The good ole boy network in Baldwin County is connected by LLC’s. One LLC may cover another LLC that covers another LLC, making it almost impossible to determine who owns what. Elected officials, such as city council members and county commissioners hide their business and personal connections to these LLC’S. By doing this, they are able to vote and promote their own interests without being discovered. Or so they thought.
The Ethics commission in Alabama has failed in its mission of enforcing any ethical standards. In fact, in many cases they have turned a blind eye to complaints or procrastinated enough that the complaint evaporates. This has created and encouraged many elected officials to ignore the very rules that were designed to protect the citizens of the state. The Ethics Commission has actually created a path for the elected officials to manipulate the ethics rules through the use of informal and advisory opinions. The bottom line is that the court of public opinion is often the only option citizens have in exposing obvious conflicts of interest involving public officials.
Recently we published copies of LLC’s connecting Fairhope city councilman Kevin Boone to individuals that are a clear conflict of interest relative to Mr. Boone’s voting on several issues.
BIT DOGS BARK FIRST
Well folks if you were watching football this last Monday night and have no idea what is going on with the Fairhope City Council, that same night, let me fill you in because a couple…
Source: rippreport.com/2017/01/11/bit-dogs-bark-first/ and https://rippreport.com/2017/01/13/boone-doggle/
Mr. Boone has been voting and advocating for particular engineer firms while eliminating others. He also has enjoyed handsome campaign contributions from the same LLC’s that he has a financial interest in.
Mr. John Avent, of Preble -Rich/Dewberry http://www.zoominfo.com/p/John_Avent/1710558213.
Mr. Boone has several LLC’s with Mr. Avent. Mr Avent has a share of Baldwin County Sewer. Mr. Boone has adamantly fought against any suggestions by Fairhope’s newly elected Mayor to hire an engineering firm with fresh eyes to evaluate their utility infrastructure. Again, Mr. Boone did not recuse himself from the vote or acknowledge any conflicts of interest, instead he voted for his best interest and tried his best to humiliate the Mayor.
County commissioner Tucker Dorsey is tied in with all the same individuals and a multitude of LLC’s.
Commissioner’s ties to businesses raise questions – Lagniappe Mobile
Records maintained by the Alabama Secretary of State’s office show that between 1998 and 2013, at least 42 business entities and property owners associations were registered at 12940 Underwood Road in Summerdale, the current address for construction company Summit Industries LLC. Those entities were formed by Baldwin County Commissioner Tucker Dorsey, Dorsey’s employer Clarence E. …
Source: www.lagniappemobile.com/commissioners-ties-to-businesses-raise-questions/
Tucker’s ambition is to replace State Senator Trip Pittman who used his office to fleece Fairhope out of BP money.
The $675,000 Sins of Senator Trip Pittman-R are Irrefutable and Actionable
Mr. Pittman was told he could not proceed with the Pittman
Tractor paperwork and become the contractor. He thus obliged the same day with the second set of paperwork, explicitly citing Oil Recovery, and not Pittman Tractor—as he had agreed not to go forward with it after he was told of the possible Ethics Commission complaint.
Source: alabamacorruption.blogspot.com/2011/03/675000-sins-of-senator-trip-pittman-r.html
County Commissioner Chris Elliott is jockeying for the Probate Judge position and reversed course on owning the DUI he got.
Who’s Chris Elliott trying to fool? – Lagniappe Mobile
In terms of sheer political theater, watching Baldwin County Commissioner Chris “I Have Sinned” Elliott trying to fool voters into believing he hasn’t attempted to use political clout to keep his license after a May 2016 DUI is Tony Award worthy. Elliott took it up a notch last Thursday when he spoke at a luncheon …
Source: www.lagniappemobile.com/whos-chris-elliott-trying-fool/
From Fairhope to County Commissioner’s to our State Senator we the people in Baldwin County have elected self serving representatives who are all connected with one another through a web of LLC’s.
The Ethics commission is of little or no help. Until public participation wins through The Court of Public Opinion, or somebody goes to jail, nothing will change.
In Fairhope we have two councilmen, Boone and Burrell, who are using every tactic possible to obstruct the Mayor and her efforts to implement transparency and accountability. They know if they lose control of Fairhope it will impact the entire county and jeopardize a well oiled corrupt machine that has been in operation for over 50 years.
Please help us stop Goobers Jack Burrell and Kevin Boone.
Fairhope depends on your help!
Goobers is right. Fairhope deserves much better than Boone and Burrell.
