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News

Tommy Hanes is angry, but still wrong

Rep. Tommy Hanes is mad at facts. For real. Hanes apparently spent his Christmas vacation writing out bills to pre-file, and the submission of those bills has not brought about the gratitude from the masses that Hanes was so obviously shooting for. Instead, from APR to al.com, Hanes has been widely criticized for his pandering, … Continued

January 28, 2019

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is probably your only hope

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a mistake. While talking about poverty in Alabama, Ocasio-Cortez said “ringworm” instead of “hookworm,” and whooo boy, hahaha, isn’t she dumb and stupid and a naive little girl? She should keep her mouth shut and never talk again. Except … I’m betting the people of Lowndes County sure would appreciate her … Continued

January 24, 2019

Stupid is as stupid does

I hate new years. Not because it’s another year. That’s going to happen, regardless of what we might want. The calendar days end, and the new calendar days begin. We can’t stop it. I hate new years because of the silly expectations. We expect the new year to encourage us to exercise more, or to … Continued

January 3, 2019

Montgomery’s struggles will be Alabama’s future if public education funding isn’t addressed

The report cards for Alabama’s public schools dropped this week, and once again, we’re all failing. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Alabama’s public schools are doing a fine job educating the overwhelming majority of students who enter their doors each day. There are fantastic teachers in those schools, great administrators and some of the finest … Continued

January 2, 2019

Alabama voters: stupid or scared?

Is it fear or stupidity? What is that drives voting in Alabama? It’s not self-interest. And it’s certainly not the greater good. So, what is it that leads so many in this state to vote against themselves and all of the other people like them? Fear or stupidity? It has to be one of those, … Continued

December 17, 2018

DAs can make the difference

Alabamians are ready to see a broken criminal justice system fixed, and it’s time to let those sitting in the most powerful position know it — our District Attorneys (DAs). District Attorneys are the lead prosecutors in counties across the state, but what voters may not realize is that the District Attorney wields an incredible … Continued

November 1, 2018

Report finds Alabamians give up daily necessities to pay off burdensome court fines, fees

Many Alabamians with court debt are sacrificing basic daily needs like food and medical care to pay down burdensome court costs, fines and fees, a new report has found. The report — released Wednesday by the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, UAB’s Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities and Legal Services Alabama — found … Continued

October 11, 2018

Birmingham superfund scam extends well beyond federal courtroom

A scam took place in Birmingham. It involved an EPA superfund site. It involved political corruption. It involved poor, mostly black people getting the absolute shaft by the people who swore oaths to protect them. No, this scam isn’t part of the ongoing Oliver Robinson federal corruption trial. It is very specifically not part of … Continued

July 5, 2018

An Independence Day wish

A friend asked her Facebook followers this question on Independence Day: “On this beautiful 4th of July, I am just wondering what freedom means to you?” It’s a great question, and one well worth thinking about. One person wrote: “The right to think for myself is one thing.” Another quoted Nelson Mandela: “For to be … Continued

July 4, 2018

The true story of the Montgomery school mess, Part I

In 2012, while working for the local newspaper, I broke the story of massive grade changing taking place within the Montgomery County school system. At the direction of school administrators, who were themselves receiving direction from the central office, students who were failing courses were being shuffled through “credit recovery” courses, where they earned better … Continued

June 1, 2018