This is will be short because of the late hour, but if you are interested in a good DVD documentary that shows the rise and fall of one the great movie studios, and how it worked during the heyday of Hollywood, this two-disc, six-hour set released in late January is the ticket. Originally shown on TNT about 15 years ago, it has not been seen much since except for a rare airing on Turner Classic Movies.
This three-part series details the rise and fall of MGM, where the son of a junk dealer, Louie B. Meyer, and a well-educated, sickly young boy genius, Irving Thalberg, combined forces to create the greatest movie studio in Hollywood. It reveals how their different personalities at various times propelled the creation of literary classics transferred to the screen (Thalberg) and family classics, such as the Andy Hardy series (Meyer), as well as how Meyer discovered stars like Garbo and Garson.
The series is rich in clips and stories, interviewing just about every available survivor of the studio at the time, from studio executives to unbilled dancers, and using other available footage as well. Highlights include what the Marx Brothers did when Thalberg had left them in his office once too often for story conferences (they stripped naked and roasted potatoes in his office fireplace) to Van Johnson getting tearful about a wartime scene Mickey Rooney once performed reading a telegram from Johnson's character. Many of the participants have since passed away, so it is a real oral history lesson. (Some of the outtakes have appeared on TCM over the years between movie airings.)
There are no extras, unfortunately, but the storytelling and a breathtaking set design for narrator Patrick Stewart to walk around in at times makes up for it. If you like a good overview of what the old studio system was like -- as well as how it floundered with the advent of television -- this one is for you. They'll never make movies like this again, so just sit back and be amazed how a virtual city of 5,000 people in Culver City worked every day to make classics week after week after week.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Guy Hunt's legacy lives on
Apparently the word came down about three hours ago on the Associated Press that former Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt has died. The news came in at the end of the work week, almost under the radar. How appropriate.
Guy Hunt was credited with being the man who helped the Alabama Republican Party to be part of a two-party system in Alabama, with making it a proud thing to say you are a state GOP member. No doubt, he did work to do that but it might be more accurate to say he was an instrument of history who achieved his goal despite expectations. He was in the ultimate situation of the turtle overcoming the rabbit.
For decades, the Democrats once roamed the state and ruled the earth like the dinosaurs, with no one else able to challenge them. Republicans ran token opposition, much like the Walker County Republican Party picked people for this past year's elections and ran them unopposed. That was once the norm statewide. If there was opposition, no one noticed or cared.
Hunt found himself running for governor, an improbable pick in 1986 after winning a three-man primary race. Then the Democratic Party imploded over what is still called the Graddick-Baxley fight. There were allegations that the Democratic runoff winner, Attorney General Charlie Graddick, encouraged Republicans to vote illegally by crossing over in the primary. The state party eventually awarded the race to the No. 2 finisher, Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley (yes, Lucy's ex-husband). The backlash was so severe and the party so split that Hunt won with 56 percent of the vote.
It was almost unthinkable. You could make a comparison with the Sarah Palin debacle, because Baxley charged Hunt did not have the credentials to be governor. Hunt was considered someone from the country who had not risen higher than probate judge of Cullman County, mainly on the coattails of the Barry Goldwater presidential bid in 1964 (really the first taste of victory some Republicans had in the state). He had lost bids for the state Senate in 1962 and for governor in 1978.
But the backlash to Graddick-Baxley mess was so bad that the state suddenly had its first Republican governor since 1872.
Of course, you don't underestimate those rubes who take high office, like Harry Truman. Hunt (who followed an almost incapacitated George Wallace in his last term) actually did fine on his own, enacting tort reform legislation that was later dismantled by the state Supreme Court (then dominated by Democrats, if you can believe that), and I recall he did work hard to recruit industry, perhaps setting the stage for the hands-on approach. US News and World Report named him one of the nation's top governors. He may have even topped himself by winning a second term against Alabama Education Association executive director Paul Hubbert, whose very presence raised fears the AEA would steamroller over everyone it hadn't steamrolled already. Come to think about it, it may have been a second opportunity to be governor by being compared to an unpopular Democrat.
I don't recall Hunt having necessarily having the best oratory, but he came across as a decent guy and his wife, Helen, was popular, too. I remember her campaigning on the courthouse square in Livingston, and I was scrambling as a young man to keep up with her.
I also recall that he was a primitive Baptist minister and would still preach at churches on the weekend. In fact, I heard him preach once in Marion County, using a rather old-fashioned preacher style that, frankly, was more effective than his political speeches. His personality on the stump was not terrific, but he was still effective. I recall he landed at Hamilton's huge runway that state Rep. Rankin Fite arranged, and Hunt told a Kiwanis crowd he had landed at "Hamilton International Airport." He made a good impression.
It was a shame that his achievement, which was a beacon to Republicans for years to come, was overshadowed in disgrace. In 1993, a jury convicted Hunt of violating the state ethics law by making personal use of $200,000 donated to a tax-exempt fund for his 1987 inauguration. He was given five years of probation and fined $211,000, but worst of all was the fact that it was a felony conviction.
