ABC must be trying to boost the ratings of 20/20.  Here are the titles of the most recent segments:

• The Real Lives of Polygamists
• When Sex Is Not as Private as You Expect
• Why We Cheat: Is Evolution to Blame?
• Sex Sells, but at What Cost?

Sounds more like the Friday night lineup on Cinemax.

The “Not as Private as You Expect” piece included a segment about Huntsville’s own Sherri Williams, who runs Pleasures, the “One-Stop Romance Shop.”  She was discussing Alabama’s ban on sex toys and how she exploits a loophole.

So much for the Democrat’s Operation Chaos in the 5th district.  Wayne Parker defeated Cheryl Baswell Guthrie by about a 4 to 1 margin yesterday to become the Republican nominee for Alabama’s 5th district congressional seat.

Reactionary beat me to the punch in posting the raw numbers from the election, so I’ll just point out a few things I noticed.

There were 20,358 total votes cast in the 5th district race (97% reporting).  That was fewer than each of the candidates in AL-02 received (Jay Love defeated Harri Anne Smith 25,134 to 22,404).  I would suggest that is more of a reflection of how hotly the AL-02 race was contested as opposed to the AL-05 race where the outcome was all but certain.  It wasn’t quite the lock that Griffith vs. Maker was in the Democrat primary, but it was pretty close.

I took the wife and kids to the Parker headquarters for the expected victory party and campaign speech.  I met some great people and heard more of what has become a common theme: Parker is an all around great guy.  During the primary everyone - without exception - I talked to who knew Wayne would tell me what a decent person and man of integrity he is.  That includes a couple of people who were supporting one of Wayne’s opponents and had motivation to say negative things about him, but couldn’t bring themselves to do it.  Not many politicians are held in such high regard.  Parker delivered a strong speech (excerpts below) and really staked out his territory as the only true conservative in the race who can be relied upon to stand up for conservative values.

Runoff’s are strange beasts.  In the primary for Madison County Tax Collector Angela Stafford nearly won outright in a field of three candidates with 8,023 votes (47%).  Cory Brown came in second with 5,266 (30%).  But in the runoff Brown defeated Stafford 6,370 votes (55%) to Stafford’s 5,269 votes.  So Brown not only overcame a 18 point margin to pull off the upset, but he also increased his vote total by over 1,000 votes.  That is impressive considering that turnout in Madison County was about 58% of the primary total.  I would attribute this to a mix of getting out his superior message, mobilizing supporters at the polls, and Brown’s stronger Republican ties.

I also had a first experience of sorts yesterday.  I worked my polling place for Brown in the morning and late afternoon.  During my morning shift I talked to a lady who said that she voted for Stafford in the primary, but changed her mind the previous day to support Brown.  When I asked her what prompted the change of heart she told me that she had read about him on Flashpoint blog and that you (the Brown campaign) should thank them (Flashpoint blog).  I introduced myself as the author and we talked for a while about various things.  It was the first time in over two years of writing this thing that someone has told me about the blog without knowing I’m the author.

***

Excerpts from Wayne Parker’s victory speech:

“Over the next few months, the people of North Alabama will be given a clear choice as to who represents them in Washington.”

“The federal government is obligated to ensure the safety of the people from all threats - foreign or domestic, and to continue strong support for advanced space exploration. As your next congressman, I will support missile defense and maintaining the best trained and equipped military. I will strongly support NASA; specifically, the Marshall Space Flight Center. And, finally, I will always fight to fulfill the promises we made to our veterans.”

“We must not allow our country to be held hostage by our dependence on foreign oil. We must begin drilling and producing our own resources offshore and in ANWR, while looking to alternative energies so we can become completely energy independent. I believe the Tennessee Valley Authority, right here in North Alabama, is poised to lead in the development and production of nuclear energy. We cannot wait for $12 per gallon gas…we must act now.”

“We must close our borders and stop illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is not only an economic and public health issue; it is also a national security issue.”

“I am pro-life and I will always support traditional marriage between a man and a woman.”

“I am a firm believer in our 2nd Amendment and I am proud to have received the endorsement of the NRA in this runoff election.”

