorney General Eric Holder being charged with Contempt of Congress.  As if that's a big deal.

In the interest of full disclosure, I supported Sewell's opponent Sheila Smoot in the Democratic Primary ( the last straw leading to my banishment) because I felt (and still do) the citizens of Congressional District 7 need and deserve a  an experienced, proven, representative after 8 years of Artur Davis (r. sellout).

Terri Sewell represents Alabama's 7th district, which includes Alabama's Black Belt region, home to some of the poorest counties in America.  Looking at Sewell's Website, I see her, dressed in designer suits, carrying a designer purse, in the forefront of photo ops, announcing grants/funding for USDA, and jobs for everywhere except the Black Belt Region.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Terri Sewell personally, and I don't begrudge her ability to purchase designer shoes/clothes/purses. She is a smart, accomplished, young lady from a good family who I'm sure are very proud of her.  But it's not about her, it's about the people in the 7th district.

I don't live, or work in the 7th district, but I have friends and family who are residents of the Black Belt region, and I can tell you they were hurting when Sewell was elected and they are still hurting now.  Especially since the TeaPublicans took over the Alabama Government.

I HOPE Left in Alabama isn't playing a new Black Card in an attempt to redeem themselves for playing the old Black Card, for the sake of the residents in the Black Belt region.

It's not about color of the skin, it's about the content of the agenda.

Why are voters in Huntsville hosting a fundraising reception honoring Terri Sewell?

Honoring her for what?  Representing Alabama's 7th district?  What about the 5th district?  A district currently misrepresented by Mo "I'll do anything short of shooting them" Brooks (r).

The Huntsville event isn't listed on Sewell's website, but a similar fundraiser is being held in Birmingham.

I can understand the Birmingham fundraiser because it's a part of the 7th district, but why are Huntsville/Madison County democrats investing in who represents the 7th district,  and not the announced democratic candidate from the 5th district,  C.L. Holley?

How many members of Congress does the 5th district need?

What about the voters in the 7th district?  What has Sewell done for them lately? Are her constituents hosting fundraising receptions honoring Sewell?    Do they want her to continue to represent them in Congress?  Or, is this another case of the voters who don't live in the 7th district, deciding who should represent the voters who do live in the 7th district?

Psst, Huntsville Host Committee!  Help the 5th District first.  It's time for Mo to go.

Thoughts on Obama and Osama and Tornado relief in the Black Belt or the lack thereof

I've been struggling about how to say what is on my mind and in my heart in regard to the death of Osama bin Laden, but thanks to Curtis Abby for directing me to this Glenn Glenwald post which conveys my sentiments exactly.

I'd have strongly preferred that Osama bin Laden be captured rather than killed so that he could be tried for his crimes and punished in accordance with due process (and to obtain presumably ample intelligence).

I cringe every time I hear someone jubilantly say "Obama killed Osama". Call me crazy but I don't want my President associated with killing anybody. What's really ironic is the so called pro-life republicans are the mains ones celebrating the "killing of Osama", the same ones who just last week were calling President Obama an undercover Socialist Muslim sympathizer born in Kenya.

And then there's the notion that America has once again proved its greatness and preeminence by killing bin Laden. Americans are marching in the street celebrating with a sense of national pride. When is the last time that happened? It seems telling that hunting someone down and killing them is one of the few things that still produce these feelings of nationalistic unity. I got on an airplane last night before the news of bin Laden's killing was known and had actually intended to make this point with regard to our killing of Gadaffi's son in Libya -- a mere 25 years after President Reagan bombed Libya and killed Gadaffi's infant daughter

I find the celebrating troubling, and I'm not defending Osama, but, let us not forget Osama was accused of being the mastermind behind the 911. As a matter of fact Police arrested Khalid Shaikh Mohammed as the Mastermind of September 11, 2001 attack on the United States.

I agree with Greenwald;

In sum, a murderous religious extremist was killed. The U.S. has erupted in a collective orgy of national pride and renewed faith in the efficacy and righteousness of military force. Other than that, the repercussions are likely to be far greater in terms of domestic politics -- it's going to be a huge boost to Obama's re-election prospects and will be exploited for that end -- than anything else.

Dr. Boyce Watkins notes the jump in President Obama's approval rating and notes although his stock has improved with white voters, African American voters are not that impressed.

In the “economic basement” of America lies the black community, where unemployment rates are nearly double those for white Americans. In spite of the massive popularity enjoyed by the Obama Administration, millions of African Americans suffer quietly, while being comforted by images of a black couple sitting in the Oval Office. What will be interesting to see is whether or not these disenfranchised Americans will feel inspired to return to the polls for Obama’s reelection in 2012.
Many black people vote in the same way we listen to music: Our love for our favorite artist may not translate into record sales, since we can listen to our artists for free on the Internet. In other words, massive black support for President Obama may not translate into votes if black folks don’t believe that voting for Obama will serve to reduce their suffering. The same way that purchasing music costs money, taking a day off of work to go to the polls is costly as well. If African Americans are not convinced that having a black president will make a real difference in their lives, black folks may just support the Obamas from the sidelines.

