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A Soldier’s Story

By Ed Reynolds

November 04, 2004

Fifty-nine years ago my father, Jim Reynolds, angrily shouted four words that, had he not spoken them, I might never have existed. “Put that gun away!” he barked to the pilot of the B-24 Liberator he co-piloted while fighting in Europe during World War II. The bomber had just been shot down over Wesel, Germany, and Dad remembers the entire day—March 24, 1945—as if it were last week.

To the crew’s surprise, instead of receiving the usual 3 a.m. wake-up call that was standard on mornings when missions were scheduled, they had been allowed to sleep until 5:15 a.m. After breakfast, rather than being briefed on designated bombing targets while staring at the map of Europe referenced before each flight, the crew learned that the mission involved dropping supplies to paratroopers and glider troops who were landing behind enemy lines that morning. That explained why the Liberator’s bombardier would not be on board, and also why they would be flying at an altitude of only 250 feet once they got to the drop zone over Wesel. “At the briefing for the mission, we were told there would be little or no resistance from the Germans, and that our drop area would be secure,” my father recalls. He soon learned otherwise.

The supplies they carried were loaded into “pods” that hung on racks in the bomb bay area in the same manner as the bombs that were normally transported. Each pod was attached to a parachute that was opened by a static line. As the squadron of seven planes approached the drop site, the crew noticed considerable smoke and haze on the ground. “We began getting a little small-arms fire during the supply drop run, and we could hear it hitting the plane,” Dad explains. Suddenly the ground fire grew more intense as 20- and 30-millimeter shells began striking the aircraft. Lieutenant Jack Hummel piloted the plane while my father, also a lieutenant, watched the instrument panels for any sign of engine trouble. Dad soon noticed a fire coming from engine number three, which he immediately shut off as he shouted to the pilot that the plane was on fire. “I feathered the engine, cut off the gasoline supply to the burning engine, closed the cowling flaps, and cut the electrical switches. But the fire continued to burn,” my father says. “Jack hollered back that the number two engine had been hit, and the oil pressure was dropping.”




B-24 pilot Lieutenant Jack Hummel (left) and co-pilot Lieutenant Jim Reynolds with the 513th Paratrooper Group the morning of March 25, 1945. The two pilots had spent the previous evening in a farm house near Wesel, Germany, as prisoners of war. (click for larger version)

The bomber’s air speed diminished considerably due to the supply drop, and the plane had great difficulty gaining altitude with two engines out. Hummel managed to get the plane back up to 500 feet before pushing the alarm button that signaled all on board to bail out. “Jack and I both knew there was no way we could get out before the plane crashed. I remember saying a short prayer,” my father recalls. Hummel spotted a field scattered with dead gilder troops and attempted to land. “I have no recollection of the crash after the airplane touched down, so I must have been knocked out for a few seconds,” Dad says. “The first thing I remember is Jack asking me if I was hurt. I told him I didn’t get a scratch and he replied, ‘Oh, yes you did.’ I then realized blood was running down my face, and the front of my flight suit was bloody.” My father’s forehead had been severely lacerated, and he learned later that his nose was broken.

“We suddenly noticed the ground kicking up around us and heard gunfire. We were groggy from the licks that caused our head wounds and did not realize that we were being shot at.”

Hummel and my father crawled from the plane through a hole that had been torn in the side of the aircraft during the crash. Dad went out first. The pair examined each other’s wounds while standing about 20 feet from the wreckage. “We suddenly noticed the ground kicking up around us and heard gunfire. We were groggy from the licks that caused our head wounds and did not realize that we were being shot at,” he remembers. “There was also a German ‘tiger’ tank about 50 yards from us. The firing stopped after one of our crew opened a parachute and waved it.”

That’s when Dad and Hummel heard voices behind them and discovered that not all of the crew had bailed out. Normally, the flight engineer would have been standing in the nose of the plane with my father and Hummel, but for some reason he was in the rear of the plane. Dad never figured out why the engineer was in the back, but that move saved his life. “It’s doubtful he would have survived the crash, since the top [gun] turret fell just where he would have been standing.” It was then that Hummel pulled his .45 automatic to shoot it out with the Germans, who outnumbered the survivors. Dad shouted at Hummel, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Put that gun away!”




B-24 Liberators from the 392nd Bomb Group on a bombing mission. The photo was taken from Lieutenant Jim Reynolds’ aircraft. The Liberator, used primarily in the Mediterranean during the war, was prone to catch fire when hit. (click for larger version)

Waist gunner Elmer Milchak had been killed while climbing from the waist window of the plane. My father vividly remembers the details: “Elmer’s body was removed from the plane [after the surrender to the Nazis], because there was still the danger that the fire would catch up and the plane would burn, which it eventually did. The best we could determine, the three missing crewmen—James Deaton, Bernard Knudson, and Ellis Morse—were not in the plane after we removed Elmer. Knudson was shot while parachuting from the plane. Deaton fell through the open bomb bay door after being hit by gunfire. He fell to his death. Before the German soldiers led us away, I said the 23rd Psalm over Elmer’s body.”

The Germans led my father and the other survivors across the field to a pair of farmhouses about 200 yards away. “We went into a room where there were several other soldiers, but they didn’t seem to notice us. After a few minutes, a soldier came over to me and told me to follow him. He led me into a room where there were two other Germans, one a captain and the other a corporal. The corporal did the talking. I told him my name, rank, and serial number. An aunt of mine had given me a small Bible with the metal shield, which I carried in the breast pocket of my flight suit,” my father recounts. “While I was being interrogated by the corporal, the German captain took the Bible out of my pocket and sat reading it. The corporal wanted to know if I spoke French. I said,’No, only English.’ The German smirked, ‘You are an officer in the American army, and you can only speak one language? I am a corporal in the German army and can speak five languages fluently. What do American schools teach?’” My father responded with his name, rank, and serial number, to which the corporal said, “We have ways of making people talk.” The Bible was placed back in Dad’s pocket by the captain, who looked at my father and said, “Lieutenant, he is not going to harm you.” A third soldier then led my dad to a room filled with dozens of wounded Nazis where a German medic treated my father’s wounds. The medic told Dad that if captured by the Allies, he wanted to be sent to the United States.




The charred fuselage of Reynolds’ B-24 after it was shot down by Germans on March 24, 1945. (click for larger version)

Other Germans were rushing about, operating radio equipment; one soldier was pedaling a stationary bicycle attached to a generator that provided electricity. German soldiers began to burn military papers in a large metal barrel. A Nazi commander who my father thought was addressed by soldiers as “General” told him and Hummel that the Germans were leaving. He asked my father to tell the Americans that the crew had been treated well and requested that they reciprocate by telling their superiors to care for the German wounded that were being left behind in the farmhouse.

Soon American voices were heard, and Dad shouted, “There are G.I.’s in here!” Laughing, he explains, “I had seen too many movies where they threw a hand grenade into the room before checking it out.” The surviving crew members spent that night in a foxhole near the Rhine River. “I was about to freeze,” says my father. “A medic pulled out a quart of whiskey and told me to take a big drink. Since I’m not a drinking man, the drink took my breath away, and I started to cough. He covered my mouth with his hand so any Germans in the area could not hear us. We got no sleep that night.” Dad later discovered that his buddies back at the air base in England had given him up for dead and drank a few rounds in his memory, which they charged to him. He later refused to pay for the drinks.

True to the silent creed that most World War II veterans adopt, Dad rarely speaks of his war experiences. For years, his Purple Heart was kept in his top dresser drawer next to his socks, T-shirts, the family pistol, and his metal military Bible. As a child, I would sneak into my parents’ bedroom when they weren’t around and gaze at his medals. As my father grew older, he began to open up about “the B-24 crash.”




