The election is at an end. Unfortunately I will likely have to return that $2 check and the forever remember the grip of the gentleman in Fayette who asked "Can I trust you?" ..

I suppose so.

One or both of us will likely to be dead before a perfect storm comes like this again.

I haven't called to congratulate Roger. After all we were running for different jobs, I ran for district wide economic developer, he, for chief sports commentator and your tax money distributor.

As it turns out, I may have gotten my job.

I don't think he got his.

Perhaps I should offer condolences.

I had no way of knowing that the newly elected Senate leadership would be so heavy republican. No, that is not right, I should have known - I should have been more articulate to the voters of Franklin County that without me the key jobs in pork packaging and distribution would be to our South Alabama Senators.

That district six would remain barefoot and pregnant for another four years. Had I paid attention to the screaming crystal ball and seen the future I would have tried harder to make sure the people of Russellville understood that the days of backing a truck up to the field house to hand out cheerleader uniforms were over.

With me or without me.

However, as I expressed to the new Goat Hill leadership on Monday night;

"With your help there is little or no reason that I cannot do what I set out to do from my present State Office just as well as I could from the State House in Montgomery."

After all my goal was to get a highway from Barton to Tuscaloosa and industry, jobs and careers into district six.

Although district six has no representation interested in real economic development, our new Governor has made a pledge to not take a salary until Alabama reaches 5.2% unemployment.

It works in our favor that District six has counties what have the highest level of unemployment - by extension we will be the first counties considered by the Governor for real planned job growth.

$100million dollars for a highway project is not out of the question. $12 million for a Chinese lighting facility is not out of the question. $50million for a 2.5 million square foot solar power plant, a green diesel assembly plant and an electrical generation plant is not out of the question.

Repeal of the severance tax and the associated pork handouts is not completely off the table.

Heck .. a Browns Ferry sized Nuclear plant is even on the table.

So the electing the new leadership, of which I was not in a small way responsible may in fact lead to something good for Fayette, Winfield, Sulligent, Haleyville or Hamilton Alabama and maybe even a road tying those cities to Corrordor X.

As one gentleman from the State Republican Executive Committee said to me, "Son you didn't win your battle - but you certainly helped us win our war."

Change is coming to parts of District six, but if you live in Russellville Alabama, don't wait up.

The Alabama Legislature

As the leaves turn yellow/brown most of the smells and sights of winter/fall seem to mix the reality of the present with the memory of the past. The afternoon chill and rustle of the leaves turning in the wind as if making music to the great unseen conductor bring a feeling of nostalgia to me.

This feeling slips through me almost as a TV which can't quite decide what channel it wants to present. Present/Past fades in and out.

I choose to rotate the antenna toward the past for a clearer picture.

This picture is from 1961. My mother and her friend take us to the movies at the Norwood theater in Florence to see "Breakfast at Tiffany's". For company I invite my friend Leon and we take to the balcony as my mother and Jackie settle in to watch the movie directly below us.

Most of the movie was pretty boring to a couple of eight year olds but I recall spitting peanut hulls over the balcony rail without any thought of the people below. I recall the Tahitian Treat machine, the only talent of which was to take your nickle, dispense liquid directly into the drain then offer an empty four ounce paper cup. I put my nickle in and Leon laughed as my drink went down the drain. Then he put his nickle in and it did the same thing. I, standing there with an empty cup in my hands while Leon's red sugar water flowed down the drain. Leon immediately burst into uproarious laughter knowing his cup was to fall out after the fact. That is what I loved about Leon, his sense of irony was such that a good joke, even on himself, was always better than a cold drink.

Myself not so much.

We ran back upstairs looking for some string or ribbon to make a bit of use of our expensive paper cups and watched as the subtle nuance of Tracy Hepburn taking money from dirty old men in her apartment was completely lost upon us.

But not upon my mother.

The ride home was pretty quiet, Leon and I working out how we would use the treasured T-T cups and my mother's dry wit about it raining peanuts inside the theater. I do recall her saying that It was a pretty rough movie for us to be watching. Prostitutes and thieves - hummmp. Of course that caused Leon to burst into another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

It would be many years before I would learn that the film was written by Truman Capote about his own prostitute mother and the thief and charlatan transient that was his father. I suppose to spin something good from an otherwise intolerable childhood.

Turns out mother was right. Holly Golightly had to do some nasty off screen stuff for those fifty dollar tips. If in real life Holly the hooker had married Paul the thief/rentaboy, if in fact John McGiver had truly engraved their love on a plastic ring, what would their offspring have been?

