Prichard Mayor has a choice

A standing room crowd fills the council chambers for the Prichard City Council meeting this past Thursday, and none of the visitors and citizens attending the meeting was there for any other business but info on former Police Chief Jimmie Gardner termination.

Former Chief Jimmie Gardner

Former Police Chief Jimmie Gardner was terminated because his contract had expired and an extension was not approved by the City Council in October. However many in the city like the former mayor Ron Davis, his supporters and his former defeated rival Severia Campbell Morris is spear heading an attack on the newly elected mayor Troy Ephraim about Gardner termination. But it is no surprise the former Mayor Ron Davis will be in support of Gardner whom he hired as police chief during his administration.

A statement by Mayor Troy Ephraim stands out in this matter, "The citizens asked for a new direction for the city of Prichard," Ephriam said. "That's exactly what (the mayor's office is doing)."

By now regardless how the former Police Chief tries and decided to argue his termination and drum up support in his favor, the law stands and the citizens made a choice. In this previous election, I can’t recall that Jimmie Gardner was on the ballot for mayor.

Mayor Ephraim is right, the citizens of Prichard has made a choice and ask for a new direction when they elected Troy Ephraim as mayor by overwhelming margin.

In the midst of all this is Severia Campbell Morris a former candidate for mayor, she is a big supporter of Jimmie Gardner now that she has been defeated for mayor.  Not only does she support Jimmie Gardner, but she also now a big support of the former mayor Ron Davis. I now question the motives of Severia Campbell Morris, was she really running for mayor to make a change for the people of Prichard, are was she running just to capture votes to help Ron Davis. There is something very strange about Severia Campbell Morris.

I interviewed Severia Campbell Morris for a post here on the Political Beacon last fall when she was a candidate for mayor, some of those answers I did not post but I will post today to inform you on why I question her leadership and character.

Severia Campbell Morris is now the voice of the so-called movement that is supporting the former police chief of Prichard, and organizing the same people from her non-profit citizens group and people of Ron Davis camp to attack the mayor.

Severia Campbell-Morris now a resident of Prichard whom moved back here from Illinois has really came back here to stir up flames that she can’t put out.  

I recall last fall when I interview the former mayoral candidate, I asked her did she approve of the leadership of the current Police Chief and the Police Department. Campbell -Morris stated that she did not and that if she was elected mayor she would seek to overhaul the police department and possibly hire a new police chief, because she believes the City was headed in the wrong direction same as the mayor office.

Mayor Ron Davis did everything he could to try and keep Jimmie Gardner in the position. Regardless of the decision that was made by terminating Gardner, the newly Elected Mayor has the right to choose whom he pleases to represent the city and serve in his administration.

There is a lot that goes on that these crooked politicians do that they don’t want you the citizens and voters to know about. Maybe they think you just would look over it and pay it no attention and forget about it.

The council did not vote on Ephriam's termination order. A court hearing into whether Ephriam requires the City Council's endorsement of that move will be held at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Mobile County courthouse downtown. A judge upheld a restraining order against Jimmie Gardner.

Once again the people of Prichard has spoken and new leadership should take place.

The Late Rep. Yvonne Kennedy well remembered

A pillow of our community with great Integrity and Character

 

More than 2,000 turned out on Saturday to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Rep. Yvonne Kennedy at the Mobile Convention Center. She was well remembered by many for the labor that she has put forth during her time here on earth, as a legislator, educator, civil and community activist.

Kennedy died on Saturday, Dec. 8, after a brief illness at the age of 67 at a Birmingham Hospital, according to family members. As a Democrat, Rep. Kennedy represented Mobile County, part of the 97th District, in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1979 until her death.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones, Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Sen. Bobby Singleton,
Gov. Robert Bentley, and many others spoke of the late Rep. Yvonne Kennedy.

Rep. Yvonne Kennedy will be well missed in the Mobile area and Campground community. She will also be missed in the Montgomery where she fought hard for her community and district.

Yvonne Kennedy is survived by her brother, Joe L. Kennedy of Milwaukee, and two sisters, Floretta K. Moore of Mobile, and Brenda J. Kennedy of Montgomery.

Well done servant!

 

Alabamians did not cancel Lucy Baxely; Republicans just out numbered Democratic voters in this past election

In an article running today in many Sunday papers ran and owned by Advance Media, a group of Republican owners and journalists continue to try and down grade Democratic politics in Alabama with their negative and coded articles.

This is the type of action I am willing to stand up against and fight, because the media have to long told too many fairytales and not so much of the true. It’s time for fair and balanced news and information.

