INDEX

President's Message

Ah! It’s over! Because Alabama is a very red state, we weren’t bombarded with as much campaign garbage as the “Swing States.” So we simply have to deal with all the media soul-searching.

This year the League worked harder than I’ve ever seen here registering voters and helping out at the Board of Registrars. Several thoughts after that experience:

How gratifying it was to help elderly voters find their way to the correct polling place. Many people were confused because polling places are adjusted after redistricting. That happened after the 2000 election. Change is not easy for older citizens and I hope we helped by calmly explaining how it all worked.

I was amazed how a number of younger people seemed unfazed when told they were not registered, the deadline had passed and they couldn’t vote. No big deal to them. There’s work to be done there.

There’s work to be done on the whole voting process. HAVA seems to be creating as many problems as it solves. After Anne Marie Adams spoke at our October meeting, many of us had many questions about the absentee voting situation.

League members worked the phones in the JeffCo Board of Registrars, with about 15 phone lines, computers and a large room. I’m told that Shelby County (the fastest growing county in Alabama) had four phones in a very small room.

Perhaps the Birmingham League might want to do a study on voting systems in Jefferson and Shelby counties, relative to HAVA, Alabama statute and available resources. If adopted at our Annual Business Meeting in May, the study and possible consensus might be completed in a year. That would leave time for advocacy at the state and local levels and plenty of citizen education before the Midterm Elections. Food for thought.

Because we will probably not publish in December, I would like to wish all of you a peaceful holiday season.

How We Voted

:	Estimated Voter Turnout		Bush		Kerry		Nader
State of Alabama	66%		62.5%		36.8%		.36%
Jeferson County	76%		54.2%		45.2%		.34%
Shelby County	80%		80.4%		18.8%		.36%

Voters Service

League members should be strutting!! Over 500 new voters were registered by League sponsored activities. Registering about 100 voters at some of the Birmingham shelters were Rebecca Stafford, Jean Johnson, Helen Rivas and two students from Indian Springs School, Mary and Anna Chiles.

In the hectic last 2 ½ weeks at the Board of Registrar’s office, LWVGB members answered phones, processed voter registration papers, retrieved information from the computer and did whatever else was needed. We even had a couple volunteers who chose to pull a shift after their own work. Truly an inspiring group! The work was intense but satisfying and had the feel of getting to the heart of the League’s original basis, empowering people to vote.

Those working at the Registrar’s Office include Sarah McDonald, Jean Johnson, Becky Sylvester, Bill Sylvester, Diane Holmes, Gayle England, Myra Thompson, Avery Hurt, Beverly Nelson, Rebecca Stafford, Ruth Wright, Kathryn Kerchof, Rose Packer, Amy Allon, Judith Hand, Virginia Randolph, Leslie O'Neil, Mary Lynn Bates and Dick Nelson. Some people worked several days. Jefferson County Registrar Nell Hunter indicated that she could use all the help she could get and the League turned out to do it.

Voters Service, after a brief respite, will begin looking at activities to plan for the 2006 election, which will include many of the State Offices.Voters Service, after a brief respite, will begin looking at activities to plan for the 2006 election, which will include many of the State Offices.

LWVGB Active in Constitutional Reform Petition Drive

During the General Election on November 2, Alabama Citizen’s for Constitutional Reform (ACCR) began a year long statewide campaign to collect signatures on the petition calling for a citizen’s convention to rewrite the 1901 Alabama Constitution. LWVGB was a key player in the Jefferson County effort. Thirteen members helped collect signatures at various precincts. Rebecca Stafford, Lucy Jones and Eva Click were precincts captains, and Cary Page and Nancy Ekberg coordinated the county effort.

Despite rainy weather all day, nine precinct collection efforts opened. The weather impacted five, but four were quite successful. Over 3,500 signatures were collected locally and over 20,000 statewide. There was a strong positive response from voters who understood the issue and deep skepticism and confusion by the many unaware of the issues. We have a lot of work to do during this next year.

