Fairhope is closing in on another municipal election so get ready for CATALYST and the ill informed to try and convince voters that they know best.
The latest issue is the plan for the waterfront, pier and parks at the bay. The funding comes from the BP oil spill in 2010. The cycle for funding and approval took years and grants were very specific outlining the scope of work.
The last three years the waterfront project has been on the table. The City of Fairhope advertised meetings, encouraged public engagement and was transparent through the entire project.
This article has a paywall, free copies are at news stands.
Now just before the elections a few people that did NOT attend meetings, were NOT aware of what the city was proposing, and never voiced any concern, want to kill a 6.2 million dollar grant.
Competing articles in this weeks Lagniappe by Mr Howell Raines and Mayor Wilson discuss the project.
Mr. Raines is a former executive editor of the New York Times and a commentator for MSMBC news. He is the author of the book “My Soul is Reset” An oral history of the civil rights movement.
This article also has a paywall
Mr Raines is what Councilman Boone and Brown have publicly called “carpetbagger”, both men are also CATALYST and have used their office for personal gain.
Where were you Mr Raines while this obvious corruption was going on?
Where were you Mr. Raines when Boone Brown and Burrell bought $2.65 million of farmland for recreation?
Mr Raines did you know that the main reason that the recreation property was located at the airport?
It might shock you to know that this decision by 3 councilmen was based on race. That’s right the original location was close to the black neighborhood and they did not want that to happen.
Why do you not write about that?
These are the men you support?
Where were you during these discussions.
Your hair is on fire over a waterfront project?
What about the systemic corruption?
Where were you during sewer infrastructure discussions that the council delayed time and time again?
Where were you when the bought the K1 center without any plan and then had to put a roof on the condemned building, costing tens of thousands?
Where were you when the council tried to give away the triangle property that cost the city 11.25 million, it is a park, where is your anger?
Where were you when the council defeated a change of government?
They did not want a change of government because they would lose “POWER”, over their own constituents.
Where were you when Public Participation was canceled?
Where were you during the Federal Lawsuit against the council for denying citizens to speak at a city council meeting?
They lost that lawsuit and now the same lawsuit is used a precedent in similar cases around the U.S.
Your comments display a true ignorance of Fairhope politics. Sir Baldwin County is a cesspool of political corruption and Fairhope is home to CATALYST.
Mr. Rains where the hell have you been, New York?
Mr. Rains may I suggest that you read the Ripp Report, https://rippreport.com/, go back to 2016 and read the articles forward. Educate yourself before inserting your feet in your mouth. CATALYST will love you for the support but they will stab you in the back in an instant.
Constructive criticism is welcomed by the Mayor and staff. This is not a final deal the city has more public participation planned for this project. That is the forum you should have used.
This is all political and I am sure with a little research we will find CATALYST nibbling on your “carpetbag” ear, their words not mine.
You mention Fly Creek as if were a problem for a few. Where were you when the previous Mayor shoved the Fly Creek apartments down the citizens throat in favor of his developer contributor? Hundreds showed up where were you, New York? The development filled Fly Creek with mud and now the Fly Creek Basin needs dredging annually.
Where the Hell were you?
Where were you when it was discovered that the council voted themselves full family insurance and a raise.
Let me leave you with a little known fact. Mayor Wilson refused to take two paychecks, like the former Mayor, from the city. One as Mayor and one as utility director, she felt that was wrong. That is what you call a public servant, she sacrificed over 250,000 dollars in salary over 4 years, while the council took out full family insurance, that no one else employed in the city has.
Fairhope welcomes your comments in a public forum but you got to show up, WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?
Raines is a smart guy. He relies on reliable and verified sources … not blog rants that cite themselves as their own source of information. Krazy Karin screwed this up bad.
Smart Guy maybe but he does not know anything about Baldwin County and Fairhope politics, he is being used and does not even realize it.
He is shady, not smart. This oped was nothing more than a political spin. His goal was to get everyone riled up with pitchforks (not hard to do in Fairhope) because he IS part of special interest groups.
There’s a reason why he was fired from the NY Times. He is not an honest man and people shouldn’t fall for this catalyst crap.
Wilson’s yapping lap dog rants again. Her “plan” stinks and the only people that saw the design earlier were her drunk cat loving friends (aka “Karin’s Karens”) that went to the State of the City.
It is not “her” plan
Oh you crack me up Ripp. They coming after our Mayor! Too many accomplishments though and they’re at a loss on how to take her down.
Mr. Raines has NEVER practiced anything he has written or believed in. What a disappointment he is and it’s a fact that he knows it. What do you expect from a extreme liberal that has all of a sudden found a new revenue stream from the Catalyst group. Get real Raines. Those of us who know you and have worked beside you all these years know that you could give two shits about reporting the truth and you still go against writing anything
that is considered good and ethical. Go crawl back from under the Rock that came from. You are not nor ever been respectful to the readers or the people of this area. I agree that you are a awesome of bullshit!!! We call people like you “A Traitor”
Thank You that is what I have been told.