To drop supplies to the 513th Paratrooper Division of the Ninth Army, which was pushing east toward Berlin in the spring of 1945, the 392nd Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force flew from headquarters near Kings Lynn north of London, to Wesel, Germany, on the bank of the Rhine. (click for larger version)

Several years ago, a Liberator came to the Tuscaloosa airport, and I toured the plane with my father. He told the story of being shot down, pointing out where each of the crew had been stationed and how they had crawled from the wreckage. He showed me where Elmer Milchak had been killed. As he recalled telling pilot Jack Hummel to put away the pistol, he grinned and explained Hummel’s motivation for wanting to engage the Germans in a shoot-out: “Jack was from Texas.” &

City Hall — Liquor Store Blues

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2003-09-25 City Hall

City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

Liquor Store Blues

“We don’t want that mess in our neighborhood!” exclaimed west Birmingham resident Geraldine Jackson during a heated discussion at the September 16 city council meeting. She was referring to the request for a license from a liquor store opening near Elmwood Cemetery. Jackson joined Titusville community residents and Councilor Carole Smitherman in bitter opposition to On the Way Spirits opening at a new development currently under construction at Sixth Avenue Southwest and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The building will house a service station and adjoining convenience store in addition to the package store. Complaining about present traffic congestion, Jackson told councilors that recently she was stopped in traffic for 45 minutes, while two funerals simultaneously entered Elmwood. Allowing a liquor store to move into the area would only complicate traffic, said Jackson, who was also irate that city councilors would try to exert their will into neighborhood matters concerning the sale of alcohol: “People that live in the community have a say-so as to what they want to do in their neighborhoods . . . you [the council] don’t live in these neighborhoods!” At a recent neighborhood meeting, of the 35 people in attendance, 19 voted against the liquor store, with 16 in favor.But what wasn’t stated until near the end of the debate was that the same neighborhood group that opposed the liquor store had voted earlier in the year in favor of a beer and wine license for the convenience store. The city council approved the convenience store’s beer and wine license on March 25. The approved applicant, however, has since decided against moving into the convenience store space.

Also, City Traffic Engineering Chief John Garrett said that the new development will increase traffic by “less than one half of one percent,” and the service station “will drive the majority of the traffic flow that will be in and out of this site.” Garrett added that 22,000 vehicles presently traverse MLK Boulevard per day, while 19,000 use Sixth Avenue Southwest.

Noting that the Titusville Community is one of the oldest in Birmingham, Councilor Carole Smitherman was not happy at the prospect of another liquor store moving into her district: “There was a monument company there before [at the service station location], which was very compatible to Elmwood Cemetery. A lounge where you sell liquor, beer, and wine is not the image that we want in Titusville. We don’t want people coming into our neighborhood and going into Elmwood and then seeing some people coming out with brown packages of liquor tied at the top. That’s just not what we want. The churches oppose it, the residents oppose it. We find it to be a nuisance.” Smitherman acknowledged the need for revenue. “We need the business, we truly do, but we also need to preserve our neighbor-hoods to the best character that we can.” Smitherman said that there is already another gas station two blocks away, so the new one across from Elmwood will only complicate traffic, forcing customers to use neighborhood streets to avoid turning left off MLK Boulevard.

Councilor Bert Miller, who in the past has vehemently objected to the easy accessibility to alcohol in communities, was more diplomatic: “We live in a land of opportunity. This young businessman [Reginald Bryant, owner of On the Way Spirits] saw an opportunity to put a business here.” Miller asked Bryant if he’d consider placing “a sporting goods store or tutoring center” for neighborhood children in the space instead of a liquor store. Bryant said that he hoped to do something like that later, adding, “I wanna build houses, low income houses, apartment buildings . . . but I’ve got to start somewhere, and this is where I chose to start.”

Before the Council finally voted in favor of granting the liquor license, however, Smitherman, an attorney and former municipal and circuit court judge, expressed shock that City Attorney Tamara Johnson had advised the city council on what criteria can be used to deny a liquor license. According to Johnson, the three reasons for denial are: if the business creates a nuisance, if it’s detrimental to adjacent neighborhoods, or if it’s a violation of zoning rules and regulations. “This is the first time I have heard the city attorney comment on discussions by the council. I’m surprised by that,” said Smitherman. Johnson, who has advised the council on several occasions during meetings, replied in no uncertain terms, “My job is to follow the law and to advise you on the law. You, of course, as the client, can choose to do whatever you wish. But in my opinion, I don’t think you have enough to rise to the level of denying this application. I just wanted to make myself very clear on this.”

The Set List — Winter Jam w/Newsong/Audio Adrenaline/Relient K

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2004-02-26 Music

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By J.R. Taylor, Ed Reynolds

Winter Jam w/Newsong/Audio Adrenaline/Relient K

Mel Gibson stole their act! Actually, this lineup of Christian rockers—who seem to visit Birmingham as often as the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Unit—swiped their act from many others. Newsong has a mighty backbeat worthy of Up With People!, and provide an alternative for Justin Timberlake fans who think he’s gotten too surly. Worldwide is a major breakthough for Audio Adrenaline, though, as half the tracks embrace a frantic sound worthy of the Foo Fighters. That beats how they use to be the quirky Pearl Jam. Relient K is also on a roll with Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right . . . But Three Do. It’s Blink-182, of course, but nobody said thou shalt not be derivative of really fun acts. (Thursday, February 26, at Boutwell Auditorium.) —J.R. Taylor Sweet Honey in the Rock
You can tell they’re legends because they’re playing a venue bigger than the Hoover Library. Bernie Johnson Reagon still leads her earthy version of the New Christy Minstrels after 30 years, and Women Come Together is a typically fine a capella display. The political message is pretty laughable, though. “Give the People Their Right to Vote” laments the plight of the Washington, D.C., populace. Sorry, D.C., but you’ll have to come back after Reagon can explain Marion Barry. The title track also bemoans violence without suggesting that women come together at a gun show and learn how to use a firearm. They have a fashion sense worthy of Dean Martin’s Golddiggers, though. (Friday, February 27, Jemison Concert Hall, Alys Stephens Center, 8 p.m. $22-$42.)—J.R.T.



	Robert Moore (click for larger version)

Robert Moore
Local trumpeter/vocalist Robert Moore projects a working-class persona as part of his unpretentious allure as a jazz stylist. Moore’s reputation as a charismatic jazz crooner has been built on his boundary-crossing tastes. It’s not uncommon to hear Moore perform jazz interpretations of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.” He’ll be performing with keyboardist Anthony Williams at Vestavia’s Moonlight Music Café, where, says Moore, “It’s so quiet ‘you can hear a rat pissin’ on cotton,’ to quote Ella Fitzgerald.’” He readily admits that working with only one other player is among the more rewarding approaches to milking a song for all it’s worth. “It’s much more intimate as a duo,” says Moore. “There’s much more space for interplay between myself and the accompanist. There’s more focus on the intimacy of the song.” (Saturday, February 28, Moonlight Music Café, $8.) —Ed Reynolds



	Jonny Lang (click for larger version)

Jonny Lang
Well, he’ll always be younger than Jennifer Love Hewitt. This former teen idol of the rockin’ blues crowd is now an industry veteran, and Long Time Coming is the inevitable big sell-out album. All the songs are tempered with glossy studio touches that rely on R&B roots. But you know, the same could be said of John Hiatt’s Warming Up to the Ice Age, and that was Hiatt’s last great album. Of course, Hiatt knew better than to cover Stevie Wonder. Long Time Coming still sounds a lot more like a beginning than an ending. Jonny’s also smart enough to cover his ass with the stripped-down title track. If this one bombs, he’ll just go acoustic. (Saturday, February 28, at the Alabama Theatre, 8 p.m. $38.50, R.S.)—J.R.T.

Guster
It’s not just boy bands who thrive on street teams. Guster has slowly become a best-selling act by cultivating their dedicated fans. Of course, they’re stuck playing smaller venues outside of major cities, but that’ll just make the street teams envious that you get an intimate setting for their sincere and tuneful folk-rock. In fact, they’re so sincere and tuneful that Keep It Together is completely forgettable. It’s perfect for the fans, though, including the song “Amsterdam.” They probably flipped a coin over whether or not to go with “Prague” instead. (Wednesday, March 3, at WorkPlay, 8 p.m. $15; sold out.)—J.R.T.

