Tag Archives: Birmingham Alabama

Struck by White Lightning

The hard-livin’ world of George Jones



	George Jones’ personal and career escapades are the stuff of countrymusic legend.

The first five times I went to see George Jones, he didn’t bother to show up. In those days, promoters rarely knew in advance where the unreliable Jones might be come showtime, so road trips became crapshoots. Our enthusiastic, traveling fan club frequently placed bets on whether or not Jones would appear. On one evening in 1981, the Jones’ hit “Tonight, I Just Don’t Give a Damn” blasted from the car stereo as we drove to Meridian, Mississippi, to give him another chance. There at the city auditorium a posted sign read “Tonight’s Concert Canceled.” A friend, who at the time managed the Longbranch Saloon in Avondale, later said that Jones and the band stopped in Birmingham for lunch on the way to Meridian that day. When asked to suggest a nearby place to drink, a waitress at a local barbecue joint recommended the Longbranch. By late afternoon, a Jones band member reminded the entourage that they had a show to play three hours away in Mississippi. An intoxicated Jones merely shrugged and laughed, “Well, it looks like we ain’t gonna make it!”

Jones disappeared on us again 20 years ago in Birmingham. Several thousand waited inside Boutwell Auditorium as his band played Jones’ introduction for the fourth time. Disgusted, the guitarist finally gave up and told the throng, “Looks like George ain’t gonna make it tonight.” The singer reportedly was out of his head drunk at a popular Southside pub the entire time.

As early as 1967, Jones’ roller coaster life of unpredictability began to zoom out of control. According to the biography, George Jones: The Saga of an American Singer, during an alcohol-fueled argument, Jones shoved soon-to-be third wife Tammy Wynette down the aisle of their tour bus. The band had to lock Jones in the back of the bus, which was proudly emblazoned “Mr. & Mrs. Country Music,” eventually letting him out to force him onstage. The singer performed one song, then left, leaving Wynette to finish the show alone. Four days later, he resurfaced to tell her their impending wedding was off. The next morning he woke up sober, found Wynette, and whisked her across the Georgia state line for an impromptu civil wedding ceremony in the aptly named town of Ringgold. It was the third marriage for each.

The five-year marriage was not a pretty sight. Notorious for destroying the couple’s home on more than one occasion, Jones frequently smashed television sets, hurled whiskey bottles, and even once fired a shotgun at Wynette as she fled from their house in the middle of the night in her pajamas. Wynette once hid the keys to Jones’ fleet of luxury automobiles to prevent him from riding into town to his favorite bar. He simply hot-wired his riding lawn mower, to which the keys had also been hidden, and made the 10-mile trek anyway.

Jones’ steady diet of booze, cocaine, and amphetamines soon fueled even more notorious behavior. One night in Mississippi, Jones was pulled over for speeding. Arresting officers reportedly scraped a sizeable quantity of cocaine off the floormat of his Lincoln Continental. Less than 24 hours after his release from jail, the singer lost control of the Lincoln and barrel-rolled down the same Mississippi highway. Jones checked into Hillcrest Hospital in Birmingham soon afterward for rest and evaluation.

By 1980, Jones was homeless, living out of his car and seedy motels. He was once discovered by police after having apparently ridden around for days in a Cadillac littered with whiskey bottles, empty sardine cans, and a life-size cardboard figure of Hank Williams, Sr., sitting upright next to him. Jones eventually created a couple of imaginary friends named “Deedoodle the Duck” and “The Old Man,” imitating their voices (which sounded like Donald Duck and Walter Brennan) as he frequently carried on a three-way conversation with himself, often on stage.

In 1981, the entire country finally got to witness what transpires when George Jones descends into hell. Jones had been pulled over by Tennessee patrolmen for erratic driving. Caught on film by a Nashville television station cameraman driving by, an obviously drunken Jones, hair disheveled and eyes bloodshot, screamed and lunged at the camera crew. He was led away in handcuffs as millions looked on.

George Jones scored his first million seller in 1982 with his signature hit, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” It was a song he absolutely loathed. His career appeared to be on the rebound until an appearance with Tammy Wynette on “The Tonight Show.” Jones stopped midway through the couple’s duet of “Two-Story House” to confess to the nationwide audience that he couldn’t remember the lyrics.

After three years of trying, I finally saw George Jones in 1984 in Columbus, Georgia. Though inebriated, Jones’ voice was mesmerizing that night, his silver hair sprayed to immaculate perfection. No singer carries a note like Jones. His voice is devoid of the vibrato embraced by most crooners; listeners are treated instead to a pure nasal tenor that has been long-admired by vocal stylists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Waylon Jennings. (Jennings once told a writer curious about the diverse styles in country music, “Hoss, if we could all sound like who we wanted to, we’d all sound like George Jones.”)

Jones finally addressed his drinking problem, and through the ’90s became as reliable as a Chet Atkins guitar lick. An album of duets recorded in 1992 with a variety of musical heavyweights included rock ‘n’ roll’s poster child for decadence, Keith Richards. According to a Nashville recording engineer, Jones was late to the studio reportedly having driven around the city for hours to avoid the temptations that Richards frequently brought to recording sessions. Jones finally showed up just as Richards was wheeling a fully stocked portable bar into the studio (Jones later assessed Richard’s vocal performance as “so odd it sounded good.”).

Then two years ago he crashed his car into a bridge, blaming the wreck on a cell-phone conversation with his daughter. A half-empty bottle of vodka found beneath the Cadillac’s seat told the truth, however. Rushed to the hospital in critical condition, it was doubtful that Jones would survive this latest episode, as his long-abused liver was severely lacerated as a result of the accident. A couple of weeks later he walked out of the hospital, and was performing again in two months.

A friend’s grandmother once encountered Jones in the hallway of University Hospital’s psychiatric unit. It was in the early 1980s during one of the singer’s extended stays in Birmingham to get his life-long demons under control. The old woman stared and excitedly exclaimed, “You’re George Jones!” Jones slowly nodded his head and quietly replied, “Yes, ma’am, I am. And I’m a sick man.” &

George Jones will perform at Looney’s Tavern Amphitheatre in Double Springs, Alabama, on Saturday, September 1, 8:00 p.m. Lawn seats are available for $17.00. Call 1-800-566-6397 or visit www.bham.net/looneys for further info. Looney’s is located at 22400 Hwy 278 East. Jones is also scheduled to perform in Oneonta on October 27 at a venue yet to be announced. Check www.pollstar.com for further announcements.

Eve of Destruction

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Eve of Destruction

By Ed Reynolds

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	The boys are back in town: The demolition derby returns to Birmingham International Raceway September 3.

Labor Day weekend will feature the glorious return of demolition derby action to Birmingham International Raceway. Grown men will transform junk automobiles into heat-seeking missiles in furious attempts to destroy one another.

Big American cars are the weapons of choice for most demolition derby warriors. Old Cadillacs, Lincoln Continentals, Chrysler Imperials, and Buick Le Sabres that were once driven by grandmothers to the corner market are converted into machines of mass destruction. Cars are frequently customized to match driver agitations: Enlarged photos of ex-wives are a favorite decorative target attached to rear bumpers. (Crashes are administered from the rear to save engines, radiators, etc.)

The front straightaway next to the grandstand at BIR will be drenched in soapy water to add to the challenge. The grand tradition of cheating is admired–just as long as you don’t get caught. To avoid a disabling flat, drivers often secretly fill rear tires with cement (for added weight and traction on the slippery surface), while front tires are injected with styrofoam. Radiators are illegally removed from the engine area, tucked away somewhere in the middle of the automobile for protection. Helmets are required, fire suits suggested, and driving barefoot is discouraged.

Races will be held in the usual Friday night categories for the special Sunday show, which begins at 7 p.m. The demolition derby will be held last. Call 781-2471 for details.

City Hall — August 28, 2001

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By Ed Reynolds

The Birmingham City Council sinks to new depths with an unprecedented round of name-calling and insults. Councilor Jimmy Blake has only a handful of meetings remaining before his eight-year tenure on the council ends, and some council members seem determined to make it an unforgettable time.Veteran activist Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth delivers the morning invocation. Prompted by Cincinnati’s recent racial turmoil, Shuttlesworth is hosting Cincinnati newspaper reporters and photographers doing a story on Birmingham’s Civil Rights legacy. Shuttlesworth notes that he and the reporting crew were denied access to the city jail due to their failure to make prior arrangements. As photos are taken outside the jail, Shuttlesworth laughs at the irony that he could not get into the jail after having spent several nights there decades ago when championing civil rights.