Hon. Lucy Baxely - D

Lucy Baxely has served his great State of Alabama for a very long time, this awesome and educated woman of character and integrity have held several elected offices, becoming Alabama first female Lt. Governor, State Treasurer and then President of the Public Service Commission.  Lucy Baxely not only became famous in politics by the slogan “I love Lucy” but by her ability to serve with honesty and for the people.

Lucy Baxely is 74 years of age yes indeed and Al.com ran a article today saying that Baxely career came to an end at 74. Well Lucy Baxely career didn’t come to an end, I strongly believe that Lucy Baxely will still be a access and player in Alabama politics in the future, whether it’s in their media room or not.

Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, only won with just 54% of the vote statewide. That’s a message that it was a close race by far not a landslide in reality. If the voters of Alabama really knew what Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh stand for and her primary goal is, I really believe the election results would have been much different. The fact that Democrats did not do a well unified voter education campaign this past election, and there was very little campaigning for the great Lucy Baxely, she lost this race.

Baxely didn’t lose because Alabama canceled her and her politics. Twinkle Cavanaugh simply won because her party turned out the vote. The partisan politics by media must stop and we as  whole hearted Democrats must stand up and fight this type of information.  Baxely always ran a great campaign and she has always stood up for the poor and middle class. And that’s why she is not there today, because Twinkle falls in the back pockets of special interest and the extreme Republicans. She will be a rubber stamp for the special interest and never an advocate for the poor and middle class. The false hope that they portray on the campaign trail is that of phony politics to get them elected. But the truth is they too are just another back pocket republican to the special interest that seeks to make it harder for the average Alabamian, whether you are black, white, Hispanic, a college student, women or men, religious or not.

We love you Lucy Baxely, you served us well! 

It’s a Wake up Call for Republicans in Alabama; Reclaiming Alabama in 2014 is Democrats Priority

Republican shouldn't be so happy

With the national elections now over, the focus turns to the Mid-terms where there will be many more offices up for election from local County races to U.S. Senate races. We all remember that in 2010 Republicans swept majority in many races even to take back control of congress. Well all I have to say to the Republicans is they shouldn’t be so happy, but instead be worried. It’s not their majority to hang on to for long. All of their political outraged and extreme politics is about to blow up in their faces, and you will see many long faces with shameful elephant tears.

On Tuesday I laughed, yes indeed I laughed all night till I fell asleep, and it was a laughter of joy for what America said on election night 2012, I laughed at that donkey that danced in the streets across the country, not because he won and declared victory, but because he defeated the extreme huge elephant that tried to destroy this country and our rights to fair democracy.

Oh yeah the extremist has been trying hard with much hate and determination to end the presidency of our great President Barack Obama, they vowed with heart to make him a one term President, but it failed.  Oh they really showed their true colors, whom they really are what they really believe.  We have learned that the Republicans want to suppress the vote as they did in the 1950’s or as far back as we can remember, we know that they don’t want Latinos and Hispanics participating in the election process, they don’t even want them in this country, they have no love for women rights, and they want the poor and middle class to break their backs for the wealthy. The Republicans don’t want the wealthiest Americans to pay more in taxes to support this country. That must change!

Quoted from the Al.com, Alabama Democratic Party chairman Mark Kennedy declared President Barack Obama's re-election on Tuesday as "a great victory not just for Democrats but for us all." Kennedy said that Americans, in rejecting Republican challenger Mitt Romney, "embraced building a bright future for all, instead of just for a few, and rejected the ugly politics of division."

After Tuesday elections it time for minorities, such as Blacks, Latinos, Hispanics, Women, College students, Poor and Middle Class citizens in Alabama to take a stand against this extreme political agenda that is trying to raid us of our rights. If you don’t take a stand now they will put a neck chocker on us and drag us and we will forever be in poverty and under the table. Well if we don’t want that to last it’s time for us to stand up and fight for what we believe. 

Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Mark Kennedy also believes that the returns on Tuesday showed a signal of change is on the way.  “Republican leaders have abdicated their responsibilities and focused their time and energy on petty politics and political games.” He told al.com.

Yes Democrats was eager to win Alabama back on Tuesday, especially in Jefferson County where Democrats sweep every judicial race on the ballot.  Republicans goals are to take every office they can from us Democrats as possible any way they can.

 When I look at the political map after Tuesday elections, there are some counties in Alabama that will be in play in 2014, not only in play but we as Democrats must turn out the vote in a larger number in 2014. We was close you all, I mean close but the get out the vote effort must be much more serious in 2014.

