Meet the NEW Rep; Same as the OLD Rep...

Special election Candidate Lovvorn avoided a runoff, exceeding the 50% threshold by 13 votes via another low turnout poll result for House District 79. A dismal 12% of voters participated this time, only three quarters of the 16% participation when felon Hubbard was reinstalled last time. Little surprise the big money candidate anointed by Hubbard, et al wanting 'bidness as usual' [http://www.alabamagazette.com/.../bidness-as-usual-i.../855.html] to keep the graft churning in the former speaker's hyper-gerrymandered district won as forecasted since enough non-machine driven voters didn't show for the September 13th primary. Meet the NEW bought and paid for politician; same as the OLD felon he'll replace. If witnessing the same PACs (johns) who purchased the 'Madam of the House' supporting Lovvorn wasn't enough; seeing 'public servants' like Bobby Lowder or appraisers used by govt. to wrongfully take properties and developers who get bonds released (to avoid paying for the costs they impose) to proliferate our unsustainable growth, etc. were even more revealing.

I'll continue to support the few small govt. candidates who attempt to win under the moniker of this corrupt Party of big govt. we allowed back into our State instead of replacing the corrupt modern Democratic Party. Candidate Toomer ran an outstanding campaign - it is truly amazing he made the margin that close [unlucky 13 on 13th] with all the money, negativity and fear mongering tactics used against him. The next step after any primary which re-affirms felon Hubbard type results with 6% of registered voters is to support what competition can make it through Alabama's despicable, anti-competitive ballot access laws (an affront to the civil rights of candidates & voters throughout the State) who may curb these extremists impeding the general welfare of our town, city, county, State & nation.

Specifically, I support Constitution, Libertarian (and it seems the T.E.A. Party is finally realizing it must cut ties with the corrupt Republican extremists and start fielding candidates to break-up the duopoly) type candidates -- if for no other reason than to increase participation for those who can no longer stand wasting their votes on the corrupt duopoly choices. The Constitution Party did not get their candidate on the ballot for the County Commission District One race as their probate Judge 'put the English' on Candidate Busby's campaign for ballot access I wrote on last month. Candidate Fenwick submitted more than enough signatures to the SoS to place him on the late November District 79 ballot (Tuesday the 29th) with Lovvorn well after the Nov. 8th general election. That is, if Fenwick and voters are allowed their civil right to vote for something other than duopoly candidates impeding our State.

Showing hubris on par with felon Hubbard, 'Fireman Joe' Lovvorn says he will keep his govt. job (he's NOT a volunteer fireman) and be our District 79 Rep. in the House. So certain he'd won (figuring an honest candidate who refused to take PAC money wouldn't be able to press on to request a recount/verification of the 13 vote margin of victory) Lovvorn angered many decent folks with his smug TPing of Toomer's corner (how's that for irony) for his private victory with only 6% support of registered voters. Arguably the usual parasites who suck the wealth out of productive businesses, students and other taxpayers will always show to secure their political theft. This 'victory' has nothing to do with an AU accomplishment, if anything it means further distortion, extraction and continued cancerous growth decaying the loveliest village on the Plains of Dixie. It was a 'picture perfect' start to display the character of a felon Hubbard approved, PAC bought and paid for politician... indulging one's excess with vulgar private littering on the public purse. I forecast the productive (net) taxpayers will be spending a LOT more in the years to come cleaning-up and paying for his messes. At least it will take a while for Lovvorn to become a big enough political thief to get the AG office's attention to address another District 79 embarrassment - esp. with bigger thieves to prosecute from Birmingham's "water boarding" of taxpayers up there, impropriety with BP monies in Mobile and it seems the Bentley morass in Montgomery is about to hit the AG's propeller.

Some are already pledging support for Candidate Fenwick if allowed on the ballot; otherwise they'll write-in Mr. Toomer's name November 29th. I've been asked if there will even be the special election if Fenwick's name is not allowed after wasting taxpayer dollars on a party's primary determination last month and no Democrat. If we follow the guarantee of a republican form of govt. espoused in the Constitution, then YES we must have the election taxpayers ARE obliged to provide; there's no rational explanation why taxpayers pay for the primaries or other processes parties use to determine what candidate they put on our general/regular ballot. If only 6% support of voters in a primary determines the result, why not just have the PACs and other AEA/BCA type thugs simply pay a corrupt governor to install their replacement minion. Write in campaigns can be effective at sending a message (some may want to communicate dissatisfaction with the primary result when others are not allowed on the general ballot) and even win on rare occasion - esp. at the smaller district level where enough voters mobilize in disdain over low turn-out duopoly party results. Some argue that's why write-ins have been prohibited in municipal general elections to violate candidates' and voters' civil rights where write-ins have shown to be most effective.

