Doug Jones introduces legislation force VA to pay student veterans missing benefits
Alabama U.S. Sen. Doug Jones taking action in hopes of righting yet another wrong made by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). On Tuesday, he joined his colleague Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) in introducing legislation that would force the VA to pay an estimated 360,000 veterans benefits that were overlooked due to technical errors. Money, Jones says the veterans are entitled to, but did not receive because of the VA’s own error. When the VA failed to implement the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, many student veterans did not receive the full benefits they are entitled to. The bipartisan Fix Immediately Outstanding Underpayments for Student Veterans Act would establish a VA commission at the VA to audit monthly stipends to student veterans and force the VA to pay back students who have been underpaid.Additionally this legislation will ensure the VA does not take back money from students they overpaid through their error. “When young men and women step up to serve our country in uniform, we make a solemn promise to have their backs when they come home,” said Jones. “We commit to provide them the tools needed to re-enter civilian life and to earn an education that will enable them to serve our communities in new ways. When I heard that thousands of veterans in Alabama and across the country were being underpaid – or not paid at all – for their GI Bill benefits and that the VA might not make them whole, I was appalled. While I’m glad the VA has since begun to reverse course, action from Congress is needed to make sure that these veterans receive what they’re owed.” Gardner believes VA is failing students by not providing a plan to pay them back the missing money quickly. “The VA let these veterans down and this cannot be tolerated,” added Gardner. “First, the VA made a mistake and did not properly pay student veterans the money they are entitled to; and now the VA is failing in their responsibility again by not providing a plan to pay those students back quickly. Most problems Congress addresses are complicated and do not have one ‘right’ answer. This is not one of those issues. To me, it’s pretty clear what the right thing to do is: Congress must act to ensure our student veterans receive every penny they are entitled to.” Last Friday, Jones sent a letter to the senior VA leader overseeing GI Bill benefits seeking answers from the VA about the situation. Jones also joined his colleagues last week in a bipartisan letter, led by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and John Boozman (R-Ark.), calling on the VA Inspector General to launch an investigation into allegations that the VA would not be reimbursing veterans for any missed or underpaid benefits. Read Jones’ letter below:
Alabama Secretary of State’s Office works to recover outstanding campaign finance fines
Intended to reduce the potential for corruption, or even the appearance of corruption, campaign finance laws are a necessary part of modern elections. They’re an important component in creating political transparency. Many voters want to know who’s funding any given candidate as they believe money has the potential to corrupt them and to encourage them to serve their own interests, or the interests of their campaign donors, rather than the public. Which is why the Alabama state legislature passed act 2015-495 in 2015 that allows the Alabama Secretary of State’s office to issue fines when Principle Campaign Committees (PCCs) or Political Action Committees (PACs) don’t file their monthly, weekly, or daily campaign finance reports on time. The fines are serve as a deterrent to filing elections late and keeping pertinent donor information away from voters. The law went into effect with the start of the 2018 Election Cycle, and thus far the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office has issued 1,180 penalties for a total amount of $201,893.28. To date, the office has collected $106,531.92 of those fines, leaving $95,361.36 in the balance. The fines not yet paid have either been waived by the Alabama Ethics Commission or the Office is still attempting to collect the funds from the committee. According to the Secretary of State’s Office: Penalties are issued to any committee that does not file their campaign finance report by midnight on the date the report is due. Generally, reports are due on the second business day of each month. Committees are required to report all contributions and expenditures incurred by their campaign during the previous month. Penalty amounts increase as the number of late reports increase from the committee. Additionally, the first report a committee files late, but within 48 hours of the date the report is due, the committee is issued a warning which does not count against them or require a fine be paid. Further, the Act specifically states that warnings are not violations of the law. Of the penalties that have yet to be paid, 20 Committees have exceeded the statutorily prescribed period to pay the fines, which allows Secretary John Merrill to initiate legal action to recover those funds for the people of the state of Alabama. That process is currently underway. Fines paid by committees are deposited directly into the State of Alabama General Fund.
