Before they even start, Willis “Buddy” Hendrix informs everyone: “I already got to go to the bathroom.”
First question is why are you running for mayor? Good way to narrow it down.
Valerie Abbott: Knows neighborhood problems from her experience in politics. Experience in private sector.
William Bell: Birmingham has gone down the wrong track. Passion and love for this city will bring about a change. (the Passion of the Bell?) We’ve alienated people in neighborhoods. Share the wealth.
Ray Brook: Former fire chief. Chose bham to be his home. Lacking leadership. Traditional politics needs to go away. To build bridges. (Machine gun of clichés, only misses “the children are our future.”)
Patrick Cooper: Father a two-star general. Flunked out of Yale, dug ditches with po’ folks until he went back and finished school. Went to law school. Promises 40 percent crime reduction in two years. College for everybody.
Willis Hendrix: “I’m also known as Mickey Mouse.” Entertainer, but not much here to entertain. Did he just say something about the Northwest Passage? WWII veteran. “I’m going to help the people of Birmingham if you elect me governor.”
Bernard Kincaid: Thanks everyone for letting him be the good steward. Says that the glass is half full, doesn’t say full of what. Looking forward to honest progress. Steady growth.
Larry Langford: “I’m running for mayor of Birmingham because Birmingham needs a crazy man to run this city.” Says that all you need to get rid of a drug house is a cop with an M-16. “We’re the dream killers.”
Daryl Perry: Says he’s not for a domed stadium. Wants everyone to make all decisions by public referendum.
Carole Smitherman: “We don’t need any more plans. We need solutions.” Transit: “I didn’t even own a car until Roger bought me one.”
Barry Taylor: “I fear that I am the best man to lead this city.” Loves city. Loves people. Even loves bugs and flees. Going to make sure that kids get “intensified education.”
First personal question goes to Barry Taylor: Whatcha gonna do about crime?
Taylor: Says he will stay in contact with police chief. Know what’s going on in neighborhoods. Next, solve the drug problem. Next, have a liaison for every department, (guess department heads don’t cut it?).
Carole Smitherman: Got an illegal gun, get caught, go to jail. Take down drug houses. Enforce curfews. Better lighting in the community.
Daryl Perry: Need to enforce the laws. Go to where the copper thieves are selling the copper. Supports every persons right to own a gun.
Langford: “You can hire a million cops and it’s not going to stop me from killing you.” Says that education is the key.
Kincaid: Says that crime is not running rampant. Crime is down. Most murders acquaintance murders. Wants to take federal Weed & Seed program city wide.
Willis Hendrix: Reminds everyone that he is a Boy Scout leader and a stage hand in the theater. Says we’ve got some bad laws in Birmingham, and that he’s a criminal lawyer, too.
Cooper: New York (read Giuliani) style. Goes through his 6-point plan.
Brooks: Crime is a problem everywhere. Need a strong police presence.
Bell: “I have a one-point crime plan: We’re going to run the thugs out of Birmingham.” Give the police the support they need to knock heads.
Abbott: Would have a two-pronged approach. Prevention: dealing with poverty and drugs. Short term: Need to have a chief that is allowed to do her own job. Would fire the chief if she couldn’t meet her own goals.
Next question: How you going to fix the schools?
Bell takes credit for building the ones we’ve got. Says he will make any sacrifice (human?). Hendrix says there’s “too much domination.” Kincaid: School board set the policy. The city needs to “stay in its lane.” “More personally, I have a daughter in public schools.” Langford: never should have had an elected school board to begin with. “And then go back and give your teachers the right to knock your kids out.” BEAT THE KIDS, AGAIN!!! Perry: No accountability. Teachers get $2 million for travel, for all we know they go on whale-watching tours. Smitherman: It’s already wrecked. The solution is not to have physical violence. Says the real problem is sixth, seventh and eighth grade, when parents yank their kids out. Taylor: Equitable funding. Intensify education.
Next question: What you going to do about business?
Taylor: ??? Smitherman: Wants to make the airport more productive. I don’t want to read in the paper that a business is gone. Going to put a sign at the city limits that says “Open for Business.” Perry: Need to create a level playing field for all businesses, stop giving new businesses incentives. Langford: Permanent funding for mass transit, so people can get to the jobs. Kincaid: Bham is open for business and doing well. Taxes growing, more new business licenses. Hendrix: “I was a vocational coordinator …” Need to be more like Shelby County and China. Cooper: Says that business climate here has a reputation for being hostile. City Hall doesn’t return Charles Barkley’s phone calls. Going to create a real Redevelopment Authority. Brooks: Utilize existing business. Bell: Hears Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb. (Read: Langford and Kincaid). Both driving business off. Abbott: Must build on UAB, biggest employer in Alabama.
Closing statements: What you will accomplish in first 100 days?
