Birmingham city council's pattern of blaming the businesses instead the true problems

One thing I have noticed about the Birmingham City Council regardless of whom is sitting on it, is its level of ineptitude of on problem finding and solving especially when it comes to night clubs and bars.  First, in 2008, lead by then mayor Larry Langford, the Birmingham City Council pushed to have Banana Joe's night club closed via revocation of its liquor license after the shooting which led to the death of 21 year old by an underage teen.  Last year, Langford urged the City Council to have Club Zen shuttered on Morris Avenue in downtown after a Bessemer resident stabbed a club patron there.  Now on June 29th, the City Council moves to have the Continental ballroom and night club shuttered after allegations of complaints from police officers (not citizens) although there hasn't been any major incidents there in months.

It seems like to me that the Birmingham City Council is a pool of idiots more than they are a board of legislative representatives of the city.  You don't blame the business owners for the problems of the patrons when it clearly an issue that is nearly impossible to totally prevent.  You don't see in Atlanta governmental entities pushing to shutter every club or nightspot that has an incident occurs because they know that it is nearly impossible to remove that element from society only control it.  However, Birmingham has a pattern of shooting itself in the foot economically while attempting to claim to improve along the way.  NOT!!!! 

My advice is you know there will ALWAYS be a "hood club" in every city, but the business owners of these establishments should realize what type of cliente they are catering to while attempting to keep the potential of criminal activity to a minimum. 

On the other hand, this is the same entity that wants to vote fund $10,000 for the "Thunder on the Mountain" fireworks display over Red Mountain after the lead organizers said that is seeing a shortfall due to lack of sponsors.  This all the while Birmingham is facing a major budgetary shortfall themselves guaranteeing a 30% pay cut for civil protection such as police and firefighters.  SMH!

Links courtesy of the Birmingham News and al.com.

Uh ok...

So there is a heaping load of craziness in the Greater Birmingham area to keep me looking at the region with a blank stare.

For starters, the jackal for mayor, William Bell, has proposed cutting city employee salaries by 10%, closing 5 public libraries, community and recreation centers, and killing funding to non-profits to "close the financial gap".  Meanwhile, he along with the City Council has given the A'OK to the entertainment district near the Birmingham-Jefferson County Convention Complex (BJCC) anchored by a Westin hotel.  The kicker is the Birmingham City Council is basically alright with funding the entertainment district via the tourism tax money (aside from the 2-member oversight board consisting of Birmingham's mayor and a member of the BJCC board to issue the bids and planning process).  Of course, the City Council would be up in arms about the cuts in services and salaries, but not for the reasons one would initially believe.  It's about the fact that it essentially cuts their slush fund they have sitting around and ability to do what they want with it.  IMHO, this is a huge clusterfuck screwing over everybody except the elected officials and their appoint staffers who are practically immune to this since they will always find a way to pay those overpaid fools a salary as long as they are in power.  Meanwhile, the average city employees are going to have a chunk taken out their asses along with that jackal proposing to leave a number of areas of Birmingham without a public library or community center for months.  It just shows that idiot shouldn't have been elected as mayor in January or allowed to wreak havoc on the populous.

Then on to the ongoing saga known as the Jefferson County occupational tax and its now-defunct predecessor.  Apparently, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that Jefferson County must refund taxpayers $37.5 million of their money from the now-defunct Jefferson County occupational tax which levy 0.5% of each check.  However, the Ala. Supreme Court also ruled that Jeffco could get back that money via usage of its current occupational tax statute and to give those greedy ass bastard lawyers who sued to remove the tax $13 million.  HUH?  In other words, they want to tax the taxpayers after they were just told their former tax was illegal.  Just another bizarre lesson in Alabama's warped legal code that makes no sense at all.  This is main reason why I don't care for the lawyers or Jeffco Commission for this bullshit that has basically destroyed the reputation of Jefferson County worldwide in the media.  It's like the greedy just can't stop on either side of the foolishness.

UPDATE: After being ridiculed by City Councilors, citizen, and other groups, the jackal suspended the vote on the extension of the tourism tax and its allocation towards the entertainment district and hotel on Tuesday.  Now the BJCC board and the full Birmingham City Council will make to discuss the contract details.