Alabama Legislators?

Leon is rolling in his grave.

French sign painter.

Once upon a time a man was trying to sell his house close to the interstate highway in a very depressed real estate market.

A Frenchman came by one day and said:

" I tin'k if I paint the house she will sell"

(add your own French accent) ..

So the homeowner said "how much?

" .. "$5000" was the reply.

Five thousand dollars!

I can get it done for half that by a real contractor!

Wii (or whatever Frenchmen say) but she will not sell!

We will see about that! The homeowner replied, and slammed the door in a huff.

So he contracts the house painted with a reputable contractor for $3000.

Weeks go buy and the house still doesn't sell.

After a couple of months the Frenchman drops by and says..

She does not sell? Yes?

No she does not sell, the exasperated homeowner replies.

Ok .. the Frenchman replies. I paint the house.

If she sell I get $5000,

She no sell I get nothing..

Well Ok.. the exasperated man replies. "what have I got to lose"

The Frenchman waddles to his truck
(he looks a lot like the Penguin in the movie Batman)
Takes out a single can of paint and a huge brush..

Walks to the end of the house and paints:

"FOR SALE" In four foot high letters on the side of the house facing the interstate.

The moral of this story?

I'll tell you Wednesday after we find out if the house sells.

Representitive Needs Golf Lessons

A recent story caught my eye regarding a State Legislator who said he's not sure he overreacted when he brandished a golf club at a student journalist asking him questions about a golf outing during a National Conference of State Legislatures meeting this summer in Jamaica NY.

Representative McCampbell, D-Linden, first waved off the reporter, Dan Lieberman working on a project for ABC News, who asked why McCampbell was out golfing instead of attending the conference.

McCampbell said he was golfing with a U.S. Steel official but he was unsure who paid for the outing.

Unofficially, I believe I heard him say; " If you don't back off I am going to whack your head up in the clubhouse with this five iron"

He should have known better.

Nobody can make that shot with a five iron.

Once again the Alabama Legislature makes us proud as McCampbell repeated of his boondoggle vacation at lobbyist expense.

"I'm not sure who paid for this event" - Oh yeah?

And the event topic McCampbell was skipping out on to play Golf.

Ethics reform.

Press Release

The office of Jim Bonner - Campaign for State Senate -

Response to the gambling indictments.

For Immediate Release.

Recently, eleven people were indicted related to Alabama gambling legislation.

Four of them are elected legislators who swore an oath to serve the public.

While everyone is assumed innocent until found guilty, the grand jury heard evidence that indicates Senator Roger Bedford may be serving someone besides the public.

It serves no one to speculate on guilt or innocence but if the newspapers in Marion County and Florence are accurately reporting this story, then we need new leadership for District 6.

If you elect me, I promise to uphold the trust of the citizens of District 6 by faithfully carrying-out my sworn duties and exhibiting the impeccable behavior you deserve.

I will come to you individually, and in the press about matters which affect you and especially those that affect your pocketbook before any vote comes to the floor.

I am Jim Bonner and I need your help.

In return, you can count on me after we win this election.

-30-

For Sold.. Your vote.

I wish this campaign could be about something else. I wish it could be about the difference I would make by using the office of senate to create jobs, spur development, make sure our kids have schoolbooks. Maybe even get that long promised highway from the bridge to nowhere across 72 at Barton to the new stadium in Tuscaloosa.

I wish.

One friend said yesterday, It is all out here now, The people know.

If they vote the (blank's) back in then they get what they deserve.

I am tempted to agree.

Tempted, but I cannot.

For three reasons. A slip of blue paper and two pink love stamps from the 80's

On Thursday, I drove down to my campaign mailbox in Haleyville, walked past the crumbling seventies Federal project construction and slid the key into that ornate style brass mailbox door the Post Office has been using for a hundred years or more.

Inside, the usual assortment of letters. - Covering everything from mule breeders to brew masters asking for my position on their particular issue. A few returned letters with bad addresses. Something else from Newt Gingrich and the National.

And a letter.

Light blue in color, adorned with two 25 cent "Love" stamps, each with a pink rose.

Jimmy;

the letter began,

The handwriting a shaky prose that I immediately recognized as a woman likely in her eighties.

Written on a five inch bit of blue, lightly faded around the edges.

"Thank you" She began, "For doing this for us... we all are so proud of you. I know your mother would be too."