Abbott: Hire a city manager. Would establish HOPE office, to help 26 percent of households that are earning less than $15,000 per year. Bell: Convene all the top CEOs. Demand that Police clean streets. Expect state and BOE to educate children. Develop a transportation plan from inside out. Get Hoover, Vestavia, others to pay for it. Brooks: Unity in government, working together with legislature. Cooper: Says other candidates suck because they’ve been there too long. Meet with police chief. Make city safe. Hendrix: Holds up a copy of the Constitution. Direct quote but don’t quite understand it: “Look here damnit, we want it done.” Kincaid: Two tracks. Reestablish relationship with city council. Will shift focus from downtown to the neighborhoods. Citywide master plan. Langford: Will hire Hendrix for his attitude. Will come up with funding for dome stadium, transit, education. Perry: Dome referendum. Would institute instant runoff voting. Smitherman: Convene city employees for better customer service. Stop the crime. Can’t have anything else if we have a crime problem. No time for on-the-job training. Taylor: Reevaluate department heads. Let citizens decide who to keep and who to fire.
Popularity: 9% [?]
September 18th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
We’re doomed
September 18th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Domed and Doomer.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
You’d think those candidates WANTED Cooper to win. If I were him, I’d be thanking every single one of those mayoral hopefuls for strengthening his campaign.
September 18th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Deon….it seems to me that the only candidate with a reasonable and legitimate plan is Bell after hearing the debate. Cooper has never been in office before and I cant take a chance on him. I think Bell has my vote.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:09 am
I was at the debate. William Bell got his facts wrong on Red Diamond leaving the city, he cited Royal Cup. Buddy Hendrix was drunk. I saw him drinking bloody mary’s before the debate. (thats why you couldnt understand him. Also, did anyone catch his “colored friends” remark after the cameras were off and it was only on webcast? Langford was a clown the whole time. Kincaid was trying to save face for Donald Watkins. The only thing Cooper did wrong was mention his education at Yale too many times. You cant do that in a city like Birmingham. And Smitherman was trying to keep her night job at Miles College. The bottom line: I couldn’t have paid money at the comedy club to have seen a better act.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:14 am
You used the official flag! The supreme soviet is now in session!
September 19th, 2007 at 9:43 am
I like your coverage, unlike some of the media, you are giving averyone equal coverage.
Thank you!
September 19th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Ron, my impression of William Bell has certainly been changed for the better. He appears to be a more calm, dignified, and knowledgeable man. However, with that said, he still has a lot of ground to cover. It will take a lot more, in my opinion, than a one-point crime prevention plan (i.e. running the thugs out of town) to effectively and comprehensively tackle the safety issues currently facing this city. In addition, I cannot say that Bell has demonstrated a commitment to improving the hostile business climate Birmingham is notoriously known for.
Now, I am in no way attempting to undermine or call into question the many accomplishments Bell has either spearheaded or contributed to. However, given Birmingham’s precarious situation, I cannot support Bell for mayor at this time. Interestingly enough, Bell’s longtime friend and Druid Hills president, Charlie Williams, who worked on his two previous mayoral bids, agrees. Williams is supporting Cooper in this election.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Deon…Bell has more than a “one point plan” for crime in Birmingham, he has the support of the Fraternal Order of Police as well as the Firefighters Assoc. None of the other candidates have this support. Does this mean anything to you?
And did you know that Cooper’s plan against crime is ILLEGAL! You can’t give bonuses to the “good” police officers without giving a bonus to every police officer unless the rules and regulations have changed in the past hour and I haven’t heard about it. (Please let me know if they have, but I highly doubt this has occurred.) Don’t fall for Cooper’s smoke and screens; he does not know what he’s talking about regarding the city of Birmingham. He has no experience in public office!
And Bell has not been given a chance as mayor to improve the hostile business environment in Birmingham. Do not blame Bell for Kincaid’s mistakes as mayor. Even in these hostile conditions, look at all of ‘the many accomplishments Bell has either spearheaded or contributed to’ as you stated above. Do these not mean anything?
Finally, you mentioned that Charlie Williams is on Cooper side now. No one in Birmingham is surprised by his actions or other like him. These people will go where the money is, and where there’s an opportunity to “get paid.” If you, Deon, were a candidate in this election and had the most money to spend, Williams and “the gang” would be on your side as well.
But here is my question to you, why are you letting issues like Charlie Williams impair your ability to choose the right candidate anyway? After last night’s debate, as I stated in a previous post, there appears to be only one candidate with a legitimate plan for the city of Birmingham. I am voting Bell…for the good of the city.
September 19th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Ron, first let’s agree to disagree with this issue. I’m sure I will not be able to persuade you anymore than you would be able to persuade me. With that said, I will simply relay, to you, the reasons why I believe Cooper should win over Bell (who I do believe is the next best candidate).