Public Health 101

Mayor Kincaid announces Jefferson County Health Department recommendations for minimizing infection by mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus: removing old tires, cleaning gutters, avoiding outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, and using proper insect repellent. Kincaid says that Jefferson County will distribute mosquito larvae-killing tablets (to be placed in standing water) at area courthouses, but adds that the county “has not turned to spraying as we have in Birmingham,” partly due to the large area involved. Councilor Pat Alexander warns that a dead bird was found in her district over the weekend, and urges all citizens to refrain from touching the bird. Councilor Blake urges daytime spraying; “Controlling mosquito populations is Public Health 101.” Street and Sanitation Department chief Stephen Fancher replies that the spray is not effective in sunlight, according to the pesticide’s label. “Mosquitoes can breed in a paper cup in a ditch,” warns Fancher, stressing that the public must take an active role to combat the summer nemesis. “All you need is a couple of ounces of stagnant water,” says Fancher. Urging the public not to panic, Blake cautions, “[The mosquito population] is a serious vector of infection. It always has been. It’s probably done more to hurt and kill people than anything else in the world.”Petition numbers affirmed

Probate Judge Mike Bolin confirms the number of signatures [10 percent of registered voters] on petitions for an ordinance that would give Birmingham residents a voice in policy concerning solid waste disposal. Bolin says that the initial petition, received on August 15, did not have the sufficient number of signatures. The deficiency was brought to the attention of the petition committee, as required by law. The necessary number of signatures was collected within the next week. The council can vote the ordinance up or down, but if it votes to reject, the ordinance will appear on the October 9 council election ballot.Council peers into the future

Proposed information management consultant services between the city and Advanced Systems Design, Inc., of Tallahassee, Florida, elicit the ire of Councilor Blake, who asks, “Would somebody tell me what we’re gonna get for this $800,000 in consulting?” Mayoral chief of staff Al Herbert, acting director of the Department of Information Management, explains that the service begins with “an assessment or inventory” of needs to move the city ahead in managing information. The city’s original computer system was installed in the early 1970s on a mainframe platform that is “an antiquated method of programming and using for client-servers,” notes Herbert. The money will also provide a “strategic plan” to educate city employees, as well as a “national search” for a director to replace Herbert on a full-time basis.

Blake, acknowledging that the current administration has not been in place for very long, complains about the inability to access information necessary for city decision-making. According to Blake, the city’s “information management has been trying to squirrel the data and make sure that nobody gets any information about anything.” The councilor urges that bids be taken: “For $800,000 we ought to be able to hire a new department.” Herbert informs Blake that a “request for proposal” [RFP] regarding information management was issued in April 2000, with 14 proposals finally narrowed to three.

Councilor Alexander asks if management information is destined to be privatized, which Herbert denies emphatically. Predicting that council meetings will one day be accessible online, Herbert also foresees access to City Hall via “hand-held pocket recorders.” Blake continues to argue against the consultant expense, noting that the computer business is “the most competitive business in the world,” which causes prices to continually plummet. “If we’ve got 60 people in that [information] department [Herbert confirms the number] and they don’t know what our inventory or needs are, what have they been doing?” Councilor Lee Loder interrupts to explain that the employees have been responding to city concerns on a daily basis by “managing the mainframe we have now.” Blake votes against the proposal, which passes, proposing that the item be delayed “till you-know-what freezes over.”

“Adult” cable audit

Councilor Sandra Little continues her weekly challenge against transferring money from “salary surplus” for other city projects. Various city departments will lose a combined $115,000 to the Finance Department’s “Adult” Fees Account in order to fund an audit of the city’s contract with Time Warner Cable. [It's the second week in a row that "adult" has mistakenly appeared in place of the word "audit" on the agenda handout available at each council meeting.] Little supports the cable audit but opposes funding other projects that she feels should not take precedent over problems in her district. Little denounces renovation of City Hall’s cafeteria “when we have a Sneaky Pete’s and a deli across the street!”

Councilor Blake notes with irony that councilors who once endorsed the use of salary surplus dollars for budget shortfalls now protest taking money from salary surplus. Blake does not want to pay “another consultant,” labeling outside hiring as “irrational.” Blake notes, “We’ve got 4,000 plus employees in the city of Birmingham, and I don’t believe we ought to be handing out money to outside people over and over again.” Blake says better television service would be available if Birmingham undertook a bid process for cable service, including more channels being offered “like they do in Montgomery.” Mayor Kincaid responds that the city undertakes a cable franchise audit every three years, with the previous audit uncovering $1.2 million owed the city. The audit is approved after the Mayor requests that “adult” be corrected to read “audit.”

Councilor Aldrich Gunn agrees with Blake that there is a monopoly in Birmingham on cable service. “When you’re competitive, the rates will be lower,” explains Gunn. As he denounces “filth” on television, Gunn condemns the “buck [sic] you!” attitude of cable monopolies.

Blake labels Bell a “fool”

A resolution allowing Council President Bell to enter into an agreement, not to exceed $100,000, with the law firm of Haskell, Slaughter, Young, and Rediker, LLC ignites council tempers. Haskell, Slaughter is representing the council in Mayor Kincaid’s lawsuit seeking to reverse the transfer of assets to the Birmingham Water Works Board. Councilors Loder, Blake, and Johnson oppose the asset transfer, prompting controversy about whether the law firm is representing the entire council’s interests. When Blake asks who is instructing Haskell Slaughter about what action to take, Bell says that he was authorized by the council to do so. The near-weekly feud between Bell and Blake escalates when an irate Bell says debates of attorney fees should include lawyers representing the Mayor. Bell further suggests that discussion should extend to money Blake made off the sale of his house. “No matter how much you talk, it still does not rise to the level of $2.2 million that certain people received for their home after trying to force us to deal with American Water [Blake's choice to privately manage the Water Works],” says Bell, adding that Blake’s house was not worth that much. Bell continues to interrupt Blake, explaining that Blake sold his home so he could move to a house on the Warrior River. When Blake demands that the interruptions cease, Bell says he is treating Blake the way Blake treats others. Blake defends the selling of his home as entirely appropriate, challenging anyone to show that he has benefitted from his eight years on the council, as he claims other councilors have. After several more interruptions by Bell, Blake shouts, “You’re out of order, you fool!” As the two continue to spar verbally about who has the floor, Bell promises to admit that he is indeed out of order if Blake will pledge never to interrupt councilors again. Blake finally smiles and says, “Well, spank your own pee-pee, then!” Giggles circulate through the audience, and the insult is later replayed on the evening news.

September 4, 2001

February referendum expenses again denied

Councilor Bill Johnson remains disturbed that Birmingham citizens are losing rights due to the council’s refusal to pay election expenses of the February referendum vote concerning the fate of Water Works assets. “We work for the citizens, not the other way around. And they have the ultimate veto power over what we do here at the council. And I think not paying for this is a continuous slap in the face to the citizens of this city.” Councilor Little continues to cite advice from council attorneys to refrain from paying for the referendum until litigation is over. “I think it would be very stupid of me not to [follow the council attorneys' advice],” Little surmises. City Attorney Tamara Johnson’s opinion has not changed, explaining that the expenses are required to be paid, according to law. Councilor Blake notes that 85 percent of those who voted in the referendum want the assets transfer to the Water Works Board denied. Blake reminds the council chambers that initiatives and referendum [which generated the referendum action] is the way Bull Connor was removed when Birmingham switched from a commission-style government to the present mayor-council form.

Councilor Gunn says one of the worst things that has ever happened to him was his visit to court [the first in his life, according to Gunn] last week “for disposition [deposition]” regarding the Mayor’s lawsuit to reverse the asset transfer. Gunn mistakenly alludes to Blake’s presence on the Election Commission when the February referendum was approved. He also suggests that Councilor Blake is currently on the Election Commission illegally since Council President Bell has not officially declared himself a candidate. [The Election Commission consists of the mayor, council president, and city attorney.] Blake corrects Gunn, stating that Bell was on the Election Commission when the February referendum was approved. “I don’t think the public properly appreciates the brilliance of Mr. Aldrich Gunn,” says Blake: “Mr. Gunn’s job, which he does brilliantly, is to talk so long and about so many different things, that you forget what we were supposed to be talking about.” Mayor Kincaid corrects Gunn, indicating that Blake’s appointment to the Election Commission is consistent with state law since Bell has said he is a candidate. Bell argues that he has not filed a declaration of candidacy, and denies that he has raised any money [a candidacy is official once $1,000 has been raised]. “I will immediately resign my position on the Election Commission with great glee and enthusiasm for the future of this city,” Blake promises, if Bell agrees to sign an affidavit indicating that he will not be a candidate in the October council election. &

City Hall — July 31, 2001

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City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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July 31, 2001

Airport Authority budget faces more scrutiny before approval

Controversy rages around accusations of “secret” Airport Authority board meetings centering on budgets and future plans of the Birmingham International Airport. Today is the final showdown. Councilor Bill Johnson wants $3 million of the airport’s operating budget profit to be partly designated for noise mitigation and neighborhood improvements. Johnson praises the removal from the capital budget of a $10 million line item for a controversial parallel runway, but asks why the runway remains in the airport master plan.

Airport Authority executive director Al Denson says immediate plans focus on development other than the parallel runway construction, but admits that the new runway, which would wipe out East Lake neighborhoods, is still a long-range consideration. Alternatives to the parallel runway must be examined, urges Johnson, as East Lake Park and 1,100 homes would be leveled in the construction of the runway. Johnson asks that the parallel east-west runway be removed from the master plan, explaining that airport consultants had earlier noted there was plenty of time to study other options. When asked why the air carrier apron [the area around the terminal where planes are parked] rehabilitation jumped $5 million while the proposed extension of Runway 24 skyrocketed $13 millon in two months, Denson explains that earlier cost estimates for the air carrier apron increased after bids were received. As for extension of Runway 24, early figures were “very, very preliminary numbers” that have since been updated, according to Denson. Johnson is concerned at the high percentage of cost underestimates by consultants. “I know y’all know what the land looks like,” notes Johnson, still baffled by the cost surge. “But we’re just basically talking about pouring concrete [in] some places.” The councilor asks that further budgets include line items addressing what the airport will do to abate noise problems.

