Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford dies at 72
Larry Langford, the former Birmingham mayor whose captivating political career was ended by a conviction on public corruption charges, died on Tuesday. He was 72. His death was confirmed by his lawyer, Tiffany Johnson Cole. Langford died a little more than a week after being released from federal prison because of his failing health. The cause of death was not announced but attorneys said earlier that Langford had end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. Langford was raised in poverty in a Birmingham housing project but rose to become one of the Birmingham area’s most charismatic and influential leaders. He served in the U.S. military and in the early 1970s became one the first black television reporters in the city of Birmingham. Langford served as mayor of Fairfield, the president of the Jefferson County Commission and mayor of Birmingham. With a flair for the theatrical, he never shied away from big ideas for the areas he served. During his political career, he championed the creation of an amusement park called Visionland and other efforts to make Birmingham a tourism destination. His unrealized plans included bringing the Olympics to Birmingham and building a domed stadium. “Mayor Langford had an unmatched love for his community – a love he expressed through his boldness and creativity,” current Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Tuesday. Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales said Langford, while unconventional in his approach, “was a pioneer and visionary who was well ahead of his time.” His political career ended in 2009 when he was convicted of taking bribes — in the form of cash, clothing and a Rolex— as a member of the county commission in exchange for steering bond business to an investment banker. A federal judge sentenced Langford to 15 years in prison. “He sold Jefferson County out” Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin said at his 2010 sentencing. Langford maintained his innocence. “This whole thing, my being in prison, found guilty by a jury that said it had made up its mind before hearing any testimony and sitting here watching elected officials take credit for my work just adds insult to injury,” Langford told The Birmingham News in 2013. Langford’s supporters for years had lobbied for his release from prison because of his ill health. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Civil rights group did the right thing with Angela Y. Davis
If you asked me before this week who Angela Y. Davis is I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. In light of the attention she’s received over the last several days, because of the decision by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) to rescind their offer to honor her this year, I decided to become more familiar with her work and their decision. I’ve read numerous speeches, news articles quoting her and have purchased and skimmed through two of her books. It is with that background I’m absolutely confident the Institute did the right thing by reconsidering their initial offer to recognize her work. While some of the work Angela Davis has done is laudable, one shouldn’t cherry-pick just those things and ignore her record on the whole. A record that includes ties, which she herself celebrates, with notable terrorists and those who would seek to see Israel handed over to the Palestinian people. Hate and bigotry are serious issues, but to focus on the plight of African American communities while furthering the plight of another group (in Davis’ case the Jewish community), you are doing no one favors. Someone dropped the ball at the BCRI by not properly vetting Davis’s full history, speeches and current activism prior to choosing her for the award. That said, had they turned a blind eye to the concerns of the Jewish community and others after the announcement their troubles would have been compounded by still choosing to honor her.
Mac McCutcheon re-elected Alabama House Speaker
Monrovia-Republican, State Rep. Mac McCutcheon has once again been elected speaker of the Alabama State House. Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday elected McCutcheon to a four-year term at the start of an organizational session for the upcoming legislative session. McCutcheon was elected 98-1. McCutcheon was first elected to the post in 2016 after former House speaker Mike Hubbard was automatically removed from office after he was convicted in June on multiple counts of using his office for personal gain. He was later sentenced to four years in prison. McCutcheon gave the following remarks from the well of the chamber upon his election: Let me begin by thanking you for the trust and confidence you have placed in me with this election as Speaker of the House. Since first assuming this office a few years ago, I have tried hard to preside in a manner that is as fair and impartial as the good Lord above will allow me. You have my promise that the same fairness and impartiality will be in evidence over the next four years. Before I became Speaker, I served as the House Rules Chairman, a position that I enjoyed. It was also one that taught me a deep respect for the legislative process and instilled in me a determination to let it work as it was intended. As a legislator you have two choices before you. You can choose to be guided primarily by your own ambitions, desires, and personal interests, or you can choose to be led by a desire to make Alabama a better place for the constituents you represent. In other words, you can choose to be a flash in the pan, or you can build a lasting legacy of goodwill, trust, integrity, and sound policy. I’ve made my decision and hope you make the same choice. The members in this chamber will