Corrections

Last month’s issue contained incorrect information. The page two article on our September meeting said a voter could be moved to inactive status after failing to vote for 2 cycles, or 8 years. A cycle is two years, so a voter can be changed to inactive status after 4 years. The same article indicated that a voter could register at the polls and then cast a provisional ballot. One state does allow this… but, unfortunately, it is NOT Alabama. Please accept our apologies.

Holiday Luncheon New Orleans Style

Our annual Holiday luncheon will be at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 4th at Copeland’s of New Orleans on Highway 280. The restaurant is just past the I-459 interchange on the right as one drives east on Highway 280 to Sylacauga.

John Archibald, local columnist for the Birmingham News, will be the guest speaker.

Cost of the meal is $15.00 per person and a cash bar will be available. Attendees will have a choice of four different menu entrees: traditional New Orleans dish of sausage, red beans and rice; catfish; tomato basil chicken; and chicken Caesar salad. Please send your check to Sarah McDonald, 3357 Cherokee Road, B’ham, 35223 by Wednesday, Dec. 1st.

Observer Corps Report
Jefferson County Commission

The Jefferson County Commission approved a resolution to void its commitment to the BJCC Authority to finance expansion (that is, a domed stadium) unless the BJCCA secures the necessary funding from the City of Birmingham and State of Alabama by January 1, 2005. Commissioner Langford proposed a smaller stadium be built where the abandoned Sears building is now located.

County funds of $250,000 from fiscal year 2004 were approved to pay the public relations firm contract and $200,000 was pledged to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Foundation.

The Sewer Extension & Expansion Policy carried forward from July was approved at the November 9 meeting. An interesting side note to this is the FBI search of Jack Swann’s home a few weeks earlier. Jack Swann is director of Jefferson County Environmental Services and was the county’s sewer program manager for several years. Search warrants were also served at Roland Pugh Construction in Bessemer. This firm has received a lot of sewer contracts in the last few years and has also done work on Mr. Swann’s residence.

Though not mentioned in the commission meetings, Sheriff Mike Hale has ordered that no cars with sheriff’s markings be parked in front of Commissioner Smoot’s residence without his permission. Ms. Smoot’s office had arranged for four county-owned vehicles (three marked sheriff cars and an out-of-service detective sedan) to be parked outside her Southside home since September. A county resident filed a complaint with the Sheriff’s Department that she was misusing public property. Smoot’s office said the vehicles were placed there in response to threats she has received.

State League Studies Legislature Effectiveness

The LWVAL is studying the effectiveness of the Alabama Legislature in dealing with statewide issues and its openness and responsiveness to all Alabamians. Mary Lynn Bates is local chair of the study. Members are collecting information and conducting interviews on

• The Legislature’s management of the budget process
• How the structure and functioning of the two houses affect the Legislature’s ability to address needs of the state
• Legislative practices that affect the Legislature’s openness and responsiveness to all Alabamians

Preliminary information will be presented to League members in a January meeting. This will be the time to familiarize ourselves with the topic in preparation for taking consensus later in the year. Additional study and consensus materials will be available to local Leagues in the fall of 2005.

Volunteers Needed to Interview Legislators

The LWVAL has asked the LWVGB to participate in interviews of State Legislators between November 13 and January 13. The State League hopes to have the interviews completed before the Legislature convenes. LWVGB is assigned to interview the Shelby and Jefferson County Delegation. The State League provides 4-6 questions and the interview guidelines. Volunteers call the legislators and arrange a mutually convenient meeting of about 20-30 minutes. Those who participated last year enjoyed meeting with the Legislators. This is also a great opportunity for our Legislators to meet League members. Some of the legislators still keep in contact.

Member participation in this project is important. To volunteer call or email Virginia Randolph at vrand@bellsouth.net, 699-5582, or Sarah McDonald at smcdonald3357@charter.net, 967-2829.