Need a lift? Uber offering free rides to the polls on Election Day

The 2018 midterm elections are just around the corner and if you need a ride to the polls on Nov. 6? Ride-sharing app Uber has you covered. The company is planning to offer free rides on Election Day as part of a larger effort to “drive the vote” by going the extra mile to support the democratic process. To help the millions of Americans who cite transportation barriers as the reason they don’t vote, Uber will be partnering with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works to provide free rides to the polls. Uber’s decisions follows that of its primary competitor, Lyft‘s August announcement that the company will offer riders half-off rides booked anywhere in the U.S. on Nov. 6 in conjunction with Vote.org and TurboVote who will help distribute the nationwide 50 percent off code that can be used within the Lyft app. According to Fortune, Lyft is working with groups such as Voto Latino to help get underserved communities to their polling stations.
Enough already you angry social media warriors: Your outrage is outrageous

Come on people. Can we please start using social media for good instead of for judging, hateful, angry ranting? Now’s a great time as we look at the crisis happening down in Florida. Over the weekend, social media was abuzz about the choice of Halloween decorations made by a Homewood family. A charred-body was hung in their front yard and you would have thought they had actually lynched someone. AL.Com covered the story and described the homeowners response as, “stunned to find out people were upset about their decorations. Each October, they “go all- out” with their Halloween decorations, something they said their 11-year-old son loves as does all of his friends and the neighborhood trick-or-treaters.” Images were shared with *Trigger warning* messages. Seriously, people trigger warnings for Halloween decorations? Are there actually people in the world so sensitive that that’s necessary? The family was gracious in their response noting they didn’t realize that they were inadvertently showing what appeared to some to be a lynching. They saw the doll as a white figure burned to a charred state (which is what I see). I feel terrible for them. This wasn’t enough for the angry mob of outraged and inflamed who continued to share the images and criticize complete strangers assigning all sorts of negative assumptions to them. To these people all I have to say is: You’ve got a lot of time, energy and passion. How about you use it for good instead of spreading hate and division? How about you stop and consider that most people are inherently good and that even if they weren’t, your energy spent on Facebook having fits wouldn’t change their mind. Thankfully we live in a city where philanthropy and volunteerism opportunities abound. If you’re unsure what to do with your free time and your interest in a better community how about you look for ways you can actually help because your social media outrage isn’t cutting it. I feel bad for this family. I feel worse for those who needed “trigger warnings.” I feel bad for those actually facing oppression and discrimination that their cause is done no favors by those who cry wolf and call something as innocent as a simple Halloween decorating mistake a travesty against humanity. So to bottom line it: Get a grip people. Use your energy for good. Show a little grace and stop with the outrageous use of outrage at every single human error as if you have never made a mistake.
Kay Ivey’s campaigns says opponent Walt Maddox ‘takes lying to a whole new level’

Tuscaloosa Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Walt Maddox released his first statewide campaign ad of the general election campaign on Saturday where he introduces himself to Alabama saying he’s “pro-life” and “pro-Second Amendment.” But Gov. Kay Ivey‘s campaign quickly responded to the new ad saying Maddox is telling a flat out lie. “Walt Maddox promises not to lie, yet he just told two lies in 30 seconds. That takes lying to a whole new level – even for a politician like Walt Maddox,” wrote Ivey’s campaign. “When you look at his true position on abortion and the gun grabbing allies he pals around with, it’s clear Walt Maddox is too extreme for Alabama. Maddox and pro-life issues The Ivey campaign questioned Maddox joining with Planned Parenthood in opposing the Constitutional Amendment that acknowledges the sanctity of life. When asked by a radio DJ on 95.3 whether he is pro-life or pro-choice, Maddox replied, “It’s complicated.” Maddox and the 2nd Amendment Maddox’s critics also question whether or not he is truly pro 2nd Amendment as he refused to complete the NRA’s candidate survey and has been endorsed by Moms Demand Action, the same gun control group that endorsed Hillary Clinton. Watch Maddox’s ad below:
API releases guide to the 2018 proposed Constitutional amendments