I will close by saying I get nervous when one person decides another person needs to be taken out because they decide the other person is an evil dictator/ despot. I get really nervous when the rule of law is bent because the only thing standing between us (collective) and the evil dictator/despot is the rule of law. David Swanson say's Osama Bin Lynched.

And so, after nearly a decade, our government bothered to look for bin Laden, found him, and murdered him. But what choice did they have? A truly fair trial would always involve the risk of acquittal. A semi-fair trial would have risked bringing up undesirable topics, such as the US failure to prevent 9-11, our decades' old support for bin Laden, bin Laden's evasion of the US in 2001 and ever since, bin Laden's reasons for 9-11, and the question of precedent. If we gave bin Laden a semi-fair trial, how would we explain denying one to so many other people? And a truly unfair military trial would have made the United States look even worse. As a CIA guy told me on the radio yesterday: killing him was "cleaner."

Black Agenda Report Columnist Jared Bell asks

What kind of nation finds “renewal” in targeted assassination, reaffirmation of its destiny in the ritualized killing of the ultimate “Other”? Must the U.S. national mission consist of paying $2 billion a week to blow up the poorest people in the world? How about simply changing the country’s public policy so as to make sure that Obama is actually responsible for less death and destruction than the so-called leading terrorist now recently and apparently deceased.

While the President and the national media are focused on the killing of Osama, Tornado relief is missing the South's poor and rural communities thanks to states red republican leadership.

Reports are emerging that some hard-hit areas are being left out of needed assistance due to their isolation and the fact that their plight is not being reported in the media. While news coverage has focused largely on the destruction in urban areas including the Alabama cities of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, the storms also impacted many small rural communities in Alabama's Black Belt.

Osama is dead. Obama is hero. Let's move on. People in America are suffering and dying at the hands of the TeaPublicans enabled by the Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads. I want President Obama to "take them out" with the same steely determination he used take out Osama bin Laden. I want him to stop the weapons of mass distraction and make sure the people in the south who voted for him don't get left behind.

RedEye on Congress Critter Terri Sewell

How much does first term Congress Critter Terri Sewell not give a damn?

Tomorrow 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: How much does Rep. Terri Sewell just not give a damn? Her fundraiser tomorrow is in the office of the insurance lobby. Not at a restaurant. Not at the Democratic Club. Not at Tortilla Coast. Not even at the Tune Inn. Come by for a "meet and greet" at AHIP's offices and bring a big check. [AHIP's office, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 500].

Although it's Ick to hold a fundraiser in the office of an insurance lobby it's OK because;

she also has similar events scheduled at other health-related events - AMA, bone marrow, etc.... well... I remember candidate Obama talking about health care reform during the campaign and promising to listen to all sides.....

It's also not worthy of front page discussion at the Cat Den because although it is tone deaf to hold anything at the AHIP office there is no there there.

The announcement for the event in DC calls it a "Meet and Greet." Lest the cynical among you say, "Oh, that's just a euphemism" for fundraiser, there was a fundraiser for Congresswoman Sewell in Birmingham last week. The invitation for that one said "For a Fundraising Reception" and included "Please make checks payable to ..." at the bottom. Nothing of that sort is on the invitation for this event.

It seems a bit tone deaf to hold anything at the AHIP office, but a member of Rep. Sewell's staff said it's in no way an endorsement of that group's political position, simply outreach. They expect to meet people from the AMA, the National Marrow Donor Program, AARP, etc. -- groups that are important to people from the 7th.

I may be cynical but I'm not stoopid. Everyone knows what a meet and greet IS. Especially one held in the offices of the Insurance Lobby. I don't care what President Obama say's about "listening to all sides." What is Terri Sewell doing for the people she was elected to represent? Remember them?

Today, Alabama's Black Belt includes some of the poorest counties in the United States. Along with high rates of poverty, the area is typified by declining populations, a primarily agricultural landscape with low-density settlement, high unemployment, poor access to education and medical care, substandard housing and high rates of crime.

And you say what gradyw said is misleading?;

you can call it a meet and greet, pow wow, chat hour, etc but the intent is to pick up checks from fat cat lobbyists

According to Sewell's website a Chinese owned Copper Tube Manufacturing Plant will create about 200 jobs in Thomasville,AL.

“I appreciate Congresswoman Sewell’s support and I am very happy to be here in Alabama,” said Li Changjie, Chairman of Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group, Inc.

“Congresswoman Sewell has been really great,” said Raymond Cheng, CEO of SoZo Group, Ltd, an investment advisory company which matches investors with businesses and causes. “Everyone I have worked with on this project is really committed to helping this community.”

The plant is expected to be built on a 40-acre site in a city industrial park south of Thomasville High School.

Golden Dragon is based in Xinxiang, a city of 5.5 million people in China's second-most populous province, Founded in 1987, the company indicates that it generates more than $2 billion a year in sales and makes more than 15 percent of all copper tube used in air conditioning and refrigeration worldwide.

Sewell held a meeting with Seniors to discuss Social Security, Medicare and ironically the Affordable Health Care Act.

A major subject of discussion was the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, commonly known as health insurance reform, which was signed into law last year. Several provisions of the law that directly benefit seniors are already are in effect, with full implementation to come in stages over the next three years.

