Liberate the media, Birmingham
By JH Daniel
Welcome to Hosty, a weekly-ish news column featuring the best and dullest media news, gossip, real news and commentary from Birmingham, Alabama.
¡Viva La Lotto!
The House Economic and Tourism Committee passed a lottery bill after much hoo-ha, and next it goes to the House floor. But, wait! Is this move even legal? This is the current argument! A deadline has passed! Someone says the law can be changed! Let’s ask the Attorney General! Nobody even knows the ding dang law. These are the days of our lives, Alabama. Governor Robert Bentley had a news conference about all of this and asked you all to please think of the children. And the General Fund. And Medicaid. And debt repayment. And infrastructure. And then he ran out of time.
Earlier Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill pleaded with the Attorney General for a last-minute stay of execution for a November lottery referendum. Oh, and two senators quit the majority caucus over the whole shebang. On top of all that, the Governor has been accused of “political intrigue” with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Dang, Montgomery. Get some.
This And That
Here’s your dose of internet schadenfreude for today, complete with a meltdown at Hooter’s and a public Facebook rant from this Alabama man who lost a city council seat. Stay classy, Pelham.
Randall Woodfin, State Director for the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, is running for mayor of Birmingham. Talk amongst yourselves. And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to stay woke. Is Woodfin behind Truth Is … Birmingham? One of our dear readers called in and left a message on our old-school answering machine asking this very question, so stay tuned. The mysterious vlogger posted a new video recently, which is fine. Just please. Turn down that damn background music. The nerves. It’s getting on them. Other than that, carry on, anonymous muckraker. And, feel free to call us at 205.202.5223 and reveal yourself. Or whatever.
Thank the Good Lord for Red Dirt, a column written by Weld publisher Mark Kelly. This week he shares a story about Henrietta Boggs, “a real pistol” from Alabama who became Costa Rica’s First Lady before she turned thirty. We need more stories like this, Birmingham.
Complaints, comments to: 205.202.5223 or write a long, detailed email and send it to: avondalereader@gmail.com.