VNN ANNOUNCES $30,000 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO ASSIST AREA STUDENTS
By Latoiya Stout

BIRMINGHAM -- Voter News Network has established a $30,000 scholarship program that will encourage young scholars and leaders in the Birmingham metropolitan area. The scholarships will be awarded in Spring 2004 to graduating high school students who desire to become civic leaders and business entrepreneurs. The deadline for applications will be February 1, 2004.

"There is a wealth of intellectual talent among the youth in the Birmingham area," said Sharon Childs-Long, VNN's Education Committee chairwoman. "Too often these students have the academic ability to take them anywhere they want to go, but lack adequate financial support. VNN wants to step in and invest in these students, because many of them will lead us in the future."

A total of 30 scholarships will be awarded for $1,000 each. Fifteen scholarships will be awarded based on leadership. The other 15 will be awarded to students who desire to become business owners. Scholarship recipients will be selected by an independent panel comprised of a parent, a student, a business leader and a classroom teacher.

The development of the scholarship program is consistent with VNN's reinvestment in the community. "We strongly believe that this will have a ripple effect in our community," Childs-Long said. "First of all, we hope other organizations will be encouraged to look at additional contributions they can make to assist our youth. Also, we look forward to seeing these young people return to our area with college degrees in hand and ready to work and contribute to make our community even better."



ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE ONLY FIX FOR ALABAMA'S PROBLEMS
By John Hudson III

Mercedes came to town. Honda, Hyundai and Toyota followed. And now, Alabama is becoming a world leader in the automotive industry.

A tremendous domino effect has resulted from the decisions of these major automobile manufacturing companies to locate in Alabama. These business organizations have created thousands of new jobs and significantly increased the tax base of several state municipalities.

Moreover, communities all over the state are competing to be supplier locations for these manufacturing facilities - which will create more jobs and provide more opportunities.

Alabama's economy is certain to benefit from retention, expansion, and recruitment of companies in the automobile industry. However, the automobile industry is only one piece of the economic development pie.

Companies all over the world - all kinds of companies from many different types of industries - would do well to locate in Alabama. The Southeast is the fastest-growing region in the nation, and some of the advantages of our state include a quality work force, natural resources, low cost of
operations, accessibility to U.S. and global markets, a pro-business environment, a sense of community, and competitive utility prices.

With so much competition from other states, it's important for people from the public and private sectors to be more interested in economic development. More involvement, including involvement from educators, community leaders, politicians and business leaders, will fortify the state's economic-development focus and will bring new approaches, creative ideas, and innovation to improve the lives of all Alabamians.

We must understand how important economic development is to Alabama. We must understand that economic development strengthens communities; enlarges the state's tax base; makes it easier to attract other industry; provides new, high-wage jobs; improves the image of our state, which gives Alabama a competitive advantage; and improves employment opportunities, which helps keep children close to home.

Some of our leaders understand. Alamerica founder Donald Watkins has been involved in ongoing
economic-development talks and trade missions with Bahamian dignitaries. Former Birmingham Mayor and 100 Black Men of Birmingham member Richard Arrington, Jr. is heading up Alamerica's Bahamian economic development effort. This is the type of effort that could make a huge impact on
bringing businesses to this state. In order for our community to really progress, more businesses, more government officials, more educators, more community leaders and more economic developers must play a role in helping our state grow and
prosper.

That's why the 100 Black Men of Birmingham will continue to concentrate on its most strategic focus area - economic development.

John Hudson III, assistant to the CEO of Alabama Power Company, is president of the 100 Black Men of Birmingham and Chairman of the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority.

THE MINORITY POPULATION: PLAGUED BY DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION
By Latoiya Stout

The conditions of health for African-Americans and other minority groups have reached very dangerous levels. According to BlackHealthCare.com (BHC), diabetes and hypertension are two of the chronic diseases plaguing the African-American community.