Candidate Busby decided to continue serving the people of Lee County moving forward with his campaign as a write-in on District 1 ballots. The prospect of Busby, Fenwick, Toomer type write in campaigns shepherded me to Alabama Code Title 17-6-28:

"Write-in votes shall be permitted only in non-municipal general elections.  The ballot must be constructed so that the voter can mark a write-in vote for each office in the same manner that votes are registered for regular candidates.  In order to cast a valid write-in vote, the voter must (1) write the name on the ballot and (2) register the vote by a mark in the space designated for that office.  A write-in vote shall not be counted if the vote is not registered as provided above.  If a voter registers a vote for a name on the ballot and then writes in another name for the same office but fails to register the write-in vote, the ballot shall be treated as if no write-in vote had occurred and the regular vote shall be counted.  If a properly registered write-in vote causes an over-vote, it shall be treated as any other over-vote and none of the votes for the over-voted office shall be counted.  However, the remainder of the ballot shall be counted.  When counting write-in votes, poll officials must check for over-votes if the electronic ballot counter does not perform the function."

Mr. Busby plans to generate a video on how this process will look on a sample ballot. Much like Mr. Toomer's outstanding 'retail politickin' these past months (instead of succumbing to the big money game polluting our State) Candidate Busby also goes door to door throughout his district handing out pocket Constitutions, etc. The irony of not allowing a Constitution Party candidate on a ballot this veteran fought so well to secure doesn't escape those aware of the 'English' being put on decisions of this sort Lee County.

At the national level, Hillary is starting to 'feel the real burn.' When Stein wasn't allowed on the ballot in GA (in dispute as I type) the State went purple instead of Trump as it appears most pollsters forecast Stein voters will go Clinton. In most other States it appears Johnson is taking significantly more (2 to 1) from Clinton than Trump - esp. with under 35 aged voters. Funny to see Trump's minions (many who do not seem to understand arithmetic) so rabidly against competition from Johnson-Weld where it looks to be the only thing which may make the Electoral College result even close. I understand those voting for Clinton and Trump type establishment candidates don't care about a ticket (even if I have great disagreement on some of their major policies) with the most executive experience. "Clintonistas/Trump Chumps" are only interested in securing their corporate/social welfare transfers; they don't care one wit about the general welfare or our posterity. Obama's, "Hillary is the most prepared candidate ever to be President/CiC" rhetoric is starting to ring hollow to the 70% who are just starting to discover two Republican Governors as an option on all 50 State ballots (who served in Democrat States) with the most executive experience who may be worthy to consider voting for in November. No doubt Democrats are doing all they can to block the competition because they see Johnson/Weld taking more from Hillary. I'm one of them - if you forced me to waste my vote on one of the duopoly extremists, I'd vote for Clinton -- we're not yet that Soviet to force voting, although Mr. Obama has floated the idea. If it were only these two Republocrats (where there's no decent choice) I'd simply NOT vote. Those who pay lip-service for more participation in the process at the same time advocating more restrictive ballot access laws, discrimination in debates, etc. to thwart those wanting to vote for something better/different is difficult to reconcile. Asserting Nader cost Gore the presidency (recall my Jan. 2011 column) assumed Nader voters would still have shown AND voted for Gore instead of writing Nader in, or someone else... Nonsense, and how dare the arrogant duopoly Party hacks think I must vote for the extremists destroying us to provide more validation to the evil enveloping us from these Nimrods.