I still remember the then-chancellor of the two-year system, Fred Gainous, walking into a meeting in Hamilton at what is now Bevill State's Hamilton campus, with state Board of Education member Victor Poole and some others. We were all chatting informally until Gainous dramatically walked in and said, "Gentlemen, the governor has been convicted." That meant he had been removed from office. We were shocked, and I remember thinking I was with some pretty high officials at an important moment in state history. Later that day, Jim Folsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor, was sworn in at the old Capitol, another governor made by the forces of history.
Hunt got a pardon, but he was ruined politically. He had to care for a daughter and suffered financial misfortunes, and then his health started failing. It was a sad, slow end. You would want a better end for an underdog who ushered in the two-party system in the state, but I think he would be satisfied to know that is what he will be remembered for, probably more than anything else. He was, like Wallace, a man who represented a growing segment of the state, the little man who was dissatisfied with the status quo, and eventually, even Wallace turned Republican in retirement, and Wallace's son won office as a Republican.
Folsom would be defeated in 1994 by Republican Fob James, who had been elected once before as a Democrat despite conservative leanings. Thanks to Hunt and the growing fortunes of Republicans in Alabama and nationwide, James didn't have to worry about running as a Democrat again by 1994.
Hunt recruited industry in the wake of tort reform by declaring that Alabama was "open for business." His life has come to a close, but the business he started as a participant of history lives on in a state system that, for better or worse, now has a more vibrant, diverse political discussion. That is something to be proud of.
(My appreciation to the work of Associated Press and Wikopedia for help in developing this post.)
Guy Hunt was credited with being the man who helped the Alabama Republican Party to be part of a two-party system in Alabama, with making it a proud thing to say you are a state GOP member. No doubt, he did work to do that but it might be more accurate to say he was an instrument of history who achieved his goal despite expectations. He was in the ultimate situation of the turtle overcoming the rabbit.
For decades, the Democrats once roamed the state and ruled the earth like the dinosaurs, with no one else able to challenge them. Republicans ran token opposition, much like the Walker County Republican Party picked people for this past year's elections and ran them unopposed. That was once the norm statewide. If there was opposition, no one noticed or cared.
Hunt found himself running for governor, an improbable pick in 1986 after winning a three-man primary race. Then the Democratic Party imploded over what is still called the Graddick-Baxley fight. There were allegations that the Democratic runoff winner, Attorney General Charlie Graddick, encouraged Republicans to vote illegally by crossing over in the primary. The state party eventually awarded the race to the No. 2 finisher, Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley (yes, Lucy's ex-husband). The backlash was so severe and the party so split that Hunt won with 56 percent of the vote.
It was almost unthinkable. You could make a comparison with the Sarah Palin debacle, because Baxley charged Hunt did not have the credentials to be governor. Hunt was considered someone from the country who had not risen higher than probate judge of Cullman County, mainly on the coattails of the Barry Goldwater presidential bid in 1964 (really the first taste of victory some Republicans had in the state). He had lost bids for the state Senate in 1962 and for governor in 1978.
But the backlash to Graddick-Baxley mess was so bad that the state suddenly had its first Republican governor since 1872.
Of course, you don't underestimate those rubes who take high office, like Harry Truman. Hunt (who followed an almost incapacitated George Wallace in his last term) actually did fine on his own, enacting tort reform legislation that was later dismantled by the state Supreme Court (then dominated by Democrats, if you can believe that), and I recall he did work hard to recruit industry, perhaps setting the stage for the hands-on approach. US News and World Report named him one of the nation's top governors. He may have even topped himself by winning a second term against Alabama Education Association executive director Paul Hubbert, whose very presence raised fears the AEA would steamroller over everyone it hadn't steamrolled already. Come to think about it, it may have been a second opportunity to be governor by being compared to an unpopular Democrat.
I don't recall Hunt having necessarily having the best oratory, but he came across as a decent guy and his wife, Helen, was popular, too. I remember her campaigning on the courthouse square in Livingston, and I was scrambling as a young man to keep up with her.
I also recall that he was a primitive Baptist minister and would still preach at churches on the weekend. In fact, I heard him preach once in Marion County, using a rather old-fashioned preacher style that, frankly, was more effective than his political speeches. His personality on the stump was not terrific, but he was still effective. I recall he landed at Hamilton's huge runway that state Rep. Rankin Fite arranged, and Hunt told a Kiwanis crowd he had landed at "Hamilton International Airport." He made a good impression.
It was a shame that his achievement, which was a beacon to Republicans for years to come, was overshadowed in disgrace. In 1993, a jury convicted Hunt of violating the state ethics law by making personal use of $200,000 donated to a tax-exempt fund for his 1987 inauguration. He was given five years of probation and fined $211,000, but worst of all was the fact that it was a felony conviction.
I still remember the then-chancellor of the two-year system, Fred Gainous, walking into a meeting in Hamilton at what is now Bevill State's Hamilton campus, with state Board of Education member Victor Poole and some others. We were all chatting informally until Gainous dramatically walked in and said, "Gentlemen, the governor has been convicted." That meant he had been removed from office. We were shocked, and I remember thinking I was with some pretty high officials at an important moment in state history. Later that day, Jim Folsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor, was sworn in at the old Capitol, another governor made by the forces of history.
