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If Byrne has such a strong stand on ethics and cleaning state government up, why has he remained silent on the $13 million Paragon Source no-bid contract and the governor being lead negotiator for Jefferson County debt negotiations while his kids are on the county payroll?
Byrne has compromised his ethics on these issues for Riley support – which to me show exactly where he really stands on ethics reform.
Anon’s message above is proof of how some won’t let the truth stand in the way of their campaigning. First, as it has been explained, Paragon is sole source. You can’t bid a sole source contract. Second, Riley’s “kids” aren’t on the county payroll. Just more lies. What’s so funny is Anon is obviously working for a candidate who is jealous he’s not getting Riley’s support.
Anonymous…you’re one of those blinded GOPer’s that wouldn’t believe the truth if it hit you upside your head!!! Byrne is a career politician, and like ALL career politicians (including your beloved Riley), they DON’T want any kind of ethic reform!!! It’s just a platform to get elected. Wake up Dude!!!
The Decatur Daily article is proof of what some people have been saying since “Billion Dollar Bob” got elected …he is just another corrupt politician..He had to remain somewhat clean to get re-elected, with no election next year, his true colors are coming out!! Does anybody think Byrne will be any better? He was hand picked by this Administration!!
Riley a career politician? Don’t make me laugh. He ran for Congress saying he would serve only three terms and leave. He did. Now he’s finishing up his second and final term as governor and has said he’s not running for any other political office in the future. Sure wish we had more “career politicians” like Riley! Instead we’re stuck with doesitmatter’s friends Roger Bedford, Lowell Barron and Hank Sanders.
Doesitmatter must have the day off!! Because he says everything so emphatically!! Regardless of whether or not it is true!! So if you say it with such force!! It must be the truth!! So obviously reality and truth don’t matter!!
Anonymous, you can’t possibly believe that nobody else can do what Paragon Source has been hired to do. Given that they don’t have a business license, website, or even a phone number, I doubt that Paragon can do what they are being paid to do. At the very least, this could have been a much more open process. But at every turn, Riley and Paragon have been uncooperative with the Contract Review committees efforts to investigate. All this from the governor who promised back in ‘02 that he would end no-bid contracts and bring accountability to the state.
And Riley’s son is a lawyer for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office: http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2009/09/25/bill-johnson-comments-on-riley-family-ties/
So before you start calling people liars, you might want to check your facts.
Bob Riley has been a corrupt governor. Paragon Source is just one of many examples.
Here is more proof that Rob Riley works for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office:
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/attorney_says_jefferson_county.html
this administration has done everything it could to divert attention from paragon…that alone should tell people something is rotton….
Mike:
On Paragon, the press has reported ad naseum on this. How are you missing it? The administration turned over all documents to the Contract Review Committee; Riley had a press conference with the merit system employees who reviewed the state’s financial system and determined Paragon was only company qualified to do work. The State’s Purchasing Officer then certified that was accurate (as the law requires).
You prove my point exactly on the charge that Riley’s kids “work for the county.” The son was hired by the Sheriff’s office (not the county commission) — and the Sheriff took the county commission to court! The Gov. was picked by the county commission to work on the debt negotiations. So what you had was Riley’s son being the lawyer for the Sheriff sueing the county commission. They were on opposite sides! Kind of hard (and utterly ludicrous) to argue that the Gov somehow got that work for him. “Hey, I want you to hire my son so he can take our side to court.” Even Bettye Fine told the Advertiser no contract to hire Rob Riley came before the county commission — because he didn’t get a contract from the county!
“Bob Riley has been a corrupt Governor.” That may be the single most ridiculous statement on this website in months. It is a testament to the job Bob Riley has done in changing our expectations for Alabama governors that we now have yahoos calling him corrupt. You may think the Paragon contract is unnecessary or ill-advised, but to use it as an example of corruption is a baseless rant from those partisans that are hell-bent on smearing a great Governor.
this isn’t good to hear this morning….i think we can ALL agree that this is very sad…
http://blog.al.com/live/2009/11/alabama_governor_candidate_bil.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twit
There are schools in this state that are charging teachers for every copy they make, including worksheets for their students. Many teachers are having to buy classroom supplies out of their own money, and teachers don’t make that much!
Yet the state school board can find the money to pay our new two-year college chancelor $289,900 a year, plus a $24,000 housing allowance, $15,000 in annual bonuses and the use of a state vehicle!
This is absolutely disgusting! If we paid this woman half as much as she is getting, she would still be making far more money than most Alabamians, and maybe we could afford to do radical things like buy ink and paper for school copiers.
First, Rob Riley is paid by the Sheriff’s office. That money comes from the tax payer. So he is on the county payroll, even if he isn’t contracted with the commission.
Secondly, if Paragon Source is the only company that can do this job, why have they hired so many subcontractors?
And paragon has not cooperated with the contract review committee. They have not released the full names of their employees (only last names and first initials). And when the committee tried to issue Janet Lauderdale a subpoena, for weeks she was no where to be found. This is something terribly wrong with this situation.
Third, Paragon Source is only one example of Riley’s corruption. Another eample would be Bradley Arant. This law firm has given Riley over $100,000 in campaign contributions and hired his son-in-law. In return, Riley has given Bradley Arant millions in state contracts and appointed some of their lawyers to his gambling commission. and all of this only scratches the surface of this issue.
Bob Riley talks about ethics to distract people from the fact that he has none. It is an old Karl Rove strategy: take your biggest weakness and turn it into your greatest strength.
I knew Karl Rove would be in your response eventually. You guys are all the same.
Mike,
Do you work for AEA?
Why don’t paleface Riley take like detector test?? He can hire his own..
Dan Gans can hire one or I would bet you take up a collection plate and
neither one would have to pay a dime.
There was no furniture, people, or any evidence anyone had been living
at the address Paragon provided.. They did not provide the information
Contract Review requested. That’s why there is a law suit. Riley Look like
duck, smell like duck, must be duck.. Old Indian saying..
Anonymous,
You sound like you might be a lawyer for Bradley Arant so please tell me, in your expert opinion, what you think the jefferson county commission did when voted to pay Rob Riley $725,000 here:
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/jarchibald.ssf?/base/news/1234257331161190.xml&coll=2
And they “acknowledged” a $150,000 contract between Rob Riley and the jefferson sheriff dept. in the following story:
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/124289371424750.xml&coll=2
In any event, if Rob hadn’t sued the commission and if the gov. hadn’t called a special session on the occupational tax , his son Rob would have taken a hit on his $725,000 contract from Jan and his $150,000 contract from May.
How is this working against the governor’s interest?
AND, and this just be my cynical mind working, and how is this not a conflict of interest for Riley?
Riley stooping to the level of taking a lie detector test would be silly. He’s the Governor, not a circus clown like Johnson.
About as silly as the puppets for gambling that comment here and act like they know how indians talk.
What about Gans? Not bigum stoop for him. He little short fartum…
Anonymous
Johnson won’t look nearly like the circus clown riley will when he tries every move possible to avoid being put under oath testifying on penalty of perjury on Paragon Source case.