The following is a brief overview of these two chronic diseases affecting the minority population:

DIABETES

The occurrence of diabetes is about 70% higher among African-Americans than white Americans. Also, African-Americans with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes complications and experience a greater degree of disability from the complications than white Americans. Hispanic - Americans have a higher prevalence of diabetes than non-Hispanic people. Puerto Ricans and Hispanic people living in the Southwest have the highest rates for type 2 diabetes.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), 1 in 10 people in the state of Alabama have diabetes. Thousands more are not aware that they have the disease. Also, Alabama ranks among the top states in the U.S. for the pervasiveness of diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in the state.

So what can you do to decrease your risk of developing diabetes? Well first of all, poor dietary habits greatly increases your chances of having diabetes. A diet low in calories and saturated fat is an excellent approach to preventing type II diabetes. Experts also recommend nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day and lots of whole grain (rice, pasta, bread, ect.) to raise your fiber intake. Obesity is a major risk factor. Weight loss has repeatedly been shown to reduce and correct insulin resistance. Last, but not least, exercise is extremely important. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (walking, biking, playing tennis, ect.), five times a week to significantly reduce your risk of diabetes.

HYPERTENSION (High Blood Pressure)

High blood pressure can affect anyone, however, African-Americans are at a greater risk than any other race or ethnic group. The prevalence of high blood pressure in African - Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world. High blood pressure is often called the "silent killer" because most people feel perfectly healthy and are not aware that they have it. So is high blood pressure that big of a deal? Yes. When your blood pressure is high, your heart must work harder than it should to pump blood to all parts of the body. If it is left untreated, it can cause a stroke, heart attack, kidney problems, eye problems, and even death.

Listed below are steps to lower your chances of developing high blood pressure:

1. Maintain a healthy weight
2. Exercise
3. Choose foods low in salt and sodium
4. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation, and
5. Have your blood pressure checked by your health care provider at least once a year

The New Year is steadily approaching and there's no better time to make some changes in our lifestyle to live healthier and better lives. Many of the dangerous health conditions that face the minority population can easily be prevented if we take matters into our own hands and make the necessary adjustments.

Sources: BlackHealthCare.com, Alabama Department of Public Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and The American Heart Association.

NONPARTISAN POST-ELECTION ANALYSIS
By Lenora Fulani

The referendum election (Questions #3) to determine whether the voters of New York City approved of nonpartisan municipal election was held on Tuesday, November 11, 2003. It failed 70% - 30%. I wanted to share some of my thoughts about what we experienced together in the battle over Question #3.

I began the process - perhaps we all did - with the naïve assumption that you could have a debate in this city about what kind of election system we should have. That never happened. The vote took place and the Democratic Party machine won it 70% to 30%. But as far as the election becoming a forum for a public exchange about the merits of the proposal, the Democratic Party machine simply wouldn't allow it. Many felt extreme political heat put on them for having supported nonpartisans as the clubhouses went into hysterical overdrive. There have already been some threats of retribution. The machine ran a hyperbolic scare campaign directed at prime voters attached to the unions, the school system and the clubhouses about "a Republican power grab," a billionaire trying to buy an election, and the charge that you can't change the rules "just when we're getting ahead."

This was not a Republican power grab. If it were, I assure you the Republicans would have prevailed on Bloomberg to spend a lot more than he did. However, it is true that nonpartisans are a reform that would slightly chip away at the Democratic power grab that has already taken place and which is institutionalized in the guts of New York City government and politics, Mike Bloomberg's presence in City Hall notwithstanding. Everyone who knows politics in this town knows that the Democratic Party, in partnership with the union bureaucrats and their professional intellectuals (the good government and policy crowd) run New York "on the ground" and some would add, into the ground, as well.

I saw something about the character of the corruption of the Democratic machine that I had never quite seen before and like each of you, I've seen plenty of it in very diverse forms. This time, however, what you might call the "invisible corruption" became visible. It's not the blatant corruption of selling judgeships; getting an insurgent thrown off the ballot; or the bullying that goes on if you step out of line from what the machine wants. It's a more insidious form of corruption where Democrats and union leaders tell our communities "We got ours, now let's hold onto it. Don't let anyone else in." That idea the classic trade union mentality of "cut a deal for your members and screw everyone else" is, in my mind, a violation of everything that empowerment philosophy is supposed to be about. In my book, the goal is to bring everyone in and to work to lift everyone up.

