VNN SUPPORTS MAYOR BERNARD KINCAID IN RUNOFF
By Donald V. Watkins, Jr.

Birmingham - Voter News Network will support Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid in the upcoming mayoral runoff election, upon the recommendation of Dr. Richard Arrington Jr., VNN Director of Political Affairs.

VNN Executive Director William Parker said Mayor Kincaid is the best choice to continue leading Birmingham.

"Throughout his career of service, Dr. Kincaid has demonstrated that he is an independent thinker who knows how to mobilize his constituency. Mayor Kincaid has also shown that he has a true vision for the city and a plan for making that vision happen," Parker said.

"In his first four years, Mayor Kincaid began laying the ground work for progress. In the next four years, we believe he can lead Birmingham through its next phase of transformation," Parker stated.

"We don't want to see the city of Birmingham remotely controlled by Montgomery special interest groups who are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of Councilwoman Smitherman, who is the wife of State Senator Rodger Smitherman," said Parker.

The VNN endorsement includes a contribution for Kincaid of $100,000 payable to 21st Century PAC, headed by Birmingham Attorney Emory Anthony. VNN will provide an additional $50,000 for election day GOTV efforts on Kincaid's behalf, Parker said.

"This is a critical election for Birmingham voters. It will determine what happens for years to come," Parker said. "Birmingham is poised for growth and citizens are looking forward to the work that will happen as a result of the $125 million bond issue passed under Dr. Kincaid's leadership. We need a mayor who can unify this city and move us forward. Dr. Bernard Kincaid is that person. Dr. Kincaid offers Birmingham leadership we can trust and respect," stated Parker.



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.

"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.

Applications and additional scholarship information will be available in December online at www.Voternewsnetwork.com. The deadline for applications will be in mid February 2004.

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."



INDEPENDENT VOTERS GATHER TO WATCH PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
By Bob Friedman

Independent voters will be gathering this week in living rooms across the state and around the country. They will be munching on popcorn, having a beer or a soda, and using a questionnaire developed by and for independent voters to weigh the Democratic contenders running for President. Developed by organizers of "Choosing an Independent President 2004," independents are finding a way to participate in the 2004 elections without a party and without independent candidate of their own.

22 states, including Alabama, New Hampshire and South Carolina, hold open primaries in which independents are allowed to vote. An October poll by CNN/USA Today/Gallup showed that 35% of Americans consider themselves independent while Republicans compromise 32% and Democrats 31% of the population.

"There are growing numbers of Americans who are concerned about the influence of special interests on the political process and who feel that the extreme partisanship we see today is corrupting our democracy," said Bob Friedman, an independent in Alabama. "We would like to hear the candidates address these concerns, and let us know if, as President, they will serve the American people or their party."

The debate-watching parties are being organized by independents that are part of the "Choosing an Independent President 2004" or "ChIP" process- a process begun after a meeting of more than 800 indies from more than 30 states in January of 2003. The process will continue through a series of state meetings and conferences occurring throughout the fall, leading up to a national convention of independents in New Hampshire in January 2004.

After watching the debates, independents will interview one another and solicit responses to the candidates' performances and then will use their growing network to communicate these responses, and questions they would like addressed, directly to the candidates' campaign.

"As a plurality of voting population, we are putting ourselves in a moderator's chair in these debates," said Nancy Ross, an organizer of the ChIP process. "We are asking that the candidates address the issues with which we, as independents, are concerned."

"Dean, Edwards and Sharpton are already working with independents, and with Wesley Clark's statement of intention to reach out to independents, our hope is that his participation in the upcoming debates will increase attention on issues of concern to independents," said Ross.



100 BLACK MEN OF BIRMINGHAM: PLAYING A ROLE IN INCREASING THE
VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY
By John O. Hudson, III

The success of industry is measured in numbers: net income, the value of a company's assets, the price of a share of stock. But how do you gauge the value of a community?

One possibility would be to try to measure what a community would be like with or without its leadership - the people, whether public officials or private citizens.

Part of what makes Birmingham so extraordinary, what makes our city so unique from other places, are the contributions of its people, past and present.

Under this premise, the 100 Black Men of Birmingham, Inc. is focused on increasing the value of the Birmingham community with its membership - more than 170 of Birmingham's most well-respected professionals and trusted community leaders - and with its programs and initiatives.

The non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and enhancing educational opportunities for African-Americans in the Birmingham regional area. The organization is an affiliate of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and focuses on four principle areas: 1) Mentoring, 2) Education, 3) Economic Development, and 4) Health & Well-Being.

Notable members of the 100 Black Men of Birmingham, Inc. include Dr. Richard Arrington Jr., former mayor of the City of Birmingham and Voter
News Network's director for political affairs; J. Mason Davis, Jr., partner, Sirote & Permutt; and Jordan Frazier, President and CEO, Midfield Dodge.

