Yes, the Eagle Forum is going to host a, well, a forum next month on “global warming, immigration, education policy and other politically charged topics”. National president Phyllis Schlafly plans to take time away from her busy career of telling women that they belong at home so she can enlighten the attendees on “What America Needs from the Next President”. I’m sure there will be no lobbying for any particular candidate, or any bias toward Republicans, because
The Eagle Forum of Alabama’s mission is “to equip citizens with timely, reliable information from a conservative, constitutional point of view on public policy issues,” according to its Web site.
“They are a nonprofit, and it’s for the education part where they work with the state school board and work with the local school system,” [Commission president Bettye Fine] Collins said.
[Commissioner Jim] Carns said the organization does “training and various and sundry things.”
It is, of course, totally coincidental that every politiican scheduled to participate on the legislative panel has an R after his (white, male, presumably straight) name.
I was shocked, shocked to discover that $10,000 will come out of Carns’ (R-Briarwood) discretionary funds, while the other $5,000 will come from Republican National Committeewoman Collins’. Carns, Collins, Bobby Humphryes (R-of course), and George Bowman (Riley’s questionable appointment to replace Larry Langford) all voted for the proposal. Bowman said he didn’t know anything about the Eagle Forum — way to cast an informed vote there, dude. Humphryes, who has at least heard of the Eagle Forum, said he voted yes as a courtesy, although he had no idea how the money would be used.
A quick perusal of the Eagle Forum site (no, I’m not going to link; google if you must) could have given Bowman and Humphryes a clue of the content of next month’s meeting. Let’s see:
- Immigration? Where the hell is that fence? Although I guess the Eagle Forum ladies wouldn’t actually say “hell” unless they were talking about where the homos and feminists go when they die.
- Global warming? It’s a lie-beral myth.
- Education? The first item listed under that link is “Bad Books”, which tells you all you need to know. (To be fair, the list is in alphabetical order.) The article also mentions that the conference will address “the work done through the Alabama Reading Initiative”. Please tell me the Eagle Forum isn’t going to be permitted to mess with the Reading Initiative, which has been incredibly successful. I don’t want Phyllis Schlafly deciding what my children can read at school (see Bad Books above).
By the way, if you’re a member of a group that strives “to equip citizens with timely, reliable information from a progressive, constitutional point of view on public policy issues”, don’t hold your breath waiting for Carns and Collins to help you out.
Both said the money was left unspent in their district discretionary funds last year and that no money is available in this year’s budget for nonprofits.
You know, Equality Alabama could use some funds for its educational programs. Maybe one of the other commissioners has some extra discretionary dollars lying around that they’d like to donate. But something tells me that Bobby Humphryes’ “courtesy” would fail him if that ever came to a vote, and I doubt Carns and Collins would even bother to be polite when they said no.
“Presumably straight?” Who’s presumption is that?
Aaaah, fond memories….. It was probably 25 years ago that a group of us picketed an Eagle Forum meeting over on Southside. Phyllis herself was there, so they had a big attendance. I was the only member of our cadre who could “pass” so I got to infiltrate the meeting. I just wandered around and looked at exhibits until the miasma of smug self-satisfaction finally choked the oxygen from my lungs and I had to run, gasping, for the outdoors.
Oh, and Joe, the presumption is on the part of the Eagle Forum – they no like the gays, even though Schlafly has a son who’s gay.
This is complete bullshit. Did I not hear Betty Fine recently say the County owes a billion (with a B) dollars on sewers making us one of the most indebted counties in the Southeast? And she is spending OUR money on the fucking Eagle Forum? I want to vomit.
I don’t believe taxpayers monies should be used to support private organizations like the Eagle Forum.
“It is, of course, totally coincidental that every politiican scheduled to participate on the legislative panel has an R after his (white, male, presumably straight) name.”
Is the Eagle Forum open to people that don’t fit the above criteria?
Is that legal?
bhb, given the Eagle Forum’s positions on brown people, gays, and liberals, I’d say probably not. Well, the white women are welcome as long as they defer to the men.
Lisa,
! Joe, I think the presumption is also on the part of the voters in their districts, who are sure they’re voting for “good family men”. (I have no reason to think they’re wrong.)
Katy, the Commissioners can probably use the dodge that the Eagle Forum is a non-profit. Which is not permitted to endorse candidates. Said restriction will in no way prevent the spewing of Republican talking points throughout the taxpayer-supported conference.
You know, Bill, maybe Bettye Fine should have put that $10,000 aside in case she gets caught up in the ongoing sewer/bond investigation. It might cover a few days’ worth of legal fees.
At the Immigration hearing in Hoover last night, a Council of Conservative Citizens member blasted the Southern Poverty Law Center for taking Government money, which it doesn’t.
Ironically he followed the hate-spin pronounced by Eagle Forum Executive Director (and chronologically eligible to be at least their granddaughter), Brooklyn Burgess, JD 2006, Pres of College Federalist Society, clerked for Susan Hirshmann, former National Eagle Forum Director and current lobbyist.
http://www.williamsandjensen.com/principals.asp?id=15
Hirshmann is also a reported go-between for Tom Delay (she was his chief of staff) and Jack Abramoff and also with ties to Ralph Reed and Jack Scanlon. And there’s more, she represented the Natl Indian Gaming Assn in 2004.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Susan_B._Hirschmann
She racked up $85,000 in travel expenses, “spent months away from Capitol Hill, visiting exotic international locales while conferring with heads of state and staying at oceanside resorts — most of the time with her lobbyist husband in tow.”
http://www.publicintegrity.org/powertrips/report.aspx?aid=77
I work for the county, all I can say is WOW! The whole Jeffco Commission is a mess to say the least, and a cleaning of house, election of nonpartisan commissioners with the creation of a county manager is the only things that will save this county.
Scott Stantis had a great editorial cartoon in yesterday’s paper. I wish the public would pay more attention — and make more noise — when things like this happen. I’m glad to see there have been several letters to the editor published (which likely means there were many more submitted).
[...] exactly covered himself with glory so far, voting along with the Republicans on the Commission to give $15,000 to the right-wing Eagle Forum while claiming to know nothing about the [...]
[...] know very little about any of these candidates, but Bowman did vote to allow Commissioners Bettye Fine Collins and Jim Carns to give $15,000 in taxpayer money to fund [...]
[...] how the Jefferson County Commission voted to allow two commissioners to give $15,000 to support a conference put on by the right-wing Eagle Forum? Yeah, me too. Despite some outcry from taxpayers, the Commission went ahead with the donation, and [...]
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