Hunt got a pardon, but he was ruined politically. He had to care for a daughter and suffered financial misfortunes, and then his health started failing. It was a sad, slow end. You would want a better end for an underdog who ushered in the two-party system in the state, but I think he would be satisfied to know that is what he will be remembered for, probably more than anything else. He was, like Wallace, a man who represented a growing segment of the state, the little man who was dissatisfied with the status quo, and eventually, even Wallace turned Republican in retirement, and Wallace's son won office as a Republican.
Folsom would be defeated in 1994 by Republican Fob James, who had been elected once before as a Democrat despite conservative leanings. Thanks to Hunt and the growing fortunes of Republicans in Alabama and nationwide, James didn't have to worry about running as a Democrat again by 1994.
Hunt recruited industry in the wake of tort reform by declaring that Alabama was "open for business." His life has come to a close, but the business he started as a participant of history lives on in a state system that, for better or worse, now has a more vibrant, diverse political discussion. That is something to be proud of.
(My appreciation to the work of Associated Press and Wikopedia for help in developing this post.)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
It's a new (open) world coming...
This was a day to show me the new extremes in the world of communication, or at least the world that is Walker County.
On the one hand, I've been hearing some people in the Walker County community complaining about something on Facebook. Since it is a closed community intended for friends you let in yourselves, I won't reveal the exact discussion, but it has been raging all day. It is the sign of how people can be disgusted when traditional media does not fulfill its role in the community, and the new media can take over.
Meanwhile, I am going again to tonight to the ComeUnity community that Jim Odom of Berean Christian Bookstore began last week in Jasper. (The meetings are at his home at Thursdays at 7 p.m.) Essentially it is a Bible study but also a means for people of Christian faith to come together and support each other, with a more open mind of allowing a new generation of Christians who don't fit into the traditional Walker County mold. (In other words, someone with an iPod and tattoos can sit next to a clean-cut conservative.) Jim did a fantastic job last week of launching this and proving he is maturing as a Christian leader. Part of his genius is for new technology, and he was able to use Facebook -- same site as the angry people used -- to network and bring Christians together in Christ's work.
For that matter, I recently went on Facebook at the suggestion of James Phillips, as I recall. I now have about 100 friends, some of whom I had been out of touch with and hadn't seen in years. Some of them gave me much relief they were OK. Moreover, I've actually used it to quickly contact people on work-related business. It is not surprising that I am told more kids today use a Facebook or MySpace e-mail for most of their e-mailing than traditional e-mail. (Did you ever think we would get this old this quickly to have to explain something as "traditional" e-mail, as if we ever thought there would be any other e-mail but e-mail?)
Meanwhile, I waded into radio today. Yesterday I bought a new Olympus WS-321M digital voice recorder at Radio Shack which is slimmer than my last one but holds more than 30 hours of recordings. More importantly, the battery compartment separates out and the top park has a USB terminal that plugs into a computer. That way, you can download the recording for saving on a CD (or Heaven knows what else). In my case, it can be saved on a computer at WJLX-AM (1240 on the dial) where an interview can later be played back on my new hour-long show that begins Monday at 2 p.m. (Nice way to ease into a shameless plug, huh?)
Since the Alabama Legislature will be in session Tuesday, I today (Thursday, Jan. 29) interviewed state Rep. Tommy Sherer, D-Jasper, in the studio. (By the way, I tried repeatedly to get state Sen. Charles Bishop and state Rep. Ken Guin, but was unsuccessful. The invitation is still open for later.) We couldn't use the station's equipment in the process at that moment, and we wanted to test out the recorder anyway, so Tommy and I went into a production room and did the interview using the recorder. Station manager Brett Elmore then took the recorder and in minutes downloaded the material, saying the recordings were fine.
I had thought at one time I would be using some bulky 1970s-era recording equipment, towing it all around town like a suitcase. As it turns out, I can carry it in my pocket. The only addition to it is a $10 microphone from Wal-Mart, and that will not be used all the time.
What strikes me in comparison to newspaper work, where I used a recorder for taping and transcribing interviews, is that many times not all the material would be used. Some of the best stories, one-liners or points would be cut from a story. Sometimes the nuances could not fully be explained or come through. Sometimes the speaker would not get his point across.
On a show like we are planning, it is not the breakneck speed of a "Today Show" interview. Sherer had time to elaborate and make points, as well as explain positions (such as what happened with the bingo bills during the last session, when he was roundly criticized by others).
Even if we did not have radio, think about it: Digital interviews like this can also be downloaded to blogs and Web sites. I noticed Gov. Bob Riley got on board with that, as he originally posted his news about the new bingo task force with a traditional press release on his Web site. A day or so later, he updated it to included video excerpts from the press conference announcing the creation of the task force.
For that matter, when my friend, Jeff Yastine, gets to fill in for the Miami anchor of "Nightly Business Report" at PBS, I can go to his Web site at a video archive and watch the whole 30-minute program, hours or days later. Needless to say, we are discussing at WJLX on how we can do much of the same thing, as they are already trying live streams and some attempts at presenting shows aired earlier in the day.
It is a process that can be applied to almost anything. My good friend, Gresham Hill of the Reach Your City ministries (http://www.reachyourcity.com/)recently posted an online article where he talked about how churches need to get beyond the idea of only posting up a static Web site. Now, he says youth ministers and other church officials need to think about constantly blogging to reach the members of their church and those who are unsaved in their community. That article made me think, and it may lead me to tinker some more with this blog. (The story can be found at http://www.preaching.com/resources/preaching_ online/11598587/#.)