not always agree on everything, and there will be moments of tension and discord. At those difficult moments, do not turn your back and walk away in anger. Instead, come to the table, negotiate in good faith, and help work out the differences. To the new members who will cast their first vote today, let me give you a piece of advice. It’s the key to success in this body, and it can be summed up in one word – relationships. Get to know your fellow members, develop a foxhole friendship during the legislative battles that are sure to come, always have their back and ask that they always have yours in return. If you develop these relationships, do your homework on the issues, and ask questions you think are in need of being asked during debates – you will be successful in this body. I want this quadrennium to be defined by four simple words – Building a better Alabama. That’s not just a phrase. It’s not just a goal. I want it to be our mission. Our state is already great in many ways, but we are going to use the next four years to literally build a better Alabama for all of its citizens. Building a better Alabama means building better roads and better bridges so Alabamians can travel safely and conveniently and businesses can transport their goods without needless delay. Our sister southeastern states have already taken action to address their transportation needs, and we will quickly fall behind them if we do not act now. Building a better Alabama means building an even better economy with even more jobs and opportunity so every individual who is able to work can work. Alabama already ranks among the nation’s leaders in industrial recruitment and job growth, but I believe we can do even better. Building a better Alabama means building a better education system so all of our children and grandchildren can reach their full potential and one day compete for high-paying, long-lasting 21st Century jobs. Building a better Alabama means building a better standard of ethics that embraces commonsense guidelines while ensuring officials who violate the public trust feel the firm hand of justice and the sharp pain of punishment. The items I have outlined offer us a difficult, complicated, and ambitious mission, but as I look out at all of you today, I am confident it is one we can accomplish together. So let us all agree – Republican and Democrat alike – that the mission to build a better Alabama begins right here, right now, in this chamber. In closing, let me say that I am a man of faith and grace. I believe each of us has been put in a position of leadership to accomplish God’s will, and each one of us has been chosen for a purpose. We are here to govern with honor, and we are here to follow the rule of law. We are here to serve the people of Alabama to the very best of our abilities…so help us God. Thank you for this honor you have given me today.
Eyeing 2020, Kamala Harris addresses prosecutorial past in memoir
As she nears a decision on whether to seek the presidency, Sen. Kamala Harris is taking on what could be a hurdle in a Democratic primary: her past as a prosecutor. In her memoir published Tuesday, the California Democrat describes herself as a “progressive prosecutor” and says it’s a “false choice” to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement. The argument is aimed at liberal critics of her record who argue she was sometimes too quick to side with the police and too slow to adopt sentencing reforms. “I know that most police officers deserve to be proud of their public service and commended for the way they do their jobs,” Harris writes in “The Truths We Hold.” ”I know how difficult and dangerous the job is, day in and day out, and I know how hard it is for the officers’ families, who have to wonder if the person they love will be coming home at the end of each shift.” But, she continues, “I also know this: it is a false choice to suggest you must either be for the police or for police accountability. I am for both. Most people I know are for both. Let’s speak some truth about that, too.” After high-profile fatal shootings involving police officers and unarmed people of color, the criminal justice system’s treatment of minorities is a top issue among Democratic voters. The passage suggests Harris is aware that her seven years as the district attorney in San Francisco, followed by six years as California’s attorney general, is something she will have to explain and signals how she may frame her law enforcement career if she decides to run for the White House. “It’s a presidential campaign, and every aspect of a candidate’s record is going to be scrutinized and they’re going to have to answer for it,” said Mo Elleithee, a longtime Democratic operative who leads Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. “She knows that this is something that’s heading her way and a good candidate is one who doesn’t wait for it to hit them. A good candidate is someone who addresses it proactively, and she appears to be doing that.” Beyond the book, Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate late last year and overhauls the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to sentencing rules. In the book, Harris recounts an instance when she was an intern at the Alameda County district attorney’s office and an innocent bystander was one of many people arrested during a drug raid. Harris said she “begged” and “pleaded” on a late Friday afternoon for a judge to hear the case so the woman could avoid spending the weekend in jail. Kate Chatfield, the policy director of the California-based criminal justice reform group Re:store Justice, said Harris did do “some good” when she was in law enforcement, but that it was “incumbent on the public to hold her accountable for the ways in which she either didn’t do enough or