Councilor Lee Wendell Loder requests that the council be allowed to monitor any future talk of the parallel runway since the council approves airport budgets anyway. Loder asks what to expect if air traffic capacity is reached without additional runway space. Denson says that options must always be available, then offers this contradictory statement: “I would hope that we start putting more emphasis over the next 10 years on projects that can truly be a major benefit to this city rather than bargain and put a lot of synergies and energies into something that’s 10 or 20 years out.”

Gunn flip flops as he skips across East Lake Park

Insisting that his initial concern was the well-being of East Lake residents, Councilor Aldrich Gunn says that he never intended to “tear up the Airport Authority’s program for expansion.” Gunn applauds the Authority for its cooperation, noting, “I think you met me more than halfway.” The senior councilor’s recent enlightenment on the airport’s future came to him on a trek north to study Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. “I saw a presentation that gave me a whole, complete, new revelation about what we are doing,” reveals Gunn. The councilor suddenly focuses his attention on photos of past city leaders covering the back wall of the council chambers as he searches for the perfect metaphor. “If I’m looking at those pictures on that wall, and my vision stops at those pictures, I’ve missed the purpose of the airport,” Gunn philosophizes. The councilor explains that one day flights from Birmingham to Tokyo will take no longer than flights from Birmingham to Los Angeles. “We can not wait until that technology is here to start planning for it,” he warns, adding that adequate runways will be needed to land aircraft of the future. Gunn says that what finally changed his mind on airport expansion was the need for nonstop flights from Germany to Birmingham because of the Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa. “Now I have a broader horizon of what is happening,” Gunn concludes.

Councilor Sandra Little says her main concern in the airport hoopla is the neighborhoods. “You all have degrees in aviation, so I look for your recommendations,” Little says admiringly as she addresses Al Denson. “You have people that do studies, and you pay a large amount of dollars for these studies.”

Expressing confusion about “how the Airport Authority does business,” Councilor Jimmy Blake pursues ongoing concern that budget changes were made in secret. Denson can not give Blake the dates of public meetings where budget increases were discussed, but insists that he acted promptly and responsibly in reporting escalating costs to the Airport Authority board. Blake continues to call the Authority’s action illegal, referring to the budget as an “abortion of the law.” The councilor is alarmed that “quasi-governmental bodies too often feel like their job is to scam the public.” Blake says that anyone who understands the Authority’s intent on the controversial parallel runway is “a mind-reader.” Blake condemns the Authority and those on the council who are ready to “rubber-stamp” the airport budget, chiding them for not holding proper public debate and therefore rendering the public “irrelevant.” He accuses the Airport Authority of keeping runway plans secret in order to drive down property values so that the properties could be later purchased at depreciated prices. The “ambiguity” of the plans is just like putting guns to the heads of residents, says Blake as he explains that selling homes is impossible when no one knows the fate of neighborhoods threatened by possible expansion. “Look, I’m not going to be here after October, thank goodness,” notes Blake angrily. “But folks, this is what [kind of] leadership the city of Birmingham has. A council, an airport authority, a school board . . . every organization thinks that the public should not know what they’re doing. And that’s going on daily!” Councilor Pat Alexander, who serves on the Airport Authority board, refuses Blake’s request that neighborhood residents be allowed to speak, noting that this is not a public hearing. The Airport Authority budget is approved over objections from Loder, Blake, and Johnson. Councilor Don MacDermott is absent.

August 7, 2001

Racial stereotypes

The city’s Park and Recreation swim team, made up of swim teams from across the city, is recognized for medals won in recent competition. Council President William Bell calls the team’s success a “miracle” considering the lack of swim training available to inner-city children. Team officials praise the swimmers for “competing effectively against over-the-mountain teams.” Mildred Kidd, team statistician, says it’s time swimmers got the recognition basketball players get. Kidd praises the children for medals won competing against year-round programs with indoor pools. “Everybody knows we exist. We don’t come in last in anything,” Kidd notes proudly. “A lot of people don’t know that black children swim. I’m gonna go ahead and be honest about it.” [For the record, the team includes a few white children.] Bell presents a check to the program so that the swimming coach can secure adequate instructional training to properly prepare the team for next season. “Come on up here, Ms. Kidd. You weren’t shy in my office when you were asking [for financial help],” laughs Bell as he hands her the money.

The other Birmingham

Councilor Don MacDermott salutes a pair of British business students from Birmingham, England, visiting the city to research a retail business project they’re studying back home. The Summitt, of course, was included on the research spree, as was the Galleria and Bruno’s food stores, which one of the pair calls a “forward-thinking supermarket.” The council is amused by the students’ enunciation of the word “Birmingham.” The Brits note their surprise at the city’s warmth considering that their New York hosts warned them about the dangers of the South. The welcome mat rolled out by the city upon the students’ arrival at the bus station across the street from City Hall was greatly appreciated after their 22-hour bus ride, the students note. They are presented with keys to the city.

God’s Gangster rides again

“The Frank Matthews Show,” the city’s latest summer political charade, fizzles and pops dramatically as the controversial Matthews, a Birmingham radio personality, reels off a list of perceived local enemies at meeting’s end. Presented as a pit bull prelude to October council elections purportedly in an effort to gain support for Jefferson County Citizens Coalition candidates [including his own possible bid for Bill Johnson's seat], Matthews has created furor with recent newspaper and radio ads bearing his name that lash out at the Cahaba River Society. Known as “God’s Gangster,” Matthews, who has personally asked that he be quoted in this space because of “all that stuff I say” when addressing the council at the end of each meeting, attacks those who question his methods and motivations. Matthews defends the validity of his urban projects, some of which have been approved to receive city funds. The community and political rabble rouser berates Mayor Kincaid for comments made on local talk radio, accusing Kincaid of spending too much time running for selective offices. “I am highly offended!” thunders Matthews, addressing councilors who question the validity of his allegedly offering GED programs through his crusade to aid inner-city youth. “When I did take the GED program, I took it in Colorado, and I made one of the highest scores of anybody who ever took the test in Colorado!” Matthews also notes that he graduated from a ministerial school in San Diego. “I’ve read the Oxford Dictionary, numerous encyclopedias, New American Standard dictionaries, and I can word-play just like our illustrious ‘wanna-be.’” He does not clarify who he is referring to as a “wanna-be.” Matthews takes issue with suggestions by some councilors that he was using city money to finance recent anti-Cahaba River Society ads, and denies that he is the pawn for political shenanigans, as suggested in this publication’s previous issue. “[Black & White] is used for outhouse toilet paper,” bellows Matthews angrily. “They got my name all in it! It could be used for the wall dressing for an outhouse. That’s the appropriate place for the Black & White !” &

Apocalypse Now

Jaws dropped and heads shook in disbelief as a helicopter carrying District Two City Council candidate Frank Matthews descended to a crowd of approximately 150. Sunday, August 12 was the official kick-off of Matthews’ campaign at his Oporto-Madrid headquarters in East Lake, and the candidate known
as “God’s Gangster” made an entrance few will forget.

The event was a thinly-disguised Jefferson County Citizens Coalition rally, with former Mayor Richard Arrington and councilors Sandra Faye Little, Aldrich Gunn, Leroy Bandy, and Pat Alexander basking in the political glow. Little praised Matthews for “continuously putting his life on the line,” while Arrington bemoaned the poor leadership that has “everything bogged down at city hall.” Teenaged campaign workers circulated through the audience soliciting donations as the faithful dined on ribs, chicken, and watermelon.

Candidate Matthews finally emerged, shouting “Que pasa, amigos!” Behind him two youths held aloft a huge sign laminated with newspaper headlines touting Matthews’ community activism. A Spanish interpreter to his left tried in vain to keep up with Matthews’ evangelical fervor.

“I like being in the air. That way I’m closer to God!” Matthews bragged about his entrance to shouts of “Amen!” from the crowd, half its original size now that food had been eaten. Over the next 20 minutes Matthews praised the Jefferson County Citizens Coalition for “electing more officials in Alabama than
any other organization,” pledged to “take the door off the hinges” in his council office at city hall if elected, and promised a designer clothing outlet in District Two so “you ladies won’t have to go to Cullman and Boaz!”

As a dilapidated wagon harnessed to a Clydesdale waited to whisk Matthews from the rally, the candidate shook hands with rabid supporters, whose numbers had dwindled to less than 50. A zealous devotee who had commandeered the microphone shouted, “People say Frank Matthews is crazy! Frank, if you’re crazy, stay crazy!”

Art in the Park

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Art in the Park

By Ed Reynolds

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May 24, 2001

It sounds pretty fancy for Caldwell Park, but on Friday, June 1, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra premiers Sounds for the Summer: The Highland Avenue Series. Featured with the symphony will be Art Garfunkel, the most famous “counter-tenor” in the world. Garfunkel’s memorable style of singing counter-melody to one-time partner Paul Simon’s gorgeous melodies defined the duo’s phenomenal contributions to 1960s radio.

Art Garfunkel’s original stage name was Tom Graph, the “Tom” being one half of the “Tom and Jerry” cartoon moniker he and Simon first adapted. Garfunkel was a dedicated mathematics teacher when he launched his musical career, so the “Graph” bit was a nod to arithmetic.

