Heads and tales: We dare defend
Thursday, April 10th, 2008If Alabama hasn’t received enough national media attention lately, the drought is over, friends.
Exhibit A: Don Siegelman freed by “60 Minutes.” The former governor talked with the news magazine about seeing his story and his challenge for Republican operative Karl Rove.
Check out his brief interview from last Sunday’s broadcast …
• Siegelman Future Hinges On Appeal [CBS News]
Exhibit B: How bad is the state’s tax system? PBS news magazine “Now” investigates.
“Now” gets inside the lives of three Alabamian families — each in a different income bracket — to document the impact of regressive tax policies on people’s lives and wallets. The program follows a working mom to a grocery store, showing viewers how a 10 percent sales tax on groceries makes a significant difference in what her family eats.
Viewers travel to the backwoods to meet a couple who have always held jobs but still face hunger. They wonder why the government takes such a big share of the salary they earn. The program also spends time with a well-to-do suburban couple who benefit from a system that gives them huge tax breaks, and we hear their opinion on a tax hike.
The show airs at 8:30 p.m. Friday on APT-10 (a one-time only resurrection from its current time slot, 3:30 a.m. Sundays, banished there by the cowards at Alabama Public Television). Video and podcast will be available next week on the show’s site and on iTunes.
• Alabama Tax Policies [APT]
Exhibit C: As the corruption in Alabama’s two-year college system comes to light, lawmakers are running scared. Many “work” for the system, and are now being hauled before a grand jury to prove they’re not in it just for money. Oh, but think of the children poorly educated not-quite-collegians! (Hat tip to our pal Dave.)
• Fear, Paranoia and, Yes, Some Loathing in Alabama State House [New York Times]
Also:
- Rains bring nearly full capacity for local pollution- and pharmaceutical-tainted lakes
- Council approves mayor’s plan to beat council with pointy sticks
- Ah, spring, when a young man’s fancy turns to— er, fancy? Really?
• • •
After nine months in prison, Don Siegelman is a free man. Sort of.
What’s wrong with Birmingham? And how do we fix it? Birmingham Weekly gathered city and community leaders for a series of conversations on the issues of the day. Crime, education, communication and cooperation all came up, along with a rather detailed discussion on the pros and cons of the neighborhood associations. The group includes a Langford staffer, the president of the County Commission, a brain, a princess, a basket case and a criminal.
Hoover dance instructor and 2006 national mambo champion Fabian Sanchez has partnered with Oscar winner Marlee Matlin. Not for a movie, but for something more glamorous: the sixth season of ABC’s reality competition, “Dancing With the Stars.” The show premiered last Monday.
Who’s got pull? The juice? The reach? In Alabama politics, the most powerful unelected person turns out to be union boss Paul Hubbert. (Though technically, he was elected by the membership.) The head of the Alabama Education Association ranked No. 1 in Danny’s list of the Top 40 movers and shakers who wield the sweetest power of all, untouchable.
The Big Dance starts nationwide Thursday, and eight teams are headed to Birmingham to Step. It. Up. The BJCC Arena will play host to first-round East region games of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament on Friday and Sunday. The matchups:
The Birmingham school board fired superintendent Stan Mims Tuesday night. His downfall? Taking a 
Jefferson County has never been in more financial trouble. Thanks to years of bonds and swaps, the interest payments have escalated to $3.2 billion (never mind the principal) on the infamous sewer improvements. Those bonds have been downgraded to junk status. And don’t forget an extra $1.4 billion owed, originally borrowed for school construction. Meanwhile, county commissioners are scratching their heads just figuring out how to pay the tab, even sending representatives to New York to beg for help from creditors. It’s a crazy system, one that has states and cities 
If “quarterlife” can make the jump from the Internet to 
Should your company set up and run a blog? Is it like the Wild West? Our pal Jimmy DeButts explores these topics in a special report in this week’s Birmingham Business Journal. And yes, yours truly snags a quote and a mention. The link takes you to the online snippet (full access comes only with a year’s subscription at $85). Or head to your favorite newsstand this week and slap down $2 for a print edition.
Once upon a time, Mayor Larry Langford wanted to give computers to all the good little boys and girls across the 