The Democrats exposed that they care only for their prime voter, not for the people. This is important, because representing itself as the "party of the people" is intrinsic to how the Democrats maintain their control. We might not have won nonpartisan elections, but we certainly forced them to show their hand in this regard. During the course of the hearings hundreds of community people were able to witness this gross display of partisanship and disrespect for the democratic process. They saw what the corruption and the disdain for ordinary citizens looked like close-up; the arrogance that allowed them to say that they and only they spoke for the minority community when 40% of the city's one million independents are people of color; the sensibility that only they knew what was best for the people and thus this proposal shouldn't even go on the ballot!

It was astounding that an organization that is so powerful, with a 5-to-1 voter registration advantage, holding 54 out of 59 municipal offices, was so violently bent out of shape by a reform that as a matter of practical politics would barely affect their status. It was as if even though they held all the cards, they didn't want anyone else to sit at the table. The million New Yorkers barred from primary voting under the present system could easily have become allies of the Democratic Party if the leaders had supported their enfranchisement. But they did not. Instead, they chose to repudiate them, which doesn't exactly lend credibility to the Democrats' Florida 2000-inspired chants of "Make Every Vote Count." They only want the Democratic votes to count.

What is striking to me in the aftermath of the election is that no Democratic Party leader - not one - looked at the results and said, "My God! Three out of every 10 people who are participating in politics don't trust the current process! Shouldn't we be concerned about that? Shouldn't we find some way to be responsive to that problem?"

No Democratic leader said that, but why would they? They dismiss the 30% as Republicans (who they want to marginalize), anti-machine Democrats (who they want to crush), and independents (who they intend to keep in permanent second-class status). Put another way, they turn everything, including the referendum on non-partisan elections, into a bid for partisan gain. I'm sure they didn't give a second thought to the non-voters, among whom support for a nonpartisan system is higher than 30%. It's worth reminding ourselves that these New Yorkers generally don't vote because the election process has become so partisan. The environment surrounding Question #3 was no exception. The 141,000 New Yorkers who did come out to vote for nonpartisans (the 30%) are the consistent one-third of the electorate that is independent, that strives to have fairness, not partisanship, be fundamental.

A theme harped on by the other side throughout was the so-called "deal" between me and Mayor Bloomberg. There was no "deal." There was an agreement that a shared commitment between the Mayor and the Independence Party of New York - which I am a member of - to nonpartisan elections, would be pursued. But the Democrats persisted in playing this card. To mainly white audiences, the taunt was that Bloomberg had lowered himself to make a "deal with the devil," i.e. me, a Black woman leftist, in order to win the election. In the Black community, the taunt was that I had "sold out" to a white billionaire. In some of the cruder, more explicitly nationalistic forums, the fact that Bloomberg is Jewish was included, part of the effort to dissuade Black voters from supporting nonpartisanship.

In spite of that, support for Question #3 in the minority communities appears to have been on par with the city as a whole, ranging from 20% to 35% of the vote. The Democratic Party machine view is: When in doubt, go racial. Get the white folks stirred up about the Black folks; get the Black folks stirred up about the white folks, most especially Jews; and we'll get the outcome we want.