Don McLean
It was a stellar 2003 for Don McLean, with American Pie reissued in slim packaging that suited the album’s true status as a double A-side single (“Vincent,” remember?). George Michael also covered Pie‘s “The Grave” as a protest against the Iraq invasion. If he’d been anti-Saddam, of course, the song would have to be retitled “The Graves.” Anyway, McLean has earned his reputation as one of the most unpleasant people in the recording industry. He’s also turned his three-hit wonderdom (“Crying,” remember?) into a bizarre one-man show that’s truly epic and entertaining. He’ll also remind you that Tapestry was a pretty good album. (No, not Carole King’s Tapestry. His Tapestry, remember?) (Saturday, March 6, at The Ritz, Talledega, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. $24.)—J.R.T.



Larry Gatlin (center) and the Gatlin Brothers

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
In the battle for ’70s suckiness, the two major contenders were Dave and Sugar and Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers (“All the Gold in California”). In fact, the Gatlins are very important to our country music heritage because they give alt-country fans a factual basis for bitching about how Nashville sucks. The Gatlins certainly respect country music more than your average fan of The Eagles or Dixie Chicks, but there’s no denying that they recorded many of the worst songs of the genre. The punch line is that Gatlin and his brothers actually began as a pop alternative to the Countrypolitan sound. They still know their gospel harmonizing, though. Also, they all know Frank Gifford. (Saturday, March 6, at the BJCC Concert Hall, 8 p.m. $30-$65.)—J.R.T.



Southern Culture on the Skids (click for larger version)

Southern Culture on the Skids
It’s taken two decades, but SCOTS have finally returned to the sound that once made them the Southern-fried Cramps. Mojo Box still has vocals, but the trio is comfortably finished with their major-label aspirations. They’re not bidding for the festival circuit, either. Instead, SCOTS is catching up on a wide range of influences that they neglected during the ’90s. The subject matter is still straight from the journals of a Chapel Hill freshman who just discovered life outside the suburbs. The mix of surf, soul, and rockabilly, however, sounds like a veteran band that’s mastered the art of keeping things tight and trashy. (Tuesday, March 9, at Zydeco, 9 p.m. $10-$12. 18+)—J.R.T. &

More Delays on Animal Control

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2004-07-01 News

More Delays on Animal Control

Continuing differences between the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County stall the renewal of an Animal Control contract.

By Ed Reynolds

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July 01, 2004

The ongoing debate between the city of Birmingham and Jefferson County regarding the contract with BJC Animal Control is well into its sixth month. In January of this year, the County drew up a request for proposal [RFP] for prospective vendors to bid on animal control services. Both the City and an advisory board created by the County disagreed with some aspects of the RFP, and some changes were eventually implemented. The contract was awarded to Steve Smith of BJC Animal Control, the low bidder at $1.052 million. Dan Bugg of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who was recommended by the County Commission’s Animal Control Advisory Board, bid $1.6 million. The City, however, has not been satisfied with terms of the contract, which it finally received May 24, one week prior to the County’s deadline for the City to decide if it would join with the County or seek animal control services independently. Steve Smith has been the County’s and the City’s animal control vendor since 1997.

The standoff has all the drama of high-stakes poker. Birmingham pays 65 percent of the joint animal control expenses. Without the City on board, the County’s contribution to animal control jumps from $327,000 to $635,000. So, it’s no surprise that the County is interested in having the City involved, though it makes no sense why animal control services will suddenly cost the County twice as much for the same service it has received in the past.

The County extended the deadline to June 22, as city officials still were not completely satisfied with the contract. A June 22 memo from County Attorney Andy Strickland to the City stated that the County was unsuccessful in contacting the City on the morning of the 22nd for its decision, so the deadline was extended to June 29. In the memo, the County continued to disagree with a contract stipulation which would allow the City to terminate the contract with 30 days notice. Instead, the City, which pays the lion’s share of the contract, can only terminate the contract jointly with the County on 90 days notice. A June 23 memo from City Attorney Tamara Johnson to Mayor Bernard Kincaid and the Birmingham City Council indicated that the City was still “not in total agreement with the terms of the proposed contract with Steve Smith.”

Mayor Bernard Kincaid, among other city officials, has expressed concern that the contract was written to benefit Steve Smith. It has long been insinuated by local animal advocates and some city councilors that the relationship between Smith and the County Commission is a close one. So it comes as no surprise that some city officials are curious that in his June 22 memo to the City, Strickland refers to Smith as “Steve.” Regarding the right of the City to end the contract, Strickland wrote: “Steve objects to the County or City being able to independently terminate the contract.”

Regarding compliance, the contract states, “Contractor agrees to inspections by the County, or its designee, or the City, or its designee, during the year for the purposes of determining whether the Contractor is in compliance with the Contract.” According to the County Attorney, Smith objects to this compliance clause. Strickland stated in his memo: “It appears to vest the County and/or the City’s ‘designee’ with authority to determine whether the Contractor is in compliance with the Contract. Steve welcomes reasonable inspections but would like some comfort level that the inspectors will have some qualifications for the job and be unbiased.”

Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott is flabbergasted at the weight given to Smith’s input: “It’s interesting to me that the people at the County have repeatedly denied that they have a special relationship with BJC Animal Control in the form of Steve Smith. This pretty much backs it up,” said Abbott. “They just say, ‘It’s acceptable to Steve and the County.’ . . . It really does amaze me. There was this great wave of denial from the County that they were involved in any kind of special relationship. But it looks pretty obvious to me that somebody has a special relationship . . . It’s like Steve’s running the show.”

Writer’s note: Mayor Kincaid’s Advisory Committee on Animal Control met on June 28, and decided to agree to the contract if the County would allow the City to opt out of the contract independently upon 90 days written notice. As of press time, the County had not responded.

City Hall

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2004-06-17 City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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June 17, 2004

On May 24 the Jefferson County Commission sent the City of Birmingham a revised draft of the proposed animal control contract with BJC Animal Control, which was awarded the bid for animal control services in April. A memo from assistant City attorney Pat Burns expressed concern that there is no provision for how fees collected by BJC Animal Control are to be used. A second memo from Kevin Owens, administrative assistant to the mayor, pointed to the omission of audit requirements of BJC Animal Control. Lack of accountability has been one of the main complaints regarding the vendor for the seven years he has held the contract. Another grievance from the mayor’s office is the requirement that the City pay the contractor directly rather than through the County. The memo recommends that the City hold a separate contract with BJC Animal Control if payments are paid directly to the vendor.

During a June 8 interview, Mayor Bernard Kincaid said he had forwarded the revised draft of the new contract, along with the law department’s recommendations, to the Birmingham City Council. Kincaid said his next move would be to convene the task force that was earlier created to review whether the City should weigh options to break away from the County for animal control services. The task force includes Kincaid, Council President Lee Loder, Councilor Valerie Abbott, and Councilor Joel Montgomery.

Due to the lack of accountability on the part of Birmingham/Jefferson County Animal Control, Mayor Kincaid believes, “We don’t get a very good return on our investment.”

When asked about a possible recommendation to sign off on the contract with the County, Kincaid responded: “I’m not sure at this point. Quite frankly, I would rather not have a 27th department. We have 26 in the City [currently]. I would much rather our being able to work out an arrangement with the County. But it has to inure to the benefit of the citizens of Birmingham. I say unabashedly that I don’t think the arrangement that we have currently— and if that paradigm were followed in the future—it does not serve the citizens of Birmingham well. We are putting $55,000 plus a month into this project, which means we’re putting in more than $660,000 [yearly]. It’s my understanding that surrounding municipalities can purchase animal control services for $75 an hour . . . I don’t feel the City’s citizens are getting their money’s worth. That’s just being candid. But I think the telling statistic is when you examine how much the proposed vendor charges the County and City collectively, and how much that vendor will charge the County individually, it shows you that we are paying the freight on that, and I just don’t think we’re getting our money’s worth. That’s just for the catching of the animals. There are elements such as adoption programs. What about spay and neutering? What about public education? I feel strongly that the funds that we’re paying should cover that. We don’t get, in my opinion, a very good return on our investment.”

