5 companies compete to build new Alabama prisons
Five companies have expressed interest in building new prisons for the state of Alabama, the governor’s office announced Monday, as a prison construction plan inches forward. Gov. Kay Ivey’s office said five firms responded to a “request for qualifications” to build the three proposed prisons that would house 3,000 or more inmates each. Ivey’s press office said the firms are The GEO Group, Corvias, Corrections Consultants, CoreCivic and Alabama Prison Transformation Partners. GEO and CoreCivic are the nation’s two largest private prison companies. Although some of the companies are well-known names in corrections, little is known about one of the firms. The Alabama secretary of state’s website did not have records for a company called Alabama Prison Transformation Partners. In February, Ivey announced a plan to build three new large prisons to replace most state prisons. She has said state officials will first gather proposals and then decide how to proceed. The administration says the state could lease the prisons. Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton wrote in an email that the prison system will evaluate the companies’ qualifications. The prison system will ask the companies for proposals in the fall with intention of receiving proposals in the first part of 2020, he wrote. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Laura Lane and Doug Snow: For whom the bridge tolls, an expose of big government run amok
In general, the fuel tax pays for our ordinary highways today. Given this, tolls should be used to pay for some privilege. The Beach Express in Orange Beach provided an alternative to Highway 59, a non-tolled route. It gave people who chose to pay a toll a privileged ride. This is an appropriate use of tolling. Toll roads are most definitely a libertarian stance; we advocate that all public services be funded in a voluntary manner. Then, along comes the current AL legislature and, under the leadership of Kay Ivey, proceeds to RAIP the citizens. Portions of the RAIP plan go into effect in September, mainly the gas tax which increases the current rate by 10 cents. The plan was touted as needed to pay for infrastructure upgrades to bridges and roads. Then, Ivey admitted to a local area news station that the legislators were coached on the plan and those that weren’t in agreement were not encouraged to run for office. After the passage of the RAIP, one of the first things Ivey said was that the first monies coming in from the gas tax would be allocated to the Port of Mobile for dredging and widening of the channel. Now, Ivey, through Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), is trying to force a toll bridge onto the citizens of Mobile and Baldwin counties. This plan calls for the toll project to commandeer the Wallace Tunnel and Bay Way, existing portions of I-10. The tunnel will become part of the new toll project, but the existing Bay Way will be torn down. The tunnel and Bay Way have already been paid for by the citizens using Federal and State fuel taxes. It is an unfair double taxation to commandeer those structures and toll them. This misappropriation amounts to the initiation of force to achieve political goals. The people have already paid for the Wallace Tunnel and Bay Way and now they are being taken away from their rightful owners. In contrast, the toll plan for Mobile destroys the route the people have paid for with their fuel tax in order to drive people onto the tolled route. They offer the Causeway ( a portion US Hwy 90) and the Cochrane Bridge as alternatives. This is an insult to the people of Alabama for ALDOT to pretend the Causeway is a viable non-tolled route. The insult of misinformation is repeated often in the plan to privatize the Bridge. ALDOT has hired Allison Gregg to head up a massive public relations campaign to sell the toll to the people of Alabama. It is not the function of the government to sell its ideas to the people. It is the proper function of government to prudently implement the ideas of the people. Many people who follow the Mobile River Bridge and Bay Way toll project accuse the State of Alabama elected officials and bureaucrats of corruption. This is not a claim to be made lightly and the Libertarian Party of Alabama and Citizens for Government Accountability make no such claim. Still, state government has created an atmosphere favorable to corruption. The state legislature created the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority to oversee all toll projects in the State of Alabama. The function of this Authority is oversight of state bureaucracies. The entire Authority is appointed by the Governor. John Cooper, the Director of Transportation for Alabama and head of ALDOT is on that Authority. This lack of independence is an accommodation to corruption. Transparency and accountability are lacking and cannot be enforced without some type of Initiative and Referendum in place for the State. State funds belong to the taxpayers. It is foundational that our government be responsible stewards of those funds. Here are disturbing facets of the Mobile River Bridge and Bay Way toll project itself: • The state will enter a 55-year deal.• The state has limited non tolled crossing of Mobile River and Bay to the Causeway only. The Bankhead tunnel leading from Downtown to the Causeway is only one lane in each direction. Traffic jams and delays are planned obstacles to using the non toll route that are expected to force people to pay a toll to cross.• Although the proposed toll would be $6, the toll operator is allowed to add a 40% surcharge for processing the invoice for the toll.• The planned deal is extremely complicated with many unacceptable risk points.• Road and Bridge private funding is very prone to bankruptcy.• Bids that lose will receive up to $2 million in reimbursement. This toll road is wholly unacceptable to the people of Alabama and should be immediately stopped. Alabama’s own State Auditor, Jim Zeigler, has presented information that shows there is money available for this project and is leading a group of over 52,000 Alabama residents in opposition to this plan. But what’s the backstory here? Something is going on to make this bridge…this TOLL bridge such an urgent issue for the current State leadership. So let’s take a look at this proposed toll bridge and the history behind this 20-plus year fiasco. From the beginning, frequent travelers of I-10 that use the Wallace tunnels and Bay Way have voiced complaints about the entrance to the tunnels; both East and West sides have fairly sharp turns leading into the tunnels, along with on-ramps from local streets. As the population has grown and more residents are traveling to either side of the Bay for employment, congestion and accidents have gotten worse. They say hindsight is 20/20. ALDOT and the designers of the Wallace Tunnel and Bay Way were definitely short-sighted. Both should have planned for growth and made them capable of handling, at a minimum, three lanes of traffic both ways. The Federal government had put in $27 million in transportation funding in the 1990’s for a project that would have fixed the issue of the sharp turns and on ramps at the entrances to the Wallace Tunnels. The project was given in the green