Is it any wonder that newspapers are in trouble, when a new generation is now actively networking, blogging, web casting and doing things we could not dream of to get around traditional media? In effect, that generation banded together to elect a president. There is no telling what else it will be able to do in the future.
I only hope I can catch up with it in time to understand the next e-mail system.
On the one hand, I've been hearing some people in the Walker County community complaining about something on Facebook. Since it is a closed community intended for friends you let in yourselves, I won't reveal the exact discussion, but it has been raging all day. It is the sign of how people can be disgusted when traditional media does not fulfill its role in the community, and the new media can take over.
Meanwhile, I am going again to tonight to the ComeUnity community that Jim Odom of Berean Christian Bookstore began last week in Jasper. (The meetings are at his home at Thursdays at 7 p.m.) Essentially it is a Bible study but also a means for people of Christian faith to come together and support each other, with a more open mind of allowing a new generation of Christians who don't fit into the traditional Walker County mold. (In other words, someone with an iPod and tattoos can sit next to a clean-cut conservative.) Jim did a fantastic job last week of launching this and proving he is maturing as a Christian leader. Part of his genius is for new technology, and he was able to use Facebook -- same site as the angry people used -- to network and bring Christians together in Christ's work.
For that matter, I recently went on Facebook at the suggestion of James Phillips, as I recall. I now have about 100 friends, some of whom I had been out of touch with and hadn't seen in years. Some of them gave me much relief they were OK. Moreover, I've actually used it to quickly contact people on work-related business. It is not surprising that I am told more kids today use a Facebook or MySpace e-mail for most of their e-mailing than traditional e-mail. (Did you ever think we would get this old this quickly to have to explain something as "traditional" e-mail, as if we ever thought there would be any other e-mail but e-mail?)
Meanwhile, I waded into radio today. Yesterday I bought a new Olympus WS-321M digital voice recorder at Radio Shack which is slimmer than my last one but holds more than 30 hours of recordings. More importantly, the battery compartment separates out and the top park has a USB terminal that plugs into a computer. That way, you can download the recording for saving on a CD (or Heaven knows what else). In my case, it can be saved on a computer at WJLX-AM (1240 on the dial) where an interview can later be played back on my new hour-long show that begins Monday at 2 p.m. (Nice way to ease into a shameless plug, huh?)
Since the Alabama Legislature will be in session Tuesday, I today (Thursday, Jan. 29) interviewed state Rep. Tommy Sherer, D-Jasper, in the studio. (By the way, I tried repeatedly to get state Sen. Charles Bishop and state Rep. Ken Guin, but was unsuccessful. The invitation is still open for later.) We couldn't use the station's equipment in the process at that moment, and we wanted to test out the recorder anyway, so Tommy and I went into a production room and did the interview using the recorder. Station manager Brett Elmore then took the recorder and in minutes downloaded the material, saying the recordings were fine.
I had thought at one time I would be using some bulky 1970s-era recording equipment, towing it all around town like a suitcase. As it turns out, I can carry it in my pocket. The only addition to it is a $10 microphone from Wal-Mart, and that will not be used all the time.
What strikes me in comparison to newspaper work, where I used a recorder for taping and transcribing interviews, is that many times not all the material would be used. Some of the best stories, one-liners or points would be cut from a story. Sometimes the nuances could not fully be explained or come through. Sometimes the speaker would not get his point across.
On a show like we are planning, it is not the breakneck speed of a "Today Show" interview. Sherer had time to elaborate and make points, as well as explain positions (such as what happened with the bingo bills during the last session, when he was roundly criticized by others).
Even if we did not have radio, think about it: Digital interviews like this can also be downloaded to blogs and Web sites. I noticed Gov. Bob Riley got on board with that, as he originally posted his news about the new bingo task force with a traditional press release on his Web site. A day or so later, he updated it to included video excerpts from the press conference announcing the creation of the task force.
For that matter, when my friend, Jeff Yastine, gets to fill in for the Miami anchor of "Nightly Business Report" at PBS, I can go to his Web site at a video archive and watch the whole 30-minute program, hours or days later. Needless to say, we are discussing at WJLX on how we can do much of the same thing, as they are already trying live streams and some attempts at presenting shows aired earlier in the day.
It is a process that can be applied to almost anything. My good friend, Gresham Hill of the Reach Your City ministries (http://www.reachyourcity.com/)recently posted an online article where he talked about how churches need to get beyond the idea of only posting up a static Web site. Now, he says youth ministers and other church officials need to think about constantly blogging to reach the members of their church and those who are unsaved in their community. That article made me think, and it may lead me to tinker some more with this blog. (The story can be found at http://www.preaching.com/resources/preaching_ online/11598587/#.)
Is it any wonder that newspapers are in trouble, when a new generation is now actively networking, blogging, web casting and doing things we could not dream of to get around traditional media? In effect, that generation banded together to elect a president. There is no telling what else it will be able to do in the future.