On Election Day, Alabamians will have the chance to decide whether several proposed amendments should be added to state’s Constitution. But proposed constitutional amendments can be confusing, which is why the Alabama Policy Institute (API) has release a Guide to the Issues on the 2018 Proposed Constitutional Amendments in order to explain the statewide constitutional amendments in plain language to help voters make informed decisions. “Through the explanations and information provided in this guide, the people of Alabama will be able to confidently cast their votes on the constitutional amendments,” reads the API guide. Below are the four proposed statewide amendments, as they will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot (without API’s explanations): Proposed Statewide Amendment No. 1 “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, providing for certain religious rights and liberties; authorizing the display of the Ten Commandments on state property and property owned or administrated by a public school or public body; and prohibiting the expenditure of public funds in defense of the constitutionality of this amendment.” (Proposed by Act 2018-389) Proposed Statewide Amendment No. 2 “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended; to declare and otherwise affirm that it is the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, most importantly the right to life in all manners and measures appropriate and lawful; and to provide that the constitution of this state does not protect the right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” (Proposed by Act 2017-188) Proposed Statewide Amendment No. 3 “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, relating to the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama, to specify that the congressional districts from which members are appointed continue to reflect those as constituted on January 1, 2018, to remove the State Superintendent of Education from membership, and to delete the requirement that members vacate office at the annual meeting of the board following their seventieth birthday.” (Proposed by Act 2018-132) Proposed Statewide Amendment No. 4 “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that, if a vacancy in either the House of Representatives or the Senate occurs on or after October 1 of the third year of a quadrennium, the seat would remain vacant until a successor is elected at the next succeeding general election.” (Proposed by Act 2018-276) API’s guide also includes sample ballots for county’s across the state.
Fact check: Donald Trump fudges history on black vote, drug cost

Facing pivotal November elections, President Donald Trump is misrepresenting the history of African-American voting and exaggerating his influence in boosting income and controlling prescription drug prices. He laments in campaign speeches on behalf of Republican candidates that blacks’ support for Democrats had become “habit,” having voted for them “for 100 years,” and insists his administration’s policies are changing that. In fact, most African-Americans were effectively blocked from the right to vote until 1965. Much of the income gains he claims for blacks and other minorities came during the Obama administration. On drug costs, Trump says he is “bringing them down.” But few drugmakers have actually lowered prices as a result of his pressure. And in remarks at the hot core of the debate over his new Supreme Court justice, Trump distorted the testimony of Brett Kavanaugh‘s accuser in a mocking turn on a rally stage before the Senate elevated the judge to the high court on the weekend. A look at the past week’s claims: BLACK VOTE TRUMP, on black support for Democratic candidates in recent elections: “It’s only habit. It’s habit, because for 100 years, African-Americans have gone with Democrats.” — Kansas rally Saturday. THE FACTS: No, black Americans did not primarily vote Democratic for 100 years, or anywhere close to it. Most African-Americans for much of U.S. history were disenfranchised, then effectively deterred from voting via poll taxes and literacy tests until passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which outlawed racial discrimination in voting. African-Americans who could vote before then generally backed Republican candidates until the 1932 election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His New Deal programs of economic relief won their support and helped spur a longer-term shift of black voting from Republican to Democratic. The Voting Rights Act eliminated literacy tests, clamped down on poll taxes that the 24th Amendment had banned in federal elections a year earlier and required a number of mostly Southern states with a history of discrimination to get advance federal approval to make changes to their election laws. Before that, only an estimated 23 percent of voting-age blacks were registered nationally, says the Library of Congress , but by 1969 that had jumped to 61 percent. ___ MEDIAN INCOME TRUMP: “How does your African-American, how do you vote for somebody else? I’ve done more for them in two years… And their median income is the highest. But not only for African-Americans, for Asian.” — Minnesota rally Thursday. THE FACTS: He’s wrong about median income now being the highest for African-Americans. He also exaggerates the economic gains he’s accomplished for blacks and Asian-Americans. The median income last year for an African-American household was $40,258, according to the Census Bureau. That’s below a 2000 peak of $42,348 and also statistically no better than 2016, which was Democratic President Barack Obama‘s last year in office. Many economists view the continued economic growth since the middle of 2009, in Obama’s first term, as the primary explanation for recent hiring and income gains. More important, there are multiple signs that the racial wealth gap is now worsening and the administration appears to have done little, if anything, to address this problem specifically. As to Asian-Americans, the median income for a typical household last year was $81,331. That’s no better than their median income of $83,182 in 2016. ___ KAVANAUGH TRUMP, as if recounting the questioning of Christine Blasey Ford at her Senate hearing: ‘How did you get there?’ ‘I don’t remember.’ ‘Where is the place?’ ‘I don’t remember.’ ‘How many years ago was it?’ ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.’ ‘What neighborhood was it in?’ “I don’t know.’ ‘Where’s the house’ ‘I don’t know.’ Upstairs, downstairs, where was it?’ ‘I don’t know. But I had one beer, that’s the only thing I remember.’ And a man’s life is in tatters. A man’s life is shattered. … They want to destroy people. These are really evil people.” — Mississippi rally Tuesday. THE FACTS: He’s wrong to say Kavanaugh’s accuser could not recall whether the alleged sexual assault happened upstairs or downstairs or any level of detail regarding the likely location. She described in vivid detail being in a locked upstairs bedroom with Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge while others were downstairs at a small house party. Trump also falsely stated that she did not remember how many years ago this happened. She identified the summer of 1982, when she was 15. It’s true she could not identify the house, or remember how she got there or home, but said it was within a “20-minute drive” between her house and a country club in the Bethesda, Maryland, area. Researchers say it is common for people who have experienced a trauma to retain a searing memory of the event but not circumstances surrounding it. ___ DRUG PRICES TRUMP: “You might have seen last month where I called up some of the drug companies. I said, ‘Folks, you just raised up the drug prices. You can’t do that.’ And they all reduced them. Do you believe it? That’s when I said, ‘I’ve a lot of power.’ Pfizer, right? You saw that. Pfizer, Novartis, they raised their drug prices and I’m bringing them down. I said, ‘What are you doing with raising them?’ ‘I’m sorry, Mr. President, we’ll reduce them immediately.’ I said, ‘Man, this is a powerful position.’” — Minnesota rally Thursday. THE FACTS: His account is overstated. His call with Pfizer was at the beginning of July, not last month. It came right after he criticized Pfizer on Twitter for raising prices of about 40 drugs on July 1. Pfizer reversed those increases, meaning prices returned to their June 30 levels, though only until Jan. 1, 2019, at the latest. Novartis was one of several drugmakers that said they wouldn’t raise any prices for the rest of 2018, but they’d already done so on nearly all of their drugs earlier in the year. Few drugmakers actually lowered prices as a
Fairhope election over a new form of government rescheduled for Nov. 6