My right hand began to tremble. I knew what was coming next, the tri-folded check was already in my left hand.

She went on to write that we need someone to change things in Alabama.
That the corruption and the lately news articles was embarrassing to her and all Alabama.

She said it had been that way for her whole life, and thanked me again.

The letter closed with the statement:

" You know I am on a fixed income and I can't do much. I wanted you to know that our prayers are with you. I want to send you a little something to help with your campaign."


Two dollars.


I know the woman. The story of the widows mite came to me and I lost it right there in the post office.

I said I wish the campaign could be about something else.

I wish I could agree that the people deserve what they get.

But it can't be about something else.
The campaign won't let me.
This letter won't let me.

I will not cash this check, I will have it framed, along with the letter.

I will put in on my office wall in Montgomery,

And when Milton and the other mob goons come in and try to buy my vote I'll just have to say

"Sorry guys, -It is already sold, to a little old lady in Phil Campbell"

She outbid you big time, with a currency you cannot understand.

Bingo was his name o

Hello, My name is Jim Bonner and I am a candidate for State Senate District 6.

My opponent is a 25 year incumbent trial lawyer.

I guess it is time to make some kind of response to the debacle.

I would direct you to a comment from Doc's Political parlor regarding the indictment and arrest of 11 people on bribery and conspiracy charges :

Thinking it Over

October 5th, 2010 at 8:30 pm

Hardworking state senator? More like foul-mouthed, corruption-ridden, Milton McGregor-colluding state senator. Check out this bombshell from the federal prosecutor’s indictment in the McGregor Scandal, paragraph 58 on page 18:

“Toward the end of the day on or about March 2, 2010, the sponsor of SB380 asked MCGREGOR for permission to retaliate against Legislator 2 and other legislators who did not support the bill. During the conversation, the legislator stated, ‘I want your authority…I mean, the collective authority…to say if you f**kers f**k us on this [legislation]…there will be no peace…We’re coming after your a**.’ MCGREGOR responded, “Big man, let me tell you, I don’t even have to think about it. You’ve got mine…” The sponsor continued, reiterating, “I want the authority to say this is your vote, you vote yes or no and this is what we’re going to judge you by.’ Again, MCGREGOR affirmed that he was ‘110% on board with that.’”

The aforementioned sponsor of SB380, the Senate bill calling for a statewide referendum on the legalization of gambling? None other than your hardworking state senator, Roger Bedford.

Now a lot of people are aghast that our hard working state senator might use such language. I am not shocked. In fact I have long suspected such language existed on Goat Hill. It may have even existed before Roger Bedford was born. I am shocked however at what the words mean if you just remove the expletives and examine the content.

Look it over with me and take a look at the parts I take some issue with.

1) "I want your authority"... Our state Senator, speaking with our elected voice, asking a person like Milton McGregor for permission to do anything is offensive to me. The only person our elected officials have to ask permission of is us, the electorate. Nuff said.

2) "I mean, the collective authority"... Now I won't suggest what this means because I need to get some sleep tonight instead of sitting up in a chair by the window with a gun (again). But remember he is talking to a powerful Nevada Gambling interest. Who, in your best recollection is "The Collective" in Nevada?

3) there will be no peace…We’re coming after your a**. Well he said Ass .. We can say ass here I think. But this statement means different things coming from different people. If I hear it from my kids I think they maybe want to borrow the mule. If I hear it from my wife another thing altogether. But If I hear it in this context I get visions of Nicky Santoro and his baseball bat in the Lefty Rosenthal Biopic "Casino"

Lanny A. Breuer of the FBI’s Criminal Division said the accused are charged “to have formed a corrupt network whose aim was to buy and sell votes in the Alabama Legislature. They also tell us there is more to come. They tell us that there will be indictments, and if not, I will be very disappointed.

But if i had a copy of the FBI tape I could take it to our local DA and get a warrant. This is conspiracy to make threats to an elected official. A Federal Crime.

I spoke to a group last night and I mirrored the words of our State Chairman Mike Hubbard when he said he considered Montgomery a “culture of corruption.” He stated, “The ongoing investigation and subsequent arrests should serve as a referendum on the culture of corruption that has been prevalent in Montgomery for far too long,”

I couldn't agree more.

But, I know that Mike has a bigger picture at stake. He sees it from a Statewide perspective. I however, see it from the perspective of District 6.

A district in which the Culture of Corruption has a name.

The name is Roger Bedford.