Don't waste your time bombing my e-mail with how crazy I am to not vote for the Republocrat you want to win because it transfers wealth in the manner you desire. First, this is ALABAMA - does anyone seriously think her 9 electoral votes are NOT going to Trump. We've become just as big a laughing stock voting for whatever piece of Donkey poop was put on the ballot decades ago to now revel in the Elephant poop which has shown to 'fertilize' corruption just as effectively as the modern Democrats. From big govt. Democrat Sen. Shelby decades ago to Sen. Dial's recent party change to aid & abet the Riley Republican corruption machine -- what's substantively changed for the productive citizen hosting these parasites? Most citizen response to politics these past decades reminds me of Harry Browne's observed 'battered spouse syndrome' of government; good folks going back to the person who's suppose to care about you (but in fact beating the life out of you) expecting them to be different the next time... insanity.

Much has been said about how different this election cycle has been - really? I see the same influence of the media covering and shepherding the biggest champion of govt. on the Republican side (as it did with Dole, McCain, Romney) to 'clear the field' for the biggest champion of govt. on the Democratic Party side. Either way the Nimrods get a candidate which advances their religion of big govt. where they genuinely believe all blessings flow. Media coverage to get Trump nominated was 'in your face' to the big money players like the Bush dynasty to show they could neutralize over $100 million in political spending to get the big govt. thugs they want as the duopoly choices. As the last days before Nov. 8th approach, the duopoly will go into full court press convincing voters it is so close, one must waste their vote validating the corrupt process which proffered the Clinton/Trump choice. Those who don't understand the Electoral College result is what matters (not the popular vote polling reported) fail to show at the polls or simply don't think it possible to write-in Castle, De LaFuente, LaRiva, McMullen, Soltysik or Stein in States which wouldn't allow them on the ballot. When enough voters do this to EXCEED the margin of victory - then one of the losers in the duopoly may take notice as these voters can be the key to future victories. My forecast is 2016 will be little different than recent past presidential election results. The outcome won't matter to productive citizens who host these political parasites -- i.e., they'll continue to be sucked to death at about the same rate. It will matter to the specific parasite if it the blue tic or red tic is getting the blood from the host. In the end, I'll be surprised if participation of eligible voters exceeds the usual 48% or so this cycle...

On a lighter note, it has been a while (December) since I've put some humour into a column, so I thought I'd share this Abbot & Costello exchange on unemployment which many of my Facebook followers got a tickle from reading:

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.

ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 5.6%.

COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?

ABBOTT: No, that's 23%

COSTELLO: You just said 5.6%.

ABBOTT: 5.6% Unemployed.

COSTELLO: Right 5.6% out of work.

ABBOTT: No, that's 23%.

COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 23% unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, that's 5.6%.

COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 5.6% or 23%?

ABBOTT: 5.6% are unemployed; 23% are out of work.

COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, the DC politburo said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!

ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.

COSTELLO: What point?

ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be 'fair

COSTELLO: To whom?

ABBOTT: The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.

ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!

COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?

ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how it gets to 5.6%. Otherwise it would be 23%.

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

ABBOTT: TWO ways is correct.

COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?

ABBOTT: Correct.

COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?

ABBOTT: Bingo.

COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.

ABBOTT: NOW you're thinking like the politburo - just keep voting for their candidates!

In closing, it is with a heavy hand I type on the passing of Kenny May, an agriculture commodities businessman for most of his life working for K.F. Seeds and later founding his own company. The first to create a legal Whiskey Brand in the State of Alabama, Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge became our official State spirit and the only private distiller ever to grace the shelves of Augusta National. Mr. May's accomplishments prompted a feature article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal [http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB977262825253253667] and also bode well for our State as a special envoy to Cuba with the Alabama Dept. of Agriculture. As a husband and parent, he was unconditional in his love and devotion to family. Kenny claimed his wife, children, and grandchildren as his greatest accomplishments. Alabama has lost one of her best, most resilient native sons - I've always considered Kenny a kindred Spirit in refusing to let the most evil political players in our State (who did their best trying to destroy his life and dreams) triumph over him.

Postscript: I'm delighted to wish the Alabama Gazette yet another happy anniversary - may God grant her many more! What an honour to be a small part of this blesse­d endeavour these past years. Thanks to all who make this 'Voice of Reason' possible and I pray God doesn't judge I've squandered the labours and treasure deployed to make it happen. One of greatest compliments I've enjoyed this past year is to be called one of the Gazette 'anchors' by some readers, knowing the other more talented folks who fill her pages. At least, I've wanted to take it as a compliment - i.e., an anchor can do more harm than good at times...