Under a provision of the law that went into effect Jan. 1, the more than 40 million seniors enrolled in Medicare receive free preventive care, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, as well as an annual wellness visit without copayments, coinsurance or deductibles.

Also beginning Jan. 1, seniors who fall into the Medicare prescription “donut hole” began receiving a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs. There are growing discounts in future years until the donut hole is completely eliminated in 2020.

And health insurance companies now are required to spend at least 80 percent to 85 percent of consumers’ premium dollars on medical care and quality improvement, instead of on profits and overhead.

More photo ops in designer suits and designer pumps,announcements of grants and the release of a Guide to Grants. If you want to know how she votes she walks you through the process instead of telling you what bills she's sponsored or co-sponsored or how she voted on bills in Congress.

The far left column labeled "Roll" will give you the number of the roll call vote. Moving to the column on the right, you see the date the vote was cast. The "Question" tells you if the vote was on final passage, on an amendment, or as otherwise noted. The "Result" is the outcome: P=passed, F=failed, and A=the amendment was agreed to. The next column tells you the title/description of the measure. All votes are posted in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top).

See what I mean?

What happened to; "It's an historic election because it's about you, not about me" Congresswoman Sewell?

Terri Sewell is working hard to make history as the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Alabama, but her constant theme in a packed town hall meeting at Birmingham's West End Library Thursday evening was that this election is about representing the people of Alabama's 7th district above all else.

She stressed the need for job creation and economic development in the district, touted her experience, leadership and good character and pledged to be an honest, effective voice on behalf of the 7th congressional district.

200 manufacturing jobs is a start but the residents of the 7th district need more than that. That's why the location of your *ahem* meet and greet is on the outrage meter of progressive/liberal democrats.

The Lynching of Public Education in Alabama

I'm convinced the status quo republicans in the state of Alabama want to destroy public education in Alabama. After all we just inaugurated a governor who doesn't believe every child has the right to go to college, and elected a red, republican state legislature whose first order of business was to destroy the Alabama Education Association.

Now comes the Lynch v State of Alabama school funding lawsuit where civil rights attorney's claim the states method of funding schools purposefully discriminates based on race.

Alabama history is headed before a federal judge in Huntsville, as civil rights attorneys argue that the state's method of funding schools purposefully discriminates based on race.

At stake are the state's property tax rates, the lowest in the nation. Attorney James Blacksher of Birmingham contends that tax structure violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, largely by limiting the ability of rural counties to tax wealthy white landowners.

"Because of the anemic property taxes available to most local school systems, low-income students throughout Alabama, who are disproportionately black, suffer from underfunding," contends the suit.

Sweet Home Alabama is a state that cares more about property values than they do educating it's children. Strike that, the State of Alabama cares more about protecting property values than they do educating poor/disenfranchised/minority students.

Concerns over public housing can still draw a crowd, as almost 250 people on Tuesday gathered for the second meeting of the South Huntsville Civic Association.

"We need something in south Huntsville they've had in other parts of Huntsville for years - a cohesive voice," Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks announced from the stage at Grissom High School.

Brooks, one of two key speakers, said that the Huntsville Housing Authority has quietly used vouchers to send poor families south and plans now to single out south Huntsville for more.

In February, the authority surprised homeowners with the outright purchase of 50 units at Stone Manor near Chaffee Elementary. That sparked a raucous public meeting at Chaffee on April 6 and led to the creation of the civic association.

On Tuesday, the upstart group drew an influential crowd, including Republican Brooks, a former legislator; newly elected state Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville; state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur; and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne.

Going through the numbers at Whitesburg Elementary, Brooks argued that schools in south Huntsville have seen test scores drop "thanks in large part to what the Huntsville Housing Authority has done to us."

This is what happens when property values are tied to student/school achievement.

But the state argues that any forced change in tax rates would decrease all property values, injure all property owners who plan to sell, paralyze the commercial real estate market and cause "widespread havoc in Alabama's government and real estate markets."

Yep, opponents know what buttons to push to distract from the real issue, which is racial discrimination.

It has been projected that the relief sought in Lynch could result in 1000% property tax increases on residential and forest land, 500% on business property and 300% on utility properties.

Projected by whom? According to new anointed Left in Alabama Legal Contributor Old Prosecutor, the information is from unsourced articles. I thought factually incorrect information wasn't allowed on the front pages of Left in Alabama, but I digress.

Alabama's property tax rates are the lowest in the nation as is student achievement. Because of the current property tax structure low income students in Alabama, who are disproportionately black suffer from the underfunding. Students live where their parents can afford to live. Students with affluent parents have access to the best public education their parents tax dollars can buy. Students with low income parents have access to the worst education their parents tax dollars can buy.

The state of Alabama might as well give up trying to run a public education system because it's obvious some don't believe believe every child should have access to a quality public education regardless of race, gender, religion or their parents station in life, like this ;

If you live in a poor county and you dont (sic)believe that the school in your area is up to standards the simple and obvious solution is that you move. I would not let my children attend a school that I believed did not prepare them for the future. The problem is you could throw billions at the schools in these black belt areas and you would still end up with the same low level perfomance (sic)that they have now. The reason is that education begains(sic) at home with a caring father and a mother with values and a work ethic who push their kids to do well. And that is something the vast majorty(sic) of these kids dont(sic) have and will never have no matter how much you spend...