Protests erupt during Monday night’s emergency Hoover City Council meeting
Monday night’s emergency City Council meeting in Hoover City ended abruptly after protests broke out over Emantic “E.J.” Bradford Jr.‘s untimely Thanksgiving-day death. Bradford Jr. was killed at the Riverchase Galleria by an officer responding to the report of a mall shooting. Police said Bradford had a gun, and they initially blamed him for opening fire. They later retracted that allegation. The Council had hoped to unify the city, in light of the tragic mistake, reading the following statement aloud during the meeting: The Hoover City Council wants to publicly extend sympathy to the family of E.J. Bradford, Jr. and will continue to support them through prayer. We also pray for those injured or in any other way affected. The Council wants to formally express their regret for the misinformation provided to the public that later implicated E.J. Bradford, Jr. as the shooter in the November 22nd incident of violence. As leaders in our City, the council members re-affirm our commitment to public safety, fair and equitable treatment of all people, and respect for the law. We ask for patience and peace as the ongoing investigation of this incident is conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and promise to do all in our power to encourage unity over division. In the words of Mother Teresa, “There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter.” We, as the Hoover City Council, believe that God’s light can and will overcome the darkness of this tragedy if we all seek it together. But the meeting was adjourned early after protestors failed to follow the rules for public comment, shouting as a group to the councilors. Protestors are now threatening to release the name of the police officer who shot Bradford Jr, should the city not do so by noon on Tuesday. “You have until 12 o’clock noon to release the officer’s name. It’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” activist Carlos Chaverst told city councilors. Monday night’s council meeting was not the first time protestors demanded justice for Bradford Jr. In less than 48 hours after his death, more than 200 protesters marched through the Galleria chanting in protest of what happened to Bradford. There, they chanted “E.J.” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police,” holding signs that read “Emantic’s Life Matters.”
Alabama counties target Mazda Toyota supply chain in jobs push
The groundbreaking for the new Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA auto assembly plant in Huntsville took place just a couple of weeks ago, but the $1.6 billion, 4,000-worker project is already making a big impact across North Alabama. Business recruiters in the 13-county region have been working for months to lure suppliers for the facility. Their efforts include readying industrial sites and speculative buildings, along with a digital strategy that is reaching around the globe. The North Alabama Industrial Development Association (NAIDA) created a microsite that specifically targets companies interested in supplying the Japanese automakers’ operation, which is expected to launch production in 2021 with an eventual output of 300,000 vehicles annually. NAIDA President and CEO Brooks Kracke said his team went to work right away following the Mazda Toyota plant announcement in January. “We contacted the 13 counties we cover and asked them to give us their top five buildings or sites to put their best foot forward,” he said. “We put all of them on the microsite, along with additional data for each county, and we put everything in a searchable format.” The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA assembly plant in Huntsville will produce the next-generation Toyota Corolla, along with a brand new Mazda crossover model. (Toyota) Growing interest Since then, the microsite has drawn interest from companies and organizations from the U.S., Japan, India, China, Israel, Germany, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and beyond. Some companies have contacted NAIDA directly, asking for additional information, and some are scouting out the region in person, too. Meanwhile, NAIDA is contacting the companies that have looked at the microsite, including a Detroit firm that Kracke recently called on during a trip to Michigan. “This has given us a good segue to creating contacts and creating awareness that North Alabama is a good place to consider for their supplier operations,” he said. North Alabama is home to more than 100 automotive companies, in nearly every county. Anchors of the industry are the Toyota and Navistar engine plants in Huntsville; there are also numerous top suppliers for Alabama’s other automakers, which include Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai. The supplier impact of the Mazda Toyota plant could very well reach beyond North Alabama. Communities in other parts of the state are preparing to attract new firms and help existing companies land new business related to the facility. Kracke said the full supplier picture for the new Mazda Toyota plant is not yet clear. Companies are still determining their own plans and whether they will aim to supply the plant from existing facilities elsewhere or establish new operations nearby. But there’s no doubt that some will make a move to Alabama. It’s just a question of where. “The synergy is starting to happen, and I think the next five years or so will really be something,” Kracke said. Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield and Gov. Kay Ivey stand next to a Mazda at the official groundbreaking for Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA in Huntsville last month. (contributed) ‘Catbird seat’ In Marshall County, the strategy to attract suppliers includes promoting a workforce that is well-versed in the automotive industry, said Matt Arnold, president and CEO of the Marshall County Economic Development Council. Over the past 20 years, the county’s auto sector employment has seen significant growth, amid continued expansions at two Tier 1 suppliers for the Honda auto assembly plant in Talladega County, and at a few Tier 2 and aftermarket suppliers. “Following the Mazda Toyota announcement, we immediately updated our website with specific information and a page for suppliers, and we designated three industrial sites that we feel are our optimal sites for suppliers,” he said. “We are also showcasing the fact that we have been in automotive for quite a while, and we have the training programs in place in our technical schools and career tech programs in our high schools.” As for location, Arnold said the most obvious choice for suppliers is west of Huntsville, around the Shoals, since that’s between the new Mazda Toyota plant and a Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi. But on the other hand, Marshall County is a prime location for suppliers who want to be in proximity to Mazda Toyota and Honda Alabama, he added. “If that’s the case, we’re in the catbird seat. We’re right in the middle,” he said. Developing relationships Recruiters in the Shoals also went to work quickly following the Mazda Toyota announcement, creating their own web page targeting suppliers, said Forrest Wright, president of the Shoals Economic Development Authority. An industrial robot turns the first shovel of dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.6 billion Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA assembly plant in Huntsville. (Hal Yeager/Governor’s Office) The Shoals has a solid automotive industry presence, an attractive location and more. “We have multiple highway corridors to the Mazda Toyota facility from this area of Alabama, which helps with just-in-time delivery,” Wright said. “The chance of delay is reduced if you have multiple ways to get there. We’re also just far enough away from the facility to not have to directly compete with that labor market.” Wright is a regular participant in the annual joint meetings of the Southeast-U.S. Japan and the Japan-Southeast associations, known as SEUS Japan. He was a part of the Alabama delegation that traveled to Tokyo in October for SEUS Japan 41. “One of the things we try to do as a community is to maintain good communication with our existing companies,” he said. “Doing business with companies from Japan has its own unique style, and one of the things you must do is develop and maintain relationships. “While we were in Japan, we visited the headquarters of Japanese companies located in our area. We’ve seen that bear fruit in the past.” This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Donald Trump praises witness who refuses to testify against him
President Donald Trump praised a key witness in the Russia investigation Monday for having the “guts” not to testify against him, and said his former lawyer — who cut a deal with prosecutors — should head straight to prison. In a pair of politically charged tweets, Trump made clear that he is closely watching those who turn on him in the special counsel’s probe, which has ensnared some of the president’s closest advisers. So far, five people in Trump’s orbit have pleaded guilty to federal charges. The tweets add to mounting questions about whether Trump is taking steps to improperly influence witnesses in an investigation that has enraged him and shadowed his administration. Some legal experts, though, say they may not amount to witness tampering if Trump didn’t directly tell others what to say or not say. Trump already has come under scrutiny from critics who fear he may use his executive power to protect himself as well as friends and supporters. Last week, Trump told the New York Post that a pardon for his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was not off the table. Prosecutors say Manafort torpedoed his plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller by repeatedly lying to them, although Manafort denies that he lied. In one of Monday’s tweets, Trump took aim at Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney who once grandly declared he would “take a bullet” for the president but ultimately took a plea deal. Cohen pleaded guilty last week to lying to Congress about negotiations he had on Trump’s behalf for a real estate deal in Moscow. Though he told lawmakers the talks were done by January 2016, he admitted they actually lasted as late as June — after Trump had clinched the Republican nomination and after Russians had penetrated Democratic email accounts for communications later released through WikiLeaks. Cohen said he lied out of loyalty to Trump, who insisted throughout the campaign that he had no business dealings in Russia, and to be consistent with his political messaging. On Monday, Trump ripped into Cohen on Twitter. “You mean