I only hope I can catch up with it in time to understand the next e-mail system.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
When the economy goes down the drain
The economic meltdown continues to be felt in so many different ways. I was told today at one Jasper-based charity that they are dealing with more calls than ever before, requesting help with utilities and finding jobs. I was told some people have actually been found to be sleeping in cars, and multiple families are being combined in some homes. (Arguments have been made gambling in bingo halls have also led to some of this, but there is no question the economy has also contributed to this problem, as some are asking agencies for help to find jobs.)
It could get worse before it gets better. Marion County is already in double digit unemployment, and a reporter on NBC said a few days ago some experts expect the national rate to possibly rise to 9 or 10 percent in time before this is over. I know one major manufactured housing plant recently closed in Marion County, and we all know that the Tupelo Toyota plant has been delayed and the Guin plant never came. Here in Walker County, a number of stores have closed or are closing, particularly chain stores like Goody's and KB Toys.
Nationally, the reports of companies laying off thousands of people at a time are piling up like so many 1929 margin calls on Wall Street. The piper who played a luring tune to consumers and financial leaders alike for a number of years has put down his flute, stuck out a bag with a sheriff in tow and said, "It's time to pay."
We can easily point to greed on Wall Street. It was there, and prosecutors are now having a field day sorting out how some of them, even after the bailouts came, were living high on the hog while others lost their jobs or debt mounted. But the consumer also deserves his share of the blame by not doing his homework and buying homes or other items on dangerous terms that could fluctuate off the cliff, like the coyote missing the Road Runner and landing at the bottom with a small thud and a cloud of dust (again).
We purchased homes that bordered on mansions, buying into the idea we could afford far more home than what we really could, based on terms clouded in the mist of the Great American Dream that we wanted for our families. The smartest and most courageous word in the English language sometimes turns out to be "no," and we failed to use it once too often.
Now we are faced with a stimulus package that, faced with the prospect of The Great Depression: The Sequel, one feel mandated to accept. The terms are mind-boggling and may saddle us with debt for years, although NBC said experts have said spending is likely to have more of a roll-over effect in creating stimulus than tax cuts, although it may be slower to spread around. We may not have any choice but to swallow the medicine, and no spoonful of sugar will make it any better.
There could be good results for local governments and taxpayers, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization in Birmingham is already drawing up a list of projects that the Obama administration might fund in Alabama as part of the package. The big winner could be, if approved, the $300 million interchange for Future I-22 and I-65, which is ready to go. Counties like Walker, Winston and Marion could be in line for funds that could help pay for infrastructure improvements such as the bridges and roads that have been in disrepair here for so long. (The Birmingham News points out Shelby and Jefferson counties could get up to $7 million each for roadwork, as the Association of County Commissions of Alabama is already drawing up a list.)
A continued national slowdown could truly slow down progress for years to come, although it was noted at the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County's annual meeting last week that this might actually buy the county some more time to get its own house in order to mount future economic development recruitment proposals. Certainly it gives us more time to get rid of the blight of electronic bingo halls before they ruin the advantage we had in I-22 for obtaining more industry.
Overall, though, it is a sad day for the national and local economies, whether or not the House votes Wednesday on the stimulus package. The debt problem for Walker and Jefferson counties are now going to be upstaged by a national problem that threatens to swallow us all up. It is not so much a sewer debt one worries about now, as opposed to whether we will all go down the drain.
It could get worse before it gets better. Marion County is already in double digit unemployment, and a reporter on NBC said a few days ago some experts expect the national rate to possibly rise to 9 or 10 percent in time before this is over. I know one major manufactured housing plant recently closed in Marion County, and we all know that the Tupelo Toyota plant has been delayed and the Guin plant never came. Here in Walker County, a number of stores have closed or are closing, particularly chain stores like Goody's and KB Toys.
Nationally, the reports of companies laying off thousands of people at a time are piling up like so many 1929 margin calls on Wall Street. The piper who played a luring tune to consumers and financial leaders alike for a number of years has put down his flute, stuck out a bag with a sheriff in tow and said, "It's time to pay."
We can easily point to greed on Wall Street. It was there, and prosecutors are now having a field day sorting out how some of them, even after the bailouts came, were living high on the hog while others lost their jobs or debt mounted. But the consumer also deserves his share of the blame by not doing his homework and buying homes or other items on dangerous terms that could fluctuate off the cliff, like the coyote missing the Road Runner and landing at the bottom with a small thud and a cloud of dust (again).
We purchased homes that bordered on mansions, buying into the idea we could afford far more home than what we really could, based on terms clouded in the mist of the Great American Dream that we wanted for our families. The smartest and most courageous word in the English language sometimes turns out to be "no," and we failed to use it once too often.
Now we are faced with a stimulus package that, faced with the prospect of The Great Depression: The Sequel, one feel mandated to accept. The terms are mind-boggling and may saddle us with debt for years, although NBC said experts have said spending is likely to have more of a roll-over effect in creating stimulus than tax cuts, although it may be slower to spread around. We may not have any choice but to swallow the medicine, and no spoonful of sugar will make it any better.
