(10-20-2016 09:16 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  CUSA Brethren,

If you are a resident of the state of Alabama, I would strongly encourage you to support amendment 14 on the state ballot. For one, this amendment protects local funding for things such as parks, schools, hospitals, community centers, etc in every county in the state.

This amendment also protects the BJCC's funding which will allow them to go to the bond market and build a new downtown stadium that UAB will play in.

Please vote yes!

http://www.14protectsal.com/

If you want a further breakdown on this amendment I'm happy to provide it, but didn't want to bog down the initial post.

(10-20-2016 03:07 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(10-20-2016 09:16 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  CUSA Brethren,

If you are a resident of the state of Alabama, I would strongly encourage you to support amendment 14 on the state ballot. For one, this amendment protects local funding for things such as parks, schools, hospitals, community centers, etc in every county in the state.

This amendment also protects the BJCC's funding which will allow them to go to the bond market and build a new downtown stadium that UAB will play in.

Please vote yes!

http://www.14protectsal.com/

If you want a further breakdown on this amendment I'm happy to provide it, but didn't want to bog down the initial post.

I'm in Alabama, I'd like a further breakdown. If you have time please present both sides, but if not, your pro-argument will do.

(10-23-2016 08:05 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Here's the issue (long version):

All bills passed by the AL legislature prior to the state's budget being passed, require 3/5's majority of legislators to vote yes for a bill to pass. When there are bills affecting only one county, the common courtesy was for just that county's legislators to vote on the bill while the rest of the body abstained. However, the law states that 3/5's of the entire body must vote to pass a bill, not just 3/5's of those voting.

When Jefferson County (home of Bham) wanted to use an existing one cent sales tax to refinance outstanding debt, a bill was passed in the legislature as described above. Refinancing at lower interest rates, would free up $ that the county would allocate to a variety of causes including to the BJCC to build the new downtown stadium. One legislator who didn't like how the refinanced money was being allocated (he wanted more $ spent in his district) discovered the technicality of how these local bills were passed and sued saying it was passed improperly. A judge ended up agreeing and declared the bill invalid.

The legislature has been passing local bills in this manner since 1984. Therefore, there are over 600 local bills funding things such as hospitals, rec centers, parks, schools, etc in every county in the state that could be at risk of losing funding if they were also brought to trial the way the Jefferson County bill was. Amendment 14's passage would retroactively validate all local bills passed since 1984. No new taxes are created, the amendment is just keeping things that have been on the books for years from being suddenly invalidated.

So in addition to not causing chaos in every county in the state by stripping local funding from a variety of causes, the bill would allow Jeff Co to build a new stadium at the BJCC for UAB. Please vote yes if you live in Alabama and spread the word!

(10-24-2016 09:28 AM)LaTechBanjo Wrote:  

(10-23-2016 08:05 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Here's the issue (long version):

All bills passed by the AL legislature prior to the state's budget being passed, require 3/5's majority of legislators to vote yes for a bill to pass. When there are bills affecting only one county, the common courtesy was for just that county's legislators to vote on the bill while the rest of the body abstained. However, the law states that 3/5's of the entire body must vote to pass a bill, not just 3/5's of those voting.

When Jefferson County (home of Bham) wanted to use an existing one cent sales tax to refinance outstanding debt, a bill was passed in the legislature as described above. Refinancing at lower interest rates, would free up $ that the county would allocate to a variety of causes including to the BJCC to build the new downtown stadium. One legislator who didn't like how the refinanced money was being allocated (he wanted more $ spent in his district) discovered the technicality of how these local bills were passed and sued saying it was passed improperly. A judge ended up agreeing and declared the bill invalid.

The legislature has been passing local bills in this manner since 1984. Therefore, there are over 600 local bills funding things such as hospitals, rec centers, parks, schools, etc in every county in the state that could be at risk of losing funding if they were also brought to trial the way the Jefferson County bill was. Amendment 14's passage would retroactively validate all local bills passed since 1984. No new taxes are created, the amendment is just keeping things that have been on the books for years from being suddenly invalidated.

So in addition to not causing chaos in every county in the state by stripping local funding from a variety of causes, the bill would allow Jeff Co to build a new stadium at the BJCC for UAB. Please vote yes if you live in Alabama and spread the word!

As a political junkie, that is FASCINATING.

It is, however, scary that the amendment seems to give blanket amnesty to 32 years worth of programs. I'd be worried that at least one of those 600 programs would be unpopular enough to defeat the amendment.... hopefully not, though.

It says a lot about Alabama's political climate that the in the 32 years the practice was going on, nobody knew or cared that it was illegal until a measure to help UAB was involved....

(11-08-2016 09:36 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Don't forget to vote yes if you live in Alabama!

(11-09-2016 08:58 AM)IoncemetJonVoight Wrote:  

(11-08-2016 09:36 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Don't forget to vote yes if you live in Alabama!

Any word on how this turned out?