Garfunkel has been cursed by a lifetime of acute stage fright, and the June 1 performance will be a rare opportunity to hear him with an orchestra. So intense is the fear of performing, the singer often refers to his onstage style as “quivery.” He readily admits that Paul Simon had a “feel for the stage, while I had more of a feel for the notes themselves.”

The show begins at 8 p.m., with the park opening at 6 p.m. Pre-concert entertainment will be provided by a DJ spinning ’60s hits while conducting trivia contests and passing out prizes. Garfunkel will be the first of eight June performers scheduled for Caldwell Park, including Banu Gibson & the New Orleans Hot Jazz, New York cabaret-style vocalist Julie Budd, and cowboy singers Riders in the Sky. Reserved table seats are $29, unreserved table seats are $19, and lawn seating is $9 for adults, $5 for children ages three and up. Call 251-7727 for details.

City Hall — April 10, 2001

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City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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April 26, 2001

April 10, 2001

Elections on the layaway plan

Councilor Sandra Little offers an amendment to a recently delayed resolution by Mayor Kincaid that seeks payment of the $175,518.12 bill generated by the February 27 Water Works referendum. Little’s amendment would pay only the $42,670 owed to poll workers. She continues to decry Kincaid’s reference to the referendum as a “pre-Council election warning” to councilors who oppose the Mayor. “There’s a lot of politics going on, and those poor people are stuck there,” says Blake as he compares the plight of unpaid poll workers to the spy plane crew recently detained in China. Blake supports Little’s proposal to pay poll workers, though he would like to see the entire debt paid. Councilor Johnson asks the Mayor to address the debt. “Here we go again, playing games,” Councilor Blake can be heard muttering off-mic. Mayor Kincaid demands that the Council approve payment for the entire debt as obligated by state law, noting, “We look petty by not paying it, or by trying to parcel out [payments].” Kincaid asks the bottom-line question that everyone has thus far ignored. “How reasonable is it to believe that the voting machines we used in the special election, which are [needed] for the City Council election 182 days from today–how can you believe that you can go back to the county to get those machines for the Council election when we have a debt?”

Who else is counting?

Councilor Aldrich Gunn refuses to put up with the Mayor’s weekly countdown reminder any longer. “Countdown 182 days before the Council election? And I welcome it. I welcome it! He’s [Kincaid] got men out there with muscles big as mine holding up a picket sign. They need to have a job! They need to be working!” Gunn bellows in reference to Kincaid supporters who gather daily in front of City Hall with signs urging the defeat of all councilors seeking re-election but one–purportedly to be Councilor Lee Wendell Loder. “It’s 730 days before another election–the Mayor’s election!” Gunn notes, appalled that the Mayor insists on paying off the entire $175,000 referendum debt. “You come to a place of reconciliation, and then you scoot out on these jive things,” Gunn says disgustedly as he urges that poll workers be paid. The councilor then readjusts his previous arithmetic and declares, “It’s 912 days ’til the Mayor’s election!”

Councilor Blake requests an itemized list of election services not included in the poll worker payments. Blake wants the list so that the public can know who is not being paid. He urges the Mayor to put the item back on the Council agenda. As Council President Bell asks the Council to move on to the next issue, Blake again can be heard off-mic, offering a quiet “Hallelujah!”

An elected Birmingham school board

Councilor Bill Johnson continues his push for an advisory referendum allowing Birmingham voters to decide if they want to elect the school board rather than have it appointed by the City Council. The State Legislature earlier voted to hold an election addressing an elected school board in 2003 rather than October 2001. Councilor Loder commends Johnson for placing the item on the agenda, but is disturbed that the aforementioned February referendum on the Water Works has not been paid for. Loder supports the advisory referendum because the public would be directly included in the future of Birmingham schools, but Councilor Bandy argues that anyone has the opportunity to send in a resume for school board vacancies. “This proves that the public is not left out,” says Bandy. Councilor Blake also supports Johnson, and notes that Republican State Senator Steve French amended the bill introduced by Democratic State Senator Carolyn Smitherman to delay the elected school board issue until 2003. “If Steve French represents anybody in the city of Birmingham, it’s minuscule,” says Blake, who calls the Democratic and Republican team effort to delay the vote “a beautiful example of how we have nonpartisanship when it comes to screwing the public.” Councilor MacDermott says he cannot support the financing of a referendum as long as people in his district continue to have flooding problems. Councilor Johnson interrupts MacDermott to explain that his referendum proposal would be held during the October Council election, and would not be a special election.

Councilor Gunn suddenly launches a personal attack on Johnson. “Everybody wants to help our children. And that guy [Johnson] down on the end there, he’s good at it,” says Gunn. Gunn recites a frequently referenced Gunn parable about “getting the rat out of the barn instead of burning the barn down,” insinuating that Johnson is the”rat,” one supposes. Gunn glares at Johnson and notes, “Yeah, I said that.” Councilor Gunn concludes with praises for the new Carver High School, calling it a “testimony” to providing a good learning environment. He labels the old school “a swamp.”

Council President Bell says that Johnson’s motivation for proposing the referendum is “to create another issue for the upcoming Council election.” Bell continues: “If he had good motivations, he’d be down in Montgomery with the legislators right now instead of grandstanding on this particular issue.” He dismisses Johnson’s referendum proposal as nothing more than a “sham of an election.” Johnson requests that the resolution be amended to be held in conjunction with the October Council elections, but the amendment and resolution fail on a four to four tie. Councilors Loder, Johnson, MacDermott, and Blake endorse the referendum. Bell, Little, Bandy, and Gunn oppose it. Councilor Pat Alexander is absent.

Blake crunches redistricting numbers

According to Blake’s redistricting plan, Councilor Gunn’s district would be one of the more significantly affected. Blake offers Gunn advice on the safest way to confront the dilemma of getting re-elected in an altered Council district. “I’d be happy to furnish a parachute, Mr. Gunn, if I had one. I think that the way you parachute is don’t run for re-election in October–or at least that’s my way of parachuting,” says a grinning Blake as he prefaces a presentation of his redrawing of Birmingham’s nine council districts [which is required by law after each census]. The presentation of Blake’s plan is not on the agenda for a vote; the councilor is simply fulfilling an earlier promise to show that the city had resources to do its own redistricting as opposed to spending money on outside consultants. Blake explains that his goal is not “to establish the district plan, obviously,” but rather to “provide a framework, where the Council and the Mayor can work out a district plan.” But Councilor Gunn promptly takes issue with Blake’s parachute comments. “You say you hope I wouldn’t run. I been running ever since I’ve been here. And I’m still running.” Blake denies that he said he hoped Gunn wouldn’t run, but Gunn continues to accuse Blake of trying to take away his district. “The only thing he’s [Blake] doing is cutting out District Five, and sending me way up into District One.” Gunn tells Blake that he “ought to see the [redistricting plan] that I’m working on.” Blake offers to move the lines for Gunn “as long as they meet the criteria.” Gunn explains that he would lose Woodlawn, Avondale, 16 churches, seven schools, and two community development centers if Blake’s plan were adopted. “Now I can deal with numbers. You don’t play me short on that,” says Gunn in reference to Blake’s plan. Gunn claims his own plan includes “fair participation,” as well as inclusion of the city’s Southside in his district [Blake's current district is comprised of most of Southside]. Blake reminds Gunn that District Four [Gunn's district] has lost considerable population, and notes that minority districts must be taken into consideration, according to law. Blake admonishes Gunn for interrupting him, to which Gunn apologizes profusely: “I know you admire me.” The Council breaks up in laughter. “Well, ‘admire’ is not necessarily the word I would use,” Blake replies to Gunn. “But I am rather fond of you, Aldrich, I will say that. You have provided considerable entertainment over the past seven and a half years.”

April 17, 2001

Was Bell duped or devious?

The Council receives word this morning that the city of Birmingham is suing itself. Recently, the city’s Law Department discovered that the ordinance signed by Council President William Bell transferring Water Works assets back to the Water Works Board differs from the ordinance passed by the Council in July 2000. “This is a very, very serious issue,” says Blake to Bell. “Basically, you were hoodwinked. They [attorneys for the Water Works Board] gave you documents that were much less favorable to the city than the actual documents that the majority of the Council had when we drafted the ordinance.” Bell remains stoic, staring ahead as Blake continues, “It just boils down to fraud! I hope they just handed you the wrong documents, and you signed the wrong documents because the city attorney, the clerk . . . nobody had a chance to review those.” Blake notes that millions of dollars have been transferred away due to Bell’s action. City Attorney Tamara Johnson responds to Blake’s charges: “The city is not alleging fraud in any situation. Basically, what the city is trying to do is to protect the integrity of the Council’s actions. Whether the transfer was good, bad, or indifferent is not an issue for me at this point.” Blake angrily replies, “This is an incredible scam that has happened here!” says Blake. “The Water Works Board attorney, or the Water Works Board in its entirety, are responsible for ‘bait and switch.’”

When Blake asks what the city intends to do regarding the lawsuit, Mayor Kincaid notes that he is listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, and doesn’t know how the complaint should be addressed. Kincaid, however, does agree with City Attorney Johnson that a declaratory judgement is needed. Council President Bell stops Blake’s response in order to forbid any “long, drawn-out discussion” on the matter. Interrupting Bell, Blake replies, “I can see why you might be a little sensitive on that point, Mr. President.” Bell tells Blake that the judge not Blake would determine what the facts are. Bell questions City Clerk Paula Smith’s failure to sign the document on February 23 at his request, suggesting that Smith did not sign the document because she was either against the transfer or instructed by the Mayor not to sign. Bell also notes that the relevant issue is whether or not the alleged changes to the Water Works document were “substantial,” which Bell defines as a “vague term.” The Council President says only the court can decide if the signed documents are legal or not, as he stands by his actions relating to the transaction and the “surrounding circumstances.”