Residents of the City of Fairhope, Ala. were poised to head to the polls October 2 to vote in a special election to decide whether or not they will change the city’s form of government, but now they’ll be making the decision on Nov.6, in conjunction with the state’s general election, instead. The change was made less than a week before original voting day, according to a press release from Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell. Fairhope voters will now wait to decide whether or not they believe the city should switch from its long-running Mayor-Council form to a Council-Manager system. Under the Council-Manager system, a new governing body known as the “Council of the City of Fairhope,” would have the same executive powers and duties of the council, and the mayor would become a member of the council. Meaning the mayor would no longer preside over all city employees, or the council. Instead the mayor would be in charge of ceremonial events, and serve as a representative of the city. Mayor Karin Wilson said told Lagniappe Mobile she is disappointed in the change of date. “I am disappointed… citizens took the extraordinary step to go door-to-door gaining signatures, as required by law, to have a voice in the future of their city. The referendum election date was noticed and advertised and now, a few days before the election, suddenly extended to the general election,” said Wilson. “What is further concerning is how this delay came about, first in a special-called meeting by council to research the election and at the eleventh hour the city attorney, without my knowledge, contacted the probate judge. Per usual, I was the last to know.”
VA data: Suicide rate for Alabama veterans up, especially for young veterans

Last month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials released national and state-level findings from its most recent analysis of Veteran suicide data, which showed an average of two and half Alabama veterans died by suicide each week from 2015-2016. The research also revealed Alabama veterans are dying by suicide at a higher rate than the national average. The VA’s figures, which are the most recent year available, reveal 34.2 Alabama veterans per 100,000 died by suicide in 2016, whereas the national veteran suicide rate was only 30.1 per 100,000. Among their findings, 18-24 years old Alabamians committed suicide more often than any other age bracket at 52.8 per 100,000. Meanwhile only 45 per 100,000 non-veterans in the same age bracket committed suicided. In the 2016, veterans account for roughly 17 percent of all Alabama suicides. Among those suicides, an overwhelming 81.3 percent of veterans used firearms, whereas the national average for firearm use in suicide was only 51.4 percent. The analysis is part of VA’s ongoing examination of non-Veteran and Veteran death records that is being used to evaluate and improve VA’s Suicide Prevention Program. “Suicide prevention remains VA’s highest clinical priority. One life lost to suicide is one too many,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. The report also found: There were more than 6,000 Veteran suicides each year from 2008 to 2016. In 2016, the suicide rate was 1.5 times greater for Veterans than for non-Veteran adults, after adjusting for age and gender. The suicide rate for Veterans ages 18–34 increased substantially, from 40.4 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2015 to 45 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2016. After adjusting for age, in 2016, the suicide rate for women Veterans was 1.8 times greater than the suicide rate for non-Veteran women. If you are a veteran or are concerned about one, call the national Veterans Crisis Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Public school reputation weighs on Air Force base in Alabama