That's right, blame the parents with false, media driven, racial stereotypes. Education begins in the classroom with a certified teacher who is given the resources to educate children in a safe, orderly environment that is conducive to learning. One things for sure, not throwing billions at the schools in the black belt areas has produced the same low level performance. Only a fool does the same thing hoping for a different result, so let's "throw billions at the schools in the black belt" and see if we get a different result.

I have a dream one day the citizens of Alabama will care more about the future of it's children than they do maintaining their property values.

Update~ Alabama has it's first elected African American Congresswoman

File photo - Congresswoman Terri Sewell talks to supporters during a town hall meeting at the McDonald-Hughes Community Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Friday, July 12, 2013.

But what exactly does it mean? Specifically, what does it mean for the residents of Alabama's Black Belt?

Some of the most important events of the American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) occurred in the Black Belt, including Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat, which led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott; the Selma to Montgomery marches; and voter registration reform, focusing in Selma, Alabama, allowing African Americans to vote (see Voting Rights Act).

Today, Alabama's Black Belt includes some of the poorest counties in the United States. Along with high rates of poverty, the area is typified by declining populations, a primarily agricultural landscape with low-density settlement, high unemployment, poor access to education and medical care, substandard housing and high rates of crime.

Some Alabamians are celebrating the "historic" election of Terri Sewell as Alabama's first elected African American Congresswoman as if it magically erases Alabama's past and present, turbulent racial history. The Confederate Flag still flies on the grounds of the State Capital and there is an annual Civil War re enactment in Selma complete with cannons blasting for goodness sake. But I have to wonder if they would be celebrating if Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Smoot were Alabama's first elected African American Congresswoman?

Shelia has a natural passion to fight for under served communities and
individuals. She sees no issue as insurmountable. The 7th Congressional district of
Alabama can rest assured that sending Shelia to Washington will guarantee that their
voices and concerns will be heard, loud & clear! It is without a doubt that Shelia
will also make sure that necessary and long overdue resources are secured to move
the district forward!

Let's be clear, Alabama was poised to elect the first African American woman to Congress by virtue of the make up the 7th Congressional district. You see, it's one of them there gerrymandered districts mean, evil, Joe Reed and other mean, evil, Civil Rights leaders helped create.

Some judges and proponents of racially drawn congressional districts have interpreted Section 5 of the Act as requiring racial gerrymandering in order to ensure minority representation.[29][30] The United States Supreme Court in Miller v. Johnson, 515 U.S. 900 (1995), overturned a 1992 Congressional redistricting plan which had created minority majority districts in Georgia as unconstitutional gerrymander. In Bush v. Vera, the Supreme Court, in a plurality opinion, rejected Texas's contention that Section 5 required racially-gerrymandered districts.

It's no secret I was not a supporter of Terri Sewell, not because she isn't nice, accomplished young lady from a good family, but because I don't believe she has the experience or the political skills to represent the interest of the voters of the 7th district. I'm going to be frank, and say the out of state money and the wall street connections worry me. I fear this is another case of affluent white folks deciding who should represent poor black folks.

My worst fear has come to past. Republicans, enabled by the media (again) and the neo liberals (again) bought and paid for the only African American seat in congress (again). I'm sure they are patting themselves on the back and high fiving their "victory" this morning, but this is wrong on so many levels. For one thing it proves it's not about the people, it's about the money, the power and the influence. It's proof the residents of the 7th district didn't get to decide who represents them in congress (again).

I HOPE and pray my fears are unfounded and Terri Sewell isn't just a empty skirt. We have plenty of fluff but no substance. What committee is she on? What's her plan? Who has she hired other than an out of state Chief of Staff? How does she plan to represent to the interest of the people who live in the district? Is she willing to fight back against the conservatives in Congress or will she join them like her predecessor? As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus will she help them confront the harsh new climate on Capitol Hill?

For 40 years, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has used it's bully pulpit to advocate, persuade, stall, negotiate and, ultimately, to legislate. Through many highs, a few lows and more than a couple attacks, the CBC now finds itself in a unique position -- the defender of historic policies that have a positive impact on America in general, and black America, specifically.

African Americans took a punch in the gut in the last election when the gop infused, media enabled, Tea Party took control of the House of Representatives. Let's be clear the Tea Party would like nothing better than to dismantle the programs that have benefited the middle class and African Americans in particular. As AL. State Senator Hank Sanders said;

"Well, there's a certain mean spiritness that's out there, not only in Alabama but it's in America. And that makes this election extremely important."

Scott Horton reminds us If we had to pick one state in the nation where these evil tendencies are most obviously on display, then certainly it is Alabama, home to the nation’s highest profile and most abusive political prosecution.

Alabama is the state where the red, republican legislature's idea of ethics reform is to bust up the unions and outlaw public opinion polling. I'm not writing Sewell off before she even begins, but I am asking her to be accountable and visible to her constituents. I know she is capable of representing the residents of the 7th district, but will she?