“Last, but not least, the federal tax code is too complicated, and our taxes are too high. I will fight for serious tax reform even if it means we must abolish the current code. I support abolishing the death tax and making our current tax cuts permanent.”

“Liberal politicians who dodge the real issues and create convenient answers are just not acceptable, and North Alabama deserves better.”

“I am a candidate for congress who has a burning desire to fight for our values. If you are looking for a silver-tongued politician who changes with the political winds, look elsewhere. But, if you are looking for someone who will get in the trenches, fight for America, and fight for what’s right, I ask for your support.”

WHNT just called Beth Kellum the winner in the Court of Criminal Appeals runoff (50,968 vs McLemore’s 42,098, with 94% reporting, 55% to 45%). She faces Democrat Jefferson County Circuit Judge Clyde Jones in the General Election.

Wayne Parker looks to have won the AL-05 House of Representatives candidacy (16,028 vs Guthrie’s 4,330, with 97% reporting, 79% to 21%). He faces Democrat State Senator Parker Griffith in November. Almost 14,000 of the more than 20,000 votes cast were from Madison County.

Twinkle Cavanaugh looks to have won the PSC President candidacy (60,493 vs Chancey’s 40,101, with 94% reporting, 60% to 40%). She faces Democrat former Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley in November.

Cory Brown looks to have won the Madison County Tax Collector candidacy (6,370 vs Stafford’s 5,269, with 98% reporting, 55% to 45%). He faces Democrat incumbent Lynda Hall in November.  If he wins, he will work to abolish the office (actually combine with the Tax Assessor’s office to form a ‘Revenue Commissioner’ office).

The Madison County unoffical results are here.

The polls were slow today. I put out signs for Cory Brown last night at my polling place, then schmoozed a little at lunch and after work.  It was interesting to see which of the neighbors were GOP supporters (the only ballots today at my polling place were GOP); saw most of my Neighborhood Watch, plus a few guys named ‘Coach’.

The Alabama Republican Primary Runoff will be held this Tuesday, July 15th.  Here is a copy of the Madison County sample ballot.  I didn’t endorse any candidates before the primary.  I was a guest on a radio program that morning discussing the races and did not feel it would be appropriate.  This time I have no reason to not offer up my preferred candidates.

AL-05 Congressional Race

The big race on the ballot is for the 5th district congressional seat Republican nomination.  Wayne Parker nearly won the primary outright in a field of six contenders, but came up 1% of the vote shy of doing so.  He will almost certainly defeat Cheryl Baswell Guthrie in the runoff.  Wayne is clearly the better of the two Republicans and has secured endorsements from two of his primary opponents: Angelo Mancuso and George Barry.

I recommend Wayne Parker.

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 1

I’ll just say that I’m not a big fan of voting for judges.  I don’t consider myself skilled at assessing their qualifications.  Both Beth Kellum and Lucie McLemore seem capable of doing a fine job in this capacity.  That said, I’m voting for Beth Kellum.

Public Service Commission President

This has been a rather strange race.  Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, who won the most votes in the three-way primary, is certainly a faithful member of the Republican party and has made that quite clear in all her advertising.  She has also curiously run ads boasting that she is pro-life (this is Alabama, after all), which has no significance in this race since last I checked Alabama Power and other entities she would oversee don’t perform abortions.  Matt Chancey came in second in the primary and it seems that most of the criticism about him has come as a result of his more conservative religious beliefs and some of his wife’s thoughts on women’s roles.  Cavanaugh’s party ties will help in the runoff when only the faithful come out to vote.  But, I do think that Matt has better ideas on how to keep our utility rates low by encouraging things like expanding nuclear power.

I recommend Matt Chancey.

Madison County Tax Collector

This race pits Angela Stafford against Cory Brown.  Stafford has worked for the Tax Collector’s office for nearly a decade and has offered up some good ideas for improving operations there.  But Brown has proposed a better idea: consolidating the offices of the Tax Collector and Tax Assessor into a single Revenue Commissioner office like other parts of the state.  That will save us, the taxpayers, serious money.

I recommend Cory Brown.

