freeThinkBham

As progressives, readers of freeThinkBirmingham are probably sympathetic to teachers' unions and may be suspicious of the charter school movement.

However, what recently happened to Alabama public education should rile all Alabama citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

Recently, a law was introduced that would legalize charter schools in Alabama.

Due to the stipulations of President Obama's "Race to the Top" education funding plan, legalizing charter schools helps a state qualify for part of the $180 million available to states.

This was truly a no-brainer, more choices, more funding, win-win.

Nearly everyone who cares about education in Alabama came out in favor of the law.

For it: Birmingham News, The Alabama Policy Institute, Gov. Bob Riley, Alabama Possible, Caroline Novack of the A+ Partnership, Former Congressman Jack Edwards in the Mobile Press-Register (Hat tip for the last two to the Left in Alabama blog).

There was really just one organization that didn't like the law: the almighty Alabama
Education Association.

So how did the AEA get its way over all these concerned citizens? They bought the Alabama House Education Appropriations Committee.

Montgomery Advisor:

Last week the House Education Appropriations Committee voted 13-2 to indefinitely postpone a bill that would allow state and local school systems to start charter schools. On Wednesday, the Senate Finance and Taxation-Education Committee voted 13-4 to kill a Senate version of the legislation. The two committee votes effectively kill any chance of charter schools being used soon in Alabama.

Turns out that for eight of the 13 committee members for which I could find information, the AEA was one of the top-five biggest campaign contributors. The AEA paid tens of thousands of dollars for those "no" votes.

Progressives talk so much about the importance of democracy. What happened to the Alabama charter school law is not democracy. It is a clear example of special interest groups buying votes and usurping the authority of and thwarting the efforts of the citizens.

Here you can find each of their names. To get each one's e-mail address and phone number, just click on the name. I haven't been able to find who voted yes and no, so you might just begin by asking how they voted. Or, if someone is able to find this info, please share it in the comments.

Whether it's the AEA or the NRA, special interests shouldn't be able to buy votes like this. Let's stand up to special interests and let our elected officials know that we're paying just as much attention to the issues as the special interest groups are, and we outnumber them.

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Cathy Reisenwitz is a concerned Birmingham-area resident who blogs at http://anarcho-capitalism-blog.com/.

akbrim Politics AEA, legislation

Reflections on the 2009 AL Legistlative Session | Rep. Patricia Todd

Artur Davis: Clean Energy Bill Bad for Alabama | Progressive Electorate

Why We Need a Public Option: Health Insurance Market Failure in AL | Left in Alabama

Planners seek grant for electric buses to link Birmingham neighborhoods to Downtown | Bham News

Birmingham LGBT PRIDE | Left in Alabama

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The Grace and Grit of Lily Ledbetter | Thicket Magazine

Let’s put our faith in a new Clean Energy Economy | Alabama Conservationist

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Polluted Air in Alabama linked to Cancer | Locust Fork News-Journal

admin General Artur Davis, climate change, legislation, LGBT, Patricia Todd

***UPDATE*** (Nov 20th, 2009)
Artur Davis, after first voting for the Stupak amendment to the House health care bill, which restricts women’s reproductive rights (read what to do about it here), voted against the health care bill altogether. That’s just blatant disregard for the people of Alabama who voted him into the House of Representatives as a Democrat. I’m all for having him as our Governor and I know he’s probably just doing all this to get elected in Alabama, but how much is he going to have to change, and is it even worth it?

Rep. Artur Davis, gubernatorial candidate for Alabama, recently voted “No” on the Matthew Shepard Act which would expand the hate-crimes law to include crimes committed because of someone’s perceived gender or sexual orientation. Here’s what he had to say about his vote…

Two years ago, I voted for federal hate crimes legislation. Since casting that vote, a number of my constituents have made it very clear to me that they disagreed with this vote, and I have tried to weigh their arguments carefully.

Some of the objections have been based on distortions of what this bill actually does. Other objections have reflected nothing more than animosity toward some of the groups who would be covered. Candidly, I have not given a lot of weight to arguments based on groundless claims or fears. But as I have thought more deeply about this issue, there is an argument from my constituents that I have not been able to answer.

Some of my constituents ask why our federal laws should pick out some Americans for more protections than others. Some wonder why, in a culture that rejects violence against any human being, we should say that an attack on a black, or a woman, or a gay individual should be punished more severely than an attack on someone who happens to be a senior citizen, or a soldier, or a teacher. Others ask why some motives based on certain ideas should be punished by our criminal laws more aggressively than others.