There could be good results for local governments and taxpayers, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization in Birmingham is already drawing up a list of projects that the Obama administration might fund in Alabama as part of the package. The big winner could be, if approved, the $300 million interchange for Future I-22 and I-65, which is ready to go. Counties like Walker, Winston and Marion could be in line for funds that could help pay for infrastructure improvements such as the bridges and roads that have been in disrepair here for so long. (The Birmingham News points out Shelby and Jefferson counties could get up to $7 million each for roadwork, as the Association of County Commissions of Alabama is already drawing up a list.)
A continued national slowdown could truly slow down progress for years to come, although it was noted at the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County's annual meeting last week that this might actually buy the county some more time to get its own house in order to mount future economic development recruitment proposals. Certainly it gives us more time to get rid of the blight of electronic bingo halls before they ruin the advantage we had in I-22 for obtaining more industry.
Overall, though, it is a sad day for the national and local economies, whether or not the House votes Wednesday on the stimulus package. The debt problem for Walker and Jefferson counties are now going to be upstaged by a national problem that threatens to swallow us all up. It is not so much a sewer debt one worries about now, as opposed to whether we will all go down the drain.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Odds and ends
Procrastination seems to be my middle name the past few days. Here are some odds and ends until I get my act together (hopefully quick)...
- I got my second traffic ticket ever Sunday, and for the second time it was on I-22 between Jasper and I-22. The guy in front of me at the Circuit Clerk's Office on Monday also got caught on I-22. Apparently, the officers have an easy time of it there. For the record, I was doing 82 mph in a 65 mph zone. (I'm not a speed demon, but the Buick has got some power that I'm still not used to. I'll have to put it on cruise control more often.)
- I had some people to tell me that six points on the state traffic system and you can have your license suspended. However, I've had legal confirmation that it is actually about 12 points that this happens, and that most speeding incidents only accounts for two points. (Had I gone 86 mph or more, it would have been five points.) Better yet, once the incident is two years old, the points given for that infraction no longer count toward suspension.
- When I was in to see the circuit clerk about being on the radio show, once I had checked about the ticket (which I couldn't pay because it was not in the records yet), I noticed I was still holding the ticket as I was asking. I told one of the clerks what I was really in to see Susie Odom about. I said that I guessed a number of people actually did try to come in to see Susie or someone about tearing up the ticket. "You have no idea," the clerk wearily said, making me feel better I had said something.
- Of course, everyone instantly becomes a comedian. One lawyer saw me in the courthouse with a ticket. "I could get you off on an insanity defense," he said. If I were him, I wouldn't bill me for the advice.
- Good wishes go to attorney Charlie Waits and his expecting wife, dentist Amanda Waits, who is pretty much resting up and relying on extra help at the dentist office while she awaits the birth of their child.
- The economic problems the country is facing continue to hit the region. I was shocked to see how depressing the once mighty McFarland Mall in Tuscaloosa had fallen. Once anchored by Woolco and Gayfers (later Dillards), it had at one time boasted a movie theater, a pet shop, a major cafeteria restaurant, Baskin Robbins and so much else. The Gayfers end is practically unused, Goody's is closing in the middle, Dollar Tree takes up space in the large restaurant area, and only some low-end chains can be found down the end. There is practically no reason to go. Even in Birmingham, I went by Patton Creek development next to the Galleria, where Circuit City is closing, Linens 'n Things has closed and Barnes and Noble announced that it was cutting back its closing hour on weeknights from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m., which is devastating to late owls.
- The annual breakfast meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County was great, but what everyone talked about was the food. It was plentiful and good. I don't think anyone ate much for the rest of the day. (For that matter, it was good to rejoin the Jasper Kiwanis Club again recently, as the food at the Jasper campus of Bevill State Community College is the best bargain in town.)
- I'm told by Jasper Superintendent of Education Robert Sparkman, who spoke Monday to the Kiwanis, that absentee ballots are now available in Jasper for the special referendum set for Feb. 10. That vote will decide on renewing 5.2 mills of property tax first approved in 1981, and would last another 30 years for upkeep of school buildings. Since state law requires a certain amount of mills, it could be a problem if the tax is not renewed, and it could cause the city to lose state funding.
- An open house will be held at T.R. Simmons Elementary for their new remodeling on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. The renovations at Memorial Park should be finished by March, Sparkman said Monday.
- Northport Baptist will screen the two-hour movie "Fireproof" at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15. This is the third movie released by a Georgia church, which earlier made "Flywheel" and "Face the Giants." This is, by far, the most professional of the three and is a great tale with a great message about dealing with marriage. It is coming out this month on DVD, but I would catch it with an audience while I could.
- Jim Odom's ComeUnity inaugural meeting in his house last Thursday was attended by about a half dozen people, all of them apparently excited about coming together for Bible study and to promote unity and friendships in Christ in a casual setting. The next meeting is on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. at Odom's house, maybe a mile off of Highway 78 and just off of Walston Bridge Road.
- First Baptist Church of Jasper apparently has plans to try out a new early morning contemporary service, although it might only be on a once-a-month trial basis for now.
- Back on my radio show, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt will also join me on my inaugural broadcast, along with Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey. Sparkman will join me the day before the referendum, and Odom will join me on Feb. 11. The show starts at 2 p.m. Feb. 2 on WJLX, which is 1240 on the AM in Walker County.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Ed's first guests on radio (week of Feb. 2)
I've been rather busy the past couple of days. (Half of it fulfilling my obligation of going through receipts for the IRS, and it's still not over. Did I really buy that many batteries for tape records?) However, I can at least turn in a quick blog this Friday night to say I have the lineup of the first week of my new radio show, "Talk of the Town," on WJLX, 1240 AM, starting at 2 p.m. Feb. 2.