Below I listed a list of Counties and who we did and what we lost by, in many of these counties when I see 40% or more in election returns it shows strength, and I think of those votes that are not counted because they didn’t vote. If we turn the votes out in a larger number in these counties we have a chance to do some damage in 2014. The following county has been declared my hot bed for all blue alerts.  If we turn out the vote in these counties we can take back Alabama in 2014.

1.       Mobile, did you think Mobile would be on this list? 45% for DEMS fell short by only 10%

2.       Monroe, 46% for DEMS fell short by only 833 votes

3.       Clarke, 46% lost this county only 1,146 votes

4.       Jefferson, 47% lost this county by 6%

5.       Chambers, 47% lost this county by only 743 votes

6.       Pickens, 46% lost this county by only 671 votes

7.       Coosa County, 42% lost this county by 849 votes

8.       Butler County, 46% lost this county by 714 votes

9.       Pike County, 43% lost this county by 1,930 votes

10.   Tuscaloosa, 41% lost this county by 9%

11.   Madison, this county is still in play losing it by 10%

There is some work to be done and the work should begin today as you read this post. Democrats must focus on one theme, unity and getting out the vote. Voter registration will be a key to a victory in these counties for Democrats.

We have to adopt a new voter education strategy to educate minorities, blacks, women, college students, poor and the middle class working families in Alabama. Traditional politics must be the thing of the past and we must move to a more moderate style of politics in Alabama, but in those democrat strong holds we have to be more progressive and dominate.  We have to establish an identity in all areas of the state and especially these counties mention above. Showing interest in the voters and citizens in these counties is a must, like more one on one campaigning, door to door and political education.

Turning out the vote in 2014 is our key for success. Alabama Republicans leaders are no different from those of the national GOP and their counterparts. These big elephants have endorsed every extreme Republican agenda and they want to impose it on the citizens of Alabama in a secret way.

Since taking control of the legislature in Alabama in 2010 the Republicans have not made any serious if any attempts for bi-partisan leadership to get the most important issues solved for Alabama. Instead they cut services for needed families, working families, education, and left our state employees with less. They cut jobs and we are losing more jobs on top of the jobs they have cut.  They want to paint this serious picture if they are getting the job done, and that we are better off under their leadership but we are not we are worst. Democrats, women, minorities, poor and middle class families we are not un-educated and we need to prove that in 2014.

Together if we stand as one and fight together we can take Alabama back from the extreme right wing party. Visit our FaceBook page and Like us www.facebook.com/ReclaimAlabama2014

President Obama Wins A Second Term In The White House

President Barack Obama 

A changing electorate helps President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden prevail over Republican Mitt Romney and his right wing agenda. 

With a slower growing economy, and a house of rights wing conservative’s Republicans that has blocked nearly every bill of progress, our President overcame that on Tuesday night. The American people look at the progress he made in four years, and looked at the record of the Republicans and their candidates and said, we are not moving backwards but forward.

The outcome was surprisingly swift. The TV networks called the race against Republican Mitt Romney less than 20 minutes after the polls closed on the West Coast, as a succession of battleground states tipped the president's way. Except for Karl Rove who kept fighting the notion that President Obama has won re-election on FOX News. Karl Rove and all of those other billionaires that tried to buy this election is hurt this morning, to learn that their cash wasn’t good enough to buy the electorate votes.

About 90 minutes later, the former Massachusetts governor offered his concession in a phone conversation with the president.

Claiming victory before a roaring, flag-waving crowd in his hometown of Chicago, Obama summoned a bit of the poetry absent throughout much of the acrid campaign. He told supporters that the country was moving forward “because of you.”

“You reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope,” he said, “the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an America family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and one people.”

Romney, standing alone on a flag-bedecked stage in Boston, spoke before Obama took the stage. Romney and Ryan had their hopes on claiming the White House so they can get in and make things better for the wealthy Americans, and destroy our middle class and poor Americans. The American people in a majority had a different opinion and they said proudly-NO to Romney/Ryan.

It’s clear that Hispanics and African Americans played a key role in the re-election of President Obama in battleground states. The changing minority population is forever changing and it help the president maintain the White House.

With all the election results in and some ballots are still being counted, President Barack Obama have enough votes to coast to another victory and will serve another four years as our President. Many Republican and Tea Party lead groups have lead operations of hate and voter suppression to keep this colored President from being re-elected. They wanted to hold true to their promise of a one term President.  These same operatives on this morning are heartbroken and sad that they didn’t win and come up with a victory, especially in battleground states where Republican lead legislatures, Governors and State Officials have tried to suppress the vote.

Voter in America had a deeper and better determination, and that was to overcome fear and hate. And embrace love and unity.

Today, we can proudly say that we are honor to have President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden leading this country.