Then and now, Carns vexes Jefferson County Commission
First, Rep. Jim Carns voted to repeal Jefferson County's occupational tax. Then, as a commissioner, he struggled to deal with the consequences. Today, the new…
Second Front
News and Politics for Birmingham, Alabama
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Birmingham City Council suffers Deficit Attention Disorder
A Birmingham News report of a $30 million deficit sent Birmingham city councilors scurrying for political cover. If the Finance Department's projections prove accurate, that…
The Cost of Doing Nothing: JeffCo legislators still stuck on go
As an old friend once told me, government exists to do shitty things to people. But what's worse is when it does nothing at all.
Rottin’ to the Core: How the Board of Education’s bad apples are killing Birmingham
Decisive actions come with equal and opposite reactions. The fight over Sup. Craig Witherspoon's future has exposed an new and peculiar political divide in Birmingham.
Bham City Hall shows leadership, Bham school board shows shows its …
I owe an apology to Mayor William Bell and the Birmingham City Council. I didn't expect them to show the leadership the city needed. In…
Something too familiar about Easter Railroad Park trouble
I didn't want to believe the Easter Sunday problems in Railroad Park were gang problems, but after seeing who posted video online, I believe differently…
For whom does the Bell toll?
About 100 people rallied in Linn Park in support of Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Craig Witherspoon. The crowd included black elites and repatriated, well-meaning white…
Jack and the Fat Man
Rep. Jack Williams shows leadership with occupational tax plan, while Rep. John Rogers waits to show the county who’s the boss.
Jefferson County’s No-Win Scenarios
Instead of making the necessary cuts, the commission has waiting in the hope that the Alabama Legislature will give the county new revenue. It’s a…
The week of Doonesbury strips The Birmingham News thinks you’re too precious to read
WARNING: According to the editors at The Birmingham News, this week's storyline of Doonesbury comic strips could cause canceled subscriptions, angry letters and maybe even…