Editorial Roundup: Alabama

Recent editorials from Alabama newspapers:

Dec. 29

The Gadsden Times on how a contractor working on an interstate in Birmingham might collect a bonus:

We’re less than a month away from “B-Day,” and drivers in Birmingham (and a lot of folks from this area who travel or commute there) are poised in anticipation.

That’s a bit of hyperbole, of course, but getting through Alabama’s largest city has been a posterior pain since January, when a $700 million project to replace the elevated section of Interstate 59/20 between the Red Mountain Expressway and Interstate 65 got underway.

The shutdown and demolition of that stretch and the ongoing construction have forced drivers heading through town or attending events at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center complex to do the proverbial “go around my elbow to get to my thumb (or other body part; we’re aware this adage has multiple incarnations)” on unfamiliar city streets. It’s also clogged the already problematic traffic on I-459, which bypasses downtown Birmingham.

Still, as we observed when this project was proposed and launched, it had to be done regardless of the inconvenience. The roadway in question was built in 1970s and was designed, according to the project’s website, to accommodate 80,000 vehicles a day. It was handling twice that load, and a projection that by 2035 the traffic count on that stretch would reach 225,000 vehicles a day.

We’d rather not contemplate the carnage that would result from “functionally obsolete” bridges, as the project’s website described them, giving way with that many vehicles on them. Again, this had to be done.

The contractor on the project, Johnson Brothers Corp. of Texas, agreed to have the work done by March 21. If it doesn’t hit that deadline, it’ll be dunned with a $250,000 per day fine.

However, there was a carrot along with a stick in the agreement. The company will earn a $15 million bonus if the project is completed by Jan. 21. That’s our “B-Day.”

And based on media reports and comments from Alabama Department of Transportation officials - who are keeping a close eye on the work to ensure it’s done right - Johnson Brothers stands a strong chance of collecting that bonus, as most of the work is complete.

That’s probably not going to compute with folks whose default is that government can’t do anything right, timely or cost-effectively. We’ll plead guilty to going there occasionally, but are happy to point out this exception.

A contractor that pulls off a project of that scale - or even comes close - in roughly a year deserves praise and, if the new highway is open on “B-Day,” a reward.

We’re sure a lot of drivers will agree and are pulling for Johnson Brothers to make it.

Online: https://www.gadsdentimes.com/

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Dec. 29

Decatur Daily on possible changes for a city’s youth services department:

Bruce Jones, the longtime director of Decatur Youth Services, plans to retire in January, and the city is seeking applicants for his successor.

Jones’ shoes will not be easy to fill, but one City Council member has questioned whether to fill them at all.

Council President Paige Bibbee this month proposed an organizational chart that would eliminate the position of Youth Services director, instead placing Youth Services under the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and answerable to its director, Jason Lake.

Direct control of Youth Services would devolve to the DYS programs manager post, currently occupied by Lemzel Johnson.

Bibbee defended her proposal, saying it is all about creating efficiencies and saving money. Johnson’s starting salary as programs manager was $47,023. The Youth Services director’s salary range is between $70,854 and $107,813.

We would be remiss if we didn’t note at this point that Bibbee recently voted with a majority of the council to create an unnecessary communications specialist position, with a pay scale that overlaps at its top end with the low end of the DYS director’s pay scale.

When it comes to spending taxpayer money on personnel, we have to wonder about some city leaders’ priorities.

Decatur Youth Services fulfills an important role, providing programs and activities for some of the city’s most at-risk youths, giving them something constructive to do and helping keep them away from bad influences.

Not only does that make Youth Services valuable, that makes it a poor fit for being placed under Parks and Recreation. We do not question Parks and Recreation Director Lake’s competence, but youth programs are not really part of his purview. DYS started in 1996 to help address issues with youth crime and gang activity.

“If you’re going to put DYS in Parks and Rec, you could do just as well by sticking them in Information Technology, Revenue or the Legal department,” said City Councilman Billy Jackson.

According to Johnson, talk of putting Youth Services under Parks and Recreation has had a demoralizing effect on the department’s staff.

Jackson said there are a lot of people at DYS “who are very upset. I told them not to worry, but there is a sense of being betrayed.”

For her part, Bibbee says she isn’t against Youth Services and even supports the department having a new building.

Youth Services should have a new building, but it also shouldn’t lose its status as an independent city department with its own director. It doesn’t readily fit under any other department, much less under Parks and Recreation.