Another chapter in the ongoing saga involving Birmingham

As mentioned earlier this year, there is a bill that has been floating around the Alabama State Legislature to synchronize all municipal election seats including City Council and mayor into one date every four years.  It would alleviate the double-dipping, backstabbing, and saboteur behavior of elected officials in Birmingham City Hall every 2 years while vying for the seat of mayor all the time.  Although that version had passed the Alabama State House, Merika Coleman listened and used some common sense and resubmitted her bill back to its original version with ending the current mayoral term held by the jackal, William Bell, in 2011 rather than extending it to 2013.  The next mayor of Birmingham would have an abbreviated term of 2 years and would have to run again in 2013 with the City Council. 

Wise choice, Coleman, very wise choice.  You are wise to listen to those who warned you of the repercussions of extending that jackal's term. 

Oh, WOW! Step away for a week and all hell breaks loose...

In Virginia, Bob McConnell pretty much tells his own State Attorney General to STFU on the whole removal of non-discriminatory language from state colleges and universities.  McConnell's own words:  "It was very important for me... to say discrimination will not be tolerated, and there will be sanctions for anyone that engages in discrimination."  Now, that's what I call COMEDY!  He told Mr. Cuccinelli to shut his shit the fuck up on the political grandstanding against LGBTs in Virginia.  Also McConnell is covering his own ass so he won't be seen as an overt bigot but not as a "traitor" to the socially conservative cause. 

The officials in Itawamba County, Mississippi, decided to cancel the main county high school's prom because of a lesbian couple want to attend together as a couple.  Now, unlike what went down at Thraptown High School in Franklin County last year in Northwest Alabama, these students both attend this high school, so the circumstances have a more internalized effect.  Whereas, the Franklin County situation was their "justification" of outside-of-district, but it was soon resolved when the lack of logic and rationale of the argument was exposed for the world to see.  However, in the case of Itawamba County in Northern Mississippi, the officials are standing by their guns so one of the teens has filed a lawsuit against the school district in federal court.  In all likelihood, she will win because the school isn't violating any real policies since they are both students of the school at an event just hosted by not an official event of the school. 

In Texas, a state that I've always considered a lost cause socially and politically, the state board of education has approved a referendum that would enforce an ultra-conservative curriculum in state public schools.  An ultra-conservative faction within the Texas Board of Education was successful in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.  They want to remove mentions of the Enlightenment period and Thomas Jefferson from the state curriculum and replace these with the discussion of John Calvin and the Judeo-Christian ideology of the nation.  Also mention the nation is not a democracy, but constitutional republic.  Now, that is true about the last part, but the rest is bologna.  However, I stand my statement that Texas is a lost cause politically because it is one of those places where you see more ignorance-based emotional foolishness pedaled than logic.  Let's be real, the only real election there is the Republican elections because outside of Dallas, Houston, and Austin, there is little to any progressiveness in the state, and even then I wouldn't waste my time trying to move there.  Honestly, Austin doesn't count because it is too damn whitewashed for politically because the non-white population is too small to make any real affect, so that "Keep Austin Weird" crap is for the birds.  It's a crazy state where you have to give the side-eye to altogether. 
 
Also in Oklahoma, another lost cause, the state senate has approved a bill that would become an amendment of the state constitutional allowing the law enforcement to chose not to assist federal officials in the investigation of hate crimes.  Here's some of the bill's language:  Under the new provisions of Senate Bill 1965, reports that were collected during investigations of possible hate crime that did not end in a conviction would be destroyed or kept by the Oklahoma Bureau of Invesigations.  The bill originally was to investigate the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, but state senator Steve Russell, a socially conservative Republican from Oklahoma City and former army commander at Fort Hood in Texas, was the one who perverted the bill into its current form.  I'm going to take some words from Dr. Martin Luther King, "an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere".  Especially in a racially-aversive state like Oklahoma, where if you are non-white, LGBT/SGL, or anything out of the WASPy-ordinary then you are subject to be a victim of this ignorant law.

Meanwhile, here in Alabama, a caravan of idiots, OOPS!  I mean Birmingham City Council members, mayor, and some of their staffers are going to the National League of Cities conference in DC this week.  However, they are practically leaving the city without any really leadership.  The jackal, William Bell, just announced last week that the city is going to have to make cost-cutting measures such as delaying funding and contracts for the rest of the fiscal year, yet he along with the rest of the caravan of idiots are going to DC blowing $31,000 of city funds.  Now, Carole Smitherman is staying behind and politically grandstanding saying "somebody has to man the shop".  Yeah, the judgment is clear that all of the leadership in Birmingham is idiotic and irresponsible as hell as far as I'm concerned.  Who in the fuck goes on a trip and then takes their staffers as well to when you have a $77 million gaping hole in the budget?  Smitherman, you are just as irresponsible as the rest in my book because you knew what has been going on since jump and just trying to reconcile your reputation with folks, but it's tarnished so save the drama for ya mama.  SMDH