Howell Raines is obviously a Catalyst plant trying to destroy Karen.
Look, I support Karin. But I also think we need to leave the bluff and park alone. Once they start tearing up that area, You can bet that cost over runs and government regulations will turn the whole concept into a disaster. In the end we will have to pay entrance fees to cover the blunders
I say leave the park as it is. Just because someone gives you a big grant to do something doesn’t mean you have to do it
Let them propose this to Daphne or better yet propose this to the west side of the Bay. Did you all know Meyer Park wS a great park before USA fenced it off? I say give that park to the people and leave our park alone!
Get the facts. The project is not at all what Raines described and he had no intention of sharing facts.
What can the opposition do at this point to take down the mayor? They have accomplished nothing and Mayor Wilson has a long list of very positive accompaniments. The project is being redone. But that won’t stop Raines and others from continuing their effort to stir up drama.
Dear Mr. Ripp,
How does Catalyst have a stake in this proposal? I thought Catalyst just wants to build subdivisions
Political Capital they will use any excuse to oppose anything the Mayor or Staff propose this council has been rouge since day one. The Mayor unseat can’t and left a CATALYST council ever since they have been working on regaining the Mayor’s seat.
Once lowtower the commie loses to patriot Jerry Carl CATALYST will be dead. Boone needs a new script. Out jesusing your opponent is ignorant and base. I heard Daddy Boone is running full steam for reelection. LLC Inc.
Boone needs to lose
Why ruin the bluffs? Let them
Put Disneyland out on the east part of town and leave what nature has given us ALONE
Yankees move in here and want to destroy our town. Tell the Yankees to go back home and finish ruining there twin and leave OUR town alone
So, anyone who moves to Fairhope is tarred by your “where the hell were you” paintbrush? If you haven’t been a constant complainer you have no right to speak? My family’s been here over a hundred years and I am not a screeching banshee. Does that mean I can’t complain about a plan that was too vague to see clearly until the illustrated plan was released. NOW I’m complaining. The Bluff does not need to be turned into an ADA-compliant slope, losing our trees and elevated view in the process. Howell Raines is only calling a spade a spade – in his opinion. Yes, you have yours, and he has his. First Amendment, Dude.
Read it again you missed the point it is the council that is always talking “carpetbagger” they are CATALYST they do not like to share. Look at the plan more closely please a lot of your fears are not warranted
ADA is a requirement the city never attempted to comply with, now the city is mandated to become ADA compliant, that federal law.
I think we need to leave the bluffs alone. The aerial renderings does not show you that they are going to destroy the bluffs
Why cannot these out of towners leave our town alone?
If they donot like it then have them leave and go back to where they came
Goodness why do these outsiders want to change our park? The Singletax needs to stop this.
The bluffs need to be saved
If they want to put in Disneyland then let them go to Spanish Fort
SAVE THE BLUFFS
I agree. Don’t change the pier. By putting g a park out where the subdivisions are will bring a focal point to that apart of town and allow the residents out there to have a park too. Don’t choke up the pier with more things that can be out elsewhere
People on the other side of Greeno and 181 need parks too
Keep the park as is. Use that money to put a park out on the East part of town. The folks out there need it. Why concentrate the amenities in one place? Spread it around. Goodness knows that million dollar land deal sure can use some improvements on it other than a crop
Anonymous WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?
Bring back the jubilee.
Turd problem is real. Burrell notwithstanding.
Good to know we have a real man running for office.
Karin will be exposed.
Jack4Fairhopia,
Is that candidate for mayor a Catalyst?
If so, he needs to bow out.
John Manilow is he related to Barry.
Definitely a resemblance. So he is a paddleborder who swims daily in the bay.
He needs his head examined.
He has a CATALYST vanity license plate.
?
Catalyst vanity license plate? What does it say?
If he is a Catalyst I will not support him
I support Karin.
Go Karin!!!
Don’t let the Catalyst Good Ole Boy Club get you down!
Dont let the troll Jack4Fairhopia distract you!
Remeber the Council know people read this site and probably ask, or even pay, people to respond back.
Brown use to answer back as the Jester until Ripp exposed him.
Hey Fairhope Council: Why have you let things get so out of hand?
Why did you let our town get so overbuilt? Oh, we know why. It is because you were bought off by the developers! You are either in development or you work at a bank that pays the developers. You all need to be sent home this election.
Ripp
I looked at that paddle boarder running for mayor on his Facebook
I cannot find his platform other than he worked for BP and has a degree in criminal justice and is “Humbled” to run
Is he just another person who just recently moved in and was recruited by Catalyst?
He must be a Catalyst. Let’s see if his signs are the trademark 4-by-4 PVC pipe signs and he gets money from CorteCoxPrebbleRishTrulandDrHorton
Paddleboard company up the bay without paddle.
I wish these yankees that have moved in this town would go back home.
They have ruined this place just like they ruined the places they came from.
YANKEES GO HOME!