However else city leaders may decide to reorganize and streamline the city government, it doesn’t make sense to fold DYS into another department. The council should leave DYS as it is, hire a new director and give that person the support they need - and the support the city’s youths deserve.

Online: https://www.decaturdaily.com/

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Dec. 28

The News Courier on political vetting:

Anyone who has ever run for office in Limestone County can probably attest to the fact there’s nothing normal about the process.

Winning over voters is hard enough, but as of late, that seems to be only a small part of the challenge. Every other year, there are elections here for either state or local offices. And every other year, there is controversy and reports of various hijinks, including campaign sign desecrations, campaign sign thefts and allegations of dirty tricks.

If that weren’t enough, candidates must also now contend with social media rumor and speculation. Supporters seemingly have all the time in the world to post gossip and outright lies about the political opposition. It’s dirty, but it should be expected.

This type of behavior, however, may be why more people don’t seek office here. In case you haven’t noticed, Republicans and Democrats aren’t exactly lining up in droves to run for office. We certainly hope that changes, but other changes will need to be made first.

The Limestone County Republican Party is the ruling party here, as it is in most Alabama counties. Limestone was once a proud Democratic stronghold, but that changed in 2010 with the “red tide” that washed many longtime Democrats out of office.

So what does it mean to be a Republican in Limestone County? It depends on who you ask.

You’re likely to hear two very different explanations from District 4 Commissioner Ben Harrison and LaDon Townsend, the man who wanted to challenge Harrison for his commission seat in the March Republican primary.

The Alabama Republican Party recently decided to kick Townsend off the ballot in response to a challenge filed by Eric Redd, who previously ran for Limestone County Sheriff as a Republican. The challenge was referred to the state party by the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee.

The evidence against Townsend doesn’t seem overwhelmingly damning, but - again - it depends on who you ask. The two big strikes against him:

• Sheriff Mike Blakely and former Commissioner Bill Daws, both Democrats, have Townsend signs in their yards; and

• Townsend’s wife, Lisa Townsend, sent a Facebook message to Greg Poss, a Democrat, because he was unable to get friend requests through.

Nothing in Redd’s letter to the state GOP or his supporting documentation challenge Townsend’s morality or allege criminal wrongdoing. There are no knocks against his religious beliefs or anything questioning his mental or physical fitness to perform the duties of a road commissioner in District 4.

So, we’re left to think Townsend was kicked off the ballot for having the audacity to mingle - and even be friends with - Democrats. Have Republicans become so partisan that having a relationship with a Democrat is cause to question his or her party loyalty?

What determines if a man or woman is a true Republican? Is there an oath? A pledge? A secret handshake?

We could turn the argument on its ear and rightfully suggest there may have been Democrats who voted for Redd over Blakely in the 2018 election. The premise may seem far-fetched, but it’s not an impossibility. It’s also possible Democrats voted for Harrison in the 2016 election.

Does that mean their Republican credentials are in jeopardy? If they had won election to office, would they have represented only Republicans, or would they have represented Democrats, too?

Some party leaders would tell you the key to growing and maintaining a successful party is to exercise a “big tent” philosophy, meaning everyone is welcome. For years, the Limestone County Republican Party prided itself on being able to convince longtime Democrats to switch sides. Notable officials who chose to switch include former Limestone Commission Chairman Stanley Menefee, Circuit Court Judge Robert Baker, former Limestone County District Attorney Kristi Valls and Limestone County Revenue Commissioner Brian Patterson.

If LaDon Townsend is indeed a former Democrat, why wouldn’t they welcome him with open arms?

Townsend, however, is just the latest Limestone County candidate prevented from being on a primary ballot for seemingly not being Republican enough for Limestone County.

Redd was the only Republican candidate to choose from in 2018 because the local party’s steering committee voted to keep the only other Republican candidate, Jason White, off the ballot. In that situation, White admitted he voted for the Libertarian candidate in 2016 over Donald Trump, so that sealed his fate.

The party also helped Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones by eliminating his primary competition, former Democratic District Attorney Kristi Valls. Valls switched parties in 2014, but her candidacy was challenged in 2015, just ahead of the primary. The ballot challenge alleged she wasn’t a true Republican and that she had promised not to run against Jones.

We agree parties have the right to vet candidates as they see fit and only support the candidacy of those candidates whose ideals align with the party as a whole. However, we believe the process should be fair to everyone, no matter who a candidate’s friends are.

Online: https://www.enewscourier.com/

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