I'm ready and able to judge Congresswoman Terri Sewell by the content of her character, not the color of her skin, her gender, her religion, or sexual orientation. I HOPE she will make ALL of us proud because God knows the residents of the Black Belt are depending on her. I HOPE and pray, she is not Artur Davis in designer pumps. I am encouraging the behavior I would like to see from the first Alabama African American Congresswoman, not condemning her before she disappoints me.

It matters not if Sewell is the first African American blah, blah, blab, blab. Michael Steele was the first African American head of the RNC. Condolezza Rice was the first African American National Security Advisor then Secretary of State. General Colin Powell was the first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dr. Ann Roy Moore was the first African American Superintendent of the Huntsville City Schools. Being the first black doesn't mean being a empty suit/skirt with no power or a token. It doesn't mean ignoring issues that affect people that are black like you. It doesn't mean pandering to the right at the expense of the people who elected you. Being elected the first black means the people gave you the POWER to help them.

I HOPE the election of Congresswoman Sewell as the first Alabama African American to serve in Congress means she will be just like the first African Female elected to
Congress, Rep. Shirley Chisholm

As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee. Given her urban district, she felt the placement was irrelevant to her constituents[4] and shocked many by asking for reassignment. She was then placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.[4] Soon after, she voted for Hale Boggs as House Majority Leader over John Conyers. As a reward for her support, Boggs assigned her to the much-prized Education and Labor Committee,[10] which was her preferred committee.[4] She was the third highest-ranking member of this committee when she retired from Congress.

All those Chisholm hired for her office were women, half of them black.[4] Chisholm said that during her New York legislative career, she had faced much more discrimination because she was a woman than because she was black.[4]

Redeye, waiting, watching, and HOPING Congresswoman Terri Sewell makes us ALL proud as the first Alabama African American Congresswoman.

If the cries of Montgomery politicians under indictment don’t generate sympathy, certainly the lamentation of unemployed workers in the Black Belt does. One effect of the bribe-induced Riley-Canary war on bingo in Alabama is the closure of bingo operations in Greene, Macon and Houston Counties, that employed literally thousands of workers, and brought millions of dollars annually to local government treasuries. We all wish that overwhelmingly black Greene and Macon Counties had bulldozers clearing land for new automotive and electronics plants, or for high-powered biology labs or computer engineering firms, but that’s the progress of the next generation. Right now, those counties are absolutely dependent on the entertainment and gaming business for their economic survival, and Obama’s what-me-worry attitude about Canary has placed that survival in jeopardy. Even in the white-majority Wire grass, it’s probably safe to assume that Country Crossing employed a fair number of African-Americans in its service sector jobs.

So much for waiting,watching and HOPING Congresswoman Terri Sewell makes us all proud as the first Alabama African American Congresswoman.

I will definately be watching Representative Terri Sewell~edited

Ardent supporter mooncat brags CD7 representative elect Terri Sewell is the only democrat to make the list of The St. Petersburg Times top 10 freshmen to watch. According to The St. Petersburg Times Sewell is on the list because;

A rare Democratic freshman in a Congress dominated by Republican newcomers, Sewell will become the first African-American woman to serve Alabama in Congress. Sewell, 45, comes from a family of barrier breakers. She's the first black valedictorian of Selma High School. Her mother was the first African-American woman elected to the Selma City Council. She graduated from Princeton University, Oxford University in England and Harvard Law School.

Hmm, a rare Democratic freshman in a Congress dominated by Republicans. Wonder what that means? Note the emphasis on her personal accomplishments but not her agenda? Which leads me to believe the only reason she's on the list is because of her race, and because she's the first black everything.

Yes, Sewell will be become the first African-American woman to serve Alabama in Congress, and yes, it's another in a long line of first for Sewell, but what does it mean for Alabama, specifically the voters in the 7th district? Sewell and her family's first have helped her/them personally, but I will be watching to see how that translates into help for her constituents. You know, the people who actually voted for her.

The current shape of the district was largely formed in 1992. It includes part of the Black Belt counties, as well as portions of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Birmingham. The highly irregular shape is because this is a majority-minority district, formed under provisions of the Voting Rights Act as amended in 1982 to include greater representation for minorities in Congress.[1]

This district contains heavily urban areas in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, including two of the state's largest colleges, the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nine of the 12 counties in the 7th District are in Alabama's Black Belt, a rural expanse in Alabama and former home to the state's once-flourishing cotton plantations. Due to the minority representation in this district, a majority of the voters identify with the Democratic Party. John Kerry won 65% of the vote in this district in 2004 and Barack Obama won 72.36% of the vote in 2008.

Due to the fact the Alabama State government is now controlled by the gop it will be extremely important for the residents of the 7th district to have competent, effective, representation on the national level to compensate for the lack of representation on the state level.

So I will be watching to see if Terri Sewell is Artur Davis in designer pumps, adding another first black something to her resume, or, if she is going to remember it's not about her, it's about the people she was elected to represent.

"I just want to say I know who I am and whose I am. And if you send me to Congress, I will take those same values of faith, personal responsibility, hard work to Washington and roll up my sleeves and work on behalf of you each and every day. It's about remembering who elected you. It's about remembering why you're there: to represent the people....

If you honor me with your vote, I will serve you with honor. ... You won't be embarrassed by anything I say or do."

I will be watching to see if she lives up to the legacy of another first African American female Representative.