Oh yeah, the jackal and that xenophobic third-generation Greek immigrant mayor of Hoover, Tony Petelos, wanted to question the financing of the monstrosity that is being forced-fed on people in the Greater Birmingham area.  Here's a clue you two morons, why don't you flat out and oppose the thing instead allowing this bullshit to be constructed? Also the Battle Royale of 2 white women with power trips is amusing to me, Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins and Jefferson County Treasury Jennifer Parsons Champion over the distribution of federal funds that were allocated from the federal stimulus package last year.  CUTE, BUT YOU BITCHES ARE BOTH STUPID...

That's what been going on that I want to talk about in the past week, and I'll be back to regularly posting probably this week...

A bill to synchronize the elections of Birmingham City Council members with the mayoral elections

Alabama State House Representative Merika Coleman of Birmingham drafted a bill that would synchronize municipal council and mayoral elections in Birmingham to all on the same day.  The bill passed the House committee on Monday and will go to the full Jefferson County delegation to debate the bill.  However, the bill would extend the term of the jackal from 2011 to 2013 (hmmm...). It sounds like to me Coleman is allowing that jackal more time to prove how much of a jackass he is to the people rather than who potent he is to the city.  The Birmingham City Council agree with me (to certain extent) and that is not giving Bell an additional 2 years in office.  The election should be held next year in 2011 rather than 2013. 

Also State House Rep. John Rogers of Birmingham also has drafted a bill that would realign the City Council representation from 9 districts to 8 districts and on at-large seat for the City Council President (not a bad idea).  However, why don't they just go back to all at-large voting for all seats which would allow the possibility of a more progressive city council?  I mean it would remove the existence of fiefdom ideology from the City Council elections where people think they can talk shit about one side of the city and its demographic of citizenry without being held accountable to all the citizens at the ballot.  The more accountability, the better because Birmingham needs to force those idiots "who want to have their cake and eat it to" to be gone if they decide to run for mayor instead of going back to being a vindictive city councilor.  My advice to Merika Coleman is, rewrite the bill and move the election to 2011 if you want to gain more support and likelihood of your legislation's passage. 

Birmingham is slashing and burning left and right and BJCTA along with other things are affected

Today during the usual Monday City Council Budget committee meetings, the Birmingham City Council has to figure out a way to remove $8 million of expenditures from the operating budget.  Some of the things mentioned to save funds includes 10 day furloughs for city employees, charges for garbage disposal, and not fully funding the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) the $9 million in payments.  This comes at a very bad time for the BJCTA which just settled for $30,000, one-fourth of the original $120,000 it charged Hoover for its U.S. 31 bus route that was saved by the negotiations.  The BJCTA is in literal dire straits, not figuratively at all, with buses leaking during rainfall, regular breakdowns, and disruptions of service due to these breakdowns.  Ironically, the funding for the BJCC multipurpose facility expansion wouldn't be affected since the city funds it after receiving invoices of progress and it comes from the "Birmingham Fund" capital budget that is separate from general budget fund.

Back to the Birmingham City Council budget debacle, interim mayor Roderick Royal was the one who proposed the reduction of expenditures.  Royal discusses plans to not pay the city employees for the New Year's Eve, Martin Luther King holiday, Good Friday and Memorial Day holidays to save $3.7 million.  However, many criticize this move along with the fact that just 3 weeks ago Royal said that the figures saying that the city unbudgeted itself by $20.89 million under Langford was an inaccuracy and it was only $1 million.  Now the tune is quite different and saying that he want wants to reduce $8 million from the budget any way possible since the FY 2010 revenue won't be enough to cover the $423 million expenditures budgeted.

Geez, my head is spinning and I can only image how anybody else feels about this.  The idiots that voted for Langford are to thank for the abyss of nuttiness where Smitherman and others knew what was going with Langford, but didn't do a damn thing until it was too late.  I'm so tired of this lot of morons it doesn't make any type of sense. 