(Full disclosure: I believe strongly enough in Brown that I will be working my polling place for him on Tuesday.)

Reactionary Update:

AL-05 Congressional Race

I went to middle school with Wayne Parker, played on the same basketball team at the YMCA with him, have a Parker yard sign and bumper sticker.  Note that at times I’ve been positively impressed by Cheryl, plus I like ads featuring monkeys (okay, chimpanzees).

I’m voting for Wayne Parker.

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 1

Beth Kellum was kind enough to speak with me for almost 30 minutes after one of her speeches. I’m certain that she knows the job of the Court of Criminal Appeals. Note that Lucie McLemore has a judge’s demeanor (which is a good thing for a judge - thoughtful and reserved). 

I’m voting for Beth Kellum.

Public Service Commission President

The PSC Presidency seems to me to be more of an administrative job, with some PR.  IMO Twinkle knows State Government well enough to perform the job; note that I expect great things from Matt Chancey (run for and win an office).

I’m voting for Twinkle Cavanaugh.

Madison County Tax Collector

I like the idea of efficient Government and I think that combining the Tax Collector and Tax Assessor offices is a good plan.  I’ve met Cory Brown, and aside from appreciating his gardening knowledge (he used to host the Saturday morning WVNN garden show), I like his energy and ideas. I have a Brown yard sign, plus I will also be working polling places on Tuesday. Note that Angela Stafford is competent and would be a good choice.

I’m voting for Cory Brown.

Madison County residents have a great opportunity to shrink the county government this year.  Cory Brown is running for the position of Tax Collector with the intent of consolidating that office with the Tax Assessor’s to create a Revenue Commissioner.  That means a significant cost savings to the tax payers of Alabama of around $100,000 per year.

Brown, who owns and operates a successful local garden center, is a true Conservative with sound convictions.  He is not running as a politician looking to earn a living on the public dole.  He is running with the sole intent of reducing the size of our county government and streamlining tax operations using a system similar to what many other counties in Alabama use.

Vote Cory Brown for Madison County Tax Collector on Tuesday, July 15th in the Republican primary runoff and vote to shrink our county government.

Here is a copy of Brown’s campaign flyer.

Fellow Madison County residents are painfully familiar with the slow service that comes with renewing a driver’s license or registering a car in the department run by Mark Craig. Well, now that it’s an election year he is finally trying to do his job.

From the Madison County Record:

Madison County’s license office may soon be moving from its location at Southern Family Market to the old post office on Hughes Road.

License Commissioner Mark Craig spoke about the plans Tuesday at the Madison County Commission’s budget hearings. He said he’d like to move the license office in Madison from its current location in the Southern Family Market on the corner of Wall Triana and Highway 72 to where the old post office building is located on Hughes Road.

…

Craig did ask for more money to help increase the number of employees in order to staff the new larger facilities.

From AL.com:

Q. Why can we not get a driver’s license in the county satellite office in Southern Family Markets on Bailey Cove Road? This would certainly help with other offices that have outgrown their space.

A. Madison County License Director Mark Craig said he is trying to get the state’s permission to issue driver’s licenses at the south Huntsville supermarket. Craig said his office is prepared to buy the more than $21,000 computer system needed to print licenses there as soon as the Alabama Department of Public Safety gives the thumbs-up.

And just think - if you vote for Mark Craig this November in just six short years he’ll start trying to earn his pay again!

Of course, we have a better choice: Susan Newman. She is pledging to increase the efficiency of the Madison County License Department and give us shorter lines. She has some pictures posted of the lines in a couple of the branches - one of which is the Madison Satellite at Southern Family Markets that has made my blood boil numerous times.

Newman’s first objective is to cross-train employees in the satellite offices. This would be a major improvement that would deal with something that I have personally recognized as a shamefully obvious measure that Mark Craig has chosen not to do. Every time I’ve gone to a branch to register a vehicle or get a new drivers license I find myself standing in a very slow line of ten or more people while I watch a couple of employees in the property tax line (well, a line without people) filing their nails, reading magazines, and chatting on their phones. Meanwhile those of us who are missing work to stand in line glare at them - hoping one of them will put down their issue of Soap Opera Digest and help us. It can’t possibly be that hard, all the departments use the same software. Susan Newman would ease our pain and stop wasting tax dollars by working with those departments to make sure all employees can help whatever taxpayers are standing in line.

