by Rep. Mary Moore

Our country was founded on the principle that government should be “by the people, for the people”, yet our political leaders today often lose sight of that foundation. During the formative years of the United States, many people were disenfranchised; however, most people were content that their leaders held at heart the best interest of the masses.
Today our government runs much differently. Although everyone in the United States has the ability to vote once of age and under regulations, it can be argued that the interests of American citizens are disregarded by their elected officials on both the state and national levels.
Alabama citizens are not adequately represented by their legislators. It is the responsibility of legislators to vote on behalf of their citizens and act in their best interest. However, the past Legislative Sessions proved many representatives’ true intentions.
The Alabama Accountability Act is a prime example of how the people in Alabama are misrepresented. The Accountability Act was marketed to the Alabama population as a bill that would help children in failing schools. This is not true. Once parents and students started reading about the bill as well as the bill itself, they became outraged. Constituents began flooding the phones and emails of their representatives asking their representatives to vote no on the bill, yet their pleads were ignored by the Republican representatives. The question many are pondering is why?
The Republican Party makes all the decisions for their legislators. Republican officials are taking orders from their party leaders and party bosses instead of heeding to the needs of their constituents.
Major decisions that affect every person in the state are often made by the leaders of the Republican Party. The Accountability Act was one among many made this year. Other legislation, especially legislation regarding Medicaid, Medicare, and women’s health is rarely discussed amongst officials and is passed or killed based upon the party’s platform.
Discussion and debate was off the table in the past legislative session. Instead of hearing what Democrats had to say on the part of Alabama citizens, Republicans simply evoked cloture and stopped debate, immediately sending the bills for an immediate vote.
Alabamians cannot afford to have a small group of people make decisions regarding nearly every aspect of their lives. How can Alabamians trust our elected officials when some elected officials ignore the needs and pleadings of their constituents?
The key word in this question is “elected”. Citizens must stop electing these individuals who take orders from party leaders in office.
As a Democrat, I will stand up for my constituents and their needs. I have promised the people of my district and the people of Alabama that they come first. I will vote in the favor of my people and will stand up for their rights no matter who is against me.
The United States is a country that was meant to embody true representation. Alabama officials have fallen behind this standard. For true representation to be obtained, the citizens of Alabama must choose men and women that will fight for their rights and needs. We must change the Alabama government to be a government “for the people”, not a puppet for the Republican Party.

By: Mahari A. McTier

It’s Magic City Classic time again in the Magic City!  The Magic City Classic rivalry between the two largest Historically Black colleges in the country is coming up this weekend. Alabama A&M University Bulldogs and the Alabama State University Hornets will take place at Legion Field Saturday. As usual, the game is expected to bring thousands of fans and millions in revenue for metro Birmingham.
It’s time for new outfits, reuniting with friends, and parties galore.  When I was born I was wrapped in black and gold swaddling cloth. I was born into an ASU family. With my mother being a former Miss Alabama State University my destiny as a future Hornet was sealed at conception. We traveled from Montgomery to Birmingham every year to be amongst the thousands of visitors who came to Birmingham to spend money and partake in the Magic City Classic festivities.
This article is not about the entertainment aspect of the classic, instead the business of the classic. The Magic City Classic is a huge revenue event for the City of Birmingham and the entire region. The economic impact of the classic averages between $15 and $20 million annually. Yes, I said $20 million! Who is benefiting financially from the Magic City Classic?  The obvious benefactors are hotels, clubs, restaurants, transportation, and gas stations just to name a few. On average more than 7000 rooms are sold with an average stay of 2.75 days.  How many hotels do African-Americans own in Birmingham?  The City of Birmingham hires transportation services companies to transport fans to and from the game. I don’t know of any African-American owned transportation services companies in Birmingham positioned to do this work. I don’t know of any African-American owned gas stations, but I was recently informed that some did exist. If you know where they are, please let me know. How many African-American owned restaurants are people going to frequent during the week for upscale dining?  We have some of the best mom and pop restaurants in the country, but when it comes to casual and fine dining our options are almost nonexistent. Outside of a few party promoters, t-shirt sellers, beauty and barbershops, chicken and barbeque restaurants who in the big scheme of things are making pennies of the $15 to $20 million on the table, we are not getting paid. I can go on and on highlighting sectors of business that will make millions during the Magic City Classic festivities where African-Americans are not players, but I want us to start thinking about how we can position ourselves to win.
A few years ago I was fortunate to serve on a task force that was organized by Charles Steele, National President for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Super Bowl was coming to Jacksonville, Fla. and we were responsible for making sure that African-American businesses and contractors benefited from the $500 million to a $1 billion economic impact.  We worked diligently to structure joint ventures to give contractors capacity to handle larger jobs. We hosted business recruitment fairs that brought Black businesses to the table along with city officials and other stakeholders to strategically position Black businesses get opportunities. Our efforts were successful. Millions of dollars were made by Black owned businesses.
I encourage Birmingham and organizations like the Urban League to look at these opportunities through a broader lens than a concert and gala. We need to focus on a forensic analysis of the economic impact and where the money is going and position Black businesses to win in Birmingham. At some point we must be more that consumers.
I would encourage a task force be put together to address opportunities for minority businesses to do business with all conventions and major events that come to the city. I would also like to expand a concept created by my friend and fellow Dr. Jesse Lewis, Sr. Innovator, Rickey White titled “I am The Classic Empowerment Expo.” The expo includes a job fair, panel discussions on business, health and entertainment, as well as a vendor fair.  The vendor fair can be huge for small business owners.  envision thousands of visitors strolling through a convention hall supporting Black businesses, a beautiful thing!
Let’s enjoy events like the Magic City Classic and other major events that come to the city, but let’s not just focus on the fun and miss opportunities to be empowered. Happy Classic and go Hornets!