Councilor Gunn defends the function of the court system as he agrees with Bell that the court will ultimately decide the controversy. “If you don’t like the way I cross a ‘T’ or the way I ‘split a verb’ and you carry me to court to settle it, that’s good! That’s what the courts are for.”

Blake asks, “Is the Council on the side of the city, or is the Council on the side of the Water Works Board?” Blake finally asks Bell if he bothered to read what he was signing on February 23. Blake continues to challenge Bell on whether he’d take “the city’s side or Charlie Waldrep’s’ side” on the Water Works assets issue.

Water Works referendum payment continues to be stalled

Back on the agenda is an ordinance to appropriate $175,518.12 to cover expenses for the February 27 referendum. After City Attorney Tamara Johnson explains that the Council has no authority to amend the ordinance, Councilor Little withdraws her ealier proposed amendment to pay only the $42,670 needed to cover poll worker expenses. Little thanks Johnson for “defining the situation,” and concludes that the poll workers’ payment lies in the hands of the Mayor’s office.

Councilor Loder doesn’t understand how the Council can shun payment for an election that the citizens petitioned for, and still continue to praise the civil rights movement and the “right to vote.” Loder notes that the democratic process was allowed to work. The councilor adds that he has always been one “to respect the public’s opinion even when it’s adverse to my personal opinions.” Loder is philosophical about the fickle nature of public opinion. “At some point in time, the public’s gonna be mad at everybody. And I’ve got sense enough to know that,” he concludes as he urges his “colleagues” on the Council to pay the election expense. Councilor Little says that her constituents “did not send me down here to play games with people’s minds.” Little notes that in the February referendum “there were a lot of things out there to confuse the minds of the people.” She addresses the poor turnout for the referendum: “The super majority of the people said ‘no’ because they stayed home. They did not go and vote.” The councilor continues her weekly tirade against Mayor Kincaid’s frequent characterization of the referendum as “a pre-Council election, an advisory referendum on who’s gonna be on the Council come October!” Little reminds the Council that Judge Hanes refused to make the city pay for the referendum in a recent ruling, and continues her demand that the city focus on paying poll workers instead of being preoccupied with other expenses such as ballots and voting machines. “Those were bodies that got up that morning [to work the voting places],” says Little. “Those other things were machines !” &

The Silencing of Jimmy Blake

No precedent is available to justify the turning off of Councilor Jimmy Blake’s microphone during the April 17 meeting of the Birmingham City Council. A heated debate had developed between Blake and Council President William Bell over Blake’s remarks during discussion of a lawsuit filed by businesses along Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard. The lawsuit against the city charges improper procedure by the Council in changing the name of 21st Street to honor former Mayor Arrington, which has apparently inconvenienced mail service to the respective businesses. Councilor Sandra Little called the lawsuit a “slap in the face.” Alluding to racism as the motive behind the lawsuit–which coincides with jury selection in the trial of Thomas Blanton, one of two men accused in the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four children–Little labeled the timing of the lawsuit “suspicious.”

Councilor Blake immediately called Little’s charges “outrageous,” explaining that the businesses were only standing up for property rights. Blake suggested that the Council meet in executive session to confer with attorneys over what action to take. Councilor Little protested Blake’s “executive session” reference, but Bell suddenly interrupted Little to attack Blake. “Dr. Blake made all kind of accusations of fraud, made all kind of accusations of illegality, made assumptions of opinions into facts,” charged Bell, “and now he wants to allow the judge to make a decision before we start . . . ” Blake promptly interrupted Bell and angrily responded, “William, as usual you are lying and mischaracterizing what I’m saying. It’s the same racist [unintelligible] that goes on here everyday!” Blake denied having made any reference to “the judge,” but Bell disagreed. “You said that this matter was in court and we should let the system work,” said Bell. “But in the other case [presumably the lawsuit by the city attorney on behalf of the city which charges that the transfer agreements for the Water Works assets signed by Bell are different than the ordinance passed by the Council last July], you want to get the information, and then you want to be the judge, the jury, the executioner, and everything. I’m just pointing out the disparity of which you speak.” As Blake began to respond, his microphone went dead. For the next minute-and-a-half Blake could not be heard in the council chambers (or on the Tuesday evening recorded telecast). But Bell could be heard as he condemned Blake for alleging fraud against him, and for “slamming” Councilor Little for her conclusions. Blake apparently remained unaware of the situation and continued to debate Bell. Eventually Blake walked over to Council Administrator Jarvis Patton to pose a question as Councilor Gunn began to address the lawsuit. Patton appeared to respond indifferently to Blake, who immediately returned to his microphone, which was now working, to shout at Bell, “Point of personal privilege.” Bell allowed Blake to speak: “My point is that during the last debate, my microphone was apparently cut off,” Blake bellowed loudly to Bell as he grabbed the Council President’s microphone and asked, “Where does that come from? So we’re getting censorship from the president of the Council?” Bell explained that he had no knowledge of what Blake’s was talking about. Blake responded that Patton told him that Bell ordered Blake’s microphone turned off. Blake asked Bell if this was true, but Bell ignored the question. During the next minute Blake continually interrupted Councilor Gunn by blowing into his own microphone to see if it was working again.

Councilor Blake later said that he observed a set of controls in front of Jarvis Patton’s chair on the council dais that he had not previously noticed. Blake said that he thought the only control switches for microphones were the ones in front of each councilor’s dais seat. The bewildered councilor surmised, “That was all very strange.”

William Bell did not return phone calls requesting clarification of his side of the story. When asked for comment regarding Blake’s accusation of Patton’s involvement in the microphone controversy, Jarvis Patton replied, “I don’t do interviews.”

Guns On Parade

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Guns On Parade

By Ed Reynolds

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January 18, 2001

On a peaceful Saturday morning, the stories swapped among the men lounging in the front room of Saint Joseph’s Baptist Church had a common theme: the feeling of helplessness that comes from staring down the barrel of a .357 Magnum. Reverend Abraham Woods, pastor of Saint Joseph’s, recalled a face-to-face confrontation with a shaking, gun-wielding teen robbing a convenience store that Woods had entered to purchase a soda. As the sweating assailant held a gun on Woods, the Reverend started to tell the robber who he was in hopes that the kid would surrender-not a good idea. “He was too nervous for an introduction,” Woods recalled with a chuckle. Frank Matthews, community activist and radio talk show host, nodded his head and laughed as he recalled the night he and his dinner companions were locked in a freezer at Shoneys while the restaurant was being robbed. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life,” confessed Matthews.

The scene was Saint Joseph’s annual gun buy-back, held each January on the weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration. Sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, along with area churches and businesses, the weapons swap pays people up to $50 cash in exchange for a weapon. At Birmingham’s first gun buy-back in 1994, 411 guns were collected in 90 minutes-a national record according to Matthews. This year, a steady flow of gun-toting citizens waited patiently outside the church door, which was kept locked at all times. Inside, a Birmingham police officer from the Tactical Operational Unit checked to make sure the guns were not loaded. The officer had already emptied bullets from two pistols by mid-morning.

Frank Matthews, a former gang member who was arrested 33 times before he was 19, but who now goes by the moniker “God’s Gangster,” was designated “gun appraiser and negotiator.” Matthews studied each piece quickly, offering $10 to $20 for most of the surrendered weapons. While many people were happy to get what they could for their guns, one elderly gentleman, dissatisfied with Matthew’s $15 offer, said he would hang onto his .12 gauge double-barreled shotgun. Matthews warned him not to leave the gun laying around his home because his grandchildren might get hurt. “I ain’t got no grandkids!” the disgruntled fellow shouted as he left. “We got a couple of Uzis, and that’s a blessing,” sighed a middle-aged woman as she jotted down the serial numbers of surrendered weapons. Behind her was a long table covered with rifles, pistols, and the pair of coveted Uzis. “This is the gun of choice,” said Matthews, holding up an Uzi [also known as a "street sweeper"] as he repeatedly pulled out, then reinserted, the gun’s clip with considerable dexterity. “When a gang gets hold of an Uzi, it does something to the identity of the gang. Gives them more status,” explained Matthews. One of the Uzis fetched $30, while a .357 Magnum brought $35, the highest pay out of the morning.

A woman in a Betty Boop sweatshirt turned in her .38 Special because “the permit had expired, and I don’t want it no more.” A visibly uncomfortable man handed Matthews a .300 Winchester Magnum. “That’s a terrible gun, isn’t it?” noted Reverend Woods. “You could almost hold off an army with that thing.”

Another woman arrived with a gun-wielding tot. “I’m bringin’ in my little boy. He’s already killed 10 people this morning,” she laughed, as the four year-old aimed his plastic pistol and imitated gunfire at everyone in sight. The kid surrendered his weapon to Reverend Woods, who gave him a glimmering locomotive engine in exchange. “Toy guns and play weapons of destruction; we must do something about the terrible romance people develop with guns at an early age,” noted Woods who shook his head at the pile of approximately 60 weapons collected at the church. “It’s a meaningful way to pay tribute to Dr. King. He was the ‘apostle of nonviolence.’ We are our brother’s keeper, but he’d be appalled to find that many of us have become our brother’s killer.”