The people raising these issues are in my opinion not bigoted people. They are Americans who are advancing fundamental questions about just what equal protection under the law should mean. After a lot of reflection, I have decided that I do not have good answers as to why our laws should not protect all of our people with the same force, and for that reason, I have changed my vote to a “no” on the federal hate crimes bill.

I think it’s obvious why all his constituents don’t support this act. We’re from a state where people take the Old Testament Bible a little too seriously, and use it to mask and fuel their bigotry. It’s sad that Davis is having to appease these irrational people with this vote but that doesn’t, however, excuse it.

This bill isn’t to give special treatment to people who are LGBT, it’s to make it more obvious that it is completely not acceptable to victimize them just as the original hate-crimes law came at a time when people needed reinforcement about how they should treat black people. If there wasn’t violent crime happening against gay people, there would be no need for this bill. Artur Davis should be EXPLAINING that to his constituents rather than appeasing them. Sanity is not statistical, and he shouldn’t have to vote for something wrong just because a majority of constituents think it’s right. However, if he actually, as he claims, doesn’t believe that gay people should be included in this law, then he is wrong and I really don’t know if I could vote for him.

admin Politics Artur Davis, civil rights, legislation, LGBT, religion

MoveOn.org wants clean energy supporters to show up at 2:00pm on Friday, April 17th at Artur Davis’ Downtown Birmingham office to help deliver letters from small businesses about the importance of passing Obama’s clean energy jobs plan.

From their site:

Big corporations like Exxon Mobil and BP are making headlines opposing President Obama’s plan for a clean energy economy.1

But the behind-the-scenes truth is this: Millions of small businesses in every neighborhood support clean energy. They just haven’t had a way to be heard in Washington—until now.

On Friday, we’ll be delivering more than 15,000 letters of support for clean energy from small-business leaders to our members of Congress.

MoveOn volunteers have been pounding the pavement for weeks to collect these letters. Small businesses are such great messengers to tell Congress that clean energy will grow our economy, create more jobs, and lower electric bills.

These are simple, fun events. We’ll gather outside of the local congressional office where we’re delivering the letters, listen to a few remarks from local small-business leaders, and then go inside to deliver these letters. Having a good crowd is important to show our strength.

Good local jobs mean more money flowing into local businesses. And since those jobs can’t be shipped overseas, we can count on a thriving economy for a long time to come. We can’t afford not to invest in clean energy.

Can you join us on Friday, Apr. 17, 2009, at 2:00 PM in Birmingham to deliver letters from small businesses in support of Obama’s clean energy jobs plan?

Click Here to Sign Up!

Or just show up at 2:00pm to the office.
Birmingham City Center, 2 North 20th Street
Birmingham, AL 35203

admin Green, Politics activism, Artur Davis, legislation, Obama, pollution

Christian churches were the main proponents of Dubya’s regime of war and planet-trashing. They’re also the main opponents of certain rights for people who are LGBT, immigrants, and women. And now, in Alabama, their mission is to stop gambling. Why do these churches–claiming to be centers of spirituality–think they are the final word on what is right and wrong?

Spirituality can obviously be attained anywhere. The other day while mountain biking, I was so focused on pedaling and steering and changing gears that my lower mind just tranced out and I started connecting to and “feeling” higher truths. It’s not that I was thinking any great thoughts, but I became solely focused and completely involved in very clear thoughts. These moments of tranced-out connection can happen to everyone at any time so I know you know what I’m talking about. To give these times of truth-connection a culturally pertinent name, I’ll call them “god moments.” A great song, sewing, an Obama speech, jogging, and yes, even church can give you these god moments.

Only in the church, however, are these god moments then linked to a moral system of right and wrong. I would argue that, conversely, more spirituality (which leads you away from your own ego and outside your small world) should lead to less absolute morality as you start getting a more mean (i.e. averaged, not hostile) view of existence as a whole. And i think this is where the church is failing the world, and themselves.

Everyone knows the Ethics 101 scenarios of shooting one man to save someone else from shooting 2 men that flip our morality on its head. And then there’s the people who oppose abortion but eat the meat of animals that have actually lived on this planet, or the vegetarian who eats plants that, you’ll agree if you’ve seen a venus fly trap, show arguably more consciousness than a human fetus, and so on and so on. Throughout the course of time, humans views of right and wrong have molded to help further our species and will continue to do so. Religion shoots itself in the foot by acting like its spirituality gives it the stronghold on absolute morality at that current time, only to have to go back every so often and admit that they were wrong then but NOW they have it right (e.g. slavery, the Inquisition, punishing sons for the crimes of the father, and women’s role in society). How long can this go on without people just completely giving up on it? They’ll soon find they can get their god moments anywhere and won’t need the church anymore.