I support Mayor Wilson and her changes she wants for transparency. Time for Kevin Boone to step down and Jack Burrell to realize he will play nice or we the citizens will show him how!
What’s wrong with transparency, Jack?
Let’s check out the web over Sandy ford detention pond.
Sandy Ford POA 2014 ….Mark Hamby( Hamby,Hamby& Spears)….Cincinnati insurance….Hand ARENDALL….Robert Berglin Jr….. HMR… City of Fairhope…Marcus McDowell…..Firefly…Summit.. PReble Rish….. Boone… …
Something smells dirty!
We are not “citizens” of Fairhope. We are “residents” of Fairhope. We are “citizens” of countries–not towns.
Source:Dictionary.com
1.
a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection (distinguished from alien ).
2.
an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to its privileges or franchises.
I know, soooooo confusing. Maybe that helps? Dictionary.com. Check it out. It’s free!
It shouldn’t be confusing for a “journalist”–the Associated Press’s AP Stylebook specifically says that states and municipalities do not confer citizenship. But this really isn’t journalism. Sure, I of course agree with you on the vernacular definition. I also just assume Karin Wilson says “citizens” because she needs inflated rhetoric to make herself sound more intelligent than she actually is.
I’m not a journalist. I’m making a comment. The mayor isn’t a journalist. She’s a mayor. But anyway, you are right. Us non journalist tend not to pay subscription fees to access the AP Stylebook. We use the dictionary. Or more accurately, we comprehend the meaning because 99.99+% of people who read “citizen of Fairhope” commonly share the concept. There is NO confusion. “I also just assume Karin Wilson says “citizens” because she needs inflated rhetoric to make herself sound more intelligent than she actually is.” Well that explains it entirely. You would be an expert, wouldn’t you?
Also, states and municipalities do not “confer” citizenship. Correct, but we are not talking about anyone “granting or bestowing” citizenship in your pointless nit-picking argument.
What can we do to help our mayor and our
town?
Vernacular definition?? The freakin’ word is almost straight ancient Latin! The definition hardly changes from language to language! How more universal do you want? You couldn’t pick a more hilarious example.
REALLY, who cares who does what work as long as us, the taxpayers get the best bang for our buck. This is just a typical pot stirring individual. This is his nature. What may I ask is being accomplished by all this bashing? Absolutely nothing. Again, as long as we get good work and the most bang for our buck. The author of this site doesn’t even live in our city nor does he pay CITY property taxes. This is and always has been his nature. We have a new Mayor who is doing her best for our city. Stay out of her business. she is a big girl and can handle herself. All you do is stir the pot and make her job more difficult.
“Mr. Boone has been voting and advocating for particular engineer firms while eliminating others.” Maybe Mr. Boone should apply your logic and we could ensure that “the taxpayers get the best bang for our buck.” Rather than ensuring a conflict of interest.
Who cares as long as the taxpayers are getting good prices good vendors and good results PERIOD!Your response just proves how silly all this really is. You could have came up with something better than that…. actually probably not because my response makes to much sense.
File an ethics complaint and see where it gets you. No where because no laws have been broken, once again.
And by the way your opinion Mr Dip means nothing and I mean nothing!! No one has ever been charged and or convicted of all your lies and accusations. So this is to the dip Mr Ripp supporters. Any time you compliment this man or stand behind him you look just like the idiot he is. When something he says results in charges and or a conviction, I may change my tune and even apologise. Until then he remains nothing but an idiot.
When you have elected judges protecting elected officials it just about impossible to convict.
Of course nobody has been charged with any ethics breach! The “Ethics (cough) Commission are in business with these self serving politicians. By the way, Mr. Ripp may or may not be an idiot but many thousands of people follow him and he backs up his claim with documentation and not just name calling.
Maybe these thousands will be enough to remove the inbred paid for politicians next election.
At least Ripp publishes his name and doesn’t hide behind an anonymous name. I may not agree with everything Paul writes about but he puts his name out there. It takes guts to publish your opinion and your name beside it. I admire him for this.
Sheep
Those who defend corruption are most often involved with corruption, and by the way we removed a corrupt Mayor and three councilmen the last election. The two remaining Boone and Burrell are now being exposed.
Joe, quit trying to sound smarter than you are. citizen n. “an inhabitant of a particular town or city.” Your style guide is wrong… Ich Bin ein Berliner
Jack and Boone are dead on the vine.
Dead men walking.
There seems to be an enormous amount of vitriol in some of these comments, including infantile name calling. To have any post considered readable, try writing like a semi-educated adult with something worthy to say.