Video: Scott Douglas spars with Stephen Colbert
on the Jan. 16 “Colbert Report.”

“The Colbert Report” took up Alabama’s immigration law, HB56, once again. Monday, host Stephen Colbert “debated” Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries.

The law has stirred debate over federal enforcement of immigration, labor rights, employment and more. Douglas spoke out against the law, saying the federal government should enforce a rewritten national law, rather than having local law enforcement uphold up to 50 separate state laws.

The comedy show had done a segment on HB56 in October, focusing on the law’s impact on state agriculture.

Video: “The Colbert Report” on Alabama’s immigration law
in October. 

Birmingham to choose from 13 candidates Tuesday

For the third time this year, Birmingham voters will visit the polls. Tuesday’s special election focuses on mayor, an office suddenly open after Larry Langford’s federal conviction in October.

We have found that 6 weeks is barely enough time to have an election, much less evaluate more than a dozen candidates.

Even though the winner will hold office for less than 2 years before the next election, much is riding on the outcome.

For starters, the city is in jeopardy. Bernard Kincaid seemed glacial in doing anything to move Birmingham forward. That stasis seems preferable to the rapid plunge into financial chaos and political embarrassment wreaked in just 2 short years by Larry Langford.

His reign of error ended only with the say of 12 jurors. But City Hall is in shambles, as is the public trust.

We’re building a dome, renovating Fair Park Arena and beginning to successfully fight crime. And yet, the budget has been criminally neglected (and perhaps, deliberately fudged). Carole Smitherman spent less than a month as interim mayor before the newly seated council tapped Roderick Royal as council president, thus taking over the interim mayoral duties.

In short, much confusion, little time and wary voters.

‘The candidates have failed
to distinguish themselves.’

The candidates have failed to distinguish themselves. The much heralded Patrick Cooper has raised (and spent) a lot of cash, but by doing so seems to be influenced by out-of-town interests. He missed high-profile forums, which has the odor of the artful dodge. While he made a splash in 2007 by receiving almost 30 percent of the vote, Cooper has done little since then to demonstrate his capacity for leadership.

With Smitherman and William Bell, we have two seasoned politicians who have served as interim mayor, albeit briefly, and lost in a combined five campaigns for the top office. Smitherman, a self-described mother figure, voted with Langford on many budget busters and wants to continue his projects, even as the city goes broke.

Bell, who picked up Langford’s unsolicited endorsement, also seems enmeshed in old school ways, both in campaigning and in office. He needs to continue and finish his work on the Jefferson County Commission: fixing its $3 billion sewer debt calamity.

Steven Hoyt is serving in his second term on council and recently was voted president pro tempore under questionable circumstances (the new acting mayor Royal voted, even though he was not allowed). When given the chance to fix things, he declined. Imagine what he’d do with real power.

Scott Douglas, one of the outsiders, has a good record of service to the city. And while his green platform might work in a more progressive and more solvent city, he seems to have no solution on getting the city’s finances back on track.

Emory Anthony ran twice against longtime mayor Richard Arrington in the early 1990s and lost. The defense attorney wants to bring the city’s finances in order, with transparency and accountability. The question is: Can he back it up?

We aren’t certain. We’re picking a mayor at gunpoint Tuesday, and chances are, we’ll still end up taking a bullet or two.

• • •

Voting takes place from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. A runoff, if needed, will take place Jan. 19.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: The answer is a call away. Jefferson County: 325-5550.

Or try AlabamaVotes.gov and click on “Search for My Polling Place.”

Join us Tuesday for election results
on Wade on Birmingham.

Remember, if you have problems at your polling place:

• Notify a poll worker immediately.
• Obtain a complaint/evaluation form (or download jpgs of pages 1 and 2). Print it, fill it out, copy and mail it.
• Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
• Call the secretary of state at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or visit her site, StopVoterFraudNow.com.
• And tell the probate court for Jefferson County (325-5203).
• Leave a comment below.

Q. Who’s running for mayor?

A. The 13 candidates …

Note: Ernie Dunn died on Thursday.

Also:

• Birmingham News editorial board endorsement: “(Emory) Anthony brings a regional approach to governing that has been in far too short supply.”
• Kyle Whitmire of the Birmingham Weekly on the financial crisis: “Few candidates in the special-called mayoral election have demonstrated an understanding of what faces the city.”
• One blogger’s take? None of the above.
• Patrick Cooper leads fund-raising, but also campaign debt.
• Pavo Magazine podcast discusses the candidates.

  Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Are you voting? Who has your vote? Vote in the poll above, and leave a comment below.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Scott Douglas, executive direc­tor of Greater Birmingham Ministries, is running for mayor of Birmingham.

WBHM (90.3 FM) interview:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

More interviews with all the candidates will be added daily. Election Day is Tuesday.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Birmingham mayoral town hall: from left,
Emory Anthony, William Bell and Scott Douglas.

Five candidates for mayor of Birmingham came to Tuesday’s town hall. The event, sponsored by progressive young professional group Catalyst, took place at WorkPlay before hundreds of attendees.

Topics ranged from the budget to the arts to local food, with questions from audience members and the moderator.

The participants:

• Emory Anthony;
• William Bell;
• Scott Douglas;
• Steven Hoyt;
• Carole Smitherman.

(Organizers invited Patrick Cooper, who did not attend citing previous commitments. At the beginning of the event, T.C. Cannon asked to participate but was denied.)

From left, Steven Hoyt, Carole Smitherman
and moderator Natalie Davis.

Included below are audio clips of the candidates’ responses.

1. Candidate introductions
Order: Anthony, Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman.
[15 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Moderator questions

2. Fixing the city’s financial mess
Order: Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony.
[9 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

3. Where to cut city budget
Order: Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell.
[4 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

4. What do you want to be your biggest accomplishment in 2 years as mayor?
Order: Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell, Douglas.
[5 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audience questions

5. How can the mayor facilitate partnerships among families, schools and communities?
Order: Smitherman, Hoyt, Douglas, Bell, Anthony.
[7 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

6. Air pollution
Order: Hoyt, Douglas, Bell, Anthony, Smitherman.
[7 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

7. Supporting local food initiatives / community gardens
Order: Douglas, Bell, Anthony, Smitherman, Hoyt.
[6 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

8. Arts funding
Order: Bell, Anthony, Smitherman, Hoyt, Douglas.
[5 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

9. Making it a “Magic City” / attracting young people
Order: Anthony, Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman.
[6 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

10. If you don’t win, how will you make Birmingham better during the next 2 years?
Order: Bell, Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony.
[6 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

11. Closing statements
Order: Douglas, Hoyt, Smitherman, Anthony, Bell.
[9 min.]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Also: a town hall report from the Birmingham News.

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Two more candidates are in the race for mayor of Birmingham bringing the total to 14.

• T.C. Cannon — retired bar owner and former president of the Southside neighborhood association. He placed eighth in the 2003 mayoral election.
• William Jason Sumners — no information available.

Also, Natalie Davis, political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College, and André Natta, publisher of the Terminal, discuss the candidates and themes so far in this election.

Here’s the final list of candidates:

• Emory Anthony
• William Bell
• T.C. Cannon (see above)
• Patrick Cooper
• Scott Douglas
• Ernie Dunn
• Steven Hoyt
• Stephannie Sigler Huey
• Edith Mayomi
• Carole Smitherman
• Jimmy Snow
• William Jason Sumners (see above)
• Jody Trautwein
• Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner

The election takes place Dec. 8.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

Scott Douglas to announce his candidacy also on Thursday

William Bell has entered the race for mayor of Birmingham, or at least, has announced his media conference for 10 a.m. Thursday in Linn Park. The Jefferson County commissioner and former city councilor announced his intention via media release [pdf].

Bell served briefly as interim mayor following the retirement of Richard Arrington. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1999, 2003 and 2007, coming closest in 2003 until the runoff election against incumbent Bernard Kincaid. He began his service on the city council in 1979 and was the first black council president.

He devised the Bell Plan, selling the Birmingham Water Works for $200 million that went to school improvements.

Bell’s campaign Web site, WilliamBellForMayor.com, appears to be under construction.

• • •

Scott Douglas also intends to run. His conference will also be at 10 a.m. Thursday, but at Kelly Ingram Park.

Douglas announced via a media release [pdf] (written in the past tense) on his campaign site, DouglasForMayor.org, defining his platform as “green jobs, green schools, green transportation, green communities.”

He has served since 1992 as executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries, an interfaith group that serves the underprivileged and functions as community organizer.

The number of mayoral candidates has reached 11.

Hat tip to The Terminal for breaking stories on both candidates.

Also:

• Bhamwiki tracks the mayoral candidates

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.