All the church needs to do is accept that they have a successful and popular means for people to tap into the power of truth and forget all about trying to play the role of the moral superior. So by all means, sing and pray while we ALL weave our way through the labyrinth of right and wrong, and perhaps I’ll watch a Herzog film, go to a Hold Steady show… or just ride my bike.

admin Living civil rights, gambling, legislation, LGBT, religion

First, the proposed elimination of sales tax on groceries which unfairly taxes the poor was shot down. Now, the bill to ban smoking in public places and indoor work places has been pulled. While debating it, Sen. Charles Bishop, R-Arley said this:

“When someone can’t smoke or have sex in their private office, we’re in bad shape.

These are the kind of people we’re dealing with. These are the people that are holding this state back. Is this guy from the Stone Age? Does he think the office is just a good place to bang the secretary and smoke a cigarette? Get real! He’s supposed to be representing people who have REAL jobs.

They are so worried with everyone’s personal rights to smoke but what about the rights of those who choose not to smoke and don’t want to have to breathe it every time they’re in public? It’s just so hypocritical.

admin Politics legislation, smoking ban, vivian davis figures

“Well children, now that we’ve heard about evolution from all these peer-reviewed scientists working from an ever-growing knowledge base of facts and discoveries, it’s time to turn to this other account of the origins of man… it comes from one book written thousands of years ago.”

That’s what State Rep. David Grimes and the Christian Coalition of Alabama are hoping to hear in Alabama classrooms in the future by promoting a new law in the state legislature.

How long must this go on? I have no problem with people having their own religion, but trying to have their completely unscientific ideas promoted in public classrooms that are supposed to be equipping our children for the future is just a bad idea. The Christian Coalition even went so far as to claim that the Shelby County Schools Superintendent was ignoring his duties and trying to “lobby to promote this ludicrous policy of promoting Darwinism” because he stated in a Alabama school superintendents meeting that the law was unnecessary.

At a time when so many other bills need to be passed in this state to catch up with the rest of modern society, I really just can’t believe people are promoting a bill that’s trying to put our state-taught science back in the Bronze Age.

admin Politics legislation, religion

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 24th, the AL legislature will vote on banning smoking, getting rid of the unfair grocery tax, and gambling. When did Baptists stop running this state?!? What next? Some recycling bill?

The Alabama Moderate blog wrote up a concise overview and their opinions on the bills called Gambling, Smoking, and Sales Tax! Oh My! It’s really good. Check it out.

admin Politics Bob Riley, gambling, legislation, Patricia Todd, smoking ban, vivian davis figures

…fewer than 23 percent of adults in Alabama smoke. Nobody is likely to lose a political career voting for a strong, statewide, anti-smoking policy.

Read this editorial about the challenges remaining for this bill to be passed.

admin Politics legislation, smoking ban, vivian davis figures

There’s a line of thought where schools are viewed as institutions for cranking out “good citizens” rather than good scholars by discouraging dissent, skepticism, and noncomformity. Alabama legislators are working on a bill that is a classic example of this.

It’s called Taylor’s Law. Essentially, it allows principals to suspend or delay the driver’s license of any “trouble-making” students. Now, it’s one thing if a student is purposefully keeping other students from learning. Yeah, sure, they should be disciplined and maybe their license is a good incentive. On the other hand, however, this seems WAY too subjective. What if this “troublemaker” is always interrupting or making a scene to inform his teacher that she was teaching something that was untrue or that he didn’t agree with. This child, who was actually trying to protect his fellow students against some sort of incorrect indoctrination, or at least using his right to free speech, now has limited mobility. This adds another level of control over the lives of dissenters in America. This bill sounds like something George W. Bush would have come up with to “protect us from terrorists.”

There’s also the fact that this bill would only apply to public schools. Let’s think about that for a second. If you have enough money to go to a private school, you don’t have to worry about this law at all. However, the rest of the people with less money and–not coincidentally–usually more reason to oppose the status quo and be viewed as “troublemakers” now are losing a very important freedom; i.e. being able to get around in a car.

Taylor’s Law should not be allowed to pass.

admin Politics legislation, Taylor's Law