In 1964, Chisholm ran for and was elected to the New York State Legislature. In 1968, she ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th District congressional seat and was elected to the House of Representatives. Defeating Republican candidate James Farmer, Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress. Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 as one of its founding members.

As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee. Given her urban district, she felt the placement was irrelevant to her constituents and shocked many by asking for reassignment. She was then placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Soon after, she voted for Hale Boggs as House Majority Leader over John Conyers. As a reward for her support, Boggs assigned her to the much-prized Education and Labor Committee, which was her preferred committee. She was the third highest-ranking member of this committee when she retired from Congress.

All those Chisholm hired for her office were women, half of them black. Chisholm said that during her New York legislative career, she had faced much more discrimination because she was a woman than because she was black.

Looks like Sewell dodged the bullet regarding the House Minority Whip battle between Steney Hoyer and James Clyburn with the compromise crafted by Nancy Pelosi.

Representative elect Sewell, I know you promised not be a rubber stamp for President Obama but what about what the voters in the heavily Democratic 7th district want? Who will you represent in Congress? Remember the reason you are the first African American female representative from Alabama is because of them there gerrymandered districts. Please don't lose site of this fact like your predecessor and vote against the interest of the people for your personal, political gain.

Representative elect Sewell, my big REDEYE will be trained on you like a laser beam. Remember it's not about YOU, it's about the voters of the 7th district. I HOPE and PRAY you prove me wrong, not for MY sake, but for the sake of the the 7th district.

The voters in the heavily democratic 7th district want you to have President Obama's back, not stab him in the back. Been there. Done that.

Redeye over and out....for now

More Questions for the Alabama Democratic Party

Approximatley 55 days ago ago I respectfully and sincerely asked the ADP the following questions about a contractual agreement for a specific and well defined product with the blog Left in Alabama.

Who entered into a contract with Left in Alabama on behalf of the Alabama Democratic Party and when?

Why would the Alabama Democratic Party enter into a contract with a blog with a clear understanding that nothing keeps us from kicking around the ADP at will here at LIA if we think they're screwing up.

Why are the specifics a "secret"? Those pesky contracts keep us quiet until it's done.....

Why would the Alabama Democratic Party enter into a contractual agreement with a blog who who bashed and smashed the Alabama Democratic nominee for Governor and echos right wing talking points regarding The Alabama Democratic Conference, The Alabama Education Association and says it's time for black leaders and elected officials to "step down" in favor of a so called new generation of black leaders?

Is the Alabama Democratic Party aware Left in Alabama has a history of supporting conservatives over liberal democrats and gave Congressman Artur Davis a free pass for his vote against health care reform?

Is the Alabama Democratic Party aware my front page privileges were revoked by the administrators because I said something they didn't like about Terri Sewell and because I wasn't an Artur Davis for Governor supporter? Although they claim I was never banned from posting Left in Alabama my account was disabled for several months. My account was briefly reinstated last month, then I pi$$ed them off again and was subjected to the Dale Jackson treatment.

To date those questions have not been answered now it has come to my attention the contract the contract was to develop a blog for the ADP, complete with informational pages on approximately 100 Democratic candidates. See Fight for Alabama.

In addition to the previous questions I am respectfully demanding answers to the following questions regarding Fight for Alabama.

1. What was the friends and family rate paid to Left in Alabama?

2. How were blogs chosen for the Blog Roll?

3. Why are only white blogs represented on the Blog Roll? And no South Union Street does not count because it's owned by the Montgomery Advertisor.

4. What other blogs does the ADP have a contractual agreement with?

I hope the ADP will answer my question and address my concerns because this situation needs some sunshine. As a loyal, long time long member of the democratic party I shouldn't have to beg for answers, they should be offered as freely as I offer my time, resources, and VOTES.

If you are really interested in Fighting For Alabama, you might want to pay attention to this

A federal judge has ordered defendants in an Alabama corruption case involving gambling-related legislation to tape record all conversations they had with public officials, political candidates, and lobbyists. That is a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to avoid self incrimination, according to a new report.

If you are really interested in Fighting for Alabama you might want to give this man some support

William G. "Bill" Barnes, a Democrat from Birmingham, is running a long-shot campaign against incumbent Republican Richard Shelby. Polls show Shelby with a comfortable lead, thanks partly to his massive campaign war chest, but Barnes does not intend to go quietly.

Instead of funding a blog you need to pay attention to the plight of some of your members;

If the cries of Montgomery politicians under indictment don’t generate sympathy, certainly the lamentation of unemployed workers in the Black Belt does. One effect of the bribe-induced Riley-Canary war on bingo in Alabama is the closure of bingo operations in Greene, Macon and Houston Counties, that employed literally thousands of workers, and brought millions of dollars annually to local government treasuries. We all wish that overwhelmingly black Greene and Macon Counties had bulldozers clearing land for new automotive and electronics plants, or for high-powered biology labs or computer engineering firms, but that’s the progress of the next generation. Right now, those counties are absolutely dependent on the entertainment and gaming business for their economic survival, and Obama’s what-me-worry attitude about Canary has placed that survival in jeopardy. Even in the white-majority Wiregrass, it’s probably safe to assume that Country Crossing employed a fair number of African-Americans in its service sector jobs. Had Bob Riley needed to worry about a U.S. Attorney with integrity in Montgomery, he would likely not have earned his Mississippi Choctaw bribes by shutting down the bingo halls, and the Legislature would probably have put a bingo referendum on this November’s ballot. As it is, there is no way to know when, or if, these businesses will reopen. At some point, even the President’s biggest supporters have to ask if he’s paying attention.

