Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county

Source: AP


Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county
AP


By JAY REEVES, Associated Press Writer Jay Reeves, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 28 mins ago

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The sheriff in Alabama's most populous county may call for the National Guard to help maintain order, a spokesman said Tuesday, after a judge cleared the way for cuts in the sheriff's budget and hopes dimmed for a quick end to a budget crisis.

Circuit Judge Joseph L. Boohaker ruled that leaders in Jefferson County — now trying to head off a municipal bankruptcy filing of historic proportions — could go ahead with plans to slash $4.1 million from the budget of Sheriff Mike Hale, who had filed a lawsuit that temporarily blocked spending cuts for his office.

About 1,000 county workers already are on unpaid leave because courts threw out a key county tax, and Hale has warned that reductions to his budget would mean fewer patrols by deputies and decreased courthouse security.

A spokesman for Hale, Randy Christian, said the sheriff told Gov. Bob Riley after the ruling that state assistance may be needed to perform basic law enforcement tasks once the department's current funding is exhausted in early September.

"We will certainly be looking at calling in the National Guard," said Christian.

Hale may have to cut as many as 188 deputies and almost 300 civilian workers out of more than 700 employees total because of Boohaker's ruling, Christian said. That would leave just enough workers to staff the county's two jails, which hold about 1,000 prisoners on average.

(more)

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_us/us_alabama_county_crisis_1

---

Shit, meet fan.

Republican, tea-bagging government at it's finest.

No taxes, no services, no protection.

But, the guard ain't trained for that kind of work.

...instead of making residents feel like they're under occupation with the stationing of troops there.

why not bring in state troopers?

isn't massive civil disorder? Maybe the sherrif is overstaffed?

k/r

Coincidence? I think not. State judges in
my former home State are elected. They know
who butters their bread, and it ain't the people.

I can't see how the Guvment can possibly pull that off. Especially in Alabama????

:sarcasm:

"my base of Republicon Homelander chickenhawks will understand perfectly, Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL (R)

Medicals, missing kids, barking dogs, theft, house on fire .... oops... no one to answer the phone... oh well.....

Scary

which is way different than when National Guard is called to help out with torndoes or hurricanes.

If this happens, there is going to be some objections.

Birmingham is solidly Democratic.

These are mostly Democrats who will be left without adequate police protection.

But don't let that stop you from a good two minutes hate or anything. We know that nothing brings such joy to DU as a chance to hate on Southerners, even the ones who happen to be on our side.

I realize the OP said they have laid off 1000 county employees, but I wonder what percentage that is to the total.

They are threatening here locally to cull PD and FD ranks if we don't pass a tax levy in the fall.

Meanwhile the nice, big, new city hall building appears fully staffed with well paid desk jockeys.

Ah well, it should be interesting to observe.

against Democrats in Birmingham, the police will not respond or investigate? That's the most paranoid thought I have had in a long time. Seems to me the state should intervene and make sure that the police are paid. We are also having problems in California. It's everywhere. I doubt that there is any plot behind this, but it does leave people everywhere feeling vulnerable. All states with large populations are affected by this.

Fact is, tax revenues go down when middle class incomes go down. Those Bush tax cuts for the rich sure worked wonders, didn't they?

See DU post http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3995559#3995852

Afghanistan, Iraq, Alabama -- where will it all end?