2006 July | Doc's Political Parlor

Old Posts Showing As New

Posted by Danny, on July 31st, 2006, at 8:25 pm

The missing posts-by-email over the last few weeks are now starting to show up as new posts. A Daily News Digest from 10 days ago showed up just now as a new post this evening.

This could be frustrating because there are many posts-by-email that did not show up [...]

State Dept. Hides Facts from Congress

Posted by Danny, on July 31st, 2006, at 1:13 pm

I know this may be slightly outside the usual scope of things here, but does this strike you as outrageous?

The U.S. State Department agency in charge of $1.4 billion in reconstruction money in Iraq used an accounting shell game to hide ballooning cost overruns on its projects in Iraq and knowingly withheld information on [...]

More Scanlon Controversy

Posted by Danny, on July 31st, 2006, at 10:39 am

The woes of convicted lobbyist Michael Scanlon continue. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas filed a lawsuit this month against the former Riley aide and others, including his partner Jack Abramoff. Miami-based law firm Greenberg Traurig is trying to settle to avoid being named in the lawsuit.

Although the suit does not name [...]

Spoofing Caller ID & Unscrupulous Campaigns

Posted by Danny, on July 31st, 2006, at 8:40 am

Yesterday’s Birmingham News gives us a Chicago Tribune story on ’spoofing’ caller id.

Caller ID isn’t the trusty old crystal ball that it used to be.

Revered for years by persnickety consumers who like to screen their telephone calls, the premium service is now being appropriated by identity thieves.

Such scams are made possible by technology that [...]

Monday 7/31/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 31st, 2006, at 4:46 am

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060731/windfall.shtml – Windfall expected for Alabama if Congress approves offshore drilling measure.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/060731a.shtml – Editorial calls for Congress to raise minimum wage before considering action on estate tax.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060731/NEWS/607310313/1007/NEWS02 – Sales tax holiday begins Friday, 210 counties and municipalities to participate.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1154337428196180.xml&coll=2 – Editorial calls for dedicated funding source for Birmingham regional transit program, [...]

Bloggargh

Posted by Danny, on July 30th, 2006, at 3:55 pm

Well, I believe we have reached that painful & ugly part of the relationship where you know it’s not going to work out, but you just keep seeing each other until you figure out how to end it.

I’m not saying it has been all bad. Blogger and I had some good times. I [...]

Sunday 7/30/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 30th, 2006, at 7:18 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154251112171250.xml&coll=2 – Records reveal community colleges paid lobbying firms in spite of ban on such activities by State Board.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154251211171250.xml&coll=2 – Article profiles Birmingham organization World of Opportunity, an organization that helps low income individuals with education and job skills programs.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154251466171250.xml&coll=2 – “The Political Notebook” from The Birmingham News.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1154251499171250.xml&coll=2 – Editorial calls [...]

Saturday 7/29/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 29th, 2006, at 7:30 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154164818311750.xml&coll=2 – The Birmingham News reporter Mike Cason examines welfare reform 10 years later.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154164768311750.xml&coll=2 – Baxley portrays Riley as “puppet of the millionaires.”

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154164790311750.xml&coll=2 – Candidate’s mother-in-law contests elections results in Democratic runoff for House District 54.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1154164674311750.xml&coll=2 – Editorial supports proposed regional jail authority to serve Jefferson County municipalities.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1154164751311770.xml&coll=3 – Contest [...]

Sales Tax Holiday Help

Posted by Danny, on July 28th, 2006, at 9:00 am

I have gotten some interest in my proposal earlier this week that we collectively gather some real-life information about retail prices during the sales tax holiday weekend, the weekend before, and the weekend after. I thought a little effort from a number of people might get us some interesting and useful info on [...]

Blogger Headaches

Posted by Danny, on July 28th, 2006, at 8:39 am

Blogger, the web service used to maintain this website, is doing odder and odder things.

Our friend and early bird G updates the blog via email every morning with the Daily News Digests, but for a couple of weeks now Blogger has not been accepting the email. I have had to copy-and-paste [...]

Do You Live in Anniston?

Posted by Danny, on July 28th, 2006, at 8:28 am

Odd question, but… I am hoping I might find someone in Anniston who could without much trouble take a digital picture and email it to me. I was driving through Anniston earlier this week and for the only time in my life wished I had a camera phone. If that is easy [...]

Friday 7/28/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 28th, 2006, at 6:46 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154078745143530.xml&coll=2 – State Board of Education hires former Samford president to lead two-year college system.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154078522143530.xml&coll=2 – DHR to hire Deloitte Consulting to complete child welfare computer system.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154078415143530.xml&coll=2 – Gaynelle Hendricks says she hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll contest close loss to Pat Taylor in House District 54 Democratic primary.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1154078714143530.xml&coll=2 – Birmingham [...]

Thursday 7/27/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 27th, 2006, at 6:57 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1153992115161880.xml&coll=2 – Birmingham suburbs balk at increased transit funding.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1153991734161880.xml&coll=2 – Vandals target Hispanic businesses in Albertville.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1153992070161870.xml&coll=3 – Mobile Housing Board hit with huge insurance costs increases.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1153991903161920.xml&coll=1 – Huntsville City Council to consider ordinances that would strip business licenses from employers hiring undocumented immigrants and levy fines against landlords renting residential property [...]

Your Help Requested

Posted by Danny, on July 26th, 2006, at 7:52 am

One of the concerns about a sales tax holiday like the one Alabama has coming up next weekend is that retailers might not offer their best prices during the weekend. Shoppers will presumably be out in full force, and so retailers may not have much incentive to have their lowest prices. Some of [...]

Wednesday 7/26/2006 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Posted by G, on July 26th, 2006, at 7:14 am

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1153906206247070.xml&coll=2 – Charles Barkley says he may seek governor’s chair in 2010 running as a Democrat.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1153905913247120.xml&coll=3 – Riley makes changes in campaign staff.

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1153905519247080.xml&coll=1 – Editorial calls for state to move quickly in developing plan to address unfunded liability for retirees health insurance costs.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/NEWS/607260320/1001 – Immigrants wait in jail waiting for state, [...]

Change

By Sen. Steve French on March 10, 2010

I wish my friend Hinton Mitchem godspeed and good luck after his retirement from public service. Hinton, on Monday, announced what many had suspected — he will not seek re-election. I remember meeting Hinton for the first time while I was a student at Auburn University. He served the people of his [...]

Posted in Legislative Dispatch | 2 Responses

Ten Minutes in the House, Senate Moves On

By Rep. Cam Ward on March 8, 2010

Riley and her friend Caroline joined Julie on the campaign trail in Isabella this past weekend.

Here is a quick preview of the upcoming week in Montgomery. This week will be a standard legislative schedule for the House. We will be in session on Tuesday and Thursday with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
The House will take up a ten minute calendar this week. A ten minute calendar is [...]

Posted in Legislative Dispatch | Tagged legislative session | 3 Responses

MARCH MADNESS

By Natalie Davis on March 15, 2010

TOP TEN INDICATIONS OF MARCH MADNESS

10. Eric Massa inviting us to ask the 10,000 Navy men he served with whether he is gay.

9. Larry Langford hitting the jackpot 33 times in one day and not remembering it.

8. Ron Sparks being able to make payments on a $500,000 loan with an income of $80,000.

7. Artur Davis [...]

Posted in Purple Dot Connection | 12 Responses

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