Rauf Bolden: Opposing taxation without representation
“It is all about the money. “Money to get the power, power to keep the money,” according to Machiavelli’s patron Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. Orange Beach has the power to tax people living outside the corporate limits, and the power to keep the money without allowing them to vote. State Sen. Chris Elliot – Republican, and Gerald Allen – Republican propose doing something about it. Their answer is Alabama Legislation SB19 & SB23. “S23 [SB23 is] a good idea in some respects; however AL is only state in US which grants as much authority to public officials without opportunity to vote on those officials! A complicated issue which has taken lot of legislative time with no good solution!” said Alabama State Rep. Steve McMillan (Republican-Gulf Shores) in an email. Both pieces of legislation argue that a person should have the right to vote for the people who levy taxes, require business licenses, and handle law enforcement in their jurisdiction. It all seems reasonable to me. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon does not agree. Resolutions opposing the senators’ legislation passed unanimously in the Council Chambers on March 19th, according to a recording on the city’s web site, approximately at time index: 14:30. • “Resolution opposing proposed SB19, and opposing any action by the Alabama Legislature that would exempt certain vacation, short-term rentals from lodgings taxes [13%],” according to item 11 on the Agenda’s website. • “Resolution opposing proposed SB23 [], and opposing any action by the Alabama Legislature that would restrict or remove municipal police or planning jurisdictions,” according to item 10 on the Agenda’s website. I reached out to Orange Beach’s Legal Administrator, asking why quashing SB19 & SB23 is so important to the city. Their office did not respond to my request for comment. “Rumor has it the House [Alabama] is blocking the legislation [SB19 & SB23] and it will never pass. City lobbyists deeply involved. Monies from police jurisdictions too valuable to lose,” said Ernie Church in a Facebook Group, End The #Bridge2Nowhere. The legislation SB19 tackles eliminating unfair hospitality taxes. “Transient occupancy tax (lodging tax), not applicable to tent camping, marine ships, and recreational vehicles, Sec. 40-26-1 am’d,” according to a report on LegiScan. Similarly, SB23 seeks to dispose of outside-the-city mercantile taxes, “Municipalities, police jurisdiction and planning jurisdiction, limited to property within corporate limits, provisions for business licenses and sales taxes outside of corporate limits repealed, Secs. 11-51-90, 11-51-206 repealed; Secs. 11-40-10, 11-52-30 am’d,” according to a report on LegiScan. We are looking for clarity, but there is no distinct path forward. Legislators will need consensus, and a willingness to see past a small municipalities’ obsession with the power they hold over their neighbors in the police jurisdictions (PJ). The State of Alabama should demand Orange Beach seed authority to the people who live in the PJ (north of the canal), or incorporate them into their municipality, changing the electoral map forever. Police Jurisdiction of Orange Beach (populated areas outlined in orange north of the canal). Source: See Orange Beach GIS Website. Population of Orange Beach (inside city limits, south of the canal). Source: See Google Public Data. The unfairness of a small group of people having political leverage over the lives of individuals living in the unincorporated areas north of Orange Beach is unsustainable. Mayor Tony Kennon’s resolutions argue for the status quo, ostensibly keeping as much money as possible in the city’s coffers, simultaneously oppressing the voters living outside the city limits.Have the people on the North Shore finally woken up to this power grab?Supporters of the Elliott-Allen Legislation (SB19 & SB23) need the muscle of existing regulations, arguing cities have not adhered to the present rules. Thereby freeing the unincorporated from the constraints of extraterritorial taxation. The requirements are clear, according to the Alabama Department of Revenue. The stipulations for posting Ordinances and maps on the website are quoted below: 1. Copy of the 30-Day Notice that was posted for the following police jurisdiction related ordinances passed on or after 9/1/15: • Ordinances enforcing police or sanitary regulations and prescribing fines and penalties for violations thereof within the police jurisdiction.• Ordinances to fix and collect licenses for any business, trade, or profession done within the police jurisdiction.• Ordinances to levy and assess taxes within the police jurisdiction. 2. Map showing the boundaries of the municipal limits and police jurisdiction: • Due no later than the first day of January in each year.• Maps in PDF or JPG are preferred. Not many Alabama Cities are in compliance. It can be argued that municipal non-compliance automatically exonerates residents from paying taxes. Although this position will be challenged. Citizen complaints should be reported to Alabama Revenue: LocalTaxUnit@revenue.alabama.gov, or faxed to 334-353-7666. I wrote Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) who sponsored SB19, asking for comment. “Senator Allen [R] will be making public comments when the bill is placed in Committee,” according to an email from Luanne Miller of the Senator’s office. The key issue is getting both these pieces of legislation passed by the Alabama Senate and House. Then signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. Orange Beach’s lobbyist former Governor Bob Riley will be hard at work, whispering in ears, and twisting arms. If the bills pass, Orange Beach will not have jurisdiction over the North Shore. No planning jurisdiction means no Wolf Bay Bridge. I reached out to Senator Chris Elliott (Republican-Baldwin County). He sponsored SB23. The senator’s office did not respond to my request for comment. Mayor Tony Kennon will fight, saying we do not need to make any changes, supported by his resolutions opposing a refresh. He may argue the city provides services across the canal, including fire and police protection for the residents. Therefore, Orange Beach should keep its extraterritorial jurisdiction as a matter of public safety. Since incorporation in 1984 no Fire Station or Police Precinct House has been built on the North Shore. The public safety argument is nothing more than a smokescreen for keeping the present state of
‘A good day’: Trump claims victory with Mueller report out