Monday, Feb. 2: Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey, to talk about events at City Hall, including the future of Sherer Auditorium and dealing with the economic crunch in terms of tax revenue.
Tuesday, Feb. 3: It's the first day of the Legislature, starting at noon. (Gov. Bob Riley should address legislators at 6:30 p.m., which should be televised by Alabama Public Television, going by tradition.) I hope to talk to our local legislators (probably on tape) and possibly other experts, depending on scheduling.
Wednesday, Feb. 4: Linda Lewis of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County will go over the progress of the Focus Walker County plan and other plans for the chamber. I hope to also ask her about what economic impact she is seeing from retailers in the area and how this could affect the chamber's plans.
Thursday, Feb. 5: Managing Editor James Phillips of the Daily Mountain Eagle will be in to talk about recent news in the area and hopefully give us some insight into the newspaper and what is happening with the newspaper industry.
Friday, Feb. 6: Ezekiel Nichols, who does some economic teaching at the University of Alabama and is a native of the county, will discuss the status of the economy and how President Obama will handle this under his watch, as well as some insights into the local economy.
The following week, Feb. 10, I'll also have some hospice ministers to talk about how one ministers to the dying and how this impacts the ministers themselves. I also know Feb. 12 county engineer David Edgil will discuss projects in the county, and I hope we touch on the status of the closed roads and bridges in the county, as well as improvements at the airport. I should be able to wrap up the second week quickly and get ahead on some other bookings.
Keep in mind that I'll leave room for breaking news when it happens, and we'll have quick summaries of what is going on in national, state and local news, weather, sports, stocks, entertainment, etc., sometimes from our reports and sometimes from the resources of CNN Radio. I also hope to do some commentary as well, as well as attend meetings and events, and maybe bring some sound bites back to the station. It's rather all new to me, but I am excited we can give something the county has needed for some time. I'll certainly welcome your feedback on what you like, and we'll do the best we can. Remember, this starts Feb. 2 and will be Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. on 1240 AM.
Monday, Feb. 2: Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey, to talk about events at City Hall, including the future of Sherer Auditorium and dealing with the economic crunch in terms of tax revenue.
Tuesday, Feb. 3: It's the first day of the Legislature, starting at noon. (Gov. Bob Riley should address legislators at 6:30 p.m., which should be televised by Alabama Public Television, going by tradition.) I hope to talk to our local legislators (probably on tape) and possibly other experts, depending on scheduling.
Wednesday, Feb. 4: Linda Lewis of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County will go over the progress of the Focus Walker County plan and other plans for the chamber. I hope to also ask her about what economic impact she is seeing from retailers in the area and how this could affect the chamber's plans.
Thursday, Feb. 5: Managing Editor James Phillips of the Daily Mountain Eagle will be in to talk about recent news in the area and hopefully give us some insight into the newspaper and what is happening with the newspaper industry.
Friday, Feb. 6: Ezekiel Nichols, who does some economic teaching at the University of Alabama and is a native of the county, will discuss the status of the economy and how President Obama will handle this under his watch, as well as some insights into the local economy.
The following week, Feb. 10, I'll also have some hospice ministers to talk about how one ministers to the dying and how this impacts the ministers themselves. I also know Feb. 12 county engineer David Edgil will discuss projects in the county, and I hope we touch on the status of the closed roads and bridges in the county, as well as improvements at the airport. I should be able to wrap up the second week quickly and get ahead on some other bookings.
Keep in mind that I'll leave room for breaking news when it happens, and we'll have quick summaries of what is going on in national, state and local news, weather, sports, stocks, entertainment, etc., sometimes from our reports and sometimes from the resources of CNN Radio. I also hope to do some commentary as well, as well as attend meetings and events, and maybe bring some sound bites back to the station. It's rather all new to me, but I am excited we can give something the county has needed for some time. I'll certainly welcome your feedback on what you like, and we'll do the best we can. Remember, this starts Feb. 2 and will be Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. on 1240 AM.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday's bingo hearing
In all honesty, I sat Wednesday morning at the Jefferson County Courthouse at another bingo hearing under Circuit Judge Robert Vance impressed with his abilities but getting very little immediate results out of the hearing.
Essentially, Bill Adair, the lawyer for the Sheriff's Department, wanted an order to put a halt to the practice of allowing bingo charities to be repermitted to keep moving to new bingo halls as it would delay the case further. Allowing charities to move around presents new opportunities to have amendments to the original case as to who are defendants and where, which delays the case. He said there was no way to manage this if the suit had to repeatedly be amended with new bingo halls. He said it would be understandable if a bingo hall burned down or flooded, for example, but that some changes have been made as soon as a week after moving to another hall.
Adair said a bidding war for charities had gone on, and there has been at least one accusation of intimidation involved to get a charity. (As bingo charities lawyer Herbie Brewer pointed out, you need about 14 charities to operate 24/6 based on the hour limitations for one charity.) Adair went on to call it a "pyramid scheme." He also went on to tell about one bingo hall that didn't have any charities, and, once found out, came up with names in a matter of hours, some of which officials had never heard of.
