Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county

reply to post by questioningall


The Government clearly intends to cross the Rubicon and shatter the last remaining buffers between local and Federal authority.

I was born ready, I hope you are too!

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Same thing happened in Bristol County Massachusetts about three months ago. The governemtn payed the money to keep the police there nothing will come of this.

www.clipsyndicate.com...

[edit on 4-8-2009 by NoJoker13]

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler

Certainly sounds convenient too? One call does it all, and you too can have automatic weapons toting military personnel patrolling your quiet streets!

Your tax dollars hard at work! The military for the people, bailouts for the bankers!

as opposed to teh police with the same exact thing?

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


I still think that you are one of the most thoughtful posters on this website, but I think you are overlooking something in this case.

As others have mentioned, the surrounding Birmingham Alabama area is a very large place.
Now, to suddenly create a vaccuum in that area is just an open invitation for MASSIVE corruption. The thugs who are brazen as it is would be emboldened to the point of trying to take outright control of the area... at which point the Guard would be called in anyhow.

This is the National Guard's job. Better them here doing something like this than fighting a war they have no business being involved in in the first place.

Now, the question becomes is this planned?

If it is, and I think it may be, then there are things to look forward towards.

I mean, is the plan to draw the National Guard into PTSD so that when you implent some sort of chaos on your own soil that they will be 'hardened' to the point that every time they see chaos they just open fire?
I hope not.

Originally posted by IDK88
reply to post by Bspiracy

 

Hey, didn't the Feds go to Alabama in the 60s? How did that work out? I think the feds will have this covered...you should talk some sense into those people.

You know what they say...those that don't learn from History, repeat it.

true, but sometimes history is made and in these days and times, history isn't going to repeat itself IMO.
Things aren't the same as they were in the 60's.

The discussion of joining together in arms if need be isn't something that's 'fringe" anymore. You haven't had states attempt to secede from the union. At least i haven't heard this before.

Any one point in any one city in any one country is now a possible fulcrum of major change without anyone seeing it coming. I cross my fingers it's not here, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

b

reply to post by Uniceft17


Tell me if I am wrong here. Doesn't Alabama still have it's free state militia?

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


If they couldn't afford a few dozens officers.. what the hell makes them think they can afford a few thousand activated Guardsmen?

You would think with all the federal money floating around for wall street, banks, car manufactures, museums, etc. that there would be a fund that could be used to borrow the money to keep the municipality going.

Im not excited about spending our tax money any more than it is being thrown around, but if this is a real crisis it seems to loan them federal money would be better than this National Guard situation.

Originally posted by Uniceft17
Doesn't FEMA fly black helicopters?

I live north of Birmingham and at all times of the day I can pretty much look out and see a black FEMA helicopter flying over head, even at night to, but not much luck seeing them at night just hearing them. And this happens atleast 5-7 times a day. Maybe the national guard is a precursor to using something more. I know it's their job but this just doesn't seem right at the same time.

I have lived in Birmingham nearly my whole life; since when does a black helicopter mean FEMA? I see/hear helicopters almost every day... it doesn't really mean a thing.

reply to post by Rockpuck


The fact that at that point it will come as emergency funding through the Federal Government.

While I don't live in Birmingham, I do live in the same state, and I read their newspaper from time to time. Birmingham is rife with corruption. They do not even bother to hide it. Tons of open quid pro quo, open embezzlement, etc. The Birmingham officials (not necessarily the people) brought this on the city. Although it is unfortunate that it is a precedent to deploy National Guard for law enforcement, if it becomes necessary.

Im typing this from Jefferson County, 12 miles north of Birmingham. And this is, naturally, the big news down here.

There are a few inaccurate remarks and a bit of exaggeration in this post.

First off, the population of the county is not actually 'one million plus'...those numbers include the entire metro area made up of several counties. Birmingham itself has about 225,000 population or so. The remaining 450,000 or so make up the county .

The main thing about this area down here however is exactly how separate the 'county' and city of Birmingham actually are. The county and all associated services are distinct from the city, albeit with a few overlaps.

The county collapse is less dramatic than one might think, mainly just forcing us to go to other counties for drivers licenses, auto tags, etc. The reason there is little panic is obvious----the only really threatening area of the County is the actual city of Birmingham. And they, even under the watch of an idiotic mayor, are still about like they've always been.