For nearly two years, President Donald Trump and his allies sought to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller‘s Russia probe, attacking investigators’ credibility and playing down their findings. As a redacted version of Mueller’s report was finally released Thursday, Trump resorted to bluster, broadsides and falsehoods to try, once more, to frame the moment as a political victory. It began even before the public glimpsed the two volumes covering 448 pages . The report included an account of how the president attempted to seize control of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and force out Mueller from leading the inquiry. But that didn’t stop Trump from taking a public victory lap, declaring at a White House event that he was having “a good day.” Twelve times Trump took to Twitter in the hours before Attorney General William Barr outlined the findings of the report. The president proclaimed his innocence and insisted that the investigation was politically motivated. As soon as Barr concluded his remarks, and more than an hour before Mueller’s report was released, Trump tweeted a taunt over an image inspired by the HBO show “Game of Thrones.” “No Collusion. No Obstruction,” it said. “For the haters and the radical left Democrats — Game Over.” But the report does recount how Trump repeatedly sought to intervene in a probe that has hovered over the first two years of his presidency. And it says Trump had been agitated by the investigation from the start, reporting that Trump reacted to Mueller’s appointment by saying it was the “end of his presidency.” At Justice Department headquarters, reporters buzzed around as they awaited Barr and then the Mueller report. A few blocks away, there was calm on one of the defining days of Trump’s presidency. The news media were led into the White House East Room, just before the report came out, for Trump’s appearance with wounded warriors. While newsrooms across the country digested the report, the White House guests, already seated while waiting for the president to arrive, were entertained by the U.S. Marine Band. Among the selections played: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” “Knockout,” read a text message from Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s attorneys, to reporters after Barr finished speaking. A further statement from Giuliani and Trump’s lawyers said “the report itself is nothing more than an attempt to rehash old allegations” and insisted that “the results of the investigation are a total victory for the president.” Current and former White House officials eagerly rushed through the report. They scanned for their names to see what Mueller had said about them and how he had characterized their testimony, and wondered how those depictions might sit with a mercurial president. Staffers had been told by the White House to cooperate fully with Mueller’s team and answer their questions truthfully. But many were nervous about how Trump would react to their testimony and whether it would damage their relationships with him. Talking points went out to Trump allies while his supporters’ phones buzzed with text messages from the campaign looking to raise money off Thursday’s developments. “Now the tables have turned, and it’s time to investigate the liars who instigated this sham investigation into President Trump, motivated by political retribution and based on no evidence whatsoever,” said Trump’s re-election campaign manager, Brad Parscale. Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, was featured prominently in the report for meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016. Though the report said “the campaign anticipated receiving derogatory documents and information” from Russians that “could assist Trump’s electoral prospects,” it said “the government would unlikely be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt” that the participants at that meeting “had general knowledge that their conduct was unlawful.” Though a seemingly backhanded exoneration, the younger Trump tweeted a series of attacks on Democrats. “Better luck next hoax!” he said. Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said that because the White House didn’t interfere with Mueller’s work, that “should make people feel good about democracy.” “We’re accepting apologies today, too,” Conway told reporters, adding that Trump watched Barr, talked to his lawyers and was in “a great mood.” The president, who normally talks to reporters on his way out of the White House, declined to speak as he left to spend the Easter weekend in Florida. But from Air Force One, he tweeted: “I had the right to end the whole Witch Hunt if I wanted. I could have fired everyone, including Mueller, if I wanted. I chose not to. I had the RIGHT to use Executive Privilege. I didn’t!” Appearing relaxed earlier Friday at military event, Trump said a statue he’d been presented with as a memento would have a permanent home “at least for six years, in the Oval Office.” As the audience applauded and laughed, Trump said he was going to joke and say “at least for 10 or 14 years, but we would cause bedlam if I said that.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Where’s my ‘Cheat Sheet’ and what’s going on over at ALT?
Okay, so we promised a we’d be fully back online after Spring Break and the fact is we wasn’t able to make that self imposed deadline and we apologize to our faithful readers. Alabama Today was launched with the intention of not being just another partisan blog with an obvious bias and sponsored content masquerading as news. Our goal was news content that was straight down the middle and opinion content from varied voices. We’re proud of the diverse voices we’ve published in our editorial section and the coverage we have presented on big issues around the state. We also launched with the intention of focusing on “Women of Influence” around the state. We are in the process of rebuilding our team and refocusing our content goals including more of our original goal to highlight women around the state who are making a change. Our editorial section will also be stronger in the coming days as we address head on what’s happening behind the scenes in Montgomery and in local offices. We’ve seen competitors come and go but we have no intention of fading into the sunset. You’ll find more content and new writers in the coming days along with your regular cheat sheets. Hold tight and keep reading. We’ll be back again soon with the news and quality you have come to expect from us. Your team at Alabama Today
Tabitha Isner, Will Boyd running for Democratic Party chair
Two former candidates are challenging Nancy Worley to lead the Alabama Democratic Party. Former congressional challenger Tabitha Isner announced Wednesday that she is running for party chairwoman. Isner waged an aggressive but unsuccessful challenge last year against Republican Rep. Martha Roby. Will Boyd, who ran for lieutenant governor last year, is also challenging Worley. Isner in a statement said Democrats need a committed party leader to support candidates and help get their message to voters. The Democratic National Committee ordered the Alabama party to conduct new elections after ruling there were procedural irregularities with Worley’s election in August. Former state Sen. Myron Penn has dropped out of the race for party chairman.