I could not complete an Election Day analysis without commenting on the City Council race in the 35th District in Brooklyn. Of the many forms of raw opportunism and mean spiritedness that characterized this election cycle, none were as shocking as that of the Working Families Party in this race. After Councilman James Davis' tragic murder, politicians from Speaker Gifford Miller on out lined up at the wake and the funeral to pay homage to James and pledge their support to his brother Geoffrey. Geoffrey became the Democratic Party nominee, but the vast pledges of support from Democrats never materialized. The Working Families Party, seeing that Geoffrey's support was weak, believed that they could grab the seat for themselves if they pulled the Democratic leadership to their side and put enough union muscle on the street. The corrupt Brooklyn County machine backed their campaign, together with an array of Democrats, some of whom as Charles Barron said in a touching statement on election night - simply walked away from Geoffrey and the Davis family without a second thought. The Working Families Party has been busy celebrating its "historic win." For me, however, taking the occasion of the tragedy of James Davis' death to turn itself into a placeholder for the Democratic machine and grab something under its name is shameful. There is no end to the vulgarity of partisan politics.

The Democratic machine won the vote. But what exactly did they win? Nothing, as far as I can see. They were the heavy favorites going in, Bloomberg's money notwithstanding. What did we win? We forced the Democratic machine into having to justify its existence. In the course of doing so, they exposed the corruption of their political relationship to their rank and file and their gross disregard for the broader community. In their utter hysteria, they revealed that they are at one and the same time a brute force and extremely vulnerable. We established that there is a 30% force in New York led by independent-minded activists that can continue to grow and to impact. I'm looking forward to doing that together.



ALAMERICA BANK SPONSORS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
By Sharon Childs-Long

BIRMINGHAM -- Alamerica Bank, one of the fastest growing financial institutions in the Southeast, was the title sponsor for the Gulf South/SIAC Basketball Conference Challenge, November 28-29.

The tournament, which was hosted by SIAC powerhouse Miles College on its campus in Fairfield, brought together some of the most exciting teams in the Southeast for two days of intense competition.

In addition to Miles, the tournament included LeMoyne Owen of the SIAC and the University of North Alabama and the University of Alabama at Huntsville, both members of the Gulf South Athletic Conference.

"Alamerica believes in investing in our community through our financial operations as well as support of institutions and civic organizations," said Donald Watkins, Alamerica founder and chairman of the board. "Miles has a rich history in academics and athletics. By sponsoring this event, we hope to assist the college as it continues to grow and take on challenges."

This is the first time Miles has sponsored a basketball challenge between teams from different conferences. Basketball Head Coach Roosevelt Sanders saw strong support from the community as his encouragement for Miles hosting this event.

Watkins has been involved in several efforts to further the mission and exposure of athletics at historically black colleges and universities.

"Our historically black colleges and universities have launched the careers of some of the greatest athletes in sports today. When we increase the exposure of the athletes and their athletic programs, we give those institutions and individuals an opportunity to reap more tangible benefits," Watkins said.

Founded in 2000, Alamerica Bank is a diverse financial institution headquartered in Birmingham, AL. Alamerica is one of the fastest growing banks of its kind in the nation with current plans for expansion.



VOTER NEWS NETWORK COMMITS $2 MILLION TO BUSH CAMPAIGN

BIRMINGHAM -- Voter News Network, an independent voice of voters throughout the United States, has committed to raising $2 million for the re-election campaign of George W. Bush. VNN made the first installment on that contribution on Monday, November 3, when the president visited Birmingham for a fund-raiser.

"The leadership of VNN decided to support Bush because he is uniquely positioned to continue guiding our country through the challenges it is facing economically and with foreign affairs," Watkins said.

"VNN's diverse base of supporters have said that they want to play a major role in regional and national politics," said VNN executive director William Parker. "We will continue to do this by supporting candidates in a variety or races who represent the issues that VNN supporters are concerned about."

Since it was founded, VNN has supported candidates in political races in New York, California, Georgia and Alabama. Candidates endorsed in statewide elections in Alabama in 2002 had overwhelming success, including Gov. Bob Riley.

"The unique thing about VNN is that we are not tied to one political party. We support the best candidates, period," Watkins said.

During the president's visit to Birmingham, Watkins co-hosted a reception prior to a luncheon at the Birmingham Sheraton Hotel. He was joined by Parker and VNN board member Attorney Kenneth Thomas.

