Scottsboro has a terrible problem with management stagnation. A lack of positive, innovative leadership has resulted in no improvement of it's Personnel Management system. Constant bickering and a failure to realize how to manage and lead is at the heart of the problem. This lack of leadership is also a prime reason that our industrial parks set empty. However, you get what you elect and the results are that of the electorates choices. In many cases the same mistakes repeated as a result of deceit and propaganda from career politicians. Political cliques seem to be more of a driving force rather than good sense, locally it is called the Democratic Party. The Probate Judge stated to me recently, "...if you don't have a multi-party system you will have a dictatorship." We were discussing politics, I had stated that I do not believe in the 2 party system as the parties support the party rather than the Constitution. I guess Judge Hambrick failed to realize we do not have a 2 party system in Jackson County, I guess he failed to recognize he and the other Democrats are a product of a one party system, his "dictatorship." He also failed to realize that he characterized city elections as a dictatorship. The local political pundits lie, utilize dirty tricks and have in the past committed illegal acts, broke the law, in filling out absentee ballots. Getting witnesses to file complaints is entirely a different matter. After all, when I have spoken out about injustice I have been threatened, accused of criminal acts that were lies, and just plain slandered by members of our respectable political community. (update June 5, 2008: Management training is ongoing at the City of Scottsboro for upper level managers. Kudos to the Mayor and Ms. Borders, if only they would tell the public about this accomplisnment.)
Censorship by government officials. When I started posting on the "al.com" forums it became obvious there needed to be more than one person to tell the story of malfeasance and unethical conduct in local politics. I found 4 other citizens who were interested in maintaining a discussion group. We decided we would focus on politics of the local area. An information and sharing system of the local political scene. I never realized that there would be a genuine battle for the "hearts and minds" of the citizens. 3 in our group to include myself were eliminated from al.com forums due to political speech. ( Some topics that resulted in removal from the forum: Secret Meetings, Lowell Barron, ethics violations, misappropriation of services and government funds, violations of state law, support of local political opposition, discussing the Mike Well's Investigation by Mike O'dell, Dekalb County DA, Goosepond Colony Board mismanagement, President Bush and his policy of torture in violation of law, TVA mismanagement, censorship, just a few topics and all are provable allegations.) We realized that the forum is a tool for community communications in a real time format. A tool that many political leaders have not realized how to use. But they certainly realized how to eliminate dissenting political ideas. They seem to be threatened by actual communication about government personalities, communications which is beyond their control. Thru surreptitious means the political power structure could not allow that to occur, heaven forbid citizens expressing their concerns and others agreeing and disagreeing for all to see. It did not matter if the forum rules were not violated, or even if there were minor violations, it became obvious that "arklite" had to be eliminated from posting dissenting political ideas on the local forum, regardless if those ideas are the truth. Truth does not matter, only the political picture those in power wish to paint.
There is one left, "churia," in the forum. How long she will remain is certainly not up to me to determine. If she is eliminated that will be it, no more posts from the "arklite" discussion group on "al.com." That should be very disturbing for those who are concerned about the direction of our country, the local political scene and those that love our idea of liberty as a Republic. Whether you care or don't care is up to you, the reader, voter and citizen of our community. Apathy is a friend of the tyrant, I have found there are tyrants in our midst.
The next time you hear an elected leader, appointed official, or citizen poking fun of "Ala live" or al.com, you might remind that person the forum represents liberty and freedom of expression, a concept that some elitist, hardened conservative extreamist and tyrants among us have great difficulty in accepting. A concept that seems to be a fleeting reality if some have their way. The forum is a boom for the media enterprise that created it, a boom for the lover of liberty and a threat to the tyrant. Which direction the forum takes is up to you the reader, the customer and the owners, Advance Media.
