Birmingham Blues

This hasn’t been a good day for Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford. First, Jefferson County senators failed to approve either of two proposals to raise the mayor’s pay (one would be immediate, the other would be effective at the beginning of the next term of office). Then Transit Director David Hill found his backbone [...]

Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley apologized yesterday for giving the McCain campaign a huge discount on the rent for a fundraiser last week. He was, however, unrepentant about providing free inmate labor to set up the event.
The campaign was charged $250 to rent two rooms, which have a posted rate of $1,200.
“I did exceed [...]

After my sad post a few weeks ago, my friend Miss Wild Thing gave me some great advice. Give your grief to the earth, she said. Make a garden that will honor the memory of your brother. So — I’ve been working on that, and it has been quite therapeutic.
While cleaning out [...]

This is a big one. Don is 75 today, and he puts us young whippersnappers to shame, tirelessly lobbying the Alabama legislature to institute Initiative and Referendum and growing his own tomatoes and peppers and scuppernongs and a whole mess of other produce. Have a great day, Don!

Want to let Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley know what you think about his giveaway to the McCain campaign? The folks from Bright Blue Dot have a couple of suggestions:
TODAY, contact the city officials responsible and let them know how you feel:
Mayor Barry R. McCulley
City: 332-6103
Cell: 229-7321
Email: barry.mcculley@homewoodal.org
City Council President, J. “Ginger” Busby
Voice Mail (City) [...]

Today is the 12th annual Day of Silence, a student-led effort to bring attention to anti-LGBT harassment and to make schools safer for all students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. I’m proud to say 14YOD’s high school is participating, and she’s going early to get a sticker. This year’s event is [...]

…to help him with his sackcloth-and-ashes praying-on-the-streetcorner extravaganza. Yep, he’s invited Bishop Eddie Long, “one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement”, to participate in tomorrow’s spectacle [edit: scheduled for 6 PM CDT Friday 4/25]. Here’s a taste of what Bishop Long says in the pulpit:
“It is [...]

…to the good folks at Left in Alabama. I’m one day late, but so are they.
Congratulations!

Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley has stepped in it with this one. He’s supposed to bring requests for discounts to the City Council, but for some reason he decided to rent the McCain people a room at Rosewood Hall for $250, substantially less than the going rate of $1,200 for a weeknight event. He [...]

Mayor Larry Langford to the city of Birmingham: I will put on a big publicity stunt event where I talk a bunch of people into wearing burlap bags, and that will solve the city’s crime problem.
I only wish I were kidding.