Too many people don’t pay attention to the “down ballot” races and we’ve found out what happens in Madison County when you do that: you get Mark Craig and long lines. Pause briefly this November before you vote and visualize those long lines you’ve stood in time after time. Then vote for Susan Newman and shrink those lines.

The Madison County Commission is developing the Budget for the fiscal year starting October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.

Madison County Commission Budget Hearings are set for June 24 and 25, the mornings of both days. — Madison County Courthouse, 7th floor, Commission Boardroom.

Here’s the most recent budget posted (FY2007) at the Madison County website.

Gas, jail are big items in county budget

Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie (D) said it’s too early to know how much tax money will be available to spend in the fiscal year… The county’s General Fund budget should grow from the current $37.3 million…

The county collected $168.5 million in property taxes in 2007, up $20.2 million from the year before. Property taxes, which provide about half of the county’s operating budget, have been growing steadily since Alabama switched to yearly property reappraisals in 2003. The average annual increase has been $14.6 million.

But not all of that money goes to the County Commission. The state, local schools and the Huntsville, Madison, New Hope, Gurley, Triana and Owens Cross Roads city councils also get a cut.

Commissioner Bob Harrison (D) makes some good suggestions (note that the City of Huntsville has weekly garbage pickup):

Commissioner Bob Harrison, D-Huntsville, said the county may have to switch to weekly garbage pickup to save fuel. Now, neighborhoods in Madison and some parts of the unincorporated county get twice-weekly service… He said he also wants to talk to Alabama A&M University about making biodiesel fuel for county garbage trucks.

 UPDATE:

Agencies seek budget boosts:

…The board has until Sept. 30 to adopt a budget for fiscal 2008-09… Almost every county department and agency - about 40 in all - is asking commissioners for a budget bump…

…Mental Health Center of Madison County… has requested $75,000 from the county, which (MHC Director) Davis said would provide 20 to 25 people with therapy for a year. (Madison County Commissioner Faye) Dyer (R) said the agency is a good deal for taxpayers, because it keeps mentally ill people from ending up in jail and hospital psychiatric wards on the public’s dime. 

The Huntsville Times article Sales tax hike unlikely in cities provides the following opinions and quotes from public officials (thanks to The Times for getting them on record):

Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer has not considered asking the council to approve one.

(Madison) Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said with 57 percent of Madison residents voting against the recently proposed half-cent sales tax, it was clear to him that Madison residents don’t want it.

“I’m not in favor of raising taxes on the people, certainly not with everything going out of sight like gasoline and food prices,” said (Huntsville) Councilwoman Sandra Moon.

(Huntsville) Councilman Bill Kling said the nearly 2-to-1 defeat of the sales tax, coupled with the city’s special tax districts that have provided more than $75 million in recent years for new and renovated city schools, also makes him not inclined to support a sales tax hike.

(Huntsville) Council President Glenn Watson wants to know specifically how city schools would spend the money before committing to a position on a higher city sales tax… he’s more in favor of helping schools with a TIF (tax increment financing) plan than with additional sales taxes.

(Huntsville) Councilman Mark Russell seemed receptive to a sales tax hike for schools, but only if the money is shared for other city needs such as roads and improvements to the Von Braun Center… “I’d like to see the school system make some changes, which they seem to be in the process of doing with consolidating schools and maximizing their resources”.

(Madison) Councilwoman Cynthia McCollum said she believes that for a sales tax increase to work it would have to be a regional effort.  “I think what has perhaps been lacking is that all of us, the County Commission, Huntsville and Madison all need to sit down together and hammer out a solution to this problem and if that solution means a collective sales tax for the entire region then I would support it”.

(Madison) Council President Steve Haraway said based on how Madison residents voted on the issue in the June 3 election that he would not support a city sales tax increase.

(Madison) Councilman Jerry Jennings said he has serious reservations about the consequences of a unilateral sales tax increase…  He said if Huntsville agreed to it, he’d have no problem following suit.

