35 responses so far ↓

• 1 Shirley Tomlin // Sep 11, 2007 at 11:12 pm

  I like the idea of a fresh face in Cooper, but, does he have what it takes to fire Bham’s police chief? You can’t solve a problem when the commander of the outfit blames everybody else for “her” failure to reduce crime. Secondly, does Cooper have the guts to hire a Police Chief with a “proven” record. This is what Mayor Guilliani of NYC did to drastically reduce NYC’s crime. We need a “Proven” chief, not the same old Bham system of hiring. When will our city officials learn that it takes actual qualifications and experience to do a job? Lastly, Cooper’s last two points of the 6 on his crime list — more meetings and more reports will not help solve the problem!

• 2 Jarrod // Sep 13, 2007 at 9:31 am

  I have watched Patrick Cooper’s campaign develop, and he truly has a great plan for the city, and seems removed enough from typical Alabama politics to actually get something done. My only hope is that other voters see and recognize that he is the best choice.

• 3 Michael // Sep 13, 2007 at 7:51 pm

  I do like the fresh face of Cooper but i think birmingham has to be turned around and needs to be turned around now! I don’t really think we have time for “on the job training”, which is what we would get if we elect Cooper. I think the person the is best suited for the job would be William Bell. He has lived here “IN” Birmingham for his entire life. He knows the city and he has a vision to take the city were we need to go. Just a quick run down of everybody that i know, or the front runners. kincaid well that speaks for itself, nothing. cooper great guy maybe needs to live here a little longer, he’s not to familiar with city government. Larry langford, visionland?????? He would be a great motovational speaker. Can anyone tell me how much debt the City of Failfield is in right now? I think the other s are there to split votes. Elect William Bell for the good of the city.

• 4 JP // Sep 14, 2007 at 9:21 am

  Bell is not the answer, he lost to Kincaid twice. I can’t imagine why anyone will vote for someone who lost to Kincaid ( TWICE ). Bell is also making fake promises to the police and fire department. Remember Bell is a career politician. Langford is not trustworthy, look at his recent legal troubles. Abbott is a carbon copy of Kincaid, why would anyone vote for someone who has no vision plus is part of the “Do Nothing” city council along with Bell and Smitherman. The city needs a change, Bell and Smitherman had their chance and did not take advantage of it. People, wake up, Bell and Smitherman along with Abbott are destroying this city ,look and the city council, need I say more. This city has not moved forward, and we can blame Kincaid, which is deserved, but those three council members are also to blame. Bell also cannot work with the surrounding municipalities, because they do not like him, because of his Arrington and Donald Watkins ties. Bell is a nice guy, but we need new ideas and not the same old recycle politicians. It’s time for change, it’s time for this city to move forward like Charlotte and Nashville, and we can do it with Patrick Cooper. Patrick Cooper has great ideas moving this city forward. Cooper also don’t care if your black or white, young or old, male or female, he wants to include everyone in his campaign. Bell only want the old civil right guys, that’s not bad, but should’nt we include everyone. Bell was also in the background with those civil rights ministers wanting to boycott the sale of Cooper Green Hospital, that’s ok, but instead of protesting, lets have discussion with the people involved. Bell is not the person for the job, Smitherman does not have the drive to be mayor (look at her district), Larry Langford does not live in B’ham and he is probably going to jail, Abbott is clueless about vision and she was ayes person to everything Kincaid wanted. Kincaid, God forbid if he wins. Cooper is the best and only candidate. Vote Patrick Cooper for Mayor it’s time to move forward.

• 5 Jarrod // Sep 18, 2007 at 8:05 am

  It seems like Cooper is the overwhelming favorite by readers of the Terminal… has anyone seen any polls locally to see if he is actually leading as well as he is on here?

• 6 JP // Sep 18, 2007 at 10:17 am

  I agree with you Jarrod. I’m also going to vote for Cooper, but I have not seen any legitmate polls. Usually the Birmingham News would have done a poll by now. If anyone knows about a poll out there please post it on the terminal. I hope a lot of people will watch the debate tonight.

• 7 me me // Sep 18, 2007 at 11:12 pm

  it saddens me to read the comments about Bell not being the best choice amongst your readers. Please be very careful in looking to a fresh face that you no nothing about really because you will be disappointed. remember, you guys voted Bell out because you erroneously thought arrington was his guy when in reality, you voted in Kincaid..the recipient of Arrington and Waktins money..Bell has not accepted a penny from Arrington. Cooper is clueless and you will soon see. Larry is truly sad and Kincaid is done for. Smitherman is looking out for Irondale and Abbott is just glad to be on tv. Please vote for William Bell since I can’t.

• 8 R. // Sep 18, 2007 at 11:18 pm

  It does appear that “the Terminal” supports Cooper. Is this site run by the Cooper campaign?

  I am not sure all of the candidates are receiving fair representation on this site. I can not wait until a non-bias poll comes out in the Bham News to see who the people of Birmingham really want as their mayor.

• 9 Andre // Sep 19, 2007 at 12:03 am

  I would ask you to read this editorial that I wrote back when I decided to do this coverage, R.