City Hall — November 21, 2000

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City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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December 07, 2000November 21, 2000

Mayor Kincaid announces that the 15-member task force formed by his office to study neighborhood problems caused by expansion of the Birmingham International Airport will inspect the affected neighborhood on November 27. The Mayor says that the bus will leave City Hall at 1:30 p.m. if any councilors are interested in joining the group. Council President Bell says that some councilors are “in a bind,” as Kincaid had previously called for a finance committee meeting that very same afternoon. The Mayor suggests moving the finance meeting to a different time, and Bell says he’ll try to comply.

The government class from Shades Valley High School is in attendance at this morning’s meeting. Councilor Little notes that she will be interviewed by the class after the council meeting, and is prepared to take on tough questions.

A group of disgruntled citizens led by Mamie Jordan and collectively known as the Committee for Accountability in City Government protests petitions calling for voters to have a say in who controls the Water Works assets. Jordan says that those signing the petitions “are not recognized as people.” Concerned that “the city is at a standstill, bogged down in bickering, and drifting like a ship without a rudder, or leader,” Jordon condemns “the Mayor’s efforts to hold the assets of the water system hostage at City Hall!” She decries Kincaid’s spending of taxpayer money on attorney fees to stop the assets transfer back to the Water Works Board, which she says is their rightful home. She also demands to know why the Mayor is “spending taxpayer money to look for electronic bugs in his office and to build security fences!”

Today’s featured disagreement between the Mayor and the City Council involves HealthSouth’s donation of used computers to Birmingham schools. A quarrel develops over whether the computer program is an action on behalf of the city or council. The resolution appropriates $200,000 from City Council consulting funds to HealthSouth to begin the program. Council President Bell says no appropriation is needed, and explains that he merely needs to authorize the contract with his signature instead. Mayor Kincaid asks the city’s law department to issue an opinion. City attorneys say they have not seen the contract, so no opinion can be rendered as to whether this is city or council business. Councilor Blake hopes that “this issue won’t get down to one of these spitting contests about who signs the document.” Blake says that the Council must approve the signing of the contract and expenditure of the consulting fees, and that he doesn’t care who signs the contract. Councilor Little sums up the quarrel as a “power grab.”

Mayor Kincaid interjects that “this is not a City Council initiative; it’s a city of Birmingham initiative.” The Mayor explains that the funds for the project were not approved in the budget, and requests that the finance department examine the issue, urging a one week delay. Councilor Blake grows combative, accusing the Mayor of trying to take “total control of the dollars in this city, and that’s inappropriate!” Blake argues that the Council “can put that money in whatever basket it wants and can subsequently allocate it.” The councilor says that right or wrong, the Council put this appropriation in a category called “consulting fees,” and now has the right to spend it, regardless of who signs off on it. Mayor Kincaid wants to know who the consultant is. Blake replies that he doesn’t know “how that [word 'consultant'] would be termed.” Council President Bell maintains that the Council has the right to move funds from category to category in a department, which is what he believes happened in this instance. Bell offers to pull the resolution off the agenda. Councilor Blake asks him why, since he’s got a majority of the Council on his side. Mayor Kincaid jumps back into the discussion, reiterating that computers for schools is a city project. Councilor Blake quickly disagrees, accusing the Mayor of “trying to usurp the power of Council, and it’s inappropriate.” Blake explains that everything the Council does is on behalf of the city, and that the Council has the right to authorize whomever they desire to sign for the city of Birmingham. Blake calls the Mayor’s argument a “digression from any of these notions that the Mayor and Council want to work together.” Blake continues, “I believe the Council has the authority to allow Mickey Mouse to authorize a contract. The power of expenditure comes from this body [City Council].” Blake notes that department heads, as well as external boards and agencies, are authorized to enter into contracts.

Speaking on behalf of his district, Councilor Aldrich Gunn praises the computer program. Gunn takes issue with past references that the Council will be voted out of office in the October 2001 council elections. Gunn promises that he’ll be back in office next October, but others might be gone. “When we’re gonna be rational on this Council, and you have a conviction, don’t worry about what’s down the road,” urges Gunn, alluding to the advantages computers offer to schools. “Be like that ant. If there’s a brick in the way, go over it, around it, or under it.” Councilor Gunn sides with Blake when he notes that the Council gives money to other organizations with Council President Bell’s signature. Councilor Loder suggests amending the resolution to read on behalf of the City Council. Blake remains exasperated, sighing, “We’re splitting hairs over this.” He hopes that the Council will “rise above the pettiness here,” as he agrees to Loder’s word change. Blake doesn’t want “this silliness to stop a program that everybody agrees is a good program.”

Councilor Bill Johnson offers a resolution welcoming a Big Lots department store to his East Lake district. It passes unanimously.

November 28, 2000

Lawson State hosts tonight’s monthly traveling City Council meeting. Reverend Abraham Woods, representing the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is present to express concern regarding the recent shooting of Larry Reddick in Woodlawn by a Birmingham police officer. Woods acknowledges reports that Reddick had been drinking and struck the officer, reportedly with the officer’s own baton. But Woods disputes that the man should have been killed because of his actions, saying, “That was not a justifiable reason for Larry to be gunned down.” The reverend notes the records show that Reddick was shot four times from the front and once from the back, disputing Birmingham Police Chief Mike Coppage’s argument that the route of the bullet that supposedly entered from the rear indicates that it was unlikely to have been fired from behind the victim. Woods explains that the coroner is “a professional in this kind of situation,” and, according to Woods, the coroner reported that the shot fired at Reddick’s back was the deadly shot. Reverend Woods reminds all present that he had backed Coppage during an inquiry by the previous administration when police actions were under fire. But he says that Coppage is “trying to whitewash the situation by taking issue with the coroner. We need a chief who is going to be responsible!” Woods promises that if necessary, Reverend Al Sharpton will be brought in to protest the police department. Noting that he [Woods] is upset with some “of our black officers” over previous police shootings, Woods warns that “trigger-happy policemen, be they black, green, red, white, or polka dot, have no place on this police force!” Woods urges the formation of a civilian police review board. Council President Bell interrupts Woods to tell him that “councilors are asking me if you would summarize your remarks.” Woods wraps up two minutes later.Councilor Blake expresses appreciation to Reverend Woods for his presence this evening. Blake agrees with Woods that points have been raised that “this council and our city should be willing to look at.” Blake expresses support for Coppage, and acknowledges the dangers police officers constantly face. The councilor says that the officer in question was reportedly seriously injured during the incident, and must have been concerned for his life. “Under those circumstances, a police officer does have a right and responsibility to defend himself.” Blake urges that two officers should always be in a police car in high crime areas, which he says is not the situation at present. Blake also pledges support for a civilian review board, as long as the board consists of individuals with “no political agenda.”

Chief Coppage speaks next, and explains that he promised the parents of Reddick that there “would be a fair and impartial investigation.” Coppage stresses that the investigation will proceed in a timely manner, but will not be rushed.

Council President Bell takes issue with Coppage over some of the chief’s recent public comments, accusing Coppage of trying to “shade the facts” about the coroner’s report. Bell says that the police chief’s comments do “not help the atmosphere with what the public believes, and what they perceive.” He urges Coppage to “guard” his future remarks.

Councilor Loder says that a primary question of the incident focuses on why the officer stopped Reddick. Loder is curious about why a confrontation was necessary, and asks Chief Coppage why there are no reports detailing what Reddick did. Coppage replies that the information is not being released in case there are witnesses that still want to come forward. He says that the report will be released once the investigation is complete. Loder then wants to know who is responsible for investigating the police department. Coppage responds that there is a “dual investigation”: one conducted by internal affairs, and the other is a criminal investigation by the department’s homicide unit. The homicide investigation-a criminal investigation-involves a representative from the district attorney’s office.

Councilor Little reads from the Mayor-Council Act, citing the allowance for the Council or Mayor’s office to conduct an investigation. Little refers to the
“investigation team” organized to look into a controversial Center Point land deal a couple of years ago as an example of City Hall’s organizing an investigative committee. [That controversial "investigation team" refused to meet in public, and reportedly was negligible in contacting committee members about participation. No wrong was uncovered by that team.] Little points out that tonight’s Council meeting is being held “right across the street from where a young man’s body was found on Thanksgiving morning.” She goes on, “His body was riddled with bullets!” She then urges the city to take prompt action, which would alleviate the need for “people from outside, and other states, to come in.”

Mayor Kincaid notes that it has been difficult for his office to be silent, but the reason for withholding comment is that all the facts in the case are not in. The Mayor explains that forensic evidence is still being studied, but that the dual investigation of the police department is proceeding as scheduled.

The power to draw redistricting boundaries [council districts are redrawn after the census is conducted each decade, as required by city law] is transferred from the Mayor’s office to the Council by a near-unanimous vote of the Council. The redistricting still must be approved by the Mayor, with a six-vote council majority necessary to override a mayoral veto. Public hearings will be forthcoming. Councilor Blake urges the Council to determine if redistricting can be undertaken by the city without hiring “an outside consultant.” Blake elaborates: “I don’t see any reason why we have to make rocket science out of something that’s not rocket science and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to do that.” Bell concurs with Blake that any hiring of outside consultants should be approved by the Council. &

City Hall — October 24, 2000

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City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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November 09, 2000

October 24, 2000

Announcing that “the Mayor is in poor voice this evening,” Birmingham Public Information Officer Mark Kelly reads Mayor Kincaid’s weekly report at tonight’s city council meeting at the Hawkins Center in Roebuck.