Its the county and the smaller outlying areas that depend on county law, etc, that might be affected, and those areas are really low threat areas anyway.

I frankly see little or no need for any Guardsmen. Its a financial meltdown, but hardly an ANG worthy emergency.

[edit on 4-8-2009 by Clark Savage Jr.]

There really isnt much conspiracy here. It's a bunch of idiots spending money the wrong way.

Whats the best answer to 3 billion dollars in sewer debt?
Sewer Debt

LETS BUILD A DOME!!
blog.al.com...

Not for college football (Alabama's most loved sport)..
but for MLS....no one in Alabama cares about soccer!

[edit on 4-8-2009 by NateNute]

[edit on 4-8-2009 by NateNute]

reply to post by orwellianunenlightenment


I agree completely in regards to Birmingham...but for clarity,this is the COUNTY, its an entirely separate entity.

reply to post by NateNute


Well said and perfect examples. Idiots overspending.

reply to post by NateNute


That is ridiculous.

Not saying that your story is inaccurate, as I'm sure that is what is being reported, and even paid for such a thing down there... But I'll tell ya', currently I am working on the design of a waterline that is comparable in size and scope up here in Arkansas. Intake from a lake and boosted+gravity fed for more than 120 miles in a single direction. Overall the design is for more than 200 miles of pipe, this includes boosters and tanks for gravity. The cost is barely half a billion.

A three billion dollar design is indicative of something that was hedged out when people thought the cash would continue to flow and something that can probably be scaled back quite a bit for the time being... You know, so they can afford policemen first.

I digress however... this is something this wreckless government put into motion in the first place (the illusion of cash).

reply to post by JayinAR


Well, this is a county that seriously considered a NON user tax to pay for the sewer snafu.

That is, to be clear, a sewer fee for those not even on or using the sewer system.


Insanity is the order of the day with those Jefco idiots.

Aside from the "occupation tax" ruling, and the endemic corruption of Birmingham I've only seen one of the issues causing Jefferson county's fiscal problems mentioned in passing. A few years ago Jefferson county issued what were called Auction Rate Securities (ARS for the acronym inclined). They were advised by one or more of the BBBs (Big Banks and Brokers) in this issue. I think it was either Goldman or JPMorgan, but could have been one of the BBBs that no longer exists independently.As the market for ARS collapsed, Jefferson county was left paying a much higher coupon on the ARS bonds than was anticipated. Just wanted to throw some color on one of the issues affecting the solvency of Jefferson County. No matter what issues Bham and Jefferson county have, lets not forget that Wall Street had a hand in this insolvency.

Jefferson County is just going to be one of the first municipalities to experience loss of services due to poor and corrupt leadership.

As far as Guardsmen on the streets up there, well I really don't have a problem with that if needed to maintain order and to protect life and property. I'd also like to shed a little light on state deployments of the Guard verses a Federal deployment. (Disclamer, have served in the Georgia Guard but not Bama, and things may be different over here.) When guard members are activated on Federal orders they are paid the same as active duty soldiers. For example a Guardsmen doing his two week drill or two weeks in a Federal callup for disaster relief would make the same as an active duty soldier would for 14 days with all the extras like VHA, BAH, etc. In state callups, it can be quite different. I've done state duty in Georgia for a fraction of what I'd have been paid on Federal orders, basically minimum wage. If the same is the case in Alabama, I can see alot of part time soldiers being really pissed that they have to take a huge pay cut from their civillian jobs to patrol an area that can't handle their own business.

It's pretty damn interesting and I'm afraid a foreshadowing of things to come on a much larger scale.

[edit on 4-8-2009 by jefwane]

[edit on 4-8-2009 by jefwane]

reply to post by Clark Savage Jr.


That happens when they package things... like how your water bill also covers your fee for garbage pickup.

I've actually seen places like Conway, Arkansas who make no qualms about the fact that they are a corporate town.
The city handles water, sewer, garbage, phone, cable and internet with one "convienent" bill.

Anyhow, like I said... Sounds like Birmingham fell victim to the housing bubble. Thought things were really good and decided to try and fund something (probably to a contractor, or group of contractors, who were "in the click") and things fell through...

Oh well, the only folks who lose out are those police officers who are now being laid off. F them anyhow. Right?

Not really, they had nothing to do with it.

But rest assured, the bankers are doing just fine.