(Madison) Councilman Tim Cowles said he’d rather see a citywide ad valorem increase. “I just don’t think a sales tax increase is a good idea,” Cowles said. “And the reason why is because we can float bonds against ad valorem taxes and if it’s going to be used for infrastructure, really the way to do it is through bonds.” Cowles said regardless, he’d want it to go before the residents for a vote.

(Madison) Councilman Tommy Overcash said he believes after the results of the recent election that “I would really have to look at all the information before making a decision.”  “It hasn’t been asked for yet and I know they’re regrouping and looking at their options and who knows, it could be a countywide push for an ad valorem tax increase…”

(Madison) Councilman Larry Vannoy said he wants to understand more about the financial straits the system is facing before he gets into a sales tax conversation. “I’d like to see what other solutions might be out there and have a public debate on the issue,” Vannoy said. “If the public is going to support it, I think they need to be more informed and be assured that it will fix the problem.”

(Madison) Councilman Bob Wagner said he would only support it if a vote of the people showed they wanted it.  “In the recent election it was overwhelmingly shot down by residents of Madison”.

Madison School Board President Sue Helms said she expects the board will approach city leaders about a city sales tax increase after the Aug. 26 elections. Regardless of what happens, she said the portables that will be needed at Bob Jones High School will be put out front, not hidden behind the school.

Keep in mind that Municipal Elections are coming soon… August 26.

UPDATE:

 The Madison County Record in Commission fends off talk of tax increase gets the Madison County Commission on the record (thank you to the Record):

Commissioner Roger Jones, District 1, said he wanted to put an end to the rumors the commission may pass the tax even though the voters had said no… “The voters voted and they voted overwhelmingly in support of not putting this tax on, almost two to one, and I respect that vote”.

Commissioner Faye Dyer, District 2, agreed she would not vote for a sales tax increase unless the voters of Madison County approved it as well. “The people have spoken”.

Commissioner Bob Harrison, District 6, said he would entertain the idea of a sales tax but he would have to see how it would benefit the people of his district. “The caveat that my district has given to me is that there should be a no vote unless there is something in it for them”.

Commissioner Mo Brooks, District 5, wanted to see if there was any way to lock down the tax so it would not come before the commission again during the next four years…  “If there had been a way for us to do that it would have been important for us to do that so the school boards will know that they need to address their problems with their mayor and their city council’s”.

The Huntsville Times reports that the ” Madison County Board of Education is meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in a retreat at the Marriott Shoals Hotel in Florence”. “Superintendent Terry Davis has pointed out the already-overcrowded district has $160 million in needs today…”

I guess one of the needs is for the Board to take a two-day meeting in Florence, staying at an “elegant” “spa resort”.  Will the school principals (”seek input from principals”) shlep over to Florence and back or do they get “plush guest rooms” too? More:

Adding to their concerns are cuts in Alabama’s Education Budget for the 2008-09 year. The district already knows it can expect 3 percent less overall from the state program that pays for teachers and other instructional needs. And there will likely be an 8 percent cut in transportation funds.

Madison County Schools held a similar retreat at the same location last year. 

Note that the Times URL page is aptly named: “madison_county_school_board_ho”.

The Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa “invites you to experience a new level of refinement and charm among hotels in Florence, Alabama. Plush guest rooms feature comfortable luxury and modern conveniences, as well as private balconies providing stunning views of the river… Indulge in a lavish treatment at this Alabama spa resort, offering the pinnacle of rejuvenation”.

 UPDATE:

John Ehinger of the Huntsville Times says Let’s annex the Marriott Shoals:

For reasons I can’t quite fathom, every time the Madison County or City of Madison school boards go on retreat, they hop in their cars and race to the Marriott Shoals, where for a few days, apparently, they engage in the kind of heart-to-heart dialogue they seem unable to engage in here.

I guess they sit in a circle on folding chairs and wail about how the people just don’t understand. But I don’t know.

In short, they take serious discussions of a serious issue - public education - out of the community they serve. And while the sessions (because of that darned state open-meetings law) are open to the public, how many parents can drop what they’re doing, find supervision for their kids and follow the entourage out of town for a few days?

