2006 June | Doc's Political Parlor

Lessons from Siegelman

Posted by Danny, on June 30th, 2006, at 8:44 am

We want and expect our politicians and public servants to be their very best, but we need systems of accountability in place for when they are not acting in the public’s best interest. I hope that is an obvious statement, but consider…

Right now lobbyists may spend $250 per day on an Alabama legislator without [...]

Friday 6/30/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 30th, 2006, at 6:22 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151659723252790.xml&coll=2 - Siegelman, Scrushy guilty on multiple charges.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1151659712252830.xml&coll=1 – Pundits see conviction as end of long Siegelman career.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1151659712252830.xml&coll=1 – Legal experts say reversal of Siegelman conviction unlikely.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/OPINION01/606300315/1012/OPINION – Editorial states that Siegelman conviction shows need for ethics reform.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/APN/606290892 – Federal Court panel denies appeal of death row inmate who represented [...]

Tax Policies Hurt 99% of Alabamians

Posted by Danny, on June 29th, 2006, at 12:01 pm

The average middle-income Alabamian has received a tax cut totalling $1,815 per family member from 2001 to 2006, thanks to Bush administration tax policies. But the added share of national debt burden for that family is $8,797 per person. According to today’s news release from Alabama Arise that cites a new report [...]

Thursday 6/29/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 29th, 2006, at 6:46 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151572938248960.xml&coll=2 – 13% of state’s high school students expected to drop out before graduation.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151572520248960.xml&coll=2 – U.S. House rejects effort to remove requirement for multilingual ballots from Voting Rights Act.

http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1151572914248960.xml&coll=2 – Birmingham construction trade group raises concerns over proposed immigration law.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1151572774248960.xml&coll=2 – Editorial offers “cautious applause” at state’s improvement in Kids Count [...]

Wednesday 6/28/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 28th, 2006, at 6:24 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151487409265530.xml&coll=2 – Siegelman jury deadlocked, judge to give more instructions today and urge jury to reach verdict.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151487432265530.xml&coll=2 – several laws passed during regular session take effect July 1.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151487379265530.xml&coll=2 – Remarks by ADEM director anger environmentalists working for environmental justice.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1151486859265530.xml&coll=2 – Editorial praises efforts of Birmingham and Jefferson County leaders to explore [...]

Alabama’s Presidential Candidate?

Posted by Danny, on June 27th, 2006, at 5:28 pm

Folk are talking about Hugh McInnish’s “Draft Sessions for President” resolution that McInnish plans to introduce to the state GOP meeting next month. My take is that Sessions has almost zero chance of winning a national election, the GOP believes that, and so he would have almost zero chance of getting the nomination. [...]

More on Troy King & ABA

Posted by Danny, on June 27th, 2006, at 12:28 pm

Wheeler at Alablawg has interesting follow-up comments on Troy King’s response to the ABA report on Alabama’s death penalty system – particularly on why there was only one prosecutor on the ABA assessment team.

New Allies for Campaign Reform?

Posted by Danny, on June 27th, 2006, at 9:38 am

Money in politics is like water: it will seep through any crack or hole it can find. Plug one, and it will work on another. If you believe there is too much money flowing into elections (can you argue otherwise?), that means we must be diligent in plugging the holes that allow huge [...]

Tuesday 6/27/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 27th, 2006, at 6:15 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115140011179950.xml&coll=2 – Annual Kids Count report reflect improvement in children’s well-being.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115140009979950.xml&coll=2 – Assistant AG testifies before Congressional committee, urges that Voting Rights Act requirements be “relaxed.”

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115139979879950.xml&coll=2 – Jury completes eighth day of deliberations in Siegelman trial.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/115139985479940.xml&coll=3 – South Alabama counties take first steps toward limited home rule.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/115139987179930.xml&coll=1 – Huntsville Human [...]

AG Troy King Responds to ABA

Posted by Danny, on June 26th, 2006, at 12:07 pm

Attorney General Troy King responded in an Op-Ed piece in the Tuscaloosa News to the American Bar Association’s report that said, “Alabama should put a moratorium on the death penalty because the state’s system is riddled with problems.”

The ABA has established 79 standards by which a state’s system can be evaluated, and [...]

More on DoE Report of Kids in Poverty

Posted by Danny, on June 26th, 2006, at 7:36 am

Our faithful contributor G, always on top of his game, sent me email about the recent report from the state Department of Education that said “51.6 percent of all Alabama K-12 students are now classified as living in poverty” and that I mentioned here Saturday. He wanted to point out that the [...]

Monday 6/26/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 26th, 2006, at 6:15 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/115131365867570.xml&coll=2 – Alabama ranks second in southeastern U. S. in automobile miles driven per capita.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/115131342067560.xml&coll=3 – “The Political Skinny,” The Mobile Press-Register’s weekly roundup from Mobile, Montgomery and Washington.

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/opinion/115131334467690.xml&coll=1 – Editorial calls for House of Representatives to extend U.S. Voting Rights Act.

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

Editorials
Red State revenge

In our opinion

06-26-2006

It seemed such [...]

Sunday 6/25/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on June 25th, 2006, at 7:14 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151227462107380.xml&coll=2 – Amari receives endorsement from former opponent in PSC runoff race.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1151227532107380.xml&coll=2 – Commentary reviews history of US utilizing cheap immigrant labor to build strong economy, urges leaders to create a path to citizenship for those who have labored to build country.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1151227013107380.xml&coll=2 – Rep. Artur Davis defends efforts to extend Voting Rights [...]

Majority of State Children in Poverty

Posted by Danny, on June 24th, 2006, at 9:59 am

Today’s Birmingham News (emphasis added):

51.6 percent of all Alabama K-12 students are now classified as living in poverty – an increase of almost 1 percent from 2003-04. More troubling, the increase follows a decade-long trend of growing poverty.

51.6% of our state’s children live in poverty? And it has only gotten worse for a [...]