Councilor Jimmy Blake asks Mayor Kincaid about the status of the controversial petition allowing a referendum to determine ownership of the Birmingham Water Works assets. In a raspy whisper, Kincaid replies that the Justice Department will have to clear the issue because “it comports with the Voting Rights Act.” Blake promises to make the Mayor talk no more than necessary but admits he likes the sound of Kincaid’s hoarse voice. “It has kind of a jazz quality to it,” quips Blake.

At issue this evening is a new cab company moving into the Birmingham market that plans to buy out Yellow Cab and Homewood Cab companies. [Councilors readily point to the lack of taxi availability]. City attorney Rowena Teague offers a brief history of the taxi industry in Birmingham: A quarter-century ago, Yellow Cab was the top cab company in town, with more than 125 vehicles. As Yellow Cab downsized, Veteran Cab [a part of Yellow Cab] did also, but Homewood Cab and other smaller taxi companies grew. Councilor Lee Loder voices concern about how independent taxi operators will be affected. Teague explains that the cab system is not a closed operation and that independent operations are still welcomed [three cabs and a dispatch service are required to start a taxi service]. Representatives of the new taxi company explain that the independent taxi service will benefit from the overflow of demand that will result from new life being pumped into the Birmingham taxi industry. Councilor Aldrich Gunn asks the name of the new company. The company’s representative explains that his company is actually three different corporations: Jefferson County Yellow Cab, Birmingham Yellow Checker Cab Inc., and Jefferson County Transportation, LLC. “Who’s your lawyer?” Blake asks off-microphone. No discernable reply is heard. The issuance of new licenses, as well as the revocation of Yellow Cab and Homewood Cab operating licenses upon purchase by Jefferson County Yellow Cab, is approved unanimously.

Voluntary drug testing of the nine councilors and the Mayor as proposed by Councilor Don MacDermott is back on the agenda after a request for a one-week delay. MacDermott says he wants the drug testing so that the Mayor and the council can set a “good example” for the Birmingham community. The motion is approved, with the tests scheduled to be held in two weeks.

Councilor Blake, however, disagrees with MacDermott’s motive. Blake asks MacDermott what drugs are included in the city’s policy of screening city employees for illegal substances. “Marijuana, cocaine, PCP, and heroin, as far as I know,” replies MacDermott. Blake then asks what situations determine which city employees are required to be tested. MacDermott replies that it includes jobs involving safety, such as firemen, policemen, and anyone who operates a motor vehicle or other equipment. Secretaries and clerks are excluded. Blake says he thought all city employees are required to be drug-tested. Blake presses MacDermott further, inquiring about any other circumstances that might force a city employee to be tested, especially city councilors. An irate MacDermott tells Blake, “If you have a problem with that, then state your problem!” Blake assures the councilor that he is about to do that, answering his own question by explaining that “aberrant behavior such as wrecking a truck” is one such circumstance. Blake then asks MacDermott what sort of “aberrant behavior” by the council would result in drug testing. MacDermott smiles and admits that he hasn’t watched any videotapes of council meetings lately. Stressing that drug testing is important when public safety is at issue, Councilor Blake wants to know who determines “aberrant behavior” when a councilor is involved, and who directs that they take a drug test and lose their job. MacDermott replies that termination would not follow if a councilor refused to take a drug test. He explains that his resolution simply says that all nine councilors should volunteer to submit themselves to drug tests and “then let the chips fall where they may, apparently.” When asked by Blake if he had ever submitted to a drug test, MacDermott replies that he and Kincaid [before Kincaid was mayor] showed up for a previous test at the same time. Blake asks, “Well, who had the purest [urine] between you?” as the audience howls with laughter.

Blake again states that drug testing should be taken seriously and not be administered for “political purposes, which is what I think is going on here.” Blake further suggests that perhaps “aberrant behavior” could be defined as when “a member of this council, who called a public institution universally corrupt, and asked for each of its members to resign, i.e., the Water Works Board, then a year later changes his mind and wants to hand all the assets of the Birmingham Water Works Board back to that organization, I call that ‘aberrant,’ Mr. MacDermott!” [Blake is referring to MacDermott's present position on the assets issue.] MacDermott counters that it was Blake who called for resignation of the Water Works Board, not him. Blake quickly disputes that claim.

MacDermott holds up a copy of a news story dated May 12, 1994, and reads quotes in which Blake indicated he had once urged drug testing of all city employees. When Blake asks MacDermott why he brought the news article to tonight’s meeting, MacDermott replies, “A little bird told me you might object to taking the test.” Admitting that he had taken drug tests before, Blake again emphasizes the political nature of the issue, declaring, “I’m not voting for this silly thing!” The issue passes. Blake leaves the dais to take one of his frequent walks through the council chambers. As he walks by this daydreaming reporter, he administers a friendly punch to my arm, threatening, “Boy, we’re gonna drug-screen you if you don’t wake up!”

October 31, 2000

Council President Pro Tem Aldrich Gunn presides in the absence of Council President Bell this morning. From an issues standpoint, it’s a rather short, dull meeting. Among council business is a vote to increase taxi fees held over from last week’s meeting and the denied request of a liquor license for the Cozy Corner lounge, which reportedly had been selling liquor for years without a license. Councilor Sandra Faye Little’s hot orange suit, replete with rhinestone-studded wide collars and open neckline reminiscent of an Elvis Presley stage getup, is the only salute to Halloween by Council members.

The speaker’s forum, reserved for citizens to address the council for three minutes at the end of each meeting, is where all the action is this morning. Jimmy Corley is back in the council chambers, having been banished several months earlier after an incident in which police wrestled him to the ground before carrying him out of the council chambers. Corley is a self-professed prophet of doom who takes credit for Village Creek floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Council President Pro Tem Aldrich Gunn, who was challenged to a fistfight several years ago by Corley, tells Corley it’s good to see him again.

According to Corley, he was arrested by the Birmingham Police Department five years earlier on charges that he continually maintains were false. Today, Corley reiterates that he was denied medication while incarcerated, which caused him to suffer a seizure. Claiming $14,000 worth of debt and hospital bills to treat an injury he blames on the police department, Corley again demands a financial settlement from the city. He gives the city two weeks to settle.

If nothing has been done at that time, Corley forecasts “cancer, strokes, heart attacks, tumors, body failures to all persons who conspired against me.” Among his dire predictions is a curse he puts on Mayor Kincaid [the same curse he placed on former Mayor Arrington]. He warns that the “curse on Village Creek shall not be lifted,” and that his curse on preachers [Corley singles out Reverend Abraham Woods] who preach on behalf of the city council, the Mayor, and the Jefferson County Citizens’ Coalition will remain in effect. He also predicts that “City Stages shall continue to be rained upon and to lose money.” Corley concludes: “I got the curse on Lake Purdy. There will be no lake like it was before. It shall be cursed 53 years, and the lake level shall drop another four feet.”

Another vocal citizen, Carolyn Corbet, is back after a noticeable absence. Corbet’s resume includes running for president of the United States, mayor of Birmingham, and city councilor. Her past grievances have ranged from accusations of rape in the Birmingham jail to protesting the legality of promotional contests sponsored by various fast-food restaurants.

Today Corbet complains that her “bad tooth” cannot be removed “because of the law.” She also gripes about a broken leg suffered several years ago while walking on a pebble-covered sidewalk in East Lake. Corbet suddenly pulls out a cellular phone, holding it close to the microphone so that her dialing of 911 can be heard in the council chambers. She tells the responding police dispatcher to send “several police cars up here, because I would like to have the Birmingham City Council, along with the Mayor, arrested and charged . . . with attempted manslaughter.” She admits to the dispatcher that she is not an attorney but has been damaged by laws passed by the council. A laughing Councilor Gunn, sounding much like an automated telephone operator, tells Corbet that her three minutes are up.

Radio talk-show host Frank Matthews finishes the speaker’s forum, snickering through his observation that the Council moved so rapidly through the agenda this morning that “we got more treats than tricks, so I’ll just hold my comments until . . . [his sentence breaks off into irrepressible laughter, his conclusion erupting into unbridled giggles].” As usual, Matthews makes little sense. &

City Hall — October 26, 2000

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City Hall

By Ed Reynolds

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October 26, 2000October 10, 2000

The initial order of business this morning: arguments over a citizen-led petition drive that calls for a referendum to allow the people of Birmingham to decide who should own the Water Works assets. It’s unclear if any Council action on the issue is permissible due to Mayor Kincaid’s lawsuit, filed several weeks earlier, to halt a Council vote that returned the assets to the Water Works Board. Councilor Sandra Little says she will support the people’s demand for a referendum to decide asset ownership, adding that she thinks that there are five votes today that would approve allowing the public to vote.Councilor Aldrich Gunn states that the “mere fact that we are sitting here talking about voting on whether or not we vote to transfer the assets is a historical occasion.” Councilor Bill Johnson urges the Council to vote for the referendum today so the vote can be taken during the November 7 election thereby saving the taxpayers the $300,000 that it would cost for a special referendum vote.