At some point, even the Alabama Democratic Party has to answer to loyal members of the party and let the sunshine in.

They hate us because we're "Pure Democrats"

It used to make my flesh crawl when Bush said "they hate our freedom" in response to the 911 attack. He never identified who "they" were or what "freedom" they hated. But I can honestly say "they" are right wing/conservative/republicans who hate us because we're Democrats. Strike that, they hate us for the core values and principles PURE Democrats stand for.

Pure democrats fight for the right of all Americans to have access to quality, affordable, health care. Pure democrats are the majority of Americans on this issue, if they weren't, President Obama wouldn't have been elected on November 4, 2008.

Pure democrats believe all women have the right to choose to have a safe, legal abortion and complete control over her reproductive system.

Pure democrats believe LBGT citizens have the same rights as heterosexual citizens.

Pure democrats believe all children should have equal access to a quality public education.

Pure democrats believe in the right for workers to organize.

Pure democrats believe in protecting our environment.

What we all have to consider is what it would mean for the future of our country those that hate us this passionately actually accrue power in Washington.

Just because candidates/elected officials have a D behind their name doesn't mean they are democrat.

My definition of Blue Dog/Conservative/Democrats are candidates and elected officials whom identify themselves as "Democrats" to garner the African American vote, and "Conservative" to garner the White votes. In reality they are social conservatives, also known as Republicans.

Bobby Bright is the prime example of a Blue Dog peeing where they sleep.

Desperate freshmen like Bobby Bright, who haven't earned their bones-- or enough bones-- with Big Business yet are the only ones freaking out. You saw his despicable ad last week, bragging that he's voted with Boehner 80% of the time; this week he has a new one (up top) indicating he won't be voting for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker if he's reelected. Bright says he's heard his constituents and they want a conservative running the House. Is that so? No Democrat could possibly win in AL-2 without landslide wins in Lowndes, Bullock, Barbour and Butler counties where Blue America will be making sure voters are part of the conversation as well as Bright's allies in the elite country club set of suburban Montgomery.

Pure democrats in Bright's district are darned if vote for Bright, darned if they don't vote for Bright.

Democrats can't even fully attack the U.S. Chamber for financing the Republican Party with foreign money because some of that Chinese and Russian and Arab dough is going to Blue Dogs as well as Republicans. The Chamber has endorsed aisle-crossing Blue Dogs Frank Kratovil (MD), Glenn Nye (VA), Travis Childers (MS), Jim Marshall (GA) and Bobby Bright (AL) and they're as guilty of treason-- allowing foreign money to finance our elections-- as are Boehner and the rest of the GOP. But, after all, isn't that one of the primary functions of Blue Dogs... muddying the water?

I want to know why we pure democrats enable them to muddy the waters? Do we have a chronic case of the Stockholm syndrome?

Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors that appear irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, essentially mistaking a lack of abuse from their captors as an act of kindness.[1

History will show pure democrats have been on the right (pun intended) side of every social and political issue

Throughout our history, Republicans have fought against social reform and Democrats have fought for it. Looking back on history, who was right? Where would Americans be today without Social Security, Medicare and programs such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program?

Defeat Hate, Vote for Hope. Vote for democrats.

To para quote Dubya,you're either with the pure democrats or you are against the pure democrats. You can't have it both ways. Let the new democrats form their own party.

IMHO, our Democratic Party does not need re-inventing, neither our core issues nor our beliefs need prioritizing, I do agree that changes need to be made, but not in these areas.

Because of all that has happened in the past ten years, we are facing challenges that we have never faced before. We need good, intelligent leaders, not just one good leader, but many. The sad fact is that in the history of man, there have been many years when good leaders have been direly needed and none could be found.

I am perfectly happy with our core beliefs, and with the issues we have identified as being the ones to address at this time in history. I do not believe we need to change or modify anything.

How could we change or modify our belief in the need to address Climate Change and the need to do it quickly? How could we change or modify our belief that health care is a right, not a privilege? How could we change or modify our belief that democratic governance demands that our civil laws include civil rights for everyone? How could we change or modify our belief that unions have a role to play in the economics of our nation? How could we change or modify our belief in separation of church and state?

No, we need good leaders, intelligent and articulate, to figure out how to write and pass the laws, rules and regulations and create policy that will get us from here to there. And we "little people" need to gather some intelligence unto ourselves.

I am also perfectly happy with our brand of Democratic, liberal and progressive. It is Republicans that have tried to re-brand us with odious names.

They hate us for our core beliefs.

Bribery My Donkey

I hate it when "democrats" help the bad guys put the good guys in jail. Has anyone but me noticed members of the party that wants all Americans to have access to quality health care, equal access to a public education, women have the right to choose to have a safe legal abortion, labor have the right to organize, our LBGT sisters and brothers have equal rights, who fight for civil rights and human rights, and who stand up and fight for the rights of the least of these are being investigated, tried and convicted by members of the party who are against those things? I'm just saying...