First, concerning Bell’s plan to fight crime, he, himself, said during the debate that he had a “one-point plan” to, and I’m paraphrasing, “run the thugs out of Birmingham.” If Bell’s plan has more meat to it - which I’m sure it does - he certainly failed to convey its details to the citizenry.
Cooper’s plan, from my understanding, is modeled after NYC’s highly successful CompStat intiative. Given the amount of information provided by both candidates concerning their crime prevention strategies, I see no other choice than to support Cooper. Also, I’m willing to believe that if Cooper’s plan was illegal, that issue would have been brought up by now.
Second, I take offense when you suggest I’m falling for Cooper’s “smoke and screens.” Without any hard evidence, statements such as these pass as nothing more than political rhetoric and only helps to water down your points and opinions. The fact that he has no experience in Birmingham politics doesn’t erode the value of his ideas and strategies. Some would even say his inexperience is a good thing.
Third, I am not blaming Bell for Kincaid’s missteps. As I said earlier, Bell has done wonderful things for this city — I am quick to acknowledge that. However, Bell, in my opinion, has not done an adequate job of conveying his thoughts for improving Birmingham’s business climate. Again, I emphasize, this is my opinion.
Cooper is the only one who seems remotely knowledgeable concerning today’s business climate. And no other candidate has even touched on the need to establish a redevelopment authority (RDA). That move alone would address a lot of the issues this city has in promoting redevelopment. The lack of an RDA is one of the primary reasons the Railroad Park is dragging along and the proposed HOPE VI development around the Civil Rights District was shelved.
Fourth, I seriously doubt money was a motivating factor concerning Williams’ decision to support Cooper instead of Bell this election. Williams supported Bell in 2003 when he, if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t the top fundraiser. Moreover, I’m not sure where the opportunity for Williams to “get paid” is. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the article in the News only stated that Williams is supporting Cooper, not working for his campaign.
With all of that said, I think Bell is a great person; however, I believe Cooper has been the most proactive in terms of getting his message heard. Regardless of who you vote for, I am pleased to see someone take an active interest in Birmingham politics. Take care, Ron and good day.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Deon…although we have agreed to disagree on this topic, I feel that I must inform you of another concern that I have with your candidate after hearing tonight’s debate on Fox6.
Cooper is yet to come up with an original idea in this campaign. It appears that he has taken ideas from New York, Atlanta, and even ideas from Mobile, AL, in an attempt to compile his “master plan” for the city of Birmingham. While theoretically this is a great idea, in reality, this plan is flawed. It is one built on a weak foundation. What will Copper do when a problem arises in Birmingham and there is no example to copy from other cities? Or when there are no other outside financial sponsors (i.e. Charles Barkley) to spark economical development?
Cooper will be forced to engage in the active process of thinking; he will have to come up with an original idea. When this happens, Copper’s foundation will begin to fall. He will have no idea what to do? Why you ask? Because he has no experience in public office.
Cooper may have to actually get help from people in the city of Birmingham. But how will he do this when he only relies on advise from other cities.
Deon, remember when you go to the polls on Oct. 9 that this is Birmingham, not Atlanta, New York, or Mobile. If you want the best for this city, you will vote for William Bell…for the good of the city.
And Deon, for the record, I am a college student, you clearly are many years my senior. Do not feel that any of these comments are personal attacks. I can also tell by your guarded comments in the previous post that you are closely connected to Cooper’s campaign therefore my efforts may fall on deaf ears, but for other non-bias readers of this site they will be more informed about our current candidates.
September 20th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Interesting debate. I’m still wondering where the Ron Paul candidate came from?
Ron, 2 points.
Performance based bonuses are not illegal, but generally do require a renegotiation of the relevant union contract-and this isn’t usually a hard-sale
The more interesting issue you raise is a criticism of where certain ideas come from. I find this interesting because I think one of the key problems affecting the leadership in Bham is “terminal uniqueness”, the idea that we’re so special others lessons just don’t apply here. Because really, who has a truly original idea anyway? Scholarships? Domes? Mass Transit? Crime problems? Nothing there plenty of other cities haven’t faced and dealt, successfully or unsuccessfully.
Finally, I can’t tell you how many people have made that same remark about how great William Bell sounded….but.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Who are you calling the “Ron Paul Candidate”?
September 23rd, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Deon…a few more questions for you.
what do you think about Cooper not voting in the past 5 years or so? This type of apathy truly concerns me and I imagine that you should be considered as well. How can someone, who hasnt taken time to participated in past elections, decide that he can change the city as mayor? Seems like there is an ulterior motive to his actions. Moreover, shouldn’t mayoral candidates be required to have a history of participating in the democratic process prior to becoming mayor? If Cooper becomes mayor, will he only participate in voting for issues when they are only of interest to him? I just hope he can remember to vote this time since he has not been to his polling place in 5 years.