Populous meets with perspective users of the BJCC multipurpose facility expansion

Yesterday, Populous, formerly known as HOK Stadiums along with the local team of architectural firms met with 18 potential users of the dome, including officials from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), PapaJohns.com Bowl, and Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau about what amenities they desire in the multipurpose facility expansion.  A 30-minute presentation was shown then, Dennis Wellner of Populous spent an hour soliciting suggestions and answering questions from board members of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and Councilmen Jonathan Austin and Jay Roberson of the Birmingham City Council at the BJCC.  Also in attendance was Birmingham mayoral candidates Patrick Cooper and William Bell.  However, Cooper left before the Populous presentation began and Bell stayed about 30 minutes into it.  INTERESTING, Cooper and Bell are dedicated to be there to show face, but I wonder if somebody tipped off Bell that Cooper was going to be there since he is a private citizen so that he could one-up on him and be there as well...

The City of Birmingham will not own the Civic Center expansion. The Civic Center Authority does and will. The Civic Center Authority will issue the bonds.  The City of Birmingham will contribute 60% of the money needed for debt service on the expansion. The BJCC Authority will contribute 40% of the money needed for debt service.


The BJCC expansion is not a stadium or a DOME. The expansion is a 1.2 million square foot multi purpose facility. It will be designed so that it can be re-configured for many different events. It will not have a dome roof, but a flat roof that can possibly be used in some environmentally friendly way for power generation or to channel rainwater for reuse.


The 165-170 thousand square foot interior free space is large enough for a regulation football, basketball or soccer playing surface. It can also be use for trade shows, exhibitions, conventions. In addition to the flat floor space the facility will house about an additional 50,000 square feet of meeting rooms. It will be fully integrated into the existing HVAC, electrical, data and AV systems. The physical connection between the existing complex and the expansion will be seamless.


The facility is not, and has never, been planned around an NFL team or any other professional sports franchise. The primary concern for this facility is to provide the overall complex additional free floor space. If such a facility can be value engineered (this is what Popolous has been hired to do) so that 65,000 seats can be placed around the free floor space then it has even more flexibility for more events.


The existing civic center complex has not run down and crumbled into the dirt. More than $50 million has been spent on upgrading the arena, concert hall, meeting rooms, parking and installation of a skywalk system that connects the entire complex together. If you have visited the BJCC lately you would be able to see these improvements.

In 2009 the BJCC has hosted 5 of the top 10 touring acts in the United States! Despite 911 and the current recession, the BJCC has operated in the black seven of the last eight years. The facility hosts close to 2 million visitors every year.

If more people including the media would realize this they would waste their time calling it a "dome" when it is a just a large multipurpose facility then they would just STFU.  Birmingham needs more exhibition space for larger events including concerts, conventions, and sports.  However, this region suffers from "C.A.V.E.-dwellers Syndrome" (Citizens against virtually anything), and they wouldn't say anything about this if it was located in Hoover or Shelby County because it continue to make Birmingham look bad in contrast to the suburban areas.  Small-minded idiots. 

Kasim Reed pretty much won, but Mary Norwood won't give in

After Tuesday's run-off elections in Atlanta for mayor, Kasim Reed prevailed over Mary Norwood in the results with 42,348 to 41,728.  It seems that race was on race as well.  The breakdown of results via the maps on Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows that across class and economic brackets that 9 out of 10 voters voted along color lines rather than issues.  It was the same way in during the election of Barack Obama in Atlanta as well.  As I've said, Atlanta is no different than the rest of the Southern cities when it comes down to it although they swear up and down that they are "the city too busy to hate", but the numbers say otherwise.

Also Tuesday the Atlanta City Council has now its first Asian American and LGBT council member in Alex Wan representing the city's most LGBT-friendly district, District 6.  Also the Georgia General Assembly has its first black lesbian, but second LGBT legislator Tuesday as well with Simon Bell for Georgia State House District 58. 

So it was day of reaffimations of race being an issue in Atlanta, but proof that Atlanta and Georgia can elect and LGBT/SGL politician. 

HUH?

Today's events are dumbfounding and ignorant if you ask me.  OK, this morning the new councilors were swore in and immediate the went into conference to appoint the new Council President and President Pro-Tem.

Prior to this apparentl political deals went down between Steven Hoyt and Carole Smitherman that he would get to keep his appointment as head of the Economic Development committee and he would give his vote to Smitherman to remain Council President.  However, Hoyt heard from someone that apparently Smitherman told an incoming councilor that they were getting it instead of him, now who that incoming councilor could be anybody's guess.  However, my guess is not so incoming but appointee and now elected Johnathn Austin who voted for Smitherman to remain.  Anyways, Hoyt changed his vote at literally the last minute and voted for Roderick Royal as the new council president and interim mayor of Birmingham. 