he can do all of the TERRIBLE, unrelated to Trump, things having to do with fraud, big loans, Taxis, etc., and not serve a long prison term?” Trump added that Cohen “makes up stories to get a GREAT & ALREADY reduced deal for himself.” Trump added: “He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence.” Minutes later, Trump lavished praise on his former campaign adviser Roger Stone. Mueller’s prosecutors are investigating Stone to learn whether he had advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked material damaging to Hillary Clinton‘s presidential effort. Trump lauded Stone for saying he’d never testify against the president. “This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor to make up lies and stories about ‘President Trump,’” he tweeted. “Nice to know that some people still have ‘guts!’” Stone then posted a screenshot of Trump’s tweet with a caption that said he was proud of their 40-year relationship and “prouder still of the amazing job he is doing making America Great Again!” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said Trump’s tweet was inappropriate. “The President of the United States should not be using his platform to influence potential witnesses in a federal investigation involving his campaign,” Warner said in a tweet. Stone said the idea that Trump’s tweet amount to witness tampering is “hysterical.” “I’m not a witness to any proceeding,” he said. David Weinstein, a former Justice Department prosecutor in Florida, said he was surprised by Trump’s comments Monday, but didn’t believe the tweets alone rose to the level of obstruction or witness tampering because Trump did not explicitly tell anyone what to say or not to say. Subjects of an investigation can still communicate to others entangled in a probe, and though they can encourage them to tell the truth, they cannot coach them to lie, he said. “What he seems to be saying is that people who continue to show support for him, in some way, may be rewarded for that support,” Weinstein said. “I don’t think it rises to the level of obstruction yet, but it certainly would cause people who are conducting the investigation to start asking questions about whether or not the target has reached out to them.” Trump’s message had an immediate effect on supporters. His remarks prompted Michael Caputo, the president’s former campaign aide and a longtime Stone friend, to launch a “GoFundMe” account to help pay Stone’s mounting legal fees. Stone said he’s paid about half a million in legal fees already and is projecting that total to reach $2 million. “I require a small platoon of excellent lawyers and they’re not inexpensive,” he said. A conservative author, who is an associate of Stone and in the crosshairs of Mueller’s investigation, filed a complaint Monday with the Justice Department, alleging prosecutors tried to coerce him to give false testimony and threatened to indict him. Investigators are looking into whether Jerome Corsi had contact with WikiLeaks or knew about their plans to release emails damaging to Clinton. Corsi has released documents showing Mueller’s prosecutors offered him a deal to plead guilty to a false statements charge but he’s rejected the offer. Corsi says he didn’t knowingly mislead investigators and wasn’t in contact with WikiLeaks. The Justice Department declined to comment on his complaint. The Russia investigation has dogged Trump for two years. In recent weeks, Trump has sharpened his criticism, accusing Mueller’s prosecutors of dirty tactics and pressuring witnesses to lie. Cohen’s decision to turn on his former boss was a particularly striking blow for the president. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to eight criminal counts, including campaign-finance violations, in a separate case unrelated to Mueller’s investigation. He said Trump directed him to arrange the payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels
GOP laments George H.W. Bush’s death as end of ‘a culture of civility’
Facing the nation for the first time as its president, George H.W. Bush vowed to lead with humility, moral principle and a spirit of unity. Deep successes “are made not of gold and silk but of better hearts and finer souls,” Bush said in 1989, adding: “America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.” Nearly three decades later, Bush’s inaugural address stands in sharp contrast with that of President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican whose brand is defined by material success, unrestrained aggression toward his rivals and disdain for traditional coalitions at home and abroad. Their presidencies separated by a single generation, the nation’s 41st and 45th presidents shared little in personality or worldview. And beyond personality, the conflicting presidencies underscore just how little remains today of the Grand Old Party that Bush once led. Trump’s GOP has undercut long-cherished Republican pillars of free trade, federal spending and environmental protection. One of Bush’s former senior aides, Ron Kaufman, now a Republican national committeeman from Massachusetts, said Bush’s death marked “the end of a culture — a culture of civility.” Above all, Kaufman and other Republican leaders — many Trump supporters — lamented the partisan divide that dominates modern politics in America, made even starker when compared to the style and substance of Bush. “The Bush family