actually did some harm.” “When the conversation shifts, one should be expected to be questioned about those choices,” Chatfield said, noting among other issues Harris’s advocacy for tougher truancy laws. By addressing policing in the book, Harris is taking on an issue that confronted Democrats and some Republicans in 2016. Democrat Hillary Clinton was criticized for her husband’s role in passing the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which created stricter penalties for drug offenders and funneled billions of dollars toward more police and new prisons. The issue is likely to be the subject of fierce debate in 2020 as well and could expose divisions among the wide field of candidates — presenting hurdles for some and opportunity for others. Former Vice President Joe Biden was the head of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee when the 1994 crime bill — which is now criticized as having helped create an era of mass incarceration — was passed and signed into law, which could be an obstacle for him. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was central to the passage of the Senate’s criminal justice overhaul package and is certain to tout it if he decides to launch a presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is also considering a 2020 bid, often refers to her own prosecutorial past. The memoir — and the publicity surrounding it — will shift the 2020 campaign spotlight to Harris this week after much of the focus has been on her Senate colleague Elizabeth Warren. Last week, the Massachusetts Democrat became the most prominent person yet to take steps toward a presidential run by forming an exploratory committee. Her weekend trip to the leadoff caucus state of Iowa also generated largely flattering headlines. Some criminal justice advocates said they were happy the issue would get more attention in 2020. “When we had the 2016 elections, it was at the height of Ferguson and Baltimore, and we still didn’t have serious engagement with criminal justice reform,” said Phillip Goff, the president of the Center for Policing Equity, referring to the protests that followed the deaths of black men at the hands of police officers in Missouri and Maryland. “My hope is that we require candidates to demonstrate that they know more than the catchphrases of the activists in their bases.” Surveys underscore the potency of criminal justice issues among Democrats. A February 2018 poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that majorities of Democrats — but far fewer Republicans — think there’s been little progress for African-Americans on criminal justice or policing issues over the past 50 years. The poll showed that 45 percent of Americans, including 62 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Republicans, thought there had been little to no progress on fair treatment for black Americans by the criminal justice system. Similarly, 46 percent of Americans, including 63 percent of Democrats and 23 percent of Republicans, said there’s been little
Personnel note: Charles Daniels named ADOC Deputy Commissioner of Operations
Proposed legislative rules could shorten debate time
Republicans in the Alabama Legislature have proposed rules that could curtail the ability of Democrats to temporarily slow debate on bills pushed by the GOP majority over the next four years. Proposed rules in the House of Representatives end a longstanding practice of allowing up to two hours of debate on the special order calendar listing what bills will get floor votes that day. The speaker would decide the time allowed. House Democrats on Monday expressed concern about that and a number of other changes aimed at speeding debate. Republican leaders contended the changes were modest attempts to encourage the “deliberative process.” Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said he hopes the four-year term covered by the rules would be about finding common ground to address pressing issues in the state. “In light of all of these things, where the other side it already a supermajority, they further reduce our ability to have our voices heard, and that’s of great concern to me,” he said. Republicans hold 77 seats in the 105-member House, largely giving them the ability to control what passes. Dragging out debate on the special order calendar has been a tactic employed for years by the minority party, whether that was Democrats or Republicans. The House in 2003 voted to limit debate to two hours, where previously there was no limit. Assistant Minority Leader Merika Coleman said the special order debate time is an opportunity for lawmakers to express how their constituents feel about a particular piece of legislation and the time has been used as a negotiating tool to seek changes in the agenda or in a bill. “This is supposed to be the people’s House, a house of debate,” Coleman said. “It doesn’t matter if you are conservative or if you are liberal or if you are independent, the best pieces of legislation actually end up being formed when everybody is forced, or chooses, to negotiate. People have to listen to each other,” Coleman said. Democrats could still filibuster a bill before a vote, but Republicans typically have enough votes for cloture. Another proposed rule change would affect the filibuster tactic of asking for bills to be read aloud on the House floor, a right guaranteed to lawmakers in the Alabama Constitution. The House speaker could set the speed at which a computer reads the bill. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon and Rules Chairman Mike Jones issued a statement about the changes. McCutcheon said most of the proposed rules are the same from last term but some changes are being proposed to encourage the deliberative process but not deny any member’s right to debate. Jones said the rules have been worked on for months and should not come as a surprise to anyone. “That said, it’s the intention of both the speaker and myself that these rules will be fully debated on the House floor,” Jones said. Other changes deal with member discipline and debate on local resolutions. Lawmakers begin their organizational session at noon Tuesday. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump to take case for border wall to prime-time audience