The latest to frolic at the Shoals Marriott was the Madison County school board and other school officials. Superintendent Terry Davis was careful to note that the money spent was mostly federal money. That means, I assume, that it arrives from Mars every other week by bus and is thus paid by Martians and not by Alabamians or Americans.

I have a lot of respect for Ehinger’s professionalism, and now I’m gaining more respect for his humor as well.  Madison County Schools Superintendent Davis just got schooled; let’s hope he realizes it…

The Clean Water Act of 1972 Section 305 established biennial reporting to Congress, called the National Water Quality Inventory.  The EPA gathers river water quality assessments using 305-(b) Reports (the latest online assessment data for the Flint River is 2004).  For lakes, the similar report is the 314 Report.  If a river is “impaired” then it goes on a State list called the 303(d) List.

Here’s the EPA calling the Flint River a Success Story:

Runoff from agricultural activities and urbanization contributed to organic enrichment and dissolved oxygen (DO) impairments in the lower mainstem of the Flint River in Alabama. The implementation of best management practices (BMPs) and stakeholder education and outreach enhanced water quality and helped the Flint River meet the water quality standards associated with its designated water use classifications. As a result, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) expects to remove a 28-mile segment of the Flint River from the state’s 2006 303(d) list of impaired waters.

The 20 mile stretch of the Flint River from the Tennessee River to Big Cove Creek 305(b) Report:

Water Quality Attainments

State Designated Use	Attainment Status	Threatened
CONTACT RECREATION	NOT SUPPORTING	No
FISHING	NOT SUPPORTING	No
PROPAGATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE	NOT SUPPORTING	No
INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURE USES	NOT SUPPORTING	No

Causes of Impairment 

State Impairment	EPA Impairment Classification
ORGANIC ENRICHMENT/DO	ORGANIC ENRICHMENT/OXYGEN DEPLETION

Probable Sources Contributing to Impairment

The sources listed below may contribute to one or more of the above-listed impairments.

State Source	EPA Source Classification
URBAN RUNOFF/STORM SEWERS	URBAN-RELATED RUNOFF/STORMWATER
AGRICULTURE	AGRICULTURE

The 7 mile stretch of the Flint River from Big Cove Creek to Hurricane Creek 305(b) Report:

Causes of Impairment

State Impairment	EPA Impairment Classification
ORGANIC ENRICHMENT/DO	ORGANIC ENRICHMENT/OXYGEN DEPLETION

Probable Sources Contributing to Impairment

The sources listed below may contribute to one or more of the above-listed impairments.

State Source	EPA Source Classification
URBAN RUNOFF/STORM SEWERS	URBAN-RELATED RUNOFF/STORMWATER
AGRICULTURE	AGRICULTURE

The 15 mile stretch of the Flint River from Alabama Highway 72 to Mountain Fork 305(b) Report:

Causes of Impairment

State Impairment	EPA Impairment Classification
PATHOGENS	PATHOGENS

Probable Sources Contributing to Impairment

State Source	EPA Source Classification
PASTURE GRAZING	AGRICULTURE

After reading these summary reports, my first thought is: eww, I know what “organic enrichment” and “pathogens” are and I might have gotten some on me.  It’s Cow Poo. And probably some People Poo, too, from failing septic tanks.

I called the local hero of the EPA Success Story mentioned above, our Flint River Watershed Coordinator, to learn more (important facts like he’s an Auburn grad).

Organic Enrichment means excessive nutrients such as fertilizer, manure (Poo!), and organic matter; the nutrients cause algae to bloom which suck all the air out of the river (oxygen depletion). Urban runoff is pretty much what you’d expect, and then some: dirt, gas / oil, fertilizers, pesticides, road grime, and whatever else that makes it into the gutters.  Pathogens are high counts of harmful bacteria, like fecal coliforms / enterococcus (Poo!).

I’ll do a follow-up post to describe the horrors of the State 303(d) List, which includes DDT, Mercury, and Arsenic in Huntsville Spring Branch (the big creek next to the soccer fields at the old airport).