City and County at Odds on Animal Control

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2004-03-25 News

City and County at Odds on Animal Control

By Ed Reynolds

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Two years ago, the National Animal Control Association (NACA) reviewed Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control (BJC Animal Control). The NACA evaluation determined that there was no independent auditing of BJC Animal Control; some impounded animals lacked medical attention; a surprisingly large number of animals were left dead in their cages at the impoundment facility; dogs and puppies remained in their cages during cleaning (which included spraying the area with bleach and chemicals); there was “very poor” sanitation of feline living quarters; and some animals were euthanized with intercardiac injections (directly into the heart) without being sedated first. NACA also discovered that euthanasia had been conducted in the holding area in the presence of other animals (and in view of visitors to the facility on at least one occasion). BJC Animal Control had also failed to verify that euthanized animals were actually dead. According to BJC Animal Control Director Steve Smith, management addressed each problem and implemented new procedures.

The Birmingham/Jefferson County animal control contract, which has been held by Smith since 1997, expired September 2002, and has been extended since then on a temporary basis while several versions of the Request For Proposal (RFP), which details qualifications for bidders, have been considered. The city of Birmingham, which is responsible for nearly three-quarters of the funding, and Jefferson County, which oversees the contract, have been in disagreement over contract details. The Jefferson County Commission sent out updated RFP versions for prospective bidders on March 12.

Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott, who presented a resolution approved by the City Council in July 2003 that sought to include council input in the selection and approval process for the animal control provider, expressed frustration that the council was not included when the RFP was initially drafted, especially because Birmingham currently has the major financial stake in the animal control contract. BJC Animal Control budget projections for Fiscal Year 2003 (based on 2001 and 2002 budget reports) stated that Birmingham paid approximately $733,000 for animal control services, while Jefferson County paid $327,000.

Though some City Council recommendations were eventually included, Abbott remained disturbed by “the very, very short time frame [four-weeks] currently in place for prospective bidders to bid on the animal control contract.” The councilor explained, “That’s still insufficient time for people to put together proposals, get copies of all the applicable state, county, and local laws that apply . . . Normally you would allow months, not weeks, for someone to put together a proposal.” [The RFP had been listed on the Jefferson County Commission's web site for eight weeks prior to being sent out to prospective bidders.] Abbott also complained that a sufficient audit has not been performed on BJC Animal Control. “We’ve never had a central audit. We’ve asked for one, and what we got was a budget,” she said of a March 20, 2003, financial evaluation by Mann, Poarch, Miller, & Key, P.C. “The county somehow thinks that everyone in the city of Birmingham is asleep at the wheel. They sent over this budget and said it was an audit . . . It was totally meaningless,” said Abbott. “We have no way of knowing how much of the money that the current vendor gets is profit, and how much actually goes to providing animal control. [BJC Animal Control is a "for-profit" organization, which is uncommon for an animal control provider, according to the 2001 NACA evaluation.] “The whole idea of doing a new RFP is to get some new proposals. If you’re not going to request proposals from somebody besides the guy you already have, what’s the point? And especially if you’re not going to audit the current vendor to find whether he is being a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars,” the councilor added.

On Sunday, March 14, the Birmingham News reported that the city and county had reached agreement on the bid specifications for the new contract RFP that was sent out March 12. “[That] might be stretching it a little bit,” said Mayor Kincaid of the reported accord between the two entities. Noting that the city had requested that the issuance of bid proposals be delayed, Kincaid added, “It is my personal feeling that we are not getting our money’s worth.” The Mayor would not rule out the possibility that Birmingham may decide to contract animal control without the County Commission’s involvement. Kincaid said that the county should have given the city more input into the contract, considering that the city contributes the majority of the funding. “That has been a sore spot,” said the Mayor. “We might have had a little bit better dialogue.”

Councilor Valerie Abbott was more direct in her criticism of the County Commission’s lack of consideration for the city of Birmingham. “I am just absolutely appalled at the behavior of the people at the county,” said Abbott, who also acknowledged that Birmingham may undertake animal control independent of the county. “We certainly don’t think we’re getting good service now. And with the attitude of the people at the county, there’s not really any incentive for us to continue to partner with them, because I don’t consider them to be very good partners . . . They’re awfully arrogant and high-handed. That just seems to be the way that they do business.” &

Chomping at the Bit

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2004-03-11 News

Chomping at the Bit

Milton McGregor promises to bring horse racing back to Birmingham, but video gambling has to be part of the deal.

By Ed Reynolds

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The electronic marquee in the middle of the blighted infield at the Birmingham Race Course repeatedly flashed an ironic message: Action Capital of the South. Yet the horse track that encircles the smaller greyhound racing oval is almost completely overgrown by weeds. There’s probably more action on Fourth Avenue North in downtown Birmingham, if one knows where to look. But give Alabama gambling magnate Milton McGregor a gold star for persistence. For several years, McGregor has been Indian-wrestling with state legislators in an attempt to get electronic gaming machines into the Birmingham track.

On February 25, McGregor lured the media to his Birmingham Race Course with the return of live horse racing as bait. McGregor hopes that the prestige and allure of horse racing, not to mention his pledge to kick in $35 to $40 million in improvements as a “facelift” for the facility, will knock down the legislative wall between him and video gambling at the track. Live horse racing ended at the Birmingham facility in 1995. Approximately 3,000 video gaming machines, if allowed, are expected to generate up to $3.5 million; money which can ensure that quality horse races (with minimum purses of $80,000 each day) can be staged at the Birmingham track. McGregor’s goal is to have the horses running by the spring of 2005.

Featured at the press conference were video clips of testimonies from people who had won small fortunes on video gambling. An elderly woman appeared on screen, the excitement in her voice impossible to conceal. “One day I had seven jackpots in one day!” she shouted. “Seven jackpots, $33,000!”

McGregor repeatedly stated that the point of the media gathering was to announce plans to return “quality horse racing” to the state, and not to complain about unregulated Native American casinos operating in Alabama without paying state taxes. Nonetheless, during the next 10 minutes McGregor referenced the video gambling operated by the Poarch Creek Indian tribe several times. “I’m not opposed to Native Americans in any shape, form, or fashion. I’m opposed to being treated differently,” he complained. Insisting that he was only advocating the same kind of gaming for his facilities available to the Poarch Creek tribe, McGregor insisted that his focus was to pay his portion. “I’d never be in a position where I wouldn’t pay my fair share of taxes,” he said, adding that “Native Americans have all forms of machine gambling . . . But this is not about gaming, it’s a tax issue.” He insisted that horse racing would have to be “subsidized” with gaming machines—without that there would be no horse racing.

McGregor noted the difficulty in competing with 32 casinos (in Mississippi), four Native American casinos (in Alabama), and the Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia lotteries. The longer he talked, his references to “Native Americans” eventually evolved into intimations to “Indians.” When asked if he’d like to see a referendum on gaming machines, McGregor responded, “I’d prefer no election [referendum] at all. I’d prefer doing what the Indians do now. They didn’t have an election.”

Jockey Shane Sellers, one of the nation’s top riders who currently races out of the Fairgrounds horse track in New Orleans, also addressed the gathering. According to a press kit distributed by Ballard Advertising, whose address is listed on the packet as the same as that of the Birmingham Race Course, Sellers is a “big NASCAR fan and Dale Earnhardt fan” who has released a music CD featuring his composition “Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Earnhardt.” The jockey, who has 13 Kentucky Derby mounts to his credit, told the media throng that “on-track gaming has been the biggest boost to the racing industry” and has allowed jockeys such as himself to return to Louisiana to make their living. Sellers concluded with a glance in McGregor’s direction as he softly said, “God bless you, Mr. McGregor.”