President Donald Trump will argue to the nation Tuesday night that a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the long and invulnerable wall he’s demanding before ending a partial government shutdown that has hundreds of thousands of federal workers fearing missed paychecks on Friday. Trump’s first Oval Office speech will be followed by a Thursday visit to the southern border to highlight his demand for a barrier. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted that he will “meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis.” The administration is also at least talking about the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow Trump to move forward on the wall without Congress approving the $5.6 billion he wants. Vice President Mike Pence said again Tuesday that the idea of making such a declaration remains on the table. Such a move would certainly draw legal challenges, and Trump — who told lawmakers he would be willing to keep the government closed for months or even years — has said he would like to continue negotiations for now. “The passion you hear from President Trump, his determination to take this case to the American people, as he will tonight in his national broadcast from the Oval Office, comes from this president’s deep desire to do his job to protect the American people,” Pence said Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “We’re going to continue to carry that case forward until the Democrats in Congress come to the table and start negotiating, not just to end the government shutdown but to address what is an undeniable crisis at our southern border,” added Pence who also lobbied for Trump during appearances on CBS and NBC. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer have come to the White House for several negotiating rounds with Trump. Democratic congressional staffers also participated in weekend talks led by Pence at the White House. Pelosi and Schumer called for equal time to respond to Trump. “Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” they said in a joint statement Monday night. As Trump’s speech and border visit were announced, newly empowered House Democrats — and at least a few Republican senators — stepped up pressure on GOP lawmakers to reopen the government without giving in to the president’s demands The closure, now in its 18th day, is the second-longest in history and would become the longest this weekend. Leaning on Senate Republicans, some of whom are growing anxious about the impact of the shutdown, Pelosi said the House would begin passing individual bills this week to reopen federal agencies, starting with the Treasury Department to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds. In a pre-emptive move, the White House said Monday that tax refunds would be paid despite the shutdown. That shutdown exemption would break from past practice and could be challenged. “There is an indefinite appropriation to pay tax refunds. As a result … the refunds will go out as normal,” said Russell Vought, acting director of the White House budget office. There were other signs the administration is working to contain the fallout from the shutdown, which has furloughed 380,000 federal workers and forced another 420,000 to work without pay. The National Park Service said it was dipping into entrance fees to pay for staffing at some highly visited parks to maintain restrooms, remove up trash and patrol the grounds, after reports of human waste and garbage overflowing in some spots. Over the weekend, the federal agency tasked with guaranteeing U.S. airport security acknowledged an increase in the number of employees missing work or calling in sick. But Trump and the Transportation Security Administration pushed back on any suggestion that the call-outs represented a “sickout” that was having a significant effect on U.S. air travel. Over the weekend, travelers reported longer checkpoint lines at some airports, including LaGuardia in New York. TSA said the effect was “minimal” and that it screened more than 2.2 million passengers Sunday, a historically busy day due to holiday travel. Ninety percent waited less than 15 minutes, the agency said. Talks over ending the shutdown have been at an impasse over Trump’s demand for the wall. He has offered to build it using steel rather than concrete, billing that as a concession to Democrats’ objections. They “don’t like concrete, so we’ll give them steel,” he said. But Democrats have made clear that they object to the wall itself, not what it’s made of. They see it as immoral and ineffective and prefer other types of border security funded at already agreed-upon levels. “Maybe he thinks he can bully us. But I’m from Brooklyn. You let a bully succeed, you’ll be bullied again worse,” Schumer said at a breakfast with the Association for a Better New York. Trump has tasked Pence to negotiate with Democrats, including during weekend talks. He is also increasingly being called upon to prevent defections in the GOP ranks. Asked whether cracks were forming between the White House and Republicans eager for the shutdown to end, Pence told reporters at a briefing Monday that, “We’ve been in touch with those members and others.” He said he and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would brief lawmakers at the Capitol on Tuesday and Wednesday. Among Republicans expressing concern was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who has said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., should take up funding bills from the Democrat-led House. But McConnell has said he won’t ask members to vote on bills that Trump won’t sign. Adding to concerns of lawmakers, federal workers still on the job apparently will miss this week’s paychecks. Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said over the weekend that if the shutdown continues into Tuesday “then payroll will not go out as originally planned on Friday night.” Trump