Another question, what do you think about Cooper missing the Forum at the Botanical Gardens? I guess he does not have time for the “regular folks” in Brimingham? Some say that Cooper has already bought these votes anyway…has he brought your vote too?
And why is Cooper’s divorce “closed to the public?” What do you think about this? This is clearly not a normal practice. Look at it simplified…Cooper gets divorced and less than one year later Cooper’s ex-wife is remarried. Why this quick turnaround? His ex-wife obviously noticed a flaw in Cooper…maybe this is something we should all know about as well. Maybe Cooper lied too much, or cheated, or just was not a trustworthy person…these are all common causes of divorce. I understand that a divorce is a personal issue, but are these qualities of a person who will move Birmingham forward? And does Cooper may have more to hide? I guess only time will tell. Maybe next interview we will learn more about the motives of Cooper for mayor.
So if you still want to help Cooper (since you’re so closely involved with his campaign anyway)…Google directions from his house to his polling place.
Ron
September 25th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Ron, I’ll hit this quick since I’m in a hurry; however, it should be enough to satisfy your curiosity.
1. I’m not involved with Cooper’s campaign (unless you consider my membership in his Facebook group a strong connection).
2. I do; however, believe you are involved, in some capacity, with Bell’s camp. Your posts smack of political rhetoric and is tinged with quirky catchphrases that illicit thoughts of cheesy campaign commercials (e.g. “vote for William Bell…for the good of the city…” I rest my case).
3. What do I think about Cooper’s voting apathy? Absolutely nothing. Why? He openly acknowledged it and, while I don’t particularly agree with the philosophy, I can certainly understand how he (and thousands of fellow citizens) could become disenchanted with the entire political process when, for the past few years, the choice for mayor has been between Barney Fife and Gomer Pyle.
4. I don’t care that Cooper missed the forum. Why? Because, I’m willing to bet that every major candidate has missed at least one mayoral related forum/function/event at one point or another during their campaign. And your case about Cooper not wanting to be around “regular folk” is unbelievably weak. Cooper stayed one week in a housing project around, what I believe you would call, “regular folk.” Not to mention, some would argue that those who attended the Botanical Gardens forum where Cooper’s base since the location is surrounded by Mountain Brook, Homewood, and upscale portion’s of Birmingham. Hardly what you’d describe as “regular folk.” And in case you’re still wondering, NO, Cooper has not purchased my vote. I don’t even reside in Birmingham proper!
5. And who gives a d-mn about his divorce? You’re speculating and making baseless accusations and, quite frankly, I find it appalling. I don’t care if they divorced because he misplaced the vacuum cleaner — it’s their business and they chose to keep it private. End of story. And let us not pretend that Bell has a perfect slate as well. I won’t bring up any of his previous “issues” since I’m not in the mud slinging business, but for future reference, please use a little more ethical behavior when discussing the qualifications of a candidate. I prefer to deal with facts and sound reasoning, not hearsay and innuendos.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Ron,
you are completely wrong about Bell. I work for city hall and the police department. Bell is making false promises. Bell struck that deal with the FOP without asking the members. I have been a member of the FOP for ten years and me and my fellow members are supporting Patrick Cooper for mayor. Most officers are for Patrick Cooper. I talked to officers from New York at a seminar about their plan and the model worked. Bell lost to Kincaid twice he doesn’t have a chance against Kincaid. Patrick Cooper is the only candidate. I know about police work and Bell is a career politician. Bell has been in politics for about 30 years, Ron, has Birmingham got better. No Birmingham has decline in population and more abandoned houses are out there. Ron, do you have a clue what’s going on in the city. I work all around the city of Birmingham and Kincaid and the city council including Bell has done nothing for the city. Bell states he didn’t have the chance, yes Bell you have, you have been in Birmingham politics for years and nothing is done. Ron, you must be related to Bell, because even people on the outside see that he is a career politician. I’m glad Cooper is using ideas from other cities. Maybe we can learn from Charlotte and Nashville, those cities are growing, Birmingham has not under the leadership of Kincaid and Bell. I hope most voters don’t view progress through your eyes because we will fall behind Chattanooga, instead of surpassing Nashville. I guess you haven’t been through Bell’s district (district 5 ) more abandoned houses, trash on the steets, and crime running rampant. If anyone is reading this please drive through District 5 and see how Bell is running this city into the ground. My family lives in his district, and we are tired of our city led by Bell going down. Like I said, I’m a proud member of the FOP and me and about 50 officers living in the city of Birmingham are going against the FOP, we are fighting for Patrick Cooper. We have talked to officers in New York and Baltimore and the plan they implimented there did work, and it will work for Birmingham.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Did anyone hear about the forum at City Hall tonight? I heard it was the best one yet. I wish they would have had it earlier in the election season.