Council attorney Michael Choy asks if Judge Hanes, who is currently contemplating a ruling on Kincaid’s lawsuit, can be called to determine if any Council action is legal. Choy explains that if the Council approves the referendum vote, he is sure it will be challenged in court. “That’s gonna cost the taxpayers more money,” he says.

A resolution requesting that Council members submit to voluntary drug testing as “an example of leadership for city employees in an effort to combat drug abuse” prompts a few giggles from councilors. Councilor Don MacDermott, who sponsored the proposal, asks for a one-week delay, which ignites a round of light-hearted jokes. Councilor Lee Loder says that as a new member, he’s had a recent test. Councilor Pat Alexander keeps saying, “I’m ready! I promise you, I’m ready!” Council President William Bell expresses curiosity that “we keep having these nice meetings for some strange reason.” Kincaid requests that “the Mayor be included in [drug tests].”

Councilor Little thanks the Mayor “for a delightful weekend,” to which a chuckling Kincaid suggests that she define her comment. Little is, of course, referring to the previous weekend’s mayor-council retreat at Point Clear near Gulf Shores. A slightly embarrassed Little thanks Kincaid for the “delightful conversation” regarding the Roosevelt City fire station she has been waging war over for the past year. Councilor Alexander thanks Bell for organizing the retreat, admitting that she never gives up hope that the Council and Mayor can one day see eye to eye. Noting that she and Kincaid held hands at one point during the retreat, Alexander tells the Mayor that “I don’t have to like you, and you don’t have to like me. But we got to respect each other. And I think we can do it,” she adds with a smile. Alexander concludes by telling the Mayor that she loves him.

As the Council approves the travel expenses of Raymond Powell, manager for internal audit in the Mayor’s office, for a conflict-management seminar in Biloxi, Mississippi, Councilor Johnson points out that the word “Biloxi” does not have an “e” at the end. The Council votes to correct the spelling.

During the citizen speaking forum held at the end of each Council meeting, former Alabama State Senator Fred Horn addresses the Water Works issue. Horn urges, “I am here to appeal to all of us to stop this buffoonery and put the assets and the Water Works back where it ought to be, as a department of the city. That is our only salvation.” The former senator warns, “Otherwise it will be run by a board that is decided by the state legislature to make the laws.” Horn warns that the state legislature will decide how many people will serve on the board, and who will control the assets. The legislature is waiting until the year after next to decide who will be on the water board, according to Horn. This will be after previously black legislative districts are to be redrawn as ordered by the courts. He again stresses that the only way to control the water system is to make the Water Works a city department.

October 17, 2000

This morning the drama of the weekly City Council meeting spills into the third-floor hallway directly across from the council chambers. A few minutes of threats, possible attempted assault, and a string of obscenities add the perfect touches to the unforgettable freak show. More on the bizarre episode later.A poker-faced Council President Bell introduces new UAB athletic director Herman Frazier as “a man who has been to the mountaintop of athletics. And he understands that in order to achieve great things you have to dream great things.” Councilor Jimmy Blake enthusiastically welcomes Frazier after Bell and confesses, “I personally am very tickled to see somebody who is a track athlete being athletic director at UAB.” Blake notes that he looks forward to seeing the campus “continue to flourish and the social life of students continue to improve.” The councilor also is excited that the school will “continue to move toward being a real athletic power.”

The early morning frivolity ends soon enough. First order of business is controversial Addendum Item 57: Consideration of petition for an ordinance to require a vote of the electorate to sell, transfer, or lease the water and sewer facilities, Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham as presented by Probate Judge Michael Bolin for the Council of the City of Birmingham on October 10, 2000, which was submitted by six electors of the City of Birmingham. The six names included in the ordinance are listed for Council record. In question is whether the Council can legally vote on Item 57 since a lawsuit filed by Mayor Kincaid to halt transfer of the assets to the Water Works Board has not yet been ruled on by Circuit Judge Hanes. Mayoral attorney Emory Anthony (a former mayoral candidate) passes out copies of Judge Hanes’ decision that any Council action dealing with the petition and referendum did not violate the status quo.

Charlie Waldrep, attorney for the Birmingham Water Works, addresses the Council to question the legality of the petition signatures. Addressing Choy’s statement to the Birmingham News that the petition is “junk,” Waldrep questions whether or not Choy actually made the comment [Choy appeared on a local talk-radio show the same morning to deny it.] But Waldrep takes the use of “junk” a step further: “Junk has some value. At least it’s scrap or salvage. This [petition] is valueless. This has a negative value because it would be put to an election for an ordinance that clearly, on its face, is invalid.” The Water Works attorney notes that the first petition had 36 percent of the signatures declared invalid and the second petition had 41 percent discarded as invalid. Waldrep adds that petitioners were not required to show identification before signing.

Kincaid reminds Waldrep that voting polls do not require identification to cast a ballot in an election. Waldrep says he obtained copies of the petitions, and after reviewing 95 percent of the signatures, he conservatively estimates that approximately 2000 were illegally counted, including “instances where clearly the signature that appeared on the petition has been signed by one individual on several occasions.” Waldrep admits that he is not a criminal lawyer but points out that Kincaid has a pair of attorneys with “excellent reputations as criminal lawyers” and suggests that “perhaps they could shed some light on what could be applicable to these signatures submitted to the City Council for action.” Waldrep also states that the ordinance is written so that any transaction involving sale of any Water Works equipment [used computers, etc.] would require a vote of the people-a charge the Petitioners Alliance and its attorneys vehemently paint as false
“scare tactics.”

Councilor Blake notes that the citizens’ referendum process was used to “kick Bull Connor and his regime out of office. And this time it’s (being used) to kick a different regime out of office.” Blake asks Waldrep how much his firm makes from performing legal service for the Water Works. Waldrep responds that he would have to check his records. Noting that he has
“great respect for Mr. Choy and generally agrees with most of his opinions,” Blake criticizes what he terms as monopolization of time this morning by those defending the asset transfer to the Water Works Board, especially Waldrep, whom Blake describes as “panicky because he might lose his gravy train.” [Waldrep allegedly collects an annual fee of one million dollars to represent the Water Works.]

Waldrep, who hints at fraud, questions the validity of the petition signatures as he uses an overhead projector to flash some of the signatures on a screen in the council chambers. Councilor Little points out that three of the names on the projected list appear to be in identical handwriting.

In response to Waldrep’s earlier characterization of the petitions as being less than junk, Mayor Kincaid tells Waldrep that it is the “will of the people, and that alone gives it more than just a passing value. It gives it a very deep value.” Kincaid stresses that Probate Judge Michael Bolin had determined that the petitions were legitimate. Kincaid says that certification of sufficiency is not the question at hand today because Judge Bolin appeared in the council chambers last week to verify that the petition met all sufficiency-certification criteria. The Mayor accuses Waldrep of using “scare tactics” regarding citizen approval of easements, rights of way, and the sale of equipment in regard to the Water Works.

Bob Friedman, WJLD radio talk show host and petition organizer [the "Pied Piper," according to Councilor Gunn], addresses the Council. He stresses that his petition does not discourage the sale of the Water Works but, rather, allows the citizens to simply decide if they should be able to vote on who should own the water system assets. Friedman says he knows more about petitions than Charlie Waldrep, and that just because some signatures are invalidated does not mean the people’s convictions driving the petition are invalidated. Gunn jumps in to tell Friedman that he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.

Councilor Little holds up a copy of the petition ordinance, calls it fraudulent, and says that she doesn’t believe that most of the 10 percent of citizens who signed it could understand the petition ordinance, but quickly denies that she thinks the signees are stupid. Little goes after Friedman. “I have lived in the city of Birmingham all my life. Mr. Bob Friedman, a radio DJ that constantly batters the City Council, and to walk around Birmingham coming out of New York or wherever he is [sic], and to lead our people in such a disgraceful campaign to divide and conquer the black vote! Our people, some of us just don’t know what’s happening!” Little concludes her condemnation of Friedman by shouting that “it is not fair to allow people to come in and mess up our minds!” She refuses to support the ordinance, insisting that she is “standing up for those people who didn’t sign it [the petition].” The Council votes down the ordinance six to three, sending the issue to the Election Commission [Kincaid, Council President Bell, and city attorney Tamara Johnson] to finalize plans for a special referendum.

In the hallway following the vote, Charlie Waldrep holds court for the television cameras. Bob Friedman walks up to the gathering to offer an opposing opinion. As WBRC television news reporter Cynthia Gould questions Friedman regarding perceived insults that those who signed the petition could not grasp the ordinance’s concept, Council Attorney Michael Choy suddenly begins screaming at Gould that she “started all this,” calling the reporter a “bitch.” Two men restrain him as he appears to lunge towards the female reporter. Choy breaks away slightly from the men’s grasp, pointing at Gould as he moves toward her, yelling that “you don’t know who you’re fu**ing with.” Again, the out-of- control Council attorney is restrained as he continues his verbal assault on Gould. Choy is finally escorted into the conference room followed by Council President Bell and Council publicist Ken Mullinax. While Choy remains confined to the conference room until he calms down and order can be restored to the City Hall corridor, a speaker in the hallway broadcasts the Council passing a $185-an-hour pay raise for attorney Choy. &

Editor’s note: Choy resigned as City Council attorney after this incident.