(Mahari A. McTier is a Financial Advisor with Tier 1 Advisors, LLC and can be reached at maharimctier.tier1@gmail.com.)

It’s the political season again, and we are being bombarded by attack ads, many of which are so gross they insult our intelligence. Whether they insult us or not, there are eight reasons we should reject attack ads.
1.       They are filled with lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations.
2.      They rely upon the public’s ignorance of the candidates and the issues.
3.      They appeal to the worst side of human nature, hoping to hit hot buttons and stir anger, and resentment that will destroy their opponent’s chances to win.
4.   They are unethical.
5.        They are immoral.
6.       They are unfair; the ones under attack have no opportunity to defend themselves.
7.       They contribute to the public’s loss of confidence in all politicians, and sadly, to the political process itself.
8.       They are not Christian. Christians are “not to be deceived, but to speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

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Dr. Wilkerson can be reached at drbobwilkerson@bellsouth.net or 205-538-7286.

 It’s no secret that women are a little more than half of our population. In fact, out of the more than 2.7 million registered voters in Alabama, just over 56 percent are women.
And yet, women only hold a few elected offices in our state government. In the state legislature, only 14 percent of senators and representatives are women. In the state Senate, there is not a single committee chaired by a woman. In fact, there is not a single Republican senator who is a woman. There was one: Sen. Harri Anne Smith. But Sen. Smith was kicked out of the Republican Party because she refused to be told what to do by the Party leadership. Now she serves as an Independent.
Things aren’t much better in the Alabama House of Representatives, where women chair only four of our 31 committees.
And the absence of women in our leadership has shown.
For the past four years, our state leaders have led the nation in cuts to public education. At the same time, we have been the only state to see our unemployment rate rise. Our state leaders have refused to even consider expanding Medicaid, even though half of all the babies born in Alabama are born under care paid for by Medicaid. And let’s consider that a dozen rural hospitals have closed while many others are on the verge of closing, all because our state leaders refuse to expand Medicaid.
Abandoning schools. Families who can’t pay the bills or find jobs that pay a livable wage. Women unable to afford prenatal care because state leaders won’t even give them the time of day. I think this is unacceptable, and I don’t know too many women, regardless of their political party, who would put up with it.
And that’s just one reason why we need more women in state leadership. But it certainly isn’t the only reason.
The pay gap is still very real in Alabama. In this state, women still make 76 cents for every dollar a man makes. Compared to the rest of the nation we rank 40th for pay equity among men and women. And the only reason why it is even that close is because men are making less today than they did before the 2010 elections. In 2012, women were making just 71 percent of what men make in Alabama.
But maybe the most important reason we need more women in our state government is because of the recent increase in violence towards women. It’s sad that it took a federal judge assaulting his wife and a professional football player beating his girlfriend unconscious to finally raise this issue to the forefront of our minds.
And that’s why I applaud candidates like Michael Gladden, who are leading the charge to prevent convicted rapists from using custody battles as a way to continue to torture women and children. Because violence against women should never be tolerated! And especially not by our state government!
I think it is very fitting that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, considering everything that has happened lately and the fact that we have a major statewide election in less than a month. Both of these issues have been put on the state government’s backburner for far too long.
Unfortunately this election year, there are not many women on the ballot. And even some of those who are have not supported the policies that matter most to the women I have met. But that is why it is so important that we elect men who do understand, and in four years recruit more women to run for office.
Because the truth is, until women have a stronger voice in government, our government will continue to ignore them – just as it has young people, the elderly and many others. Whether it’s creating jobs and supporting schools, closing the pay gap or standing up to domestic violence and taking action to make women’s lives safer, we need leaders who understand and have the courage to take action. And that means we need more women in leadership.

