Larry Langford Elected Mayor…
…with 50.3% of the vote. I don’t think this is going to be a good thing for the city. If you haven’t already, read Kyle Whitmire’s profile here.
H/T Lisa in comments
…with 50.3% of the vote. I don’t think this is going to be a good thing for the city. If you haven’t already, read Kyle Whitmire’s profile here.
H/T Lisa in comments
October 9th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
A skunk by any other name smells the same. —-
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/10/after_2_hours_15_minutes_of_tr.html
After 2 hours 15 minutes of trying, woman casts vote
Posted by Birmingham News staff October 09, 2007 12:54 PM
Categories: Elections
It took two hours and 15 minutes, but Tess Bourge of Southside finally cast her vote in today’s mayoral election, she said.
“I have been a registered voter since moving to Birmingham in 1979,” Bourge said. “I was expecting my voting notification and watching for it in the mail. The notification never came.”
Bourge, who lives in the 64-unit Highland Plaza condominiums, was among a number of people who reported difficulty casting ballots today in the election for mayor of Birmingham.
Bourge said she first stopped at the Southside Library. Bourge said that for years, she voted there. No one was around but one of her Highland Plaza neighbors, Bourge said. The two tried another previous polling site, Bayer Properties on Arlington, Bourge said.
“No one answered the phone at the city” clerk’s office, Bourge said. “We ended up calling a neighbor, who checked a Web site. She told us to go to Unity Church. When we got there, there were a lot of people asking, ‘Is this where we’re supposed to be?’ Several were elderly people who had a hard time climbing the stairs there.”
When she reached the front of the line, Bourge was told her name was not on the list for that polling place, she said. She was asked to step to another station, where someone with a computer searched for her name and correct polling site.
“The person found my name, but said I was listed as ‘inactive,’” Bourge said. “That’s impossible. I always vote. Finally, I was told to go to Highland Golf Course. I saw more neighbors there, who had had the same problems.”
Again, elderly people had to climb stairs, she said.
“This is a very contentious race,” Bourge said. “It seems very odd so many people are having such a difficult time. It’s probably some clerical error. Still, this is the biggest mess. But I can say with certainty I never got notified. Five of my neighbors said the same thing.”
October 9th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
When I saw the first article about voting problems (I am out of town and was following on al.com) I admit I thought it was another case of voters not reading their mail (it’s happened before in city elections). But then I saw more stories - Crestwood, Highland Ave. - and then I read that the city clerk’s office couldn’t keep up with the phone calls. My radar pinged at that point - it is hard to believe that it is a coincidence that only those neighborhoods had problems. I don’t know if it rises to the level of conspiracy. It might just be incompetence - sending out sample ballots as a way of telling people where they are supposed to vote? C’mon - people figure they’re campaign pieces and throw them out! But the result is the same - it appears that mostly Cooper voters were prevented from voting. It’s possible that Langford would have won anyway, but the victory is both razor-thin and tainted.
October 10th, 2007 at 1:09 am
What concerns me is whether any consideration was given to access to polling places, not just stairs but location. I was out at the Botannical Garden this afternoon volunteering for Howard’s campaign (how sweet that win was!) and witnessed several angry people who had gone to Ramsay High School first.
My question is, was there transportation for the many Southside residents wo depend on the bus to get around?
I knew where to vote, thanks to various emails and a notice that arrived on Saturday (rather under-the-wire–how many notices arrived today, too late?) with information on the changed venue.
I am inclined to believe it’s ineptitude somewhere, but am open to convincing otherwise. If deliberate, the measure backfired, because there’s no opportunity now to leverage endorsements.
Since the presumed mayor-elect is not known for attention to details and services, it is up to We the People to hold official tootsies to the flames with high expectations of respectful and efficient service, not just sermons.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I tried to get voting location information from the Birmingham city website. First time all I got as a error page, the next time I looked there was one link on the front page - when you clicked it you got a PDF of all voting locations. Not much help for someone that does not know their district.
There is no reason why the City should have been unprepared for this… but unfortunately I find this kind of disappointment typical when dealing with local government.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
You gotta hand it to Langford, winning outright in a field of ten candidates.
I was actually supporting someone else until I realized from the polls that it was going to be a two-man race between Langford and Cooper. Why throw my vote away? Langford is the polar opposite of Kincaid when it comes to risk-taking, and I guess the voters were ready to step out boldly this time and “do something” as the candidate put it. Instead of prodding the mayor, we’re going to have to restrain him, perhaps. We could have had someone more middle-of-the-road, but the election is over, and why not get behind the winner at this point? Think about it: government is really the people anyway. It just takes a strong leader to move the people where they want to go, and perhaps Langford can fill that role. It will be interesting, as usual.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
I have tended to give Larry the benefit of the doubt over the years, but in the run-up to the election, people who know much more than I about him and whose opinion I trust expressed great concern about his inability to follow through properly on his big ideas and to play well with others. (These are Birmingham residents who work closely with city and county leaders.) I had hoped that the new mayor would aggressively pursue a cooperative relationship with the fiefdoms that surround the city — to the betterment of all of us — but I don’t have great expectations for Langford in that regard. As you say, it will be interesting. I sincerely hope it will be productive and positive.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Mr.Langford should be the mayor of Birmingham.Birmingham needs a change and that is the change that we need.If you look at all the other mayor’s and what they did for our city is nothing but a joke.Planting trees and making condo’s ,downtown is not helpping this city,making everything that comes to this city before you before it passes won’t make this city better.It’s time for a change an Mr.Larry Larry Langford is the answer .Look what he did for Fairfield.Birmingham needs a change dealing with crime,youth, drugs,AND ALL OF THE PROMBLES THIS CITY IS HAVING.