Now word is that Royal had supposely been vying for this for awhile with practically all the incoming councilors voting for him: Kim Rafferty, LaShaunda Scales, and Jay Roberson along with Steven Hoyt as the swing vote aside from himself. 

However, around 5:30 pm this evening Smitherman held a press junket where she claimed to be have been "played" by Hoyt after he suppose to have as late as last night promised a vote for her instead.  Her claims says that the 3 mayors within a month is showing instability of the city's leadership.  UGH, LIKE YOU BEING MAYOR DOESN'T EITHER?  She goes on a pout and "crying foul" fest, but says that she is a "Christian" and will let it go after this announcement.   Kyle Whitmire of the Birmingham Weekly points out the "what-ifs" of the Mayor-Council Act of 1962 that states that the interim mayor couldn't have voted in the appointment of the President Pro Tempore.  However, Royal didn't there would have been a 4-4 tie in the vote thus defeating the purpose of the appointment.  It just seems like there is a "dust up" for the controversial effects of this already quasi-bizarre, complicated mess with the elected leadership of Birmingham.

The thing that took the cake-and-ice cream was how she claimed during the junket that Patrick Cooper called councilors pursuading them to vote for Royal over her.  Now that is puridy-stupid if you ask me because if he did some backdoor campaigning didn't she do the exact same thing when she was promising Hoyt the position on the Economic Development committee.  Oh so it's a "do-as-I-say-but-not-do-as-I-do" call, huh Councilor Smitherman?  WOW, WOW, WOW! 

Also she chose not to attend the event planned by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute welcoming the new councilors.  She said, "I'm sleepy.  I have been working 16 hours a day for four weeks, and I am going home to clean my house and prepare for Thanksgiving dinner with my family.” 
Hmmm, I warned that Smitherman would get what she put out and get smacked dead in the face for her political grandstanding along with it backfiring on her sooner than later.  She is one stupid and hypocritical person that wants others to bow to her trivialized wishes, but if one does what is beneficiary to themselves, i.e., self-preservation, then it is backstabbing.  She is a piece of work and tries to attack Cooper and play the sympathy card to the gullible and pro-establishment black voters and that one special assoicate that I know that believe everything she says.  All I have to say is:  HEIFER, SIT YOU AND YOUR 3 CHINS DOWN SOMEWHERE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT I SAID!  SMDH 

After this and the antics of Bell and Smitherman, both of whom I said look out for I say "GO COOPER!" AND "GO ANTHONY!".  I would rather see an election of Cooper outright or a run-off between these 2 because those other 2 jokes known as Smitherman and Bell as mayor.

Birmingham is in the hole thanks to Steve Sayler and Larry Langford...

Well, not a surprise to me, it turns out that Birmingham is $20M in the red although Steve Sayler's, former mayor Langford's handpicked finance director, after the budget report was released yesterday. 

It's gets even better, Sayler stepped down as finance director yesterday morning after acting mayor Carole Smitherman noticed that there were conflicts between the data the City Council received and Sayler's data.  Then Smitherman has spent the better part of the last 24 hours trying to save face by saying she will do everything in her power not to eliminate any jobs to get the city out of the red.   Oh what a web we weave...

Now, I don't directly blame Smitherman for Langford's fools because she can't control what the mayor did when she was Council President.  However, it has been known amongst us in the know that Sayler was involved with the bond swaps at Jefferson County, so when he crept to the City of Birmingham with Langford most smelt trouble.

Smitherman and the City Council will have to figure out what needs to be done because the Fiscal Year 2010 budget was stuffed with numbers from the Fiscal Year 2009, so everybody is in the dark on this.  Now according to media reports, Smitherman, the City Council, and a number of business leaders will be apart of a task force to figure out how Birmingham can fill this $20M hole without laying anyone off.

I say heads should roll including Deborah Vance-Bowie since she was over Sayler and requested the reports over the summer when the budget was up for debate.  Also Sayler should be prosecuted for placing fuzzy numbers in the place of real numbers to make this look good to Langford who was swearing Birmingham had a $28M surplus.  As much as I want to see things funded, repaired, and constructed, but you can't put the city in the hole to get what you want.  You gotta pay the bills and fund the already existing things first then explore what else you can do afterwards with the final balance.

State Representative John Rogers is contesting the validity of the Birmingham City Council District 6 race

John Rogers, House Representative and cousin of council contender Shelia Tyson, is contesting the results of the October 6th run-off between his cousin and Carole Smitherman.  He claims that there were 1,400 provisional ballots, ballots are given to voters when there are questions about their eligibility to vote, cast during the election last Tuesday.  He wants them to be counted in the final vote totals for District 6 race. 