The poor reputation of schools in Alabama’s capital city is creating friction with the city’s Air Force base. Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of Air University and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, says the state of schools in Montgomery is putting a strain on his job, with airmen arriving on base alone and faculty members reluctant to accept positions at the base. More than 56 percent of airmen in last year’s Air War College came to Montgomery without families, Cotton tells the Montgomery Advertiser, with schools being the top reason cited for separation. “The reality is, ‘If my kids aren’t happy, I’m not happy,” Cotton said of airmen. “If I have to try to spend so much time trying to understand how to get them ready and prepared for secondary education, then I’m not doing my mission as far as taking care of you, and making sure that I protect our country.’” Rachel Scott said she started a side business to raise tuition to send her oldest child to a private high school, but would rather save the money for college. She said her family is looking at buying a house outside Montgomery by summer to seek better schools. Until now, they’ve relied on Maxwell’s on-base school, but it ends after eighth grade. “We moved on base primarily for the school because my husband did research before we moved here and found out that the school systems were rated really low,” Scott said. “Their ratings are so low, I feel like my kids would fall behind.” In the 2016-2017 school year, 34 percent of Montgomery County seniors were deemed to have graduated without being college or career ready. The district’s five regular high schools had a combined average ACT score of 16, failing to meet the minimum score of 21 for enrollment at the University of Alabama. On the state’s report card, 66 percent of the Montgomery public schools received grades of D or F. Montgomery County Superintendent Ann Roy Moore wrote in an email that more than 600 students in the system are identified as military dependents. She said the system understands such students “unique needs.” “We are meeting with Maxwell representatives and the Military Child Transition Coalition team to identify ways we can show military families we care about their needs, and that we are working daily to improve academic achievement in our school system,” Moore wrote. The impact is a double-edged, with Montgomery failing to accommodate the men and women that serve this country, and failing to accommodate its biggest economic impact, with the base contributing $1.2 billion annually to the city. Montgomery, Scott said, is losing money because people are forced to live outside the city. Opening the base’s school to military families living off base, however, is not an option the Air Force has. Cotton declined to comment when asked to discuss potential solutions the Air Force is exploring to assist military members who are struggling because of the state of the school system. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
What they’re saying: Alabama politicians react to Brett Kavanaugh confirmation

Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, after weeks of debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that divided the nation. He was ultimately confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 50 – 48. Here’s what Alabama politicians are saying about his confirmation: U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby: I voted today to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who has devoted 26 years of public service to our nation as a jurist, lawyer, and professor. During the hearings, I found Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony to be credible. I also found the subsequent FBI report to be thorough. As a senator, my job is to carefully consider and review all available information. After doing so, it is evident that the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh are uncorroborated, and there is no confirmation of any of the alleged misconduct. During his time as a federal judge, Judge Kavanaugh has been a principled, intelligent, and steadfast supporter of the rule of law. In accordance with my constitutional right to ‘advice and consent,’ I advise that Judge Kavanaugh be the next associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.” Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Our nation is better off with Judge Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, and I am glad the circus is over. I applaud the senators who supported Judge Kavanaugh, including Alabama Senator Richard Shelby. This process and the shameful tactics used have been an embarrassment to our nation, but I hope we can now move forward as a country and not return to these pathetic political games again. Terry Lathan | Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party The Alabama Republican Party congratulates Judge Brett Kavanaugh on his confirmation. Judge Kavanaugh has our full support as he begins his honorable journey serving the American people on our nation’s highest court. In celebrating this confirmation, we thank Senator Shelby and his Republican colleagues for their yes votes. Unlike Senator Jones, Senator Shelby exemplified what it means to be a true public servant by representing the majority of Alabamians when he cast his final vote. Without meeting with Judge Kavanaugh, Doug Jones even went so far as to insinuate his opinion mattered more than those of the people he was elected to serve… It is clear that Senator Doug Jones’ allegiance lies not to his Alabama constituents, but strongly to the Democrat Party. Voters will remember this when they head to the polls in 2020. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a conservative, experienced jurist who I believe will be a strict constitutionalist on the Supreme Court. I am pleased that the United States Senate voted to confirm him, and I am confident he will serve the Court and the American people admirably. Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: When we appoint a Supreme Court justice for life, their honesty, their temperament, and their credibility should not be in question. But Judge Kavanaugh fails on all of those counts. This man should not be on the Supreme Court.
Mitch McConnell now open to high court nomination in election year