Brewer said there are lots of ways charities can operate their own games, including one bingo house to allow several under one roof.
"They can certainly have other people do it for them," Brewer said.
Eventually an order may come later this week, but we had to sit through a number of other arguments that touched on just about everything else about the case. We even got into the matter of whether the charities can get together and contract with a third party to operate the games...which Adair said, in his opinion, they cannot.
"I think the intent of the law is that the permit holders must operate the games," Adair said.
A number of arguments were offered up that serve as interesting points. One is that Judge Jerry Selman's original temporary restraining order on new permits has never been made permanent, thus making that order suspect as far as current standing. It was pointed out the TRO came as everyone thought a resolution would come quickly. Brewer even gently urged the judge not to consider legislating rules from the bench -- although it was also agreed that the commission had few rules out, and Adair said that the commission might have even rescinded some past rules for the March 2008 rules it passed -- then failed to take them back on when they cancelled the March rules.
Brewer also raised the idea of filing a motion to stay the whole proceeding if Gov. Bob Riley's new gambling task force performs criminal investigations. On that, Vance saw the point of possibly infringing on Fifth Amendment rights if information is sought that could go back to a criminal case.
There was also discussion about a proposed protective order against disclosing information from documents. The judge noted the idea that media might try to intervene to claim state record laws, and attorney Charlie Waits, an attorney for the Walker County Political Accountability Coalition (which, as disclosure, recently has been one of my private clients) spoke up saying the group had indicated it wanted copies of the charity applications.
However, it was interesting everyone seemed to discuss getting to the main questions, which are: Is electronic bingo legal, and are current machines permissible, or are they slot machines? Now that the vending machines are close to being put on the suit, Vance hopes to move on with inspection of the machines so he can answer the main questions. He also seemed to look for ways to speed up the process, although he admitted that might involve more unfair speculation if not all the machines are alike. He warned to get the facts needed will still take some time.
In all, we didn't get much done except to air out positions Wednesday, although we got some hope that the judge wants to move on to the main points. He also seemed fair in dealing with both sides. But I hope he has some patience, because this still could take a while.
Essentially, Bill Adair, the lawyer for the Sheriff's Department, wanted an order to put a halt to the practice of allowing bingo charities to be repermitted to keep moving to new bingo halls as it would delay the case further. Allowing charities to move around presents new opportunities to have amendments to the original case as to who are defendants and where, which delays the case. He said there was no way to manage this if the suit had to repeatedly be amended with new bingo halls. He said it would be understandable if a bingo hall burned down or flooded, for example, but that some changes have been made as soon as a week after moving to another hall.
Adair said a bidding war for charities had gone on, and there has been at least one accusation of intimidation involved to get a charity. (As bingo charities lawyer Herbie Brewer pointed out, you need about 14 charities to operate 24/6 based on the hour limitations for one charity.) Adair went on to call it a "pyramid scheme." He also went on to tell about one bingo hall that didn't have any charities, and, once found out, came up with names in a matter of hours, some of which officials had never heard of.
Brewer said there are lots of ways charities can operate their own games, including one bingo house to allow several under one roof.
"They can certainly have other people do it for them," Brewer said.
Eventually an order may come later this week, but we had to sit through a number of other arguments that touched on just about everything else about the case. We even got into the matter of whether the charities can get together and contract with a third party to operate the games...which Adair said, in his opinion, they cannot.
"I think the intent of the law is that the permit holders must operate the games," Adair said.
A number of arguments were offered up that serve as interesting points. One is that Judge Jerry Selman's original temporary restraining order on new permits has never been made permanent, thus making that order suspect as far as current standing. It was pointed out the TRO came as everyone thought a resolution would come quickly. Brewer even gently urged the judge not to consider legislating rules from the bench -- although it was also agreed that the commission had few rules out, and Adair said that the commission might have even rescinded some past rules for the March 2008 rules it passed -- then failed to take them back on when they cancelled the March rules.
Brewer also raised the idea of filing a motion to stay the whole proceeding if Gov. Bob Riley's new gambling task force performs criminal investigations. On that, Vance saw the point of possibly infringing on Fifth Amendment rights if information is sought that could go back to a criminal case.
There was also discussion about a proposed protective order against disclosing information from documents. The judge noted the idea that media might try to intervene to claim state record laws, and attorney Charlie Waits, an attorney for the Walker County Political Accountability Coalition (which, as disclosure, recently has been one of my private clients) spoke up saying the group had indicated it wanted copies of the charity applications.
However, it was interesting everyone seemed to discuss getting to the main questions, which are: Is electronic bingo legal, and are current machines permissible, or are they slot machines? Now that the vending machines are close to being put on the suit, Vance hopes to move on with inspection of the machines so he can answer the main questions. He also seemed to look for ways to speed up the process, although he admitted that might involve more unfair speculation if not all the machines are alike. He warned to get the facts needed will still take some time.
In all, we didn't get much done except to air out positions Wednesday, although we got some hope that the judge wants to move on to the main points. He also seemed fair in dealing with both sides. But I hope he has some patience, because this still could take a while.
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