Outside, a dozen or so men who look like they’ve been out of luck for years milled around the gate at the entrance of the race track at 10:30 a.m., waiting for simulcast betting from other horse and dog tracks around the nation to begin. When asked if any in the group were excited about the prospect of live horse racing returning to Alabama, they collectively shrugged their shoulders and returned to studying their racing tip sheets. Maybe this will be the day their $33,000 jackpot comes in. And maybe these guys were the ones who jockey Shane Sellers should have asked God to bless. Because without them, Milton McGregor might not have amassed the fortune with which he has lined his expensive suits. &

Dead Folks 2005, Cinema part 1

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2005-02-24 Features

Dead Folks 2005, Cinema part 1

A look back at the notable names and personalities who called it quits last year.

By David Pelfrey, Ed Reynolds, J.R. Taylor

February 24, 2005

Janet Leigh

The shower scene in Psycho must be one of the top five most recognized moments in cinema history. For the uninitiated, it is certainly one of the most disturbing. Leigh herself was not troubled by the scene during its production, which called for some 50 setups. Yet after seeing the final result on screen, the actress chose never to take a shower again (apparently a bath makes the bather less vulnerable). Leigh (77) had some excellent turns in Orson Welles’ quirky thriller Touch of Evil (another film in which she is menaced in a hotel room) and opposite Frank Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate. Daughter Jamie Lee Curtis enjoyed status as a scream queen during the 1970s and early ’80s, most famously in Halloween, in which Jamie was basically following in Mom’s footsteps. An older generation of film fans remember Janet Leigh as one of the dolls in MGM’s mid-1950s stable of buxom gals, as well as her much publicized marriage to screen idol Tony Curtis. Their short-lived domestic bliss was detailed, ad nauseam, in brilliant Kodachrome for all the screen tabloids. —D.P.




	Janet Leigh (click for larger version)

Carlo DiPalma

There is an immediately recognizable visual style in Woody Allen’s films made after the mid-1980s, most notably in Hannah and Her Sisters, Shadows and Fog, Radio Days, Alice, and Deconstructing Harry. Several characters may be in a living room, a hotel lobby, or on a Manhattan sidewalk while a scene continues with almost imperceptible zooms, few if any edits, cuts, close-ups, or shifts in camera angle. Because Allen is uniquely adept at staging entire scenes for such “master shots,” and because Carlo DiPalma (79) understood how to capture those scenes without rendering dull, static images, DiPalma’s colleagues often referred to him as the “master of the master shot.” The pair collaborated on 12 films, most of which also boast a trademark honeyed glow that DiPalma achieved without filters, making him a master of lighting in the bargain.

The cinematographer acquired these skills during the Italian neo-realist heyday of the 1940s and early 1950s, but refined his craft, to much acclaim, during the 1960s with Michelangelo Antonioni and Bernardo Bertolucci. In fact, DiPalma was behind the camera for Blowup, Antonioni’s stylized, enigmatic mystery that became an internationally recognized symbol of the swinging ’60s. —D.P.

Rodney Dangerfield

“When I started in show business, I played one club that was so far out that my act was reviewed in Field and Stream,” went one Rodney Dangerfield (82) joke about his life without respect. It took him until age 42—his second attempt at making a living as a comic—to parlay his many years of failure into a staple of pop culture. “I get no respect” was a mantra that would be his ticket to stardom. No comic has ever been more successful mining the same concept over and over. With one hand constantly loosening his necktie as if it were a noose, Rodney Dangerfield’s bulging eyes, sweat-drenched face, and natural delivery of one-liners landed him on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” more than 70 times. He starred in the films Caddyshack, Easy Money, and Back to School, among others. In 1995, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected Dangerfield’s application for membership. Outcry from fans forced the Academy to change its mind, but Dangerfield declined the offer. —E.R.

Fay Wray

Fans of Femme Fatale or Fangoria magazine appreciate the type of actress (phenomenal babe) who spends her career in B-to-Z horror films and thrillers, most of which go directly to video or the cable movie channels. Occasionally one of these dolls breaks into the mainstream, but most of them enjoy being almost famous strictly for their killer bodies and their screams. Now that she’s passed on, perhaps Fay Wray (96) will become the patron saint of these gals, considering that she started the whole thing more than 70 years ago.




	Fay Wray (click for larger version)

Yes, that’s Wray, circa 1933, in the hands of a giant gorilla named Kong as he makes his way through Manhattan and up the side of the Empire State building. During the long production of that epic thriller, Wray was loaned out to other studios for such obscure movies as Doctor X, The Vampire Bat, and a mean little action-adventure film with Joel McCrea called The Most Dangerous Game. By the time she was perched with the big guy atop the world’s tallest skyscraper, Wray was known as “the scream queen.” One might argue that she helped make the building famous. Someone thinks so, because the lights on the building were dimmed for 15 minutes last summer to honor Wray’s passing. The actress (actually an extremely fetching brunette in her other roles) maintained a sense of humor about her association with the New York landmark, remarking in 1993, “Every time I’m in New York I say a little prayer when passing the Empire State Building. A good friend of mine died up there.” —D.P.

John Randolph

The balding character actor with a beaming smile and thoughtful eyes seems to have been middle-aged his entire screen career, but that’s because his work was stalled in the 1950s after he was blacklisted. An original member of the Actors Studio, Randolph (88) distinguished himself on stage before making his motion picture debut in 1955 in The Naked City. A decade later John Frankenheimer cast him in the science fiction film Seconds, and Randolph’s career as a character player on television and in motion pictures took off. He was outstanding as Jack Nicholson’s mobster father in Prizzi’s Honor and as the bookstore tycoon in You’ve Got Mail. Randolph also made brief appearances in almost every television series ever made, but he may be remembered for his recurring role as the dad on “Roseanne.” An unrepentant socialist, Randolph was active in leftist causes most of his life, eventually chairing the Council of Soviet-American Friendship, which arguably casts the blacklisting matter in an entirely different light. —D.P.

Russ Meyer




A scene from Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (click for larger version)

Only Western civilization could produce savages like Russ Meyer, who truly understood the course of conflict in the wild. As the world’s greatest director of (human) nature films—including Supervixens and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Meyer (82) spent the ’60s and ’70s making fantastic soap operas in which large-breasted women romance, fornicate, and engage in mortal combat with white-trash men. His instincts as an outdoor filmmaker were guided by far more than inexpensive sets; granted a big Hollywood budget with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Meyer simply had his warring tribes fighting in the arenas of Beverly Hills mansions. Like any auteur towards the end of his career, Meyer recognized the fulfillment of his vision, working towards a complete overview of his lifelong obsession with the female animal: a multimedia project entitled The Breast of Russ Meyer. When you’re the Marlin Perkins of mammaries, being witty is a secondary concern.

And on a personal note: The above was written in the present tense for a 1994 series of trading cards entitled Crackpots & Visionaries. The cartoonist assigned to illustrate the card was a friend of Meyer’s, and was concerned that my bio was disrespectful. He sent it off to Meyer who gave his approval. I met Meyer the next year, and we talked so much about his military years and Alabama—where he kept a fishing cabin—that his films barely got mentioned. A truly great guy, and what a shame to lose him to Alzheimer’s this past year. —J.R.T.

Ron O’Neal

Go and watch Superfly again—it’s pretty impressive how Curtis Mayfield’s score actually says more than any dialogue in the actual movie. Ron O’Neal (66) really saved film in his amazing turn as the titular drug dealer. Too bad that he was facing the same studio system as Pam Grier. There was no place for a black leading man with that kind of charisma, so O’Neal was stuck in the lousy sequel Superfly T.N.T. His complex villainy also couldn’t save The Master Gunfighter, which was heavily hyped as Tom Laughlin’s bid to expand his empire beyond the Billy Jack franchise. O’Neal survived the ’70s, though, and would go on to steal plenty of scenes as a dashing character actor in films such as Red Dawn and The Final Countdown. —J.R.T.