Rep. Craig Ford is a Democrat from Gadsden and the Minority Leader in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Greetings Commissioners Bowman, Brown, Carrington, Knight and Stephens:

We, the residents of the Huffman neighborhood, Birmingham (Jefferson County), Alabama, are encouraged by the recent ruling issued by U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Blackburn; that is, the ability of sewer customers to continue an appeal of Jefferson County’s bankruptcy exit plan. Although we are heartened by the new opportunity that the ruling offers, hope is overshadowed by the reality and existence of the current exit settlement. we remain deeply distressed regarding the $14.7 billion sewer bankruptcy settlement and appalled at the ensuing sewer rate increases. The $14.7 billion financing plan, payable over the next 40 years and financed by increased sewer rates, will prove detrimental to residents, organizations and businesses in Jefferson County as well as any others served by that utility system. Yearly exponential increases in sewer rates will devastate the budgets of utility users.
The amortized $ 14.7 billion financing plan, which includes $6.6 billion in debt service, $4.4 billion in operating expenses and $3.7 billion for extra coverage is excessive. We consider this current financial plan and the conditions surrounding it unacceptable. In addition to the financial burden and disadvantage imposed on ratepayers by the plan, its conditions are inflexible and nonnegotiable for future county governmental agencies.
We deem it unconscionable that the communities embroiled in this travesty will pay for services and goods that were minimally, if ever, realized; that is, federally mandated sewer system repairs. In any case, future residents and we are the victims who will pay for a venture that was spawned in poor judgment  and corrupt practices. The rate increases will greatly jeopardize the financial stability of households, businesses and possibly entire communities.
The income of citizens in Jefferson County is decreasing. The poverty rate increased in Jefferson County from 12.8 percent in 2000 to 18.6 percent in 2012. The current sewer fees are not affordable and residents are having to cut medical and food necessities in order to meet the increased utility expense. There are horror stories already that sewer utility charges double water utility costs. Sewer utility costs are projected to quadruple the water charges in the near future. Jefferson County residents currently lack both legal representation and support in finding a fair solution to the ever-increasing sewer utility debt problem.
The current District Court ruling by Judge Blackburn provides a measure of hope for Jefferson County sewer ratepayers whose plight has, until now, been fundamentally ignored. With the exception of one, all County Commissioners concur with the current bankruptcy exit plan, an unsettling scenario for sewer ratepayers. Alabama’s Attorney General has failed to intercede on behalf of sewer utility ratepayers and citizens of Jefferson County. The Alabama Public Service Commission (created to ensure that that Alabama residents receive reliable, affordable utility and transportation services at fair and reasonable rates) regulates privately owned corporations that provide electric, gas and water services to the public. If sewer services are not covered by the Alabama Public Service Commission, we, the consumers and ratepayers, are not protected. We are, in fact, at the mercy of profit-oriented businesses that can force sewer utility rates higher and higher.
The Jefferson County Commission must take immediate action in obtaining legal services that represent the interest of sewer ratepayers and residents of Jefferson County. The fate of Jefferson County cannot be left on the shoulders of the Attorney General, who has demonstrated neither interest nor concern for citizens of Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Commission’s failure to act will lead to an abandonment of property, houses, businesses and, ultimately, the eventual death of this one-time thriving and productive County.
It was the past commission that got us into this problem, but it is the current commission who has the responsibility of keeping the citizens of Jefferson County from drowning in a debt of sewage.