raised the level of public decency in American politics,” former South Carolina GOP Chairman Matt Moore said. “They’re just kind and generous. We need more of that, frankly, in American politics.” Public service was the norm for Bush, who held diplomatic posts at the United Nations and in China — along with leading the Republican National Committee and the CIA — before taking office. Bush promoted the value of cooperation as commander in chief, leading the United States into the first Persian Gulf War only after assembling a broad international coalition to help repeal Iraqi forces from Kuwait. And at home, Bush was a master of smaller gestures that highlighted his belief in the value of personal relationships. He wrote personal notes, sent gifts and stayed in touch with political allies and adversaries alike. Just two years ago, Bush sent Kaufman what he says may be his favorite Christmas gift of all time: a picture of the five living presidents signed by each of them. “I defy you to find someone now, anywhere, who doesn’t like George Herbert Walker Bush,” Kaufman said. By contrast, Trump is best known for a brash style marked by self-promotion and personal attacks against his rivals. During the 2016 campaign, he lashed out at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Bush’s son, as “low-energy.” He continued the rain of insults from the Oval Office. In recent weeks, the president described separate rivals as “horseface,” ”a thief,” ”a total lightweight” and “a crazed and stumbling lunatic.” And while he had little experience on the world stage coming into office, Trump has been equally willing to criticize long-standing international alliances. He has repeatedly heaped praise on autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, only to lash out at allies like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom Trump in June attacked as “very dishonest and weak.” The U.S. president has also described NATO as “obsolete” and suggested that the United Nations might be “a waste of time and money.” The conflicting styles of an establishment Republican and a political outsider are easy to see even for veteran GOP operative Henry Barbour, who worked in the Bush administration and supports Trump as a Republican national committeeman from Mississippi. “He was a diplomat, having served in China, so he wasn’t rash in his responses. Always thoughtful, deliberate, and I think it served him well,” Barbour said of Bush. “Complete class act.” Bush’s class, of course, wasn’t enough to help him win re-election. He is the last sitting president to lose his bid for a second term. His political downfall, however, was hastened by his willingness to work with others. The 41st president compromised with Democrats to craft a spending package that included higher taxes, a direct violation of his “No new taxes” campaign pledge. “He told us, ‘I’m signing my death warrant for the second term,’” Kaufman said. “But it was the right thing to do.” Trump has shown no willingness to strike deals with the opposition party. Just the opposite, he has used the power of the presidency to fuel new levels of partisan division. Among the issues on which he hasn’t sought compromise: climate change. Within days of taking office, Trump signed executive actions to advance the construction of oil pipelines passionately opposed by environmental activists. He said last week that he simply didn’t believe an assessment produced by his own administration and scores of scientists warning that climate change posed a profound threat to the health of the nation. Bush, like the Republican Party of his day, was far more focused on environmental protection. In 1989, his administration penned a memo insisting that “we simply cannot wait” to address climate change: “The costs of inaction will be too high.” Beyond policy, those who knew Bush say he will always be remembered as a family man. While the current president has been married three times and faces allegations of extramarital affairs, Bush was married to the same woman for more than 70 years. His family affectionately referred to him as “Poppy.” “Even though in some respects the political direction of the country is off in another direction, we’ll never forget George H.W. Bush and the contributions he made,” said Bruce Ash, a Republican national committeeman from Arizona. “It wasn’t just his patriotism, and it wasn’t just his service. It was his decency.” “I’m glad he’s associated with the Republican Party,” he said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Rauf Bolden: Reflecting upon the midterm results in Orange Beach