Rauf Bolden: Oil spill monies lost in Orange Beach
James Madison said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance.” In Orange Beach we need to seek knowledge from our elected officials. Searching the Internet I found $192,416,759 in oil spill funds was approved by the US Treasury (USDT) and the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (AGCRC) for the State of Alabama’s multiyear implementation plan for Gulf Coast Recovery (RESTORE). The bad news is Orange Beach’s projects did not receive one award for funding. This fact was never shared with the constituents of Orange Beach in a council meeting or in a press release. Should we follow James Madison’s lead, seeking knowledge over ignorance, asking who was responsible for administering grant applications, quizzing them, perhaps we were just outplayed or out-coached, and unable to get across the finish line. Our taxpayers should know why we were excluded from these monies, knowing our coast was directly affected by the oil spill. Fifteen projects were approved in their respective jurisdictions, according to a report by Elizabeth Patton in Alabama Today: Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability, City of Gulf Shores, Baldwin County, Ala. Aloe Bay Harbour Town Phases I, II and III, Town of Dauphin Island, Mobile County, Ala. Redevelop Bayou La Batre City Docks Phases I, II and III, City of Bayou La Batre, Mobile County, Ala. Water Distribution System Upgrades, City of Bayou La Batre, Mobile County, Ala. Northwest Satsuma Water and Sewer Project, City of Satsuma, Mobile County, Ala. Mount Vernon Water Treatment Plant (WTP), Town of Mount Vernon, Mobile County, Ala. Mobile County Blueway Trail Development, Mobile County, Ala. Baldwin Beach Express I-10 to I-65 Extension, Baldwin County, Ala. Baldwin County ALDOT Capacity Improvements, Baldwin County, Ala. Alabama State Port Authority Automotive Logistics/RO-RO Terminal, City of Mobile, Mobile County, Ala. Historic Africatown Welcome Center, City of Mobile, Mobile County, Ala. Innovating St. Louis Street, Mobile’s Technology Corridor, City of Mobile, Mobile County, Ala. Mobile Greenway Initiative, City of Mobile, Mobile County, Ala. Working Waterfront and Green-space Restoration Project, City of Fairhope, Baldwin County, Ala. Planning Grant to Amend Multiyear Implementation Plan, Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Ala., The decision-makers planned the process and evaluated the selections. The judging panel consisted of elected officials at the city, county and state level: The mayor of Orange Beach The mayor of Gulf Shores The mayor of Fairhope The mayor of Mobile The mayor of Bayou La Batre The mayor of Dauphin Island The chairman of the Baldwin County Commission The president of the Mobile County Commission The governor, who served as chair, with former Congressman Jo Bonner serving as Governor Ivey’s representative in her absence The director of the Alabama State Port Authority, who serves as vice-chair, Every decision-maker secured funding for a project in his or her jurisdiction except Orange Beach. Are we so rich we can let $192,416,759 in RESTORE funding slide through our fingers like grains of sand? The final multiyear implementation plan details the parameters the decision makers faced, dividing up $192,416,759 in RESTORE funds, according to the Federal Office of Budget Management (OMB Approval No. 1505-0250). The key issue for constituents is why we were not kept in the loop at every step of the way, meaning notification at the beginning, middle, and end of each project submittal? Council is very good at promoting positive information about school progress, or bridges, but the silence was deafening, regarding project applications, and evaluations for RESTORE monies. Taxpayers should know what went wrong. I understand the process was very competitive, having counted 37 submissions and 15 winners. Perhaps Orange Beach’s projects like: Restoration of Cotton Bayou and Terry Cove Canals (ID #84); and a Storm Water Quality Rehabilitation Project (ID #98) were too small or they lacked innovation, as suggested by the voting tabulation sheet (pgs. 43-44)? Losing out on $192,416,759 in grants is more than just a little hiccup. It is a political disaster. We had a seat at the table, and Orange Beach was the only board member to come away empty handed, having nothing to show from this round of oil spill reparations ($192,416,759) that damaged the ecology of our coast. Orange Beach has realistic project needs like a boat launch on the south side of the island, or a high-capacity drainage system when it floods in Bear Point. Orange Beach could have submitted for eco-trail improvements, extending from Hwy 161 to the canoe launch on Mississippi Avenue, or possibly building a state-of-the-art wildlife rescue facility on Power Line Road, or a five-bed trauma center with helicopter pad, essentially any single project paid for with RESTORE monies would have been welcome. This was an opportunity lost, and taxpayers do not know why. Rauf Bolden is retired IT Director at the City of Orange Beach, working as an IT & Web Consultant on the Beach Road. He can be reached by email: publisher@velvetillusion.com.