October 15th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
wow. aisha, your grammar and spelling are a nice indication of the type of mind that could support larry langford.
good luck, b’ham, you’ll need it.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Thank you for your support but neither of needs the luck because GOD is on our side.Sorry that my grammar is not good enough for you but I am not the one who is running for mayor.My opinion is just that maybe you are pulling for a crook youself.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
idiot.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I understand that you are upset because we WON and you and your crook LOST.Maybe I could stoop to you level but I think that I will stay a Lady unlike yourself.Now how is my grammar now.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Play nice, children. Aisha, Wheeler doesn’t live in Birmingham.
October 17th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I am trying to be nice but Wheeler is making a Big deal out of nothing.Thanks for your comment.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I am really happy that the City has a new Mayor. I’ve lived in Birmingham for a while and I think that no one really taking advantage of Birmingham’s Potential. So many of our past mayors have been do interested in lining their own pockets that they hinder this city’s progression. I sadly accept that most politicians will be crooks at some point or another during their term, but make a difference while you do it. People don’t realize what one good mayor can do. If you take the time to read about Maynard Jackson. He is the only reason that Atlanta is the productive city that it is. I have heard from a few people that Langford won’t follow through on things. If they look into the facts it isn’t that he doesn’t follow through it is that he’s been forced to work with greedy incompetents that shoot down decent proposals. It looks like he’s not following through but he really doesn’t receive proper support. Ask any resident of Fairfield what Fairfield was like when Larry was mayor. They will tell you what he did and how different Fairfield was back then.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Angel I aree with you a 100% .As long as Mr. Langford has people like you in his corner this city WILL become a much better place to live and rise our families.
November 12th, 2007 at 7:36 am
THANKS BIRMINGHAM FOR ALLOWING A MAYOR WITH VISION GUTS AND BRAINS TO WIN THIS ELECTION. OH YES IT ISA TIME TO DO SOMTHING IN BIRMINGHAM
November 12th, 2007 at 11:44 am
FYI, WHEELER is not the same commenter as wheeler. And it’s not okay to appropriate someone else’s user name. Don’t do it again.
November 12th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Some people in this world are nothing but EVIL and they don’t won’t to see Birmingham or any other city to change dor the better.Mr.Larry Langford is the way to HELP this city change for the better.Anyone in Birmingham should want a change.Some of the youth and young adults in Birmingham only know about the muders and other bad things that have happened in this city.Now my children have hope for a better future without so much killing.Now i don’t have to worry or wonder when i let my children out of the house becausei KNOW that MR.LARRYU LANGFORD will make this city SAFER.L ook at Fairfield.Anybody can have the same user name.Don’t make a BIG deal out of something you can’t control. W e don’t want you to get an ulcer or have a heat attack over something as little as a user name.You are doing what I teach my children not to do and by saying “don’t do it again ” only makes a person do the opposite.All I am saying is GROW UP.
November 13th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Ive had the chance to hear Mr. Langford speak several times, and the first time hearing him speak in my the city where I live(Jasper Al) I knew then he was a God fearing man who with God and the citizen of Birmingham on his side can really make Birmingham MAGIC again. To the citizen of Birmingham get behind your Mayor and help him move the city foward. you may ask why am I concern, its because as Birmingham prosper so will the cities around it, like Jasper. Good luck Mayor Langford and my prayers is for God to cont. to guide you and keep his blessing on you.
November 15th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Well, I guess we can stick a fork in Birmingham. It’s done. Unlike the county the City of Brimingham has already run up it’s credit card before Larry the Loser was elected.
Larry will propose another tax increase for another round of disasterous projects. Larry’s cronies will issue the bonds and chare the city 3 times the going amount for bond fees, a chunk of which will magically be donated to charities that Larry’s wife runs, or shifted to a numbered account offshore. Other cronies will be contracted to build and manage these white elephants built at our expense, and the river of graft will flow until the city is bankrupt.
birmingham has turned into Losertown, and we have only ourselves to blame.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I have been watching Mayor Langford ever since he came into office, I think he is the greatest thing that ever hit Birmingham in 30 years. He knows what he wants for the city and does not hestitate to go for it. The past 8 years there was nothing going on and finally Mayor Langford is doing something for that city. I applaud him. Keep up the good work!