Paul Winfield

As another sign of Hollywood cluelessness in the ’70s, Paul Winfield (62) was regularly cast as a salt-o’-the-earth black man in rural films such as Sounder. In truth, Winfield was more like a black Christopher Walken than a male Cicely Tyson. His rich, fruity voice was put to its best use as the gloating narrator providing sordid details about various nice towns on the A&E Channel’s “City Confidential” crime documentary series. Winfield’s weird presence had also been put to better use in the ’70s with Trouble Man and Conrack, while the ’80s provided him with a turn as a cunning record executive in a Wiseguy story arc. He never quite got the defining role that he deserved, but Winfield made a lot of mediocre films suddenly seem dangerous just by his mere presence. —J.R.T.

Mercedes McCambridge

The old National Lampoon gag went basically like this: how to tell Mercedes McCambridge from Barbara Stanwyck? Barbara carries a whip; Mercedes is named after a car. The joke is a mild allusion to Stanwyck’s rather butch role in the television western series “The Big Valley,” as well as to McCambridge’s minor cult status as, well, a screen dyke. To understand how McCambridge (85) might have established herself as an icon of the celluloid closet, simply witness her roles in Giant and Johnny Guitar. Those turns as the toughest old broads in the west can make Charles Bronson look swishy. If those roles fail to convince, then her leather-clad villainess in Touch of Evil should remove any doubts.

McCambridge was one of the original members of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, justifiably so because the actress was a phenomenal voice talent. She was familiar to listeners tuning into “Inner Sanctum Ford Theater,” “I Love a Mystery,” and other programs from the radio era. Her most unique job in that capacity came many years later when McCambridge provided the voice of demon-possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist. —David Pelfrey

City Hall — Peace in the Valley?

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City Hall

Mayor Bernard Kincaid’s election night win.

By Ed Reynolds

Peace in the Valley?
“How sweet it is!” shouted Mayor Bernard Kincaid, with something less than Jackie Gleason’s enthusiasm, to a cheering throng of supporters after City Councilor Carole Smitherman conceded defeat in her bid to unseat Kincaid in the November 4 mayoral runoff election. Pointing to local businessman and attorney Donald Watkins, who stood out conspicuously in the crowd as he flashed a “V sign” back in the Mayor’s direction, Kincaid admitted that he could not have been competitive without the $150,000 he received from Watkins and former Mayor Richard Arrington’s Voter News Network (VNN) political organization. Kincaid had earlier turned down VNN’s $17,500 offer for the general election, but for the runoff wasted no time snatching up the funds once they reached six figures.The VNN support was just one more fascinating twist in the ongoing dysfunctional soap opera that is Birmingham politics. Arrington was the Mayor’s perceived archenemy four years ago when Kincaid shockingly upset the former mayor’s chosen successor, William Bell. Donald Watkins was no bit player in the Arrington administration, having earned up to $1 million per year as a consulting attorney for the city. The tired cliché of politics creating strange bedfellows was dragged out for one more curtain call.

The scene was not so joyful only a few blocks south at Carole Smitherman’s election gathering. Trailing the incumbent mayor by approximately 3,000 votes over the course of the evening, eventually losing 46 percent to 54 percent, Smitherman finally appeared for her concession speech after supporters had gloomily watched a huge projection screen that was showing “Fear Factor” as vote tallies flashed across the screen. Even more surreal was the presence of former councilor Aldrich Gunn, who looked dapper in white slacks and a floral print shirt as he ruminated in his unique philosophical manner to a reporter who inquired if Gunn will enter politics again. “I’m not trying to get five votes now, all I need is one to make my decisions,” he said with a laugh, noting that he preferred being low-key. When I told him that he probably had a good shot at taking back the seat he lost to Councilor Gwen Sykes, who has been a lightning rod of controversy in recent months, Gunn replied: “I don’t kick a dog when they’re down—and I’m not calling her a dog—but I would never step on nobody when they’re down.” Gunn was not surprised that Kincaid accepted the VNN money. “You have to do what you have to do to win . . . Don’t let nobody tell you who you make a coalition with,” he said. “I think it’s nice and if it’s working, it’s working. And you sit there and don’t want this and don’t want that, sometimes you just have to chew your gum and go on.”

City Councilor Valerie Abbott was asked if mayor-council gridlock would persist with Kincaid’s looming re-election. “Well, I can’t really speak for the rest of the council,” Abbott responded. “I guess I would like to say that I’m optimistic that the Mayor will actually start to work with the council like he said he would in the media a few weeks ago, and that we will start having regular dialogue, regular conversations, that he will stop by to visit us every once in a while and talk about stuff, because it hasn’t been happening so far.” Abbott said she had seen Kincaid on the council side of City Hall twice. “I feel like we (councilors) are a lot more loose than he is about people dropping in. He could walk down our hall and drop into my office anytime . . . and it would be just fine. But if I went over and wandered up and down his hall and tried to drop in on him, I’m not sure that I would be welcome. He has a regular ‘bulldog’ at the door that keeps you from going through without an invitation. So some things are going to have to change.”

Back at Kincaid headquarters, Donald Watkins fielded questions from reporters who approached him one by one. “I think the VNN support allowed us to level the playing field so that it could be a competitive race,” the attorney said with more than a hint of pride when asked about the role his organization played. Watkins added that the only expectation he has of the Mayor is “that he continue to lead in a progressive fashion. If he does that, he’ll be a good person for us to have supported.”

When asked if the council and mayor could set aside their bitter differences, Councilor Carol Reynolds echoed Abbott’s sentiments, though in less skeptical tones. “It’s going to be hard to forgive the past, but I think rather than forgetting it we need to forgive it and move forward.” Reynolds said she has crossed the hall in the past to meet with Kincaid and will encourage him to do the same.

Promising a “spirit of reconciliation and a spirit of coming together,” Kincaid told the assembled crowd that he promised to “get started tomorrow” in reaching out to the city council. In an interview following his acceptance speech, the Mayor revealed his priorities. “First thing is to see if we can redefine our relationship with the council. I’m very concerned about that,” he admitted, adding that he promised to “visit the council side (of City Hall) to find common ground” now that his relationship will not be defined by half of the council seeking his job (four councilors ran for mayor). Indeed, the Mayor made good on his pledge by visiting the “council side” the next day, but reportedly, no councilors could be found. This is not unusual, as council seats are part-time positions, forcing most to hold steady employment in addition to legislative duties. It’s not unusual to find councilors away from their desks on Wednesdays if meetings are not scheduled, so Kincaid’s olive branch gesture seemed empty.

Will the brief honeymoon that followed the “cooperative government” vows Kincaid and the current city council exchanged two years ago finally return? Don’t hold your breath. Kincaid was nowhere to be found at the first council meeting following his re-election. Perhaps something urgent came up, but if such was the case, two of his close aides either weren’t aware or didn’t let on. When asked why Kincaid was absent, Public Information Officer Vivian Gossett said that the Mayor was in town but “had other commitments.” Another mayoral staff member’s (one of Valerie Abbott’s perceived “bulldogs”) explanation of the Mayor’s truancy was even more intriguing. “I don’t know where he is,” the staffer responded. “He’s probably some place chillin’.” &

City Hall — Business as Usual

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2003-10-09 City Hall

Business as Usual

None of the candidates for mayor seem prepared to make needed changes at City Hall

By Ed Reynolds and David Pelfrey

Based on interviews with the leading candidates in the 2003 Birmingham mayoral race, it appears that the candidates have at least two significant traits in common. The first is an almost blind optimism in their own ability, once seated in the mayor’s office, to efficiently work with the city council to resolve most of Birmingham’s key issues. In short, each candidate believes that the simple answer to failing schools, city council gridlock, infrastructure, and a declining residential and business tax base is “leadership.” Specifically, their leadership.

