If WBHM’s recent shift away from classical music baroque your heart, then there’s not much we can do for you (except maybe suggest Pandora). In the meantime, Birmingham’s public radio station is taking a greater interest in local news, even bringing newspaper people on the air.

And, they let us sit on the good furniture.

Beginning this week, WBHM will feature Wednesday segments with Birmingham Weekly columnist Kyle Whitmire (I promise I won’t write about myself in the third person again) and Birmingham News columnist John Archibald (booo!!!).

Archibald gets the morning shift, with a segment called “Plugged.” It promises a more heady agenda, focusing on hoity-toity themes. This week’s segment, which you can hear here, focused on trust, whatever that is.

Meanwhile, I get the afternoon shift, talking about who’s backstabbing whom at City Hall and County Commission. The first segment focused on Jefferson County’s last minute attempts to avoid bankruptcy, the mayor’s wrecked plans for free bus fare and his pesky problem of being sued by the SEC.

Not that this is any sort of competition, but in our first week, I totally whipped Archibald at this radio game. However, he does have a better head shot than I do, which through the wonder’s of Photoshop, I’ve now made even better. My photo, which is at least five years old, dates from my first pathetic attempt to grow a full beard.

But neither of us topped the radio professional. Yesterday, WBHM’s Tanya Ott took Mayor Larry Langford to task for his recent unpleasantness with the SEC and on-going Justice Department investigation. According to Langford, the federal investigations into him are the evil machinations of his campaign opponent Patrick Cooper and, of course, the media. It’s all one great conspiracy.

I’m still waiting on my black helicopter.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Mayor and council president have two interpretations of free transit vote. Read the full story

Popularity: 9% [?]

Last week, the Birmingham City Council approved a plan from Mayor Larry Langford to make bus fares free for the summer, but in a special-called meeting Wednesday night, many of them expressed second thoughts.

Councilors Steven Hoyt, Carole Smitherman, Valerie Abbott and Carol Duncan said that the council passed the mayor’s proposal too quickly, without having real budget numbers or the consent of the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority board.

“We rushed to make a decision without the information, and now we have a problem,” said Councilor Valerie Abbott. “I think we may have acted somewhat in haste. I voted for it, and I’m willing to take my knocks for it.”

BJCTA Director David Hill said Wednesday that the BJCTA could not begin the program unless Birmingham provided the transit sysem with at least some of the money up front.

Councilors referred to the Mayor’s plan as the “3 a.m. plan,” because the Mayor said he woke up the morning before the April 22 Council meeting with the idea to give Birmingham bus riders free rides all summer.

“Council, we have erred, this should never have happened,” said Council President Carole Smitherman.

Six councilors were present at the meeting Wednesday(Roderick Royal, Miriam Witherspoon, and William Bell were absent), but open meetings law did not allow a vote on any issue. Mayor Langford was present at the beginning of the meeting and BJCTA Director David Hill attended as well.

The estimated $800,000 needed for the program would come from $9 million raised in business license fees that the BJCTA plans to spend on new buses. As Birmingham Weekly reported, Mayor Langford had initially promised Hill $17 million for transit, but that number was later changed to $9 million, though Hill did not notice until months later.

“What is the highest and best use for the $800,000 — to offer free rides or repair the buses?” Smitherman asked the transit director.

“Well, obviously it’s to repair the buses,” answered Hill.

Most councilors seemed reluctant to support the Mayor’s program, even if communication issues are cleared up. Smitherman said more citizens had called her office in opposition to the Mayor’s plan than in support of it. Councilor Hoyt argued that the $800,000 free summer rides program is the equivalent of giving a bus away.

“We could have a bus with this money, and that’s been the chief complaint-that busses are breaking down-so how can we give something away when we ought to be buying a bus?” he said.

Councilor Joel Montgomery suggested that the Council approve funds for one month of free rides at next week’s City Council meeting, allowing the BJCTA to begin the free ride system on May 10. Montgomery supported the “3 a.m. plan” last week with the provision that the Council be provided with proper documentation from the Mayor’s office and the BJCTA.

It is not clear when the Council will vote on funding the Mayor’s plan or rescinding their resolution in support of it. Smitherman suggested another special meeting to vote on the plan, but action may be delayed until next Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Until then, riders of Birmingham public transit will pay the standard rate.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Transit director David Hill really should read the Weekly more often. The Birmingham News is reporting on al.com that Hill has just now realized that he’s not getting as much money from the city of Birmingham as he thought he would, not as much as Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford promised him. … no … mustn’t be … prideful …

You see, Hill thought he was getting $17 million from Langford for mass transit improvements.

… agh … can’t hold it … much … longer …

But the strange thing was that the tax plan proposed by Langford and approved by the Birmingham City Council included only $9 million for transit.
… turning green … like HULK …

Councilor Valerie Abbott even asked Langford during the debate how much money was going to transit — the $17 million originally proposed, or the $9 million Langford quietly sneaked into the ordinance.

… just … a little … longer …

And we even asked Hill about it the same day as Langford’s State of the City Address. Twice in that speech Langford said that $9 million in new money was going to transit, but when I asked Hill about it just minutes later, he insisted the BJCTA had $17 million in new money headed its way.

… the rage … welling up …

In recent weeks, the BJCTA has even been running ads on local radio stations telling residents what wonderful things would be heading their way because of Mayor Larry Langford, the Birmingham City Council and the truck load of cash they had approved for mass transit improvements in Birmingham.

… can’t … aw screw it …

We told you so!

And not just recently, but THREE MONTHS ago. In the Nov. 29, 2007 issue of the Weekly, we wrote in a column noting the discrepancy:

So what does the Langford administration do when it’s $8 million short? The same thing everyone else has done — screw transit. Quietly, a second draft of Langford’s proposed ordinance cut $17 million for transit to a mere $9 million. The money for the dome, of course, remained the same.

And that wasn’t the only instance. It takes three licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop — the same number it takes to tell the truth about Mayor Langford’s promises.

ONE: Leapin’ Larry’s Counting Coup

TWO: MAX’s Magic Math

THREE: Magic City Math

Yup, David Hill bought what Langford was selling and now he looks like a fool.

Popularity: 58% [?]

Langford’s illusions are in the numbers

by Kyle Whitmire

The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority now has the funding it needs to finish its intermodal facility on Morris Avenue, replace all the buses in the bus fleet and build a trolley system downtown, complete with vintage streetcars imported from Europe. All because of new funding from the City of Birmingham.

Or, at least that’s what BJCTA Executive Director David Hill told the Birmingham City Council last week.

However, the BJCTA is counting on $17 million in new funding from Birmingham. Currently the council and the mayor have approved $9 million in new funding from the 100 percent business license hike last year.

Mayor Larry Langford initially told the council that the new fees would provide $17 million for transit, but that changed to $9 million after the mayor’s office realized that there was a problem with its math.

The mayor’s office didn’t explain the switch-a-roo to the council, though. When Councilor Valerie Abbott brought the discrepancy up, Mayor Langford told her that the $9 million number was a mistake. The city would give the BJCTA $17 million, Langford said.

But then something peculiar happened. The mayor’s office submitted an amended ordinance that changed that number back to $9 million, among several other tweaks and changes. It seems that the first ordinance was half-baked, but heaven help anyone who said so at the time.

In fact, lots of budget ordinances are being passed and then amended because of problems with the math. Just this week, the council passed two budget amendments necessary because of “a clerical error.” The mayor’s office is moving money back and forth and the Birmingham City Council hasn’t the slightest idea where it’s coming from or where it’s going.

Read the full story

Popularity: 35% [?]