The goal of the Birmingham fundraiser for Bush/Cheney was to raise $1 million. The VNN support pledged earlier this week will more than double that amount.



REPRINT FROM THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS (AL.COM)

MOORE'S FIRST GOAL: 'CLEAR MY MIND'
By Stan Bailey, News staff writer
11/15/03

MONTGOMERY -- Now that he's a former chief justice of Alabama, Roy Moore says he's in no hurry to clean out his desk or to move his Ten Commandments monument out of a storage room in the state judicial building.

Moore and his attorneys say they are virtually certain he will appeal his removal from office Thursday by the state Court of the Judiciary. It found that he violated judicial ethics when he defied a federal court's order to move the monument out of the rotunda of the judicial building.

The lawyers met for about 30 minutes Thursday. Lead attorney Terry Butts said their plans are incomplete but they decided "we would all go and think about it all, and we have a meeting with the chief on Tuesday to make some hard final decisions."

Moore has about a month to file an appeal. He said Friday he told his lawyers that "I just think I want to go home and clear my mind. Of course, I've been on these radio shows and television shows and newspaper interviews, and I don't know if I'm clearing my mind at all."

He hasn't thought too much about arrangements, Moore said. "I'll be cleaning out my office as I can get to it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with the monument," he said. "It's in a storage closet, and I haven't planned to move it yet. I've got to make arrangements."

Moore's hoping Congress will place the 5,280-pound chunk of granite in the U.S. Capitol, but he has an even more urgent request of Congress that he says he'll talk more about next week. He wants it to pass a bill to limit the power of federal courts.

"I'm going to be proposing a bill that has a great effect on the federal judiciary," Moore said. He wouldn't give details, but he said he and a group of "conservative constitutional scholars and lawyers" are drafting the proposal.

Herb Titus of CBN University Law School, who represented Moore when he unsuccessfully appealed the order to remove the monument, is among the legal scholars drafting the bill, Moore said.

Moore said he has only one speaking engagement on his calendar now, in Kansas City in a few days. But he expects to be speaking more now that he's officially out of work.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bob Riley said Friday it's too early to talk about whom he might appoint to succeed Moore as chief justice if Moore isn't restored to office on appeal.

He and acting Chief Justice Gorman Houston also haven't worked out a dilemma that could occur if Moore appeals his ouster.

The appeal would be heard by the state Supreme Court. If fewer than six of Moore's fellow justices are willing to participate in the decision, a state law requires the governor to appoint a special court. The state constitution also allows the acting chief justice to appoint special judges to decide the case.

Houston said that rather than have a dispute over who appoints the special court, he would propose putting the names of his and Riley's nominees in a hat and drawing for the court.

Riley wouldn't say Friday whether he would accept that procedure. But he said he expected he and Houston could work out a reasonable solution if the case gets that far.

ALAMERICA BANK CONTINUES PLANS FOR NASSAU BRANCH
By Sharon Childs-Long

BIRMINGHAM -- Alamerica Bank is continuing its plans for a branch in Nassau, Bahamas following a recent meeting in Birmingham with the island's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Alamerica's founder Donald Watkins and local business leaders met in Birmingham last week with Minister Fred Mitchell and other Bahamian dignitaries. They discussed opportunities for establishing a bank on the island, which has become the hub of business and entertainment in the Bahamas.

"It has always been our plan for Alamerica to establish branches in key cities in the U.S. and in other locations beyond our borders," said Watkins.

"The growth of businesses and recreation venues in Nassau provide an excellent opportunity for Alamerica to grow while assisting in that development."

Alamerica plans to open the Nassau branch by the end of the year with $15 million in seed money--$5 million from Alamerica BancCorp and $10 million from Bahamian businessmen.

In addition to the seed money Watkins said Alamerica will establish a $4 million development fund that will be used to finance small business projects in the Bahamas.

Former Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington, Jr. is heading up Alamerica's expansion team. Watkins said the Arrington's expertise in economic development and his ability to negotiate will be key in establishing the new branch.