The second trait that these candidates share is far less charming. None of them expressed more than a mild concern about how tax dollars are wasted by the mayor’s office and the city council. In fact, during interviews, we could barely interest them in the topic. The consensus among these candidates is basically that no one at City Hall is really wasting tax dollars, but if they are, the expenditures in question constitute only a small portion of the city budget. As for those instances where waste can’t be rationally denied, certain candidates merely promise that it won’t happen again, at least not on their watch.

That’s not to suggest that these candidates are oblivious to the city’s problem of misdirected funds. It is simply to observe that, for the time being, they are talking and acting as though they might be. Yet for all the campaign rhetoric about improving communication, working together, building a better Birmingham, and providing leadership, the fact remains that the primary task of a city council or mayor is to manage money that does not belong to them. Any secondary tasks for a Birmingham mayor have something to do with the school board, clean water, law enforcement, streets and sewers, trash collection, and business development. The connection between the two sets of duties is clear—one cannot efficiently manage city services if tax dollars are being recklessly spent on non-essential items.

Largely speaking, this election’s frontrunners have made a rather desultory effort at revealing how they might improve the city. The way to make roads better is “to eliminate potholes.” The way to fix the schools is “to improve education.” The way to improve city government is to “establish communication.” Obviously, nothing approaching genius has emerged from campaign ’03. It may be the case this time, as it has been before, that the proper ballot is merely to choose the lesser of two, three, or four evils.

In an attempt to provide some clarity for the voter, we have provided synopses of the leading candidates based on one-on-one interviews as well as the candidates’ campaign literature.

(Candidates listed in alphabetical order)

William Bell
His name definitely has a certain ring to it. It’s an alarming tone that brings to mind Ethics Commission investigations and questionable financial deals at City Hall during Bell’s term as interim mayor. In most cases, such baggage would be a hindrance to a successful campaign, but Bell has a chance to counter that obstacle. His greatest asset may be a constituency unwilling, or unable, to recall the candidate’s colorful past.

Bell was also one of the candidates awarded $17,500 from the Voter News Network (the organization headed by Richard Arrington and Donald Watkins) for his campaign chest, though Bell later declined to accept the money.

Good Idea: For economic development, Bell proposes a land banking program involving the acquisition and renovation of existing buildings. If Bell could combine that approach with a parallel effort to put the right kind of businesses in those revitalized areas, then Birmingham residents might have something to get very excited about.

Bad Idea: Regarding the abysmal quality of city schools, Bell thinks that accountability can be enforced by requiring the Board of Education to submit a public, quarterly progress report to taxpayers. He does not say what would transpire if that report was unsatisfactory. Bell is also apparently unaware that progress reports already exist. They’re called report cards and test scores. We already know how the schools are doing; we’d like to know what someone is going to do about it.

Paul Hollman
Despite offering solutions to city problems that are nothing more than Baptist-preacher rhetoric, Reverend Paul Hollman must be considered one of the top contenders for mayor of Birmingham simply because he’s one of the Big Four (along with Kincaid, Bell, and Loder) to be awarded money from Richard Arrington and Donald Watkins’ Voter News Network organization (Hollman received $10,000). On the plus side, Hollman is not afraid to brazenly speak out against the chip-on-the-shoulder attitudes of fellow black residents in a city where the majority of the population is black.

Good idea: When asked about his candidacy for mayor, Hollman offered the following observation on race in the city: “There’s not going to be another candidate that has the Holy Ghost boldness to tell you what I’m going to tell you. The white community is working on the bruises [inflicted on the black community in the past]. We’ve been bruised historically, but now we’re doing some of the bruising. That’s why a lot of folks don’t want Paul Hollman in this race, and I’m not talking about white folks. Some of my contemporaries don’t want me in the race because I know we’re doing some of the bruising. We can’t blame everything on white folks . . . It ain’t just white folks trying to keep us down, we’ve got some black folks trying to keep us down.”

Bad idea: His “What I Say” campaign slogan is catchy though nonsensical. During Easter he ran an ad in local newspapers depicting Hollman’s image being hatched from a cracking Easter egg announcing: “At Easter, why keep the unborn potential of the City of Birmingham in an egg. It is about the resurrection!”

Bob Jones
A highly successful private attorney who has made a buck or two representing the city’s Finance Department for more than 14 years, Jones articulates a “new vision” for Birmingham, which includes demanding “accountable, responsive, and cost-effective government.” But his eloquent tones and generalizations reveal little more than a generic, cookie-cutter agenda. His primary criticism of current Mayor Bernard Kincaid’s administration is that in the past four years the city has “not gained anything economically, socially, [or] infrastructure-wise . . . . We’ve failed in the line of communication in all aspects of that. And that’s why we haven’t accomplished anything.”

Addressing the bleak test scores posted by Birmingham public schools, Jones recites a familiar mantra that’s become a staple in any election in America: “Dollars are not getting to the classroom.” Jones paints a gloomy portrait of underachieving students. “When you look at statistics that show students coming out of high school that don’t pass the exit exam, most of them can’t read . . . we’ve wasted that child’s life. These are prime candidates for the prison system.”

Good Idea: “I want to make City Hall a family-friendly, business-friendly environment where people come in and they get served with a smile, where you treat the citizens and taxpayers as customers,” says Jones of criticism that City Hall is a difficult place to do business. Citing complaints from contractors, architects, and engineers, he labels the city’s red tape-ensnared permitting process as “awful.”

Bad Idea: Leave the drama to the actors-turned-politicians, Bob. Adopting a tone of despair, Jones disclosed in a recent interview the emotional turmoil he endured while contemplating a run for mayor. Spurred to enter the race by the blight he observed in neighborhoods while driving alone in deep contemplation on New Year’s Day 2003, Jones said in somber tones, “I looked at Birmingham. . . . And tears came to my eyes when I saw the condition this city was in.”

Bernard Kincaid
He’s the incumbent, and as the Mayor himself is fond of observing, there is not one scandal attached to the current administration. His key accomplishment has been putting the city’s finances in good order with reserve funds and the largest bond issue in Birmingham’s history. Kincaid is also regarded as the elected official who weakened Richard Arrington’s grip on the city by ousting interim-Mayor William Bell, who had been selected by the powerful Jefferson County Citizens Coalition to succeed Arrington as mayor. Two years later the Coalition lost control of the city council when the majority voting bloc of Coalition councilors was not re-elected to the council. So Kincaid enjoys, at least residually, the reputation of having once been the new marshal in town. The problem is that he’s not new anymore, and Birmingham residents are eager to see results, such as cleaned up neighborhoods, better schools, an increased police presence, and flood abatement.

Kincaid suffers from an adversarial relationship with the city council. Just who is at fault is a topic for debate, but the smart money wagers that sheer incompetence on the part of a few councilors is to blame. The Mayor characterizes the biggest obstacle in his past term as “the pettiness of city councils [the previous and current].” He simultaneously complains that his efforts to correct the problem brought him more grief: “I was a voice in the wilderness . . . and I got castigated in the media for not being in-sync with this council. I was the one raising all the hell about the way the council was acting. And I got vilified for it, about not being able to work with the council and all that. You know, once bitten, twice shy.”

Although politicians are known to play the sympathy card, it is odd that Kincaid would admit that the media affect how he communicates with the city council. It seems almost . . . petty. One wonders if such shyness and reluctance extend into other areas under the Mayor’s control.

Good Idea: He seems to be emphasizing the nuts-and-bolts aspect of operating a city. According to the Mayor, it’s a new day in Birmingham. Because of the largest bond issue in the city’s history, we have $18 million dollars for storm sewers, and money for street resurfacing, flood abatement and sanitary sewers, economic development, parks and libraries. Regarding the delay of some of these projects, Kincaid says, “This money just went in the bank last December. But now we are ready to move. New ambulances for Fire and Rescue, riding lawn mowers, dump trucks are all on order.”

So, when the Mayor says that it’s a new day, he’s also suggesting that it’s only about 3 a.m., but that we can rest assured that the sun will eventually rise. It’s just going to take a few hours.

Bad Idea: When the subject of wasted tax dollars comes up, specifically concerning the dubious grants to non-profit organizations, the mayor responds, “They represent only a small portion of the city’s budget. Some of the services they provide—but for their providing them—we would have to.”

