NAACP plans Alabama boycott


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NAACP AL Boycott

By Jannell McGrew
Montgomery Advertiser

Gov. Bob Riley's veto of a bill that would restore voting rights to felons has prompted Alabama NAACP officials to call for an economic boycott against the state.

Jerome Gray, state political action chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the Alabama chapter of the civil rights organization is "disappointed and outraged" and plans to file an emergency resolution with the NAACP to address the issue at its national convention in Miami Beach. The convention starts July 6.

The resolution would call for an indefinite boycott and "sanctions" declared by the NAACP against the state, said Gray, who is also state field coordinator for the Alabama Democratic Conference. The boycott would take on numerous forms.

"We will be telling folks, major conventions and companies, 'Don't do business in Alabama. Stay out of Alabama, until this whole issue of felony disenfranchisement is resolved,'" Gray said Friday.

He also said various Hollywood stars and other famous entertainers -- black and white-- would be asked to refuse to perform concerts or film movies or do anything in connection with the state. The NAACP took a similar approach in South Carolina over the issue of the Confederate flag.

Riley's veto of House Bill 104 this week touched off a chain reaction among black lawmakers and civil rights leaders.

On Thursday, members of the Legislative Black Caucus criticized Riley signing the voter identification bill and not the felon voter bill. The group, claiming the governor has "brought another scar on Alabama's image," has plans to block all Republican-backed legislation that comes up in special session and march in protest up Dexter Avenue to the Capitol.

Caucus member Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, has said Riley's move is a bow to "racist political pressure" from white Republicans.
 
Riley is just doing what he was put into office to do. This may be part of some type of bargain to get his tax plan passed. Goodness knows you don't want more minorities and poor whites voting.
 

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Riley in a fix.

Originally posted by Attack Dog
Riley is just doing what he was put into office to do. This may be part of some type of bargain to get his tax plan passed. Goodness knows you don't want more minorities and poor whites voting.
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Well,,,,, Riley stunned everybody with this largest tax plan in the history of the state and modest education reform and help for public education. His own party is more against his tax package than the democrats. I was talking to a guy out here and he called Riley a "RINO",, Republican In Name Only. A republican is organizing grassroots opposition against his tax package. If he would have OK'd quicker voter rights for felons, I believe Alabama conservatives would have started a recall movement and threw him out of office themselve and put retarded looking arse Steve Windom in there!

This is a precarious situation. Blacks (alvin holmes et al black politicians) are mad about Riley's position on felon voting and are warning to not support his tax package, but in reality tax/education reform is more important for the average black in Alabama. Blacks would be playing into the hands of the extreme right in his party by not supporting Riley even though he "stiffed" the black politicians pushing the felon voting bill. I think blacks stand the most to lose by retaliating and not supporting Riley's tax plan because he didn't support the felon bill. Also, you will NEVER have a chance at this kind of monumental change and tax increase in another 50 years. All I will say about the NAACP's efforts is that the timing couldn't be worse.
 
I just cannot understand why so many of us do not understand the need value of quality educaiton. Sometime you have to focus on the greater good instead what seems as personal discomfort at the time. In other words "NO PAIN, NO GAIN".
 
Felon Voting Bill

Some people believe that Riley may have purposely sabotaged his own reform and tax package. I for one was considering voting for the package in Sept until this clearly racist and politically charged act. I thought Riley may have been different, a stateman instead of the usual Alabama politician. I support the Black Caucas and the State NAACP call for a boycott. This is a civil rights issue.
 
Re: Felon Voting Bill

Originally posted by J C
Some people believe that Riley may have purposely sabotaged his own reform and tax package. I for one was considering voting for the package in Sept until this clearly racist and politically charged act. I thought Riley may have been different, a stateman instead of the usual Alabama politician. I support the Black Caucas and the State NAACP call for a boycott. This is a civil rights issue.
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Well I for one was considering voting for the package in September and I'm still gonna vote for it regardless of Riley's position on the felony voting bill. Ultimately this tax/education reform package will go further in doing good for the masses of people of Alabama (especially black people) than the felon voting bill. Plus too, the felon voting bill I don't see as a big deal. They could easily compromise and extend rights to non-violent felons and not to violent felons; that would seem to be an even split.

I thought Riley was going to be another baphoon like Fob James, Guy Hunt and an isolationist catoring to the christian coalition and the most extremist right-wing anti-public schools/pro-vouchers elements of the rep party, but he suprised me. He's not a "leave Alabama along"/"Alabama as it was" republican. I commend the guy for having the nads to go against basic republican party principles and propose a tax/education package like this.
 
:idea:
I was going to vote for Riley's tax package until I saw he was not going to sign the felon's voting rights bill. Now, I will just have to see how things play out before Sept 9.
 
Originally posted by Attack Dog
I just cannot understand why so many of us do not understand the need value of quality educaiton. Sometime you have to focus on the greater good instead what seems as personal discomfort at the time. In other words "NO PAIN, NO GAIN".
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I don't understand?

It seems only fair that once the felons are released that they are given their voting rights back. They are still counted for districting purpose. So why not?

I do understand the value of a quality education, but think about this when you have more young BLACK men going to jail instead of college you also have to look at their life after they get out.

They are given little chance to improve their life. If they were in jail for drugs then they can't get student loans to go to college. Once they get out they can't vote to change the laws that are put in place to hold them back.
 
:confused:

Ditto JSU Toi....... How can you expect a convict to become a Positive Productive Citizen in Society when you take away all his opportunities?
1. Ineligible for loans to get training or education
2. Can't vote to change the laws
3. Difficult time getting gainful employment
4. Ineligible for $$Aide and food stamps

So here he is right back where he was.......
IN PRISON
A Room
3 Squares
A little change in his account for incidentals
 
Okay idealists, how many of these felons are going to actually vote? I mean c'mon. It's not like prison is this great reformatory school and they come out new people. Really, I see your point that perhaps a majority of these felons are black, but do these felons really care? With all the voter apathy that goes on these days, ya'll boycotting over some felons? Mann.

