Bentley v. Collier and Hubbard's 23 Felony Counts Moving Forward

Seems there's no limit to embarrassment we must endure in Alabama from our political parasites as the next iteration of corruption tremors were felt in Montgomery last month. Some commented they'd never heard of ALEA (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) until reading their March Alabama Gazette column on 'affidavit wars' in Judge Walker's adjudication of Speaker Hubbard's 23 felony counts which cited Special Agent Jack Wilson's conclusion. According to the Alabama Political Reporter after interviewing AG confidential informant Barron Coleman ALEA found his affidavit did not allege any violation of criminal law recommending, "no formal investigation be opened into the matter of Coleman's allegations."

Now ALEA Sect. Spencer Collier comes with allegations of Bentley's improprieties which appear triggered by far too many events to sort out. Some cite Mr. Collier's failed beggaring before Sen. Pittman's committee for more money while ALEA is still far too top heavy with bureaucrats after the State had the courage to rid itself of several redundant politburo agencies. Collier asserts he can't get rid of them while others under similar circumstances have been very effective. In my time in the real world (at Ford Motor Company) and the much more corrupt/subsidized world of universities one must have the courage to assign undesirable duties to cut cost. Doesn't matter if Collier puts them walking beats, administrative duties in the motor pool, janitorial oversite, etc. - even if the cuts were not 'fair' or no fault of their own. The problem(s) is often caused decades prior when the government (in better times) did things it had no business addressing to make the inevitable tough times to follow all the more deleterious. If discouraging enough to accelerate exit/retirement of this excess capacity of bureaucrats, all the better. Presidents where I've worked lacked the spine and integrity to assign corrupt provosts, deans and their lieutenants (oft far too comfortable with the despicable protection of tenure and wildly overpaid) back to classes, duties and positions they impeded productivity while 'serving' the university. Perhaps they'd work to undo the harm they aided and abetted or get discouraged/embarrassed enough by what they've done to leave. I remain hopeful one day Goat Hill will look into administrative waste (further saddling our youth with crushing debt) in education - I'll be happy to share some data on the matter.

As for Dr./Gov. Bentley, readers know I've not been a fan since my May 2, 2011 column entitled, "Lowder Prescription Renewed... time to change Doctors?" I worked hard to block this corrupt 'public servant' continuing on the Board of Trustees for yet another term along with others who feared a headline which would read something like, "AU Trustee Indicted on TARP Fraud," after being responsible for one of the biggest FDIC bank failures in US history. I still feel indebted to the sagacious Senators who courageously ended the harm Trustee Lowder could directly impose upon the University. Lowder supporting and positioning another 'public servant' (Rep. Hubbard) would be instrumental to secure extracting more out of AU students, taxpayers, etc.

I ask readers to forgive my allowing others to convince me to curb efforts to expose this corrupt Governor as I should've these past five years. Bentley's recent crony raises while claiming budget woes could even make corrupt AU administrators blush in comparison to their unjustified (i.e., in excess of 8% without a memo - see my Nov. 2015 Gazette column: http://www.alabamagazette.com/story/2015/11/01/news/all-the-speakers-men-and-the-collapse-of-au-athletics/597.html) crony pay increases at Auburn. Funny how many make a big deal when football or sexual escapades are involved; as if the larger theft in other arenas - e.g., destruction of small businesses, education, etc. by the actions of AEA, BCA, et al thugs is somehow less profound. The Holy Spirit has been gnawing at me these past years as I've watched Bentley (who may have been a decent man as some asserted to misdirect me) slowly go to bed with the AEA and esp. the BCA special interests - much more harmful to the general welfare of our State than going to bed with an advisor, intern, staffer, etc. along with what little State resources may have been involved to facilitate it, real or imagined. I know I'm not the only one who has felt this slow and increasing gnawing as Bentley hid behind his brand of "Christianity."

Onto the trigger of our most recent political tremors I find more compelling. The magic bullet Hubbard's new and improved legal 'dream team' put so much time and effort into (instead of actually addressing the 23 felony counts to help the court narrow down to a less daunting number of only those worthy of being addressed) orchestrating failed miserably and only purchased a little more time in stalling. Not only did confidential informant Coleman's affidavit fail to proffer the get out of prison free card as hoped, Hubbard's writ of mandamus was quickly answered (reportedly in three days) upon appeal to further vindicate what an outstanding job (as usual) Judge Jacob Walker is doing in our Lee County Circuit Court. The comfort zone of our smug, big government conservative BCA machine parasites took a big hit with that decision. Insiders/court-watchers tell me Hubbard is now visibly showing stress and further lashing out as the not very bright wounded animal his e-mails portray.

Finally, the punchline: Bentley is among those who do NOT want to testify in open court the despicable things they've done at the behest of this far too empowered and corrupt Speaker. Bentley did not want ALEA involved in the affidavit wars to amplify how foolish Hubbard's legal team was in wasting even more of the court's efforts and time on an inconsequential confidential informant's involvement in the AG assembling their case. Bentley's ALEA firings (along with his pay raises, veto threats, misuse of State resources, etc.) are wrong. Former Secretary Collier has very publicly stated he'll not lie for Bentley - some think it references other issues which may be more damning than coveting another man's wife. In closing, I forecast a reversal in the order of names in the title where Collier will no longer be defending himself from Bentley; instead Collier will be a plaintiff against this corrupt governor. I hope it results in some VERY productive discovery to provide further evidence for federal investigation (as Rep. Williams has requested into the matter) where even more corruption may be disciplined in our courts.

Postscript: I hope all my non-orthodox readers had a joyous Easter filled with many blessings in veneration of our Risen Saviour Jesus Christ. Our Easter/Pascha falls much later than usual on May 1st instead of March 27th - so we really get the jelly-bean discounts this year! We could always tell when our Pascha was after everyone else's Easter by the size of the chocolate bunnies Yiayia would give us. The reasons for conflicting dates are more complicated than I completely understand but appear mostly driven by the Julian calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. A 1923 inter-Orthodox congress held in Constantinople established the revised calendar we currently use, mostly aligned with Gregorian dates except Pascha still set according to the Julian calendar. So most feast days (e.g., Christmas, Epiphany, etc.) are the same and only Pascha along with connected feast days (e.g., Ascension, Pentecost, etc.) are determined via the different Julian calendar dates.

Orthodox insistence to hold onto the early practices of the Christian Church held most dear seem to be the biggest driver of the current result. Most notable is the requirement installed by the First Ecumenical Council [325 AD in Nicea] that Pascha must take place AFTER Jewish Passover to maintain the Biblical sequence of events. Non-orthodox Christianity ignores this dynamic set forth in Scripture, so at times Western Easter takes place either before or during Passover. This is why we usually celebrate Pascha later (MUCH later this year at the 5 weeks maximum difference possible!) than others. The two dates coincide when the full moon following the equinox comes so late that it counts as the first full moon after 21 March in the Julian calendar as well as the Gregorian. This coincidence will occur next year but not again until 2034. The specific rule established in 325 is: Pascha is to be celebrated on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, following the vernal equinox, but always after Jewish Passover. Apostolic Canon VII asserts, "If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon celebrate the holy day of Pascha before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed."

Whether you've celebrated last month or next - I pray all use and apply the scriptural lessons to identify and discipline the corrupt clergy, governors, jurists, procurators, et al far too alive and destructive in our modern lives. Resistance to the tyranny of Tiberius was an unimaginable example of obedience to God which seems increasingly lacking today...