Saturday 6/28/2008 DAILY NEWS DIGEST
Birmingham News – Auburn University joins other state colleges in approving double-digit tuition increases in face of budget cuts.
Birmingham News – Alabama-based manufacturer of recreational vehicles plans to lay off almost 100 workers as sales drop with increasing fuel costs.
Birmingham News – The Birmingham News accuses AG Troy King of playing politics in his attack on Supreme Court over decision banning death penalty in child rape cases. The News says that this case points out the difficulty in administration of the death penalty, again calls for abandoning capital punishment.
Mobile Press-Register – Congress strips $50 million for Alabama Katrina-related housing needs from supplemental budget, advocates hope for second funding chance following congressional break.
Mobile Press-Register – Judge rejects state’s plan to build $100 million hotel at Gulf State Park, saying that plan to lease site to Auburn University and private developer violates state statutes.
Mobile Press-Register – Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) blocks bill that would prohibit spending on Air Force tanker project unless rebid or awarded to Boeing.
Mobile Press-Register – Press-Register calls for cooperation between federal and state officials in investigating claims of voter fraud.
Huntsville Times – State Supreme Court rejects death row inmate’s appeals.
Huntsville Times – Federal judge sets August trial date for charges against Rep. Sue Schmitz (D-Toney) in two-year college corruption probe.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News contends that recent disclosures of politicization of Department of Justice show that “Siegelman correct to question his prosecution.”
Times Daily - Rising fuel prices one factor leading to increase in payday loan stores and title pawn shops in Shoals area.
Montgomery Advertiser - Alabama officials at odds over whether to comply with Federal ID requirements.
Anniston Star - The Anniston Star continues its week-long series on predatory lending. Today’s editorial suggests that Alabama could look to North Carolina’s example in dealing with payday loan stores.
Montgomery Advertiser - Legal Services of Alabama receives grant to help citizens avoid foreclosure.
Burbank Leader - Religious leaders in Burbank, California comment on proposed “I believe” car tag.
FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:
Randolph DA to investigate complaints of voter fraud
By Andy Johns
Staff Writer
06-28-2008
|
The Randolph County District Attorney’s office will investigate complaints of voter fraud in a county commission primary race. Paul Jones, the district attorney for Alabama’s fifth circuit, covering Randolph, Chambers, Macon and Tallapoosa counties, said Friday he decided to launch an investigation after the state attorney general’s office declined Thursday to investigate complaints. Recently appointed Roanoke Mayor Richard Fetner lost the Democratic primary race for Randolph County Commission District 4 seat by seven votes and filed a complaint with Jones’ office shortly after the election. Fetner has said his suspicion about the ballots was raised because of “people talking about them,” but he hasn’t explained the rumors, saying he was concerned any comment might interfere with a potential investigation. Jones said the attorney general’s office said it did not have the time or manpower to investigate. Jones assigned two investigators to the case Friday morning. The investigation will look at whether any criminal violations occurred, Jones said. The prosecutor said he was not looking to overturn the vote or change the results of the race. He said if some of the ballots are found to be fraudulent, there likely would be a recount. “We have no idea what we are going to find,” he said. “All we have is complaints.” |
>>Rising fuel prices one factor leading to increase in payday loan stores and title pawn shops in Shoals area.
Here is a fantastic business opportunity for some aspiring Dims. They should open businesses loaning money at “fair” rates to the same people who frequent payday loan stores and pawn shops. Put up or shut up!
Comment by Onelife — June 28, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
>>The authors found: “The absence of storefront payday lending has had no significant impact on the availability of credit for householders in North Carolina,” and that “more than twice as many former payday borrowers reported that the absence of payday lending has had a positive rather than negative effect on their household.”
More than twice as many…
So, that means about 60%-30%. So if 30% of peole who used a business are suffering because it was run off, is it insignificant to them?
Dear sir, I, your humble servant, have made sure you no longer have access to payday loans. Before, you could choose to use them or not. Now, you do not have that choice. You don’t need to thank me. My feeling of smug self-satisfaction is thanks enough for me…
Comment by Onelife — June 28, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Onelife, your comments here consistently reveal your smugness and disdain for anyone else. Have you noticed that no one really engages in dialogue with you as you can only respond with venom and spite, and lack any capacity to seriously talk about the issues here (including predatory lending)? I guess you welcome the credit collapse in the country, due certainly in part by a system that refused to apply any realistic standard of credit worthiness - much like payday loans. Every time you make a comment here your remove any doubt as to your stupidity.
Comment by Anonymous — June 28, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
>>your comments here consistently reveal your smugness and disdain for anyone else.
That makes no sense. Mine were the first two comments. I made no specific reference to anyone else. I commented on the news articles.
My comments related to taking freedoms away from people. Sometimes free people do stupid things. I prefer that to losing freedoms.
>>Have you noticed that no one really engages in dialogue with you…
I’ll address this one after I address your dialogue that follows it.
>> I guess you welcome the credit collapse in the country, due certainly in part by a system that refused to apply any realistic standard of credit worthiness - much like payday loans.
I do not welcome the credit collapse. I would argue that the credit collapse was in large part due to lenders providing sub-prime mortgage loans to un-credit worthy borrows AT THE DIRECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT that was threatening them with sanctions for “redlining” neighborhoods or other tactics for avoiding making these lousy loans. (Big business also gets plenty of credit for seeing these loans as a get-rich-quick tactic knowing they could leave the lenders holding the bag.)
Now, as to no one engaging me in dialog, I have not really noticed that…
Comment by Onelife — June 28, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
“Now, as to no one engaging me in dialog, I have not really noticed that… ”
I wouldn’t expect you to - you’re too busy spewing your venom.
Comment by Anonymous — June 28, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
I may be in the minority, but I think onelife has raised a rebuttable presumption!
Comment by Zorro — June 29, 2008 @ 2:30 pm
What is the rebuttal presumption? That we should abandon all regulation so that consumers, with much less power, can have the same “freedoms” as huge corporations? Or the assumption that efforts to end discrimination in access to housing credit is at the root of the credit crisis? I guss that’s why some of folks in Buckhead and Beverly Hills are facing foreclosure, right - that damn redlining will get you every time.
Comment by Anonymous — June 30, 2008 @ 5:28 am