Birmingham AL Mayor sentenced to 805 years in jail!!, page 2

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:03 PM

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Originally posted by Clark Savage Jr.
reply to post by bsbray11

Im interested by these remarks and more than a little sceptical---with absolutely no offense implied...exactly what part of Birmingham proper did these 1940-style adventures occur in? As a black man in the city almost daily, I certainly don't see the same things to which you refer. Are you certain you aren't confused about to exactly where you were? Birmingham is very black-centric almost exclusively.

Exactly!!! Here we have an outsider (bsbray) who hasn't been living there for years who is saying these things. Like I said before when I lived there it wasn't like that. The only problem I had was there are some rude people there, but that's all that I saw.

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Rocketgirl]

bsbray11

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:06 PM

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Originally posted by Clark Savage Jr.
Im interested by these remarks and more than a little sceptical---with absolutely no offense implied...exactly what part of Birmingham proper did these 1940-style adventures occur in?

Downtown. I was actually on my way to Texas, came down I-59 and hooked onto I-20 at Birmingham. But we stopped in Birmingham for a day, toured the city and camped at one of those "Good Samaritan" camp grounds.

As a black man in the city almost daily, I certainly don't see the same things to which you refer.

Have you ever lived in any other part of the country?

Are you certain you aren't confused about to exactly where you were? Birmingham is very black-centric almost exclusively.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

bsbray11

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:08 PM

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reply to post by Rocketgirl

Yes, I am an "outsider" to Birmingham. I suspect that is why we have such a difference of opinions as to whether or not this 805-year sentence for bribery is fair. From my own personal experience, yes, it is a very different place there. Generally speaking, of course.

ProtoplasmicTraveler

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:12 PM

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reply to post by bsbray11

Here is the thing friend. Alabama sits right next to Pensacola Florida home of the Pensacola Navy Air Base which is huge, there are a few smaller bases in the area including a club fed since closed. My alma matta, Play Boy voted it the best place to do time 7 years in a row! A little ways down the road is Eglin Air Force Base. Once again one of the hugest Military Facilities of it's kind. Oh and another Club Fed there, not as nice as the one at Saufley Field in Pensacola or the one by Southern Command here in Miami, but better than where they are going to send this poor guy.

The point is that someone involved in the deal is a person of great interest to them. There is someone way up in the food chain in one or more than one of his deals that they want. They don't give you 805 years just to send a message to the Public. They give you 805 years to send a message to you. There may even be something significant about the number 805 in regards to what they want to know that made them select it.

I don't even know how they stretched 805 years out of the Mandatory Guidelines. I would have to look at the precise charges to figure that out.

This is a 3-5 offense and there has to be something up beyond him being black or having a bad attitude.

Time will tell, but my conspiracy radar is lighting up on this one.

[edit on 28/10/09 by ProtoplasmicTraveler]

Maxmars

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:14 PM

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Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler

If he does he will be out in 3 years, if he doesn't look for his sentence to be reduced to 12-15 on appeal.

Enjoy your vengence while it lasts, just remember G-d said Vengence was his! Oh yeah and that the Palestinians water belongs to the Israelis too!

On the former - I agree with your forecast... I would imagine that within the circle of acquaintances of this particular prisoner, we could find many who wish they had never known him.

On the latter - I hear the Israelis had a friend buy up half the water in South America, just in case. Or maybe it was the other way around? Oh Never mind, it's off topic anyway.

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:15 PM

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Originally posted by bsbray11Downtown. I was actually on my way to Texas, came down I-59 and hooked onto I-20 at Birmingham. But we stopped in Birmingham for a day, toured the city and camped at one of those "Good Samaritan" camp grounds.

Ok you spent one day in Birmingham....one day. Seriously, that's just like me saying things about Chattanooga, Tennessee when over the past 7 years I've only spent about a total of 4 months maybe in the city. Really, I don't know anything about that city. You spend one day in Birmingham and think you know how it really is there.

I'm just saying!!!

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Rocketgirl]

bsbray11

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:16 PM

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reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

Well at least we are in agreement that something about his sentence stinks to high heaven.

Either way, I hope the poor guy comes out with a more typical sentence as well. And I agree that 3-5 is about what we should have seen.

If he does have some kind of connection to something bigger that the feds are after, that might explain why Alabama media has apparently been so hard on him as well. I suppose that would be the happier ending than pure racism, though either one is obviously bad news.

Clark Savage Jr.

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:20 PM

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reply to post by bsbray11

I have lived in seven states, actually.

And by 'black-centric' I mean simply that blacks have a large majority of law enforcement, politicians, councils, chamber of commerce,churches, etc. Birmingham hasn't had a white mayor or white majority in over three decades and no white 'good old boy' network is in place.

It's not impossible you encountered racists attitudes in Birmingham, of course, as those can be encountered anywhere, but one simply doesnt see much racism in Birmingham these days.

bsbray11

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:21 PM

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Originally posted by Rocketgirl
Ok you spent one day in Birmingham....one day. Seriously, that's just like me saying things about Chattanooga, Tennessee when over the past 7 years I've only spent about a total of 4 months maybe in the city.

I didn't even have to spend the whole day before I could tell you the biggest differences between Alabama and Virginia, for example. Or at least between Birmingham and Virginia. It was striking and made an immediate impression upon me.