Whether through youth mentoring, implementing educational programs, initiating economic development strategies or promoting health and
wellness initiatives, the 100 Black Men of Birmingham plan to engage in activities that increase the value of the community. The organization's first such event was held Tuesday, Aug. 19, when the 100 Black Men hosted its first annual Salute to Education Leaders Luncheon with
Governor Bob Riley as the guest speaker.

As education leaders across the city of Birmingham rang in a new school year, the 100 Black Men paused to thank them for the leadership role
they play in molding the young minds and inspiring our youth to greatness. During the luncheon, the 100 Black Men also announced the formation of a New Teacher Grant program that will fund grants for
teachers practicing in the classroom from one to three years. The grants are intended for the teachers to use to purchase supplies and materials
for their classrooms and will be awarded before classes are dismissed for Christmas break so the teacher can have the supplies on-hand at the
beginning of the 2004 school session.

To download a grant application, or to find out more information about the 100 Black Men of Birmingham, you can visit www.100bmba.org.

The luncheon and the grant program were public manifestations of the organization's strategy to make in impact on the community. However, the
people of Birmingham can anticipate several more high-profile 100 Black Men initiatives that will play a role in improving the quality of life in our city and increasing the value of our community.

In the end, we must ask ourselves if our leaders are making our community better or worse.

It is my hope that, over time, the citizens of Birmingham will tell you that one organization - the 100 Black Men of Birmingham - has made the
community better.

John O. Hudson, III is President and Chairman of the Board, 100 Black Men of Birmingham &
Assistant to the President and CEO of Alabama Power Company



THE 2003 BIRMINGHAM MAYORAL CAMPAIGN: SMITHERMAN DISAPPOINTS
By Dr. Richard Arrington Jr.

Carole Smitherman, long-time favorite and friend of mine and now a candidate for Mayor of Birmingham, has taken stands in this election that disappoint me, if not puzzle me. Two such positions in particular disappoint me.

First is her decision to attack black businessman Donald Watkins and me for announcing that the ten Political Action Committees (PACs) of Watkins' Voter News Network (VNN) will make a significant financial contribution to some mayoral candidate recommended by my consultant team. Smitherman, immediately upon hearing the announcement, shot off a letter to the media (addressed to me) that I first saw when several reporters showed it to me, accusing Watkins and me of planning "to handpick Birmingham's next Mayor and control Birmingham". She told media that she wanted nothing to do with VNN's PAC money. Several weeks later she repeated that statement in a letter mailed to white voters.

Why am I disappointed in Carole? Well she took more PAC money from Montgomery-based PACs than nearly all other council candidates combined in her successful 2001 council race and she is doing the same thing in the ongoing mayor's race. She apparently believes its fine for her to rake in thousands and thousands of dollars from PACs outside of Birmingham. But she opposes the right of VNN PACs to make contributions to candidates of its choice. Is this because she hopes to be the only mayoral candidate with a big war chest? Maybe she sees VNN's contributions as a threat to her campaign.

More disappointing is her apparent failure to understand the importance of predominately black PAC's making sizeable financial contributions to candidates without regard to race and gender. There are few predominately black PACs among the nearly 1000 PACs registered with Alabama Secretary of State and the make sizeable campaign contributions to candidates. Political candidates in Alabama get their big money outside the black community. Blacks have been politically empowered with the vote, but few are when it comes to making sizeable contributions to candidates. It needs to be done without regard to race or gender, as VNN does.

Candidates do not forget who helps to finance their campaigns. Smitherman will not forget either. But unlike Smitherman said about Watkins and me, I don't believe that all of those thousands of dollars she rakes in from PACs mean that she is going to be controlled by them. Nor do I question the right of those PACs to "handpick" the candidates they wish to support. Fine Carole, don't touch our PAC dollars. But if you want to be our Mayor, please understand the importance of our efforts to support candidates and do encourage others in our community to do the same. It's empowering our community. It shows that we can be givers and not just beggars. We also want candidates to know that we too wield dollar power.

My pain increased when Smitherman said she wanted no endorsement from political organizations while she was the same time hotly pursuing the endorsement of Birmingham's Southside Gay organizations and then publicly boasting of their support. No, it has nothing to do with the gay organizations. But it has a lot to do with fact that the political process in Alabama's black community has been driven by endorsements and tireless work of political groups like ADC, The Coalition, Alabama New South Coalition, Metropolitan Democratic Women and others. Without their work at GOTV and political education black voter turnout that is often dismal would be even worse. Its insulating to tell those groups that you don't want their endorsement but you want to lead their city. The Carole I remember was kinder and smarter than that.