NAACP leadership scares me, there are way more important issues facing the community and black community (this tax/education bill sounds like one) to be concerned about than pitching an all out fit about some criminals.
 
I havent followed Alabama politics, but from just reading what is here, I agree with Bengal E.

It has to be more than what's reported, cause I just can't see calling for a statewide boycott, because felons can't vote.

While I agree that ex-felons who have served their sentence should be allowed to vote, I don't see the vetoing of that bill as rising to the level of a boycott. (which would eventually hurt the businesses and us non-felons too.
 
I never had any intentions on voting on this tax package even before this veto. This tax package bill is full of a lot of misconception. It has a proposed abratrication for teachers, it takes away tenure from school administrators, and it still does not fully address the gap between the richer school districts and the poorer ones. Also, state workers beware. Riley is coming after your merit job next. He has already denied your merit pay raises.
 
Education should be the top priority for any civilized society. A well educated well trained society is necessary for proper growth and development in all segments of society. The good of educating our present students to be able to compete with eachother and on a global scale far out weighs this issue with felons. Employability decreases the number going into jail and a healthy educational system makes those that take part in it more employable. Decrease the number going in and you decrease the number of repeat offenders.

This package is a compromise plan devolped in a country where the very foundation is compromise.

If this plan is not passed it is a very good chance our public schools will shut down Oct. 1. Our state supt. has made this known and he is not one to bluff. I just cannot see the known criminal being worth our children's futures. :(
 
Once a person has paid his or her dues in prison he/she should have the right to vote. If they have to pay taxes they should be able to vote.
 

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I'm with you on that, but we have to prioritize. I don't know what Riley's deal is with the felons, but that's something that must be examined later and not delay what is needed for the greater good.
 
In every election the voters are misled by politicians talking about education. As soon as they get into office education is forgotten. In education the money is taken off the top. Schools are half full and most classes only have about 10 to 15 students. Politicians need to stop lying on Education. Why are we building new schools in Huntsville? We are building them to allow developers to make money. Contractors are the ones who are benefiting. Riley and Richardson do not have a clue about the classroom. I have spent some time in the classroom over the last two years and materials and money are not issues for schools. It is the students who come to school that are not taking advantage of their education. I don't buy additional funding for schools, based on what I have seen over the last twenty five years. Schools are wasting too much money. Riley need new money to payoff his buddies. The Riley plan is to control all the money handed out in Alabama. Contracts are not being bidded is what I have been told by contractors who are losing contracts.

If you own property in Alabama, you will be paying a lot more than is being proposed by the Riley plan. Folks who own a lot of land will see a big chance in the tax structure.

Riley wants everything up front. Even if he gets his plan through, the tax base is still going down, because of the # of jobs being lost in Alabama. Pleople will buy in surrounding states rather that buy in Alabama.

I support the NAACP Boycott.
 
. Why are we building new schools in Huntsville? We are building them to allow developers to make money. Contractors are the ones who are benefiting. Riley and Richardson do not have a clue about the classroom.
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:(

Well said Mighty Dog. We are building a new high school because MO$ want their children to play varsity sports with less competition. At least 3 out of 5 high schools are under capacity.
 
DANG!

I hate I didn't respond to some of these takes in a timely manner. Is somebody from Alabama saying our public schools are just fine and need no new infrastructure??? :confused: It don't take no politician to tell you public education is in big trouble (especially with school vouchers, home schooling and private school gaining steam), just ride around the poorest counties and take a look.
 
Far from what I'm (we) are saying.......but a lot monies are not allocated to needed areas and programs. Too much politics. The tax plan presented didn't go far enough to tax the affluent and reduce the burden on the poor. My better half is an educator and I feel the full affect of the budget crisis in education. The other major problem is the determination of the budget. I want major changes so the majority of my people can have the opportunity to be educated and reap the benefits of state services. Whether those services be good highways, officers of the law, parks and recreation, commerce, economic development, evironmental protection, etc.
 
I live and work in the blackbelt so I don't see some of the things that people in the city see and vice versa. From where I sit there is a need for more people that care, more money, and better financial managers. Business and all of these other outside interest that own the vast majority of land within this state need to pay their fair share of the taxes.

That being said, when our past governor saw what was in store for Alabama he offered a plan to stop it but the masses of us did not want it so Riley was placed to maintain the status quo. Now Riley has to come up with a drastic (by republican standards) plan to try and save us.

We need something in place before the fiscal year begins. Since there is no real outcry over the issues with business, this is the only plan we have.

As far as the NAACP is concerned, I'm quite sure its energy could be better spent. :idea: How about going door to door and school to school to get these parents more involved in their children's lives so they will not be so vunerable to deviant behavior.
 
Yeah but,,,

Originally posted by Smiley
Far from what I'm (we) are saying.......but a lot monies are not allocated to needed areas and programs. Too much politics. The tax plan presented didn't go far enough to tax the affluent and reduce the burden on the poor.
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You mean to tell me you would be against it because it didn't go far enough, but went farther than anything in the history of Alabama???!!!!! :confused: :confused: :confused: it at least starts to cut into the monopoly big business and large land owners have enjoyed since 1901!! I mean,, this is a no-brainer yes vote as I see it. You gotta be kidding me. :confused:
 
In talking with people, it is amazing how increased taxes scares the hell out of those who have the least to tax. The key to this vote is going to be the blackbelt region, but based on the previous sentence you can guess how that's going to go.:(
 
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