New Yorkers get a culture shock when they come down here, too. Every place in this country has its own unique characteristics that are very distinct imo.

jimmyx

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:25 PM

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reply to post by ganja

c'mon, can't they reduce the sentence to 700 years, just to show they are humane??? what? is the first chance for a parole hearing in 150 years from now? hey why not a thousand years!! or three thousand...i guess that would sound rediculous.
and then southerners wonder why people on the east coast and the west coast think they are a little backward...duh!!! go 'bama!!

[edit on 28-10-2009 by jimmyx]

[edit on 28-10-2009 by jimmyx]

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:26 PM

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reply to post by bsbray11

Ok but I am pretty sure that there were other things besides the so called racism that has suppose to have taken over Birmingham. You seem more focus on that then the other things that the city has to offer.

DarrylGalasso

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:26 PM

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Originally posted by Maxmars

People who abuse public trust should be punished far worse than jail. They should have their citizenship revoked and get sent off to find a country that will have them.... it would teach us all a great deal about all the politicians in the country. You can always learn a great deal from noting where a defeated enemy runs to hide.

This is extremely insightful!!!!

I wish I could give you a hundred stars just for that bit of insight.

In my 45 years of life, I do not think I have ever heard a better idea. Without question this would be the absolute best way to get rid of corruption in our government.

For too long they only had to worry about losing their job IF they ever got caught. And even then half didn't even lose their job (voter intelligence hard at work).

TheRedneck

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:26 PM

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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

OK, no outsider here.... I lived in a B'ham suburb for a few years and worked there many more. The trucking company I worked for the longest was based out of B'ham. My in-laws live in B'ham.

You have to understand Alabama politics to understand what was going on here.

First, we tend to ignore politics; most of us just don't like it. We expect the people we elect to perform at a certain level, and tend to ignore them in the belief they will perform at that level. Of course, that means there is plenty of corruption to go around.

But when someone crosses the line, we tend to get pretty upset. Langford crossed that line so many times he practically wore it out. He's in prison because that's the only place he can stay alive. That's not a threat; it's an observation. Too many residents of the B'ham area were too ticked off to let him run loose any more, for his own safety. He has been receiving threats for years, many of them credible. I'm a bit surprised he survived long enough to be convicted.

You also have to remember, Birmingham itself is not that big a town. It is only the largest city in Alabama because of all the surrounding suburbs that comprise the Birmingham Metro area. These suburbs are packed with people who for all practical purposes live in Birmingham; They work there, shop there, entertain there... but they have suburban addresses, so they can't vote there. That adds to the frustration.

Langford ran the area into financial disaster, gouged the citizenry to do it, and ignored any sense of responsibility to the people who elected him. I won't lose any sleep over the sentence.

TheRedneck

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:29 PM

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reply to post by Clark Savage Jr.

How can I put this.....yeah I agree it's kind of hard to see alot of racism down in Birmingham nowadays.

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:34 PM

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reply to post by TheRedneck

Thank you, someone else who knows what's been going on. Langford, has been doing these things for the longest time. Everytime, he would come to my old school people would start talking about the things that he doing that were bad. While I was in Birmingham, I don't remember anyone saying one good thing about that man.

Clark Savage Jr.

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:40 PM

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reply to post by Rocketgirl

Interestingly, the local news begin referring to Langford as 'former mayor' almost the minute the verdict was passed along. Carole Smitherman being assigned---not even sworn in----the position almost at once. So yes, the city was happy to see him go.

If only that idiotic Shelia Smoot could have been implicated....(although she did technically testify against Langford I think.)

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Clark Savage Jr.]

TheRedneck

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:47 PM

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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

reply to post by Rocketgirl

Hey, you know the saying:
Bama born, Bama bred
And when I die, I'll be Bama dead

I never really worried about Langford personally, since I don't live near B'ham anymore, but I don't like it when someone like him furthers the bad stereotypes. My in-laws were pretty upset over him, and I kept seeing the stories about the corruption in Birmingham. Reading this thread makes me wonder if his actions didn't stir up some of the old racism from decades ago. I know when I was there I didn't see any racism to amount to anything. Birmingham has it's rough areas, sure, including a few gangs in limited areas, but nothing that ever bothered me.

Of course, I'm a redneck... with guns... and an attitude...

TheRedneck

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:49 PM

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Originally posted by Clark Savage Jr.Interestingly, the local news begin referring to Langford as 'former mayor' almost the minute the verdict was passed along. Carole Smitherman being assigned---not even sworn in----the position almost at once. So yes, the city was happy to see him go.

If only that idiotic Shelia Smoot could have been implicated....(although she did technically testify against Langford I think.)

Of course they were happy to see him go. It was only a matter of time. Now that Langford is gone maybe the city can heal now....maybe I hope.

Rocketgirl

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:55 PM

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reply to post by TheRedneck

Wow you sound like one of my former college teachers. Also go Bama, Auburn is going down next month!!!

Back on topic, your in-laws have good reasons to be upset in my opinion. The things that Langford did kind of made Birmingham look bad. It doesn't matter what city you live in, you don't want someone coming in who has power who in return do things that are not ethical.

groingrinder

posted on Oct, 28 2009 @ 11:59 PM

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When politicians betray the voters, they should get all that time. And more. I cannot understand people apologizing for a thieving politician.