Midterm reflects the election cycle. The middle of Mayor Tony Kennon’s term (2016-2018) saw one-third of the Orange Beach City Council try to leave, seeking higher office. Councilman Jeff Boyd ran for Alabama State Senate, and Councilman Jerry Johnson ran for Baldwin County Commissioner. Both failed by a wide margin. Their campaigns were underfunded and untested, returning to the Council Chambers in Orange Beach richer for their experience, perhaps launching a retry in 2022, or mounting a run for Mayor in 2020. Some people feel Orange Beach’s Ordinance banning short-term rentals (Ordinance 2018-1282) cost the council members’ their election bid, seeing the ban as stepping on a person’s property rights, limiting what a family can do with their home, making houses in residential areas harder to sell. “BCAR [Baldwin County Association of Realtors] represents over 2,000 REALTORS® across Baldwin and Mobile counties, and advocates for homeownership, private property rights, and vibrant communities. BCAR supports candidates who share the vision of the association,” according to a report on the BCAR website. Obviously the ban is an infringement on property rights, for not minimizing government’s role in the local economy, for not restoring liberty from government interference, essentially abandoning pre-eminent conservative ideals in Republican Alabama. Espousing conservatism, the Council’s legislative calendar from 2016-2018 saw no cuts in property taxes for residents; big increases in deductibles for city employees’ health care; and a short term rental ban on residential properties. The proposed projects over the next two years (2018-2020) are more ambitious, bolstering economic stimulus, including a new Middle School/High School on Canal Road (Diagram 1); widening of Canal Road (Diagram 2); and starting the Wolf Bay Bridge (Diagram 3). These are economic-stimulus projects costing tens of million of dollars, creating jobs, and helping the local economy prior to the next election cycle. Council started the revenue ball rolling in the first two years of this term (2016-2018), generating additional revenue with a 2% increase in lodging tax from 11 percent to 13 percent, supposedly underwriting the cost of the Wolf Bay Bridge. The rest of the infrastructure money is coming from tax revenue saved up over Mayor Kennon’s previous two terms. Spending these monies on infrastructure is a good idea, because moving traffic keeps the tourists happy and a happy tourist is the city’s cash cow. They provide a revenue stream, paying sales taxes on groceries, fueling their boats, buying water toys and so on. Another possibility for more revenue exists as the city approved 65 liquor licenses, including special events, in the two years prior to the midterm, according to an email from Renee Eberly, City Clerk in Orange Beach. Perhaps a sin tax on alcohol, tobacco products, and sugary drinks, generating extra cash, helping pay for infrastructure projects or school amenities is an alternative source of funding. “[A new] High School is a great idea. There are new families coming to the area and they are going to need a good school. The only problem is the traffic. It is already bad enough. I don’t know how they are going to fix it,” said Margie Soto a 24-year resident of the island. “I would like to see Canal Road [Hwy 180] widened, and I would like to see the Wolf Bay Bridge built,” said Steve Russo an Orange Beach resident of 38 years. Keeping City Council in step is the key issue if Mayor Kennon wants to push his post-midterm agenda forward. Orange Beach’s Elected Officials serve at-large not by districts. They represent all the constituents at once. Even though the elected officials represent all the registered voters, Council members voted with Mayor Kennon 99 percent of the time, showing Kennon’s iron-grip on the process. Joe Emerson commented on the gravity of his experience in the Council Chambers at City Hall, making inquiries about how the Flyover Bridge (diagram below) west of the Foley Beach Express was funded. ”I would like to say that I took Mayor Kennon’s advice and went to two City Council meetings ‘to get the facts’ [about the flyover bridge]. Not once, but twice I was denied access to public information about the project (after being assured that my request for the white papers was approved). Not once but twice, my character was attacked because I refuse to just go with the flow [bend the knee]. Not once but twice, I left the Orange Beach City Council Chambers with more incentive to get to the bottom of this [flyover bridge funding],” Emerson wrote in a Facebook post. A State Official is also seeking answers. “ALDOT has managed to side-step Jim Zeigler’s [State Auditor’s] requests [about funding] for well over six months, and thus, for the third time, Zeigler is asking for further information [from ALDOT] about an $87 million state-funded bridge [flyover bridge] project in Baldwin County [Orange Beach],” reported Alabama Today. “I learned there’s no logical and reasonable opposition [to this flyover bridge],” Kennon told Yellowhammer News, during ALDOT’s Public Hearing in Gulf Shores on Nov. 15. Some residents fear City Council may float a neck-snapping bond issue never seen before in Baldwin County, financing the Wolf Bay Bridge, hiring a bond issuer, perhaps negotiating reimbursements for expenses. The worry is what it will cost to pay down this debt, and how many years the residents are indebted, probably long after the present council retires. Opponents of the Wolf Bay Bridge are motivated, campaigning vigorously against more infrastructures (indebtedness), demanding a Referendum, letting the constituents vote before spending $50 million on the Wolf Bay Bridge. “We are very concerned about the economic risk involved in building of this 1.2 mile bridge [Wolf Bay Bridge]. In addition to the astronomical expense for the taxpayers, there is the safety and liability risk of toxic spills [benzene] from barge accidents on extremely busy interstate waterway. The intention to build up the north shore to bring more traffic to Orange Beach seems irrational at this point,” wrote Lucy Hazebrook in an email. Lucy is a 28-year resident of
