Put Your Big Boy Pants On - Tucker Dorsey

The Ripp Report/Baldwin County Legal Eagle
May 13 2016

PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTS ON

We have all listened to politicians give speeches or opinions that give us pause. Sometimes they speak as if we, constituents, have no memory and they expect us to believe whatever comes out of their mouth. Alabama politics, thanks to Bentley, Hubbard and Moore, has dragged us into an abyss of corruption that has made us the laughing stock of the United States.

Baldwin County is maintaining its position as the most corrupt county in the state. We, the constituents, sit idly by while our local representatives display a pathological approach to explaining any given situation. They are convinced that the limited print media will not challenge their statements or actions.

The biggest asset Baldwin County politicians have is the support of the Ethics commission. If a politician wants to take a position or job, that he knows is a conflict of interest, he simply has to write a semantically correct letter to the Ethics Commission, who in turn will reply with an equally semantically correct letter. The authorization from the Ethics Commission, approving potential employment, will usually have the statement that employment is “for reasons unrelated to the public official: he may not, however, use his position as a member of the legislature to benefit himself or his employer”. In most cases a monetary conflict of interest is the only consideration. This is the biggest con in politics; we are expected to swallow hook line and sinker that a conflict of interest has to involve money. We are expected to ignore political position of the official or his legislative connections.

Recently Rep. Davis sought permission to work for an oil company; the Ethics Commission did not render an opinion before the oil company decided it was not a good idea to hire Mr. Davis, a decision of the oil company, not the Ethics Commission. Sen. Pittman has a letter that allows him to enter into Fairhope municipal contracts, within his district. He also skimmed 750,000 of BP money for HIS company, where were the Ethics?

I received a call from one of the Eagle’s followers in Mobile who told me that Mr. Tucker Dorsey, a Baldwin County Commissioner, was the elected interim director for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission. Mr. Chris Miller, the highly qualified acting director has accepted a new position and is stepping down. Mr. Dorsey was selected as the interim director by other political officials. The question to ask, is why would they select an unqualified person for the position and not just simply select a person from staff until the full time position can be filled?

The day-to-day activities of the Commission are carried out by a professional staff headed by an Executive Director. The Executive Director assures that the policies and work program approved by the Executive Committee are undertaken in an efficient and timely manner. He hires the necessary staff and assigns their duties and responsibilities to assure accomplishment of the Commission’s annual scope of services as well as compliance with all Federal, State and local requirements.

Mr. Dorsey is awaiting the semantically correct letter from the Ethics Commission. If memory serves me correct it was Mr. Dorsey who fired the Baldwin County EMA director, County Manager, lawyers and other staff shortly after winning his position as commissioner. This was the same staff that raised red flags about Sen. Pittman’s BP contracts; Mr. Dorsey saw no red flags and supported Mr. Pittman’s contracts. In fact rumor is Mr. Dorsey is going to run for Mr. Pittman’s position as Mr. Pittman is not going to run for re-election, this is replacing the pot for the kettle.

If memory serves me correct it was Mr. Dorsey that supported the 30 million dollar mega site and the pay freeze of county employees to finance it in 2012. For 5 years the site has been doing great growing weeds while the county has the lost opportunity of 30 million dollars, but that is what Mr. Frank Burt required of Mr. Dorsey to be accepted into the good ole boy club.

Mr. Dorsey is also a board member of the Mobile Area Council of Boy Scouts which is financially being run into the ground by the Executive Director. If you cannot act responsibly as a board member of the boy scouts how the hell you are going to juggle all these positions, RESPONSIBLEY? Mr. Dorsey’s political ambitions are exceeding his capabilities, PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTS ON Mr. Dorsey and represent your constituents FIRST.

Your positions are right out of the Lynn Stacy political playbook, that’s right some of us out here in the la la land of Baldwin politics actually have memories and know the major players, good ole boys, and how they work.

PS Mr. Dorsey it was me complaining so if you wish to scream and holler be sure you are directing it to the responsible party. May I suggest that you sell the mega-site, fire the executive director of the Boy Scouts, and do not take the interim director position for SARPC. Do the job you were elected to do, then and only then will you be qualified for the position of State Senator.

Francis Paul Ripp.