The Senate’s majority leader, insisting his chamber won’t be irreparably damaged by the bitter fight over new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, is signaling he’s willing to take up another high court nomination in the 2020 presidential election season should another vacancy arise. “We’ll see if there is a vacancy in 2020,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Heading into pivotal midterm elections, McConnell tried to distinguish between President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kavanaugh this year and his own decision not to have the GOP-run Senate consider President Barack Obama‘s high court nominee, Merrick Garland, in 2016. McConnell called the current partisan divide a “low point,” but he blamed Democrats. “The Senate’s not broken,” McConnell said. “We didn’t attack Merrick Garland’s background and try to destroy him.” He asserted that “we simply followed the tradition of America.” While McConnell said Kavanaugh’s confirmation was a shining moment for the GOP, some Republicans weren’t so sure. GOP Gov. John Kasich of Ohio predicted “a good year” for Democrats in the November elections and said he wonders about “the soul of our country” in the long term after the tumultuous hearings. “It could be a short-term win,” he said. The climactic 50-48 roll call vote Saturday on Kavanaugh was the closest vote to confirm a justice since 1881. It capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted women three decades ago. Kavanaugh emphatically denied the allegations. The accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims’ rights and personal attacks on nominees. Ultimately, every Democrat voted against Kavanaugh except for Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday evening in a private ceremony as protesters chanted outside the court building. McConnell said the confirmation fight had energized Republican voters and he praised GOP senators, whom he said re-established the “presumption of innocence” in confirmation hearings. “We stood up to the mob,” he said. “This is an important day for the United States Senate.” Two years ago, McConnell blocked a vote on Garland, citing what he said was a tradition of not filling vacancies in a presidential election year. But when asked again Sunday about it, he sought to clarify that a Senate case in 1880 suggested inaction on a nominee only when the chamber was controlled by the party opposing the president. Republicans currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with several seats up for grabs in November. The court’s two oldest justices are Democratic appointees: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 85 and Stephen Breyer is 80. If you have a Senate of a different party than the president, “you don’t fill a vacancy created in the presidential year,” McConnell said. Trump has now put his stamp on the court with his second justice in as many years. Yet Kavanaugh is joining under a cloud. Accusations from several women remain under scrutiny, and House Democrats have pledged further investigation if they win the majority in November. Outside groups are culling an unusually long paper trail from his previous government and political work, with the National Archives and Records Administration expected to release a cache of millions of documents later this month. Still, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he believed it would be premature for Democrats to talk about re-investigating Kavanaugh or a possible impeachment if the party takes control of the chamber in November, stressing a need to help heal the country. “Frankly, we are just less than a month away from an election,” Coons said. “Folks who feel very strongly one way or the other about the issues in front of us should get out and vote and participate.” McConnell spoke on “Fox News Sunday” and CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Kasich appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” and Coons was on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Jim Zeigler: Bring back the British concept of “the Loyal Opposition”

In England, the party opposite of the Prime Minister is referred to as “the Loyal Opposition.” Or sometimes, “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.” We need an American version of the concept of Loyal Opposition – a Democrat party that will oppose on legislative issues but remain loyal to the government, play fair, and build a stronger United States – who will actually hope that the administration and the country are successful. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “loyal opposition” as: a minority party especially in a legislative body whose opposition to the party in power is constructive, responsible, and bounded by loyalty to fundamental interests and principles. Sounds like a healthy opposition party. Sounds like what we need for vigorous debate in the halls of congress. But does it sound like the leaders and the louders of the present minority party? “Not my President.” “Impeachment now” (with or without grounds). Confront administration leaders and their families in restaurants and public places. Weaponize allegations and investigations. Dredge up or make up unsubstantiated accusations from over 30 years ago. Bring the families of leaders into the fray. Apologize for America. Attempt to revise history. Invoke the “R” word when not applicable. Criticize capitalism and private property rights. Refuse to accept the outcome of the 2016 presidential race and the 2018 confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. These are not the actions of a loyal opposition. These are the actions of obvious, obnoxious obstructionists. To my remaining Democrat friends: Please bring back the British concept of the loyal opposition. For the sake of America. For one nation under God, indivisible. ••• Jim Zeigler, a Republican, is the elected State Auditor of Alabama. His wife Jackie Zeigler is the State Board of Education member from Alabama’s First District.