Has anyone but me noticed members of the party who are fighting for jobs and people in the black belt are labled corrupt by members of the party who are putting people out of work in the black belt? WTFU this isn't about BINGO. This is is bigger than BINGO. It's about jobs. Strike that, it's about poor people.

SELMA | Alabama's Black Belt is suffering some of the worst economic downturn in the nation.
In October, Wilcox County posted a 25.1 percent jobless rate, which was the second highest in the nation.
Statewide, unemployment nearly doubled from a year ago to 10.9 percent in October, the third-biggest jump among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. But new November numbers offer some hope. They show Alabama's jobless rate fell to 10.5 percent, the first month-to-month decline since September 2007.
Still, the rate remains far above the 6.2 percent unemployment posted in November 2008. And Tom Surtees, director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, cautioned that it's too early to call the drop a trend.

This debate is about jobs and following the law. It's about the economically disadvantaged people living in the black belt, who unfortunately have to depend either on jobs at the Bingo Hall or toxic waste dumps for their lively hood.

Employees of Victoryland and Country Crossing, two of the state's largest bingo casinos, were among the marchers.

Many blamed Governor Bob Riley for losing their jobs.
"I don't think a lot of folks realize, that when Victoryland shut down, another 60 people's livelihoods were affected," said Jim Gartland, who raced greyhounds at Victoryland. "Some 600 greyhounds that are born to run, that's what they love to do and now they can't do it."

Both casinos shut down earlier this year, following attempted raids by the Governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

If there was some "bribery" going on, it didn't work

MONTGOMERY, AL (WAFF) – Alabama state senators shot down bringing an electronic bingo bill to a full debate on Wednesday.
State Senator Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, sponsor of the "Sweet Home Alabama" electronic bingo bill, said at this time, he does not plan to bring the bill back up for consideration in this legislative session.

But several other senators have come forward with plans for their own electronic bingo bills.

Only in Sweet Home Alabama could the legislators fighting for jobs and voting rights be considered corrupt criminals. Ain't that a dip?

Rogers is chairman of the Alabama Black Legislative Caucus. He said the removal of bingo machines at Greenetrack will cause the loss of 400 valuable jobs in the impoverished Black Belt county.

“There’s a mother of three who just bought a house and now she’s going to lose her house,” Rogers said.

So as you sit in front of your computers in your nice comfy homes/offices, breathlessly reading every line of the Grand Jury Indictment becoming the Judge,Jury and the Executioner, think about what this is really about. We are Democrats. We are the good guys and gals. We fight FOR the people who don't have comfy homes, offices, education or health care.

Arrested were state Sens. Larry Means, D-Attalla, Jim Preuitt, R-Talladega, and Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb; VictoryLand bingo casino controlling owner Milton McGregor; lobbyist Jarrod Massey; Legislative Reference Service analyst Ray Crosby; Dothan's Country Crossing bingo casino controlling owner Ronnie Gilley; lobbyist Tom Coker; Montgomery lobbyist Robert “Bob” Geddie Jr.; and Country Crossing spokesman Jarrell W. “Jay” Walker.

McGregor also owns the Jefferson County race track where he had hoped to install electronic bingo machines.

They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Terry F. Moorer. Each was shackled at the waist, wrists and ankles.

These men and women aren't corrupt criminals. They didn't bribe anyone for their personal gain. They are hard working men and women, elected by you and me to enact laws and represent us in the legislature. If this issue illustrates anything it's the need for campaign finance reform and public financing of campaigns because that's what this is really about. It takes money to run for office. Strike that, it takes lots of money to run for public office. Therein lies the problem.

It's not about Bribery, it's about JOBS.

Greenetrack’s impactJobs lost: Greenetrack employed about 400 people before it was shut down in July. On Friday, paper bingo returned, and some of those unemployed were hired back, but more than 350 remain jobless.

Community spending: Without travelers coming for bingo, local businesses have reported a decline in patrons.

Money for charities: Contributions from Greenetrack to local charities and nonprofits are gone, including the annual $780,000 for the Greene County School System.

We are the good guys and gals, remember?

Democrats believe in an economy that entitles all to flourish and not just a select few. In giving more tax cuts for the poor and not just focusing on those that are financially affluent. Democrats believe in more government regulating business vs. letting the market or upper management dictate what and who benefits from a strong economy. Democrats stand for equal rights, such as equal pay for women. Democrats tend to be Pro-choice on the Abortion issue and support stem-cell research. Most in the party, but not all support Gay Marriage and ironically favor President Bush's view on either a form of amnesty for illegal immigration or various forms of supporting immigration. The illegal immigration subject varies widely throughout members of the democratic party. Democrats believe in gun control such as bills and laws that promote guns not getting into the hands of criminals. They are more apt to argue the need to raise minimum wage. Religious democrats tend to have the opinion of not supporting big corporations and have the attitude and value system of Jesus loves everyone to include the poor, that everyone is entitled to health care, and that the only voice for the poor or uninsured is the democratic party.

Who wins if the bad guys/gals lock up good guys/gals?

Think about it.