The Huffman Neighborhood Association &
The Future Vision Committee

By James Strong

On October 13, many of us celebrated Columbus Day, a day bathed in controversy. The holiday is so controversial that the Portland, Oregon, Public School System and Seattle, Washington, replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.
They joined Berkeley, California, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as other municipalities across the country, that have either canceled Columbus Day, replaced it or celebrated as an alternative their own versions of Indigenous People’s Day.
In fact, many Americans wonder why Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the first place. To many Italian-Americans and right-wing whites, Christopher Columbus was simply the Italian explorer and navigator who discovered America in 1492.
So in 1934, when Italian community leaders and the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, convinced Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare Columbus Day a federal holiday, they thought they had accomplished an honorable feat for an honorable man.
But who would have known that Columbus was much more than just an explorer and navigator? Who would have known that he was also a ruthless racist, a demonic slave trader, a mass murderer, a sex trafficker and sex offender, a thief and liar, a greedy and unscrupulous business man and a terrorist who would make Osama Bin Laden and the Confederate States of America envy his accomplishments? Who would have known, except the victims of his plunder and carnage?
And, of course, history and truth knew, and are ashamed.
On his 1492 voyage, Columbus promised a reward offered by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to whomever first spotted land. But Columbus was such a cheapskate that after his sailor Rodrigo de Triana saw land, Columbus said the man only saw a glow the night before, and claimed the reward for himself.
Also, gaining a reputation for cruelty and heartlessness put Columbus at odds with the authorities and monarchs he labored for.
For example, Catholic law forbade the enslavement of Christians. How did Columbus dance around this problem? He simply refused to baptize the native people of Hispaniola.
Moreover, the man who replaced Columbus as governor of the Indies, Francisco De Bobadilla, arrested Columbus and his two brothers, put them in chains and shipped them back to Spain to answer for their crimes against the Arawaks, one of the native groups Columbus found on Hispaniola.
What crimes did Columbus commit against the Arawaks? Well, he forced them to work in his gold mines until they died of exhaustion. If a worker did not deliver his full quota of gold dust by Columbus’ deadline, soldiers would cut off the man’s hands and tie them around his neck to send a message. That occurred on his first voyage to the Americas.
On his second trip, Columbus brought cannons and attack dogs. If a native resisted slavery, he would cut off a nose or an ear. If slaves tried to escape, he had them burned alive. If escapees made it to the lush, green grass of the jungle, he sent the attack dogs to hunt them down. And when the dogs caught them, they tore off the arms and legs of the screaming natives.
Even more cruel than that, if the Spaniards ran short of meat to feed the dogs, Columbus allowed his men to kill Arawak babies for dog food. But, quite ironically, even Columbus’ men reacted with joy when they were sent to arrest him.
Yet, because Columbus lived at a time when cutting off the nose of a rebellious slave was recreation and molesting a child was as acceptable as playing dice, supporters of Columbus believe his reputation does not deserve the savage condemnations reserved for serial killers and sex offenders. But the gas chamber makes no distinction between the past and the present.
In the catalog of the world’s worst perpetrators of terror and mass murder, history ranks Columbus in the top 20, somewhere between Hitler and Caligula, somewhere above Nero but below Vlad the Impaler.
That’s why Indigenous People’s Day makes so much sense. As Columbus Day celebrates the oppression of indigenous people throughout the New World, it is natural for victims of the oppression to supplant Columbus Day with a holiday of their own.
So why do we have to make a choice between Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day? Indigenous People’s Day may shame Italians, but Columbus Day offends almost everyone else. Sometimes, it’s better to endure shame for the sake of justice.
Hence, a calm conscience finds no wrong in replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day (or any other appropriate holiday for that matter). Because what Congress and Roosevelt did dishonorably, Portland and Seattle rectified honorably.

Copyright © 2014 by James Strong. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this column, or any part of this column, without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Send your comments to strongpoints123@gmail.com.