Tyson said:

It's a civil right to be able to vote, and if they feel like someone was not given their right then they need to look into it.

Whereas Smitherman is rest assured that she is the winner saying:

"I haven't gotten any kind of notice about a contest, and until I receive notice, I'll just stand still as the winner in District 6... "I'm going to be reserved and cautious in my comments."

However, Birmingham City Clerk's office says there were only 73 cast during the election last Tuesday.  On the other hand the only people who can officiate the election results the Jefferson County Board of Registrars.

Rogers said even if he is unsuccessful in the recount he will write a bill mandating an automatic recount on all election results in which the winner wins by 1 percent or less, and banning split boxes in which a precinct is used for more than one district.

Well, do I blame him? no  On the other hand, he knows that is pointless because we all know some elections as close as this one is too close to call and will likely result in the same winner.  It's always that way when you have this slim margin victories where political agendas of the election officials comes into play and "lose" or allege there aren't such ballots.  Don't worry, Smitherman has slim chance in hell next election cycle unless she step up on her A-game on serving all of the district (half of the 15% of eligible voters voted against her and the rest didn't even feel like voting at all), which I doubt because she has become way too comfortable.

Newly elected Jay Roberson has sworn in as District 7 Council Reprepresntative

It's official, Jay Roberson has been sworn in as the District 7 council member on the Birmingham City Council a month and a half before his fellow council-elects will take office. This is due to the passing of late council member Miriam Witherspoon back in April leaving District 7 without representation.  He fills the remainder of Witherspoon's term until the official swearing in ceremony in November. 

The Samford University associate athletic director at Samford University said that he want to work with neighborhood associations in the district to get a good idea of what needs to be done. He's a major proponent of the expanding the Birmingham-Jefferson County Convention Complex with the multi-purpose facility being constructed by the City of Birmingham as well as getting a number of other community projects across the city off the ground running like the Fair Park project.

I'll reserve judgment of him until I see what all he's doing and where he stands on other key issues in the city like getting mass transit off the ground via regional coordination, putting an effort in getting some domestic partnership benefits for city employees, etc.

Well, It looks like there will be 3 incumbents are safe with 5 run-offs on their way

Well, its safe to say Valerie Abbott, Maxine Parker, and Steven Hoyt are here to stay.  I don't really have much of an opinion about these three because Hoyt and Parker are screwface worthy because of their past involvement in blocking the anti-discrimination ordinance back in 2007.  Whereas Valerie Abbott wasted everybody time back in 2007 trying to run for mayor when she knew good and well she didn't stand a chance in hell of getting elected which IMHO costed Patrick Cooper, who I rathered seen elected as mayor (even over Smitherman), to lose a number of votes against Larry Langford.  She is OK, but she still gets the screwface and side-eye regardless.

Now on to the run-offs, well Shelia Tyson has gave Carole Smitherman, current City Council President and Mayor Pro-Tem, a run for her money in the District 6 race.  Shelia Tyson is Patrick Cooper's former mayoral campaign manager, and City Neighborhood Association (CNA) president along with Neighborhood President of West End.  Interesting to say the least because Smitherman want to get back in so she can take the helm of mayor (when not if) Larry Langford is forced out of office for his federal conviction.  If she doesn't get reelected then it is likely Valarie Abbott will become Council President and mayor down the line (for the 45 days until a special election is held).  I'm like this is going to be INTERESTING because Smitherman seems to have a problem these days because she is a nice person (I've met her), but she doesn't really have much of what I call "leadership traits".  She better come to realization that this could be the end of her time on the City Council because it was 43% (Smitherman) to 39% (Tyson), and that's mighty close. 

The rest well, it is a given that Roderick Royal's whiny butt will get back in District 9, Carol Reynolds Duncan will likely lose to Kim Raffety in District 2, Johnathan Austin will have to battle former councilman Elias Hendricks in District 5, and Jay Robertson will battle his runner up in the election of District 7 replacing the late Miriam Witherspoon.

LaShunda Scales was the only outright newcomer to win her election in District 1 against incumbent Joel Montgomery.  I guess his alcoholic fall from grace in 2007 costed him his seat along with being in the pocket of Mayor Langford on the city bingo ordinance.  The people have spoken and apparently nobody is stutting the New Jefferson County Citizens Coalition or Mayor Langford's endorsements.  LOL