Judge weighs defamation claim against Roy Moore
Lawyers squared off in state court Monday on whether Roy Moore made defamatory statements during the 2017 U.S. Senate race against a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. Judge John E. Rochester held a hearing on Moore’s request for summary judgment in the defamation lawsuit against him. Leigh Corfman said Moore molested her decades ago, when she was 14 and he was 32. Corfman last year filed a lawsuit against Moore and his Senate campaign committee saying they defamed her as a liar when they denied the accusation. “We have repeated, systematic attacks on Ms. Corfman,” argued Jeff Doss, an attorney representing Corfman. Moore attorney Melissa Isaak argued that the political firebrand was merely defending himself by calling the accusations untrue. “Judge Moore is being sued for simply denying the allegations. … There is nothing that attacks Leigh Corfman,” she said. Moore, a former Alabama chief justice who was twice removed from the bench for defying court orders regarding same-sex marriage and the Ten Commandments, is asking a judge to rule that the statements could not be considered defamatory and to rule in his favor instead of sending the case to trial. The lawsuit cites statements denying the allegations and accusing Corfman of not telling the truth. Moore on several occasions denied knowing Corfman. In a church speech, he dismissed the misconduct allegations against him as “dirty politics.” Isaak said Moore and campaign volunteers and staff were expressing their opinions when they called the accusations politically motivated. She asked Rochester to evaluate each statement by Moore. Rochester did not indicate when he would rule. The lawsuit, filed in Montgomery Circuit Court, asks Moore to publicly apologize. When she filed the lawsuit in 2018, Corfman said she was seeking, “to do what I could not do as a 14-year-old — hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable.” Moore lost the 2017 race to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones amid the allegations and is running again in the 2020 GOP primary for the Senate seat. Corfman was the youngest of several women who said Moore pursued them romantically when they were teens. Moore denied the misconduct allegations. Moore countersued Corfman and other accusers, but that lawsuit was paused pending the outcome of the Montgomery case. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne: We must stand with Israel
Israel means so much to our nation. The American people have no better friend. As the only democracy in the volatile Middle East, Israel is one of our greatest partners on the global stage. And Israel, particularly Jerusalem, holds a close personal significance to many Americans of different faiths. Israel is a very special place for my wife and me. Four years ago, Rebecca and I traveled together to the Holy Land in a visit that affected us deeply. On this transformational trip, we renewed our baptismal covenant in the River Jordan. From the Golan Heights to the site of Solomon’s temple, our travels reinforced our Christian faith. Last week, I once again visited Israel. My visit coincided with a diplomatic dustup between Israel and two members of the Squad, Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. The Squad’s hatred of Israel, support of the BDS movement, and denial of Israel’s right to exist weighed heavily on the minds of many Israelis who already live in danger. With all Israel faces, I respect Israel’s decision to block Tlaib, Omar, and their anti-Israel activism out of the country. The week brought many moments of poignancy that provided an important perspective. As part of our tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, we visited the Western Wall, which offered a meaningful opportunity for me to pray for our nation and state. This was a very special moment for me. Looking down upon the City of David from the Temple Mount, one of the holiest spots in the world, it is difficult not to be overwhelmed. Being near the location where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac and walking the Southern Steps, where so many biblical figures traveled, was equally moving. And it was thrilling to see the Bethesda pool from the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John. Perhaps the highlight of the week occurred at the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane. Praying at the site where Jesus prayed to his father before being crucified was a truly amazing experience. We met with several American and Israeli officials, including the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who provided unique insights on Israel’s challenges. Ambassador Friedman is a true champion of the U.S.-Israeli relationship A highlight of the week was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The opportunity to reinforce in-person our two nations’ commitment to one another was of critical importance. He is a great friend of the United States. Speaking with Israeli military officials about Israel’s missile defense programs like Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling made it clear that Israel is in a tough neighborhood. Adversaries like Iran would wipe them out if the chance arose. Israel’s high-tech defense programs are impressive, and I’m proud of U.S. support for these programs. Without question, President Donald Trump’s steps to strengthen our alliance with Israel, including the bipartisan action of relocating the American embassy to its rightful location in Jerusalem, are beneficial and long overdue. Both parties should support actions to strengthen this alliance. I wish all my colleagues would visit Israel and talk directly with Israelis about the challenges they face. Israel is a special place, and we must stand firm in our alliance with its people. Israel remains a crucial American ally in a dangerous world. Though anti-Israel sentiments are only held by a minority of Americans, I am increasingly concerned they seem to be finding a sympathetic mouthpiece from the mainstream media. Anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel cannot be tolerated or go unchallenged. I promise to continue proudly standing with Israel.