When it was suggested that an official body that is careless with a few hundred thousand dollars might be even more careless with a few hundred million, the Mayor stated, “That kind of crass statement flies in the face of reality. We have a $286 million budget, 77 percent of which goes to [pay] personnel.”

No one is arguing that charitable organizations such as Meals on Wheels or the Jimmie Hale Mission represent poor stewardship of tax dollars, and it is true that the city has an obligation to provide such services, or assist the providers. But the city is not obligated to conduct seminars for learning about diversity and tolerance. Nor is it required to have awards parties for distinguished citizens, or send hundreds of neighborhood delegates to a convention in Chattanooga. The city is not required to spend a quarter of a million dollars on a so-called “education agenda,” the sole origin of which is the spend-happy imagination of councilor Gwen Sykes. There is a very long list of events, projects, and organizations into which the city does not have to pour tax dollars. We aren’t certain that the Mayor has closely scrutinized such a list, if he has seen one at all.

Of course, the Mayor does not have control over how the city council decides to spend most of that money. He also can’t control the fact that Birmingham is at a disadvantage in attracting businesses because it is surrounded by a majority of municipalities [Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood] that do not have an occupational tax. He can’t be blamed for the fact that two contentious city councils have thwarted his every move. Regarding crime, it turns out that the number of officers on patrol, and their salaries, fall under the purview of the Jefferson County Personnel Board. None of this is the Mayor’s fault. Just ask him, and he’ll tell you.

Lee Loder
It’s taken Birmingham City Council President Lee Loder two years to develop anything remotely resembling leadership when it comes to controlling council meetings. Councilors regularly interrupt Loder to tell him how he should conduct meetings, but he finally snapped several months ago when he ordered a police officer to remove Councilor Roderick Royal if he uttered another word out of order. Loder brags in campaign literature that he “changed procedural rules to make council meetings shorter, more professional, and more efficient.” In other words, meetings now frequently last four hours instead of five.

Good Idea: Implementation of a performance-based management system that would allow Loder, as mayor, to “immediately gauge what it’s costing us to deliver all of the kind of services that we’re delivering and whether they’re being delivered effectively.”

Bad Idea: During our interview, Loder pushed for questions about his 2002 arrest on animal cruelty charges. When asked if it would hurt his chances of becoming mayor, Loder responded, “Well, of course, anything that happens to you will affect you. But Stokely [Loder's pet and subject of the cruelty charges] is doing fine . . . And at all times throughout this process I’ve been willing to do whatever was necessary to remove any question about his health and his care. And that’s what’s important.”

Roderick Royal
Entering his third year on the Birmingham city council, former Fairfield police officer Roderick Royal boasts that he’s perfect for the job of mayor because the city needs a new administrator, and “I’m the only one on the council that’s a career-trained public administrator.” After repeatedly deeming Kincaid as “absolutely no good for the city,” Royal criticizes the Mayor for not being better informed, not being proactive, and failing to use available resources to run City Hall. But his angriest tirade is directed at Kincaid for taking advantage of the city council’s lack of understanding bond issues because the mayor failed to inform them that the council enjoyed the privilege of choosing the categories for bond expenditures. “It’s the way the current mayor has tried to bamboozle when he didn’t have to,” grumbles Royal.

As for Royal’s claim that Kincaid has not been well-informed on issues, well, people in glass houses . . . Roderick Royal is the most experienced public administrator of the 18 mayoral candidates. One would think that, with all his public administration experience (including five years working as an assistant to council president William Bell), Royal should have been the first to recognize that the council can select the categories for bond spending.

Royal has definitely been a valuable asset on the Public Improvement Committee (PIC) during his council term. He is also the only candidate who brings real law enforcement experience to the table when communicating with the police department.

Good Idea: Introduced the “Smooth Ride” street resurfacing program, which Royal defines as the “hallmark” of his campaign. It’s the first massive street resurfacing project in years, according to Royal.

Bad Idea: As mayor, he will forge a “partnership” with interim Birmingham school superintendent Wayman Shiver to raise the school system to a higher level of academic achievement. With a score in the 36th percentile on the SAT in 2003, Birmingham schools ranked among the worst in the state. [The state average is the 51st percentile.] By contrast, Mountain Brook and Vestavia scored 86th and 82nd percentiles, respectively, in the state. Shiver’s interim appointment as school superintendent in May 2002 followed the stormy tenure of Superintendent Johnny Brown. But Shiver still has not been given a job performance review by the Birmingham Board of Education, and some city councilors and community activists say it’s time for Shiver to vacate that position so that a permanent replacement can be found.

Carole Smitherman
Smitherman may be incumbent Kincaid’s most formidable challenger. The District 6 councilor has 20 years of law experience, she’s the first black woman to serve as a circuit court judge in the state, and her husband, State Senator Roger Smitherman, provides name recognition and political connections. She promotes the idea that business is the business of city government, but like so many candidates this year, she seems to have a blind spot for wasted tax dollars. She says that the $250,000 education agenda, for example, was “a waste of money,” but she did not engage in any significant effort to oppose it. [When asked if she voted for the education agenda that was approved by Councilor Gwen Sykes education committee, Smitherman replied, "I think I did. Parts of it."] Also, many voters are just beginning to get curious about the city’s retainer with Smitherman, estimated at $5,000 per month, that was in place during Richard Arrington’s term as mayor. Smitherman was an “on call” consultant to the city’s law department for six years. According to the Birmingham News, she was retained shortly after losing a bid for a Jefferson County circuit court judicial position in 1992. Arrington told the News that he felt some responsibility for her loss because Judge Smitherman had acquitted Arrington’s daughter in a misdemeanor case, and Smitherman’s opponent used this involvement in the case against her.

Good Idea: According to Smitherman, “It’s important that Birmingham’s governmental structure lead the way. No longer can we rely on Operation New Birmingham and MDB [Metropolitan Development Board]—although they do great services for the city in terms of recruitment tools for business. No longer can we turn that strictly over to them. Some of that’s got to be us. We’ve got to have a strategic economic development plan for the city that is posted and planned out by the city.”

Smitherman also strongly advocates making the licensing and permitting process available online. She plans to speed up the implementation of the online service, and to streamline the process overall. “One of the first stops I’ll make when I’m mayor, is in the permitting department . . . there’s a lot of confusion there. Not only contractors, but regular Jane and Joe Doe are having problems just finding out what they need to do to get their permits given to them.”

Bad Idea: When Richard Arrington and Donald Watkins candidly announced that the Voter News Network was making sizeable funds available to candidates of their choosing, Smitherman wrote an open letter to Richard Arrington in rebuke of his attempt to influence the election. She writes: “I was saddened and surprised to read in the Birmingham News that you and Donald Watkins plan to handpick the next mayor of Birmingham. This election should be left to the voters.”

Smitherman accuses the former mayor and his pal of attempting to disenfranchise voters. She also expresses “surprise” that Arrington and Watkins might do such a thing, which suggests either a severe memory disorder or a measureless capacity for denial, neither of which are desired traits in a mayoral candidate.

Smitherman continues: “If you choose to support me independently, I will welcome your counsel and assistance.”

Having established, in writing, her opinion that Arrington is attempting the purchase of an election and the disenfranchisement of voters, Smitherman nonetheless welcomes the former mayor’s “counsel.” She thus offers some insight into her nature: though she feels Arrington may suffer a shortfall where ethics are concerned, he’s a wealth of practical information.

Smitherman ends: “To say that Donald Watkins is going to handpick a candidate and give that candidate $300,000 is to say that Birmingham’s government is for sale . . . Therefore, please remove my name from consideration of support by you and Donald Watkins’ new coalition.”

One wonders if Smitherman did not conclude, sour grapes-wise, that her name had already been removed from the VNN sweepstakes. She was certainly aware that her war chest, replenished through her husband’s political connections, made refusing the money very easy. Either way, we have a grandstander. &