• 10 JP // Sep 19, 2007 at 11:41 am

  This is to MeMe,
  Bell had his chance, he lost to Kincaid twice. I’m personally going to vote for Cooper because it is time for a change. Bell is a career politician. I work with a lot of residents in the city of Birmingham because it’s my job. I’m sorry to tell you most people I come in contact with feel that Bell cannot beat Kincaid. Those same people stated they are voting for Cooper or Langford, I even had some tell me they are voting for Kincaid. Bell just cannot beat the current mayor. I work at city hall and people are stating that Kincaid hopes Bell is in the runoff because he know that he can beat him. We want be sorry with Cooper. Charlotte and Nashville did what Birmingham needs to do, they elected officials that are not career politicians and now look how those cities has surpassed Birmingham. Bell has been in politics for 30 years and Birmingham remains at the bottom. Cooper for Mayor, I’m tired of this city going backwards. We need a revitalized downtown with reataurants, retail, more apartments, and also family housing. We need better transit, and we also need H.O.V. lanes or the interstates. I did my research on Cooper, and he is the best person for the job. Vote Cooper for Mayor.

• 11 Andre // Sep 19, 2007 at 12:02 pm

  This is a statement to everyone: if I do not have a valid email address to verify your comment,they will be removed from the site in three hours. The email addresses that you submit are not shared with anyone, but its to ensure the integrity of the conversation (and especially in the case of this site to maintain some semblance of impartiality). If a campaign wishes to comment about things, they have been invited to do so under their own names.

• 12 R. // Sep 19, 2007 at 4:12 pm

  Thanks for clarifying this issue regarding your site and any affiliation to a certain campaign. Also, thanks for all of the effort that you put into this site.

  Have you considered conducting another poll on this site? I would hope so because the political climate in Birmingham is certainly changing, and to be frank, the current poll is outdated. Readers deserve a poll that represents the current views of the city.

  Thanks.

  R.

• 13 Andre // Sep 19, 2007 at 7:35 pm

  The current plan is to conduct another survey on this site beginning Friday afternoon. The survey would go a lot deeper than the others that we’ve done previously, but we’ll go into that when we put it up.

• 14 JP // Sep 19, 2007 at 10:58 pm

  I’m not working for a campaign, I just stated my opionion. I’m sorry that the Bell and Kincaid people are upset because their candidate is losing support. I’m just stating what the people of Birmingham are saying, don’t shoot the messenger.

• 15 JP // Sep 19, 2007 at 11:07 pm

  Since my other comments were deleted, I hope this will be posted. To me me, I’m going to make this short. People are not for Bell because he lost twice to Kincaid, he has been in politics for 30 years and it is time for a change. I work at city hall and I know the ins and outs of the city. People in this town stated they are picking Cooper and Langford. Bell wasn’t even in the discussion. Kincaid had more people talking about voting for him than Bell. Vote for Cooper for change. Oh, I hope saying I’m for Cooper want get my message deleted. Maybe I should complain like that Bell supporter.

• 16 Andre // Sep 20, 2007 at 4:14 am

  JP, your original comments were deleted because you did not submit a valid email address (and you were the only one that did not have one).

  I didn’t delete them, I removed them in case you decided to finally submit one, which you did. They have now been returned to the discussion.

• 17 megabeth // Sep 20, 2007 at 7:11 am

  I don’t buy the argument that Cooper is too young or inexperienced to be mayor of Birmingham. He’s certainly very bright and accomplished in his career, and I think he can contribute a different mindset that will break the city council out of its current ‘get-nothing-done’ deadlock.

• 18 michael // Sep 20, 2007 at 4:22 pm

  One has to take into consideration that Cooper has NO experience. Don’t get me wrong i think that Cooper seems like a good guy and has some good ideas, but he has never. I repeat never run a city, district, or any municipality other than a law office and a girls basketball team. I knwo plenty of successful atty and partners, but that does not make them suitable to be the mayor. I don’t know if any of yuo have been to any of the forums but, i suggest you go. Cooper, by no fault of his own, is unaware of state laws and city laws that are already being inforced. So with that being said the laws of the natural pysche say that it will probably take a year for him to read and understand the city and state laws, and that being as “good” as he is. Another year maybe a year and a half to implement them. All while Birmingham…..waits. So at that point he only has a year, maybe year and a half to do anything. So at that point do we elect him again and see if we can see any results? We not only NEED someone with experience but somone who knows the city and it’s laws. Also, someone who already has the voice in congress and at the capitol., not someone trying to get a voice. We NEED to elect Willaim Bell for the good of the city.

• 19 michael // Sep 20, 2007 at 4:32 pm

  Cooper needs to be a Councilman or at least a neighborhood president first. Give us something to show that he has the people of the city in mind other than a resume. I’m sure that everyone on this site, esp. Andre, has a nice resume but that does not make them suitable to be the mayor. I’ll leave you with this George W. Bush went to Yale and Cheney had an impressive resume, and their doing a WONDERFUL job!!

• 20 Deon Gordon // Sep 21, 2007 at 7:24 am

  Michael,

  I’m not so sure Cooper’s inexperience is of much concern to Birmingham voters and sideline observers. Given the plethora of time many of the candidates had to address these issues that continue to plague Birmingham, Cooper’s nascency appears even less worrisome. A breath of fresh air, some would say.

  Regarding Cooper’s ignorance of local and state laws: I’d imagine he’d have a team of lawyers, advisers, and assistants, all of whose jobs it would be to help him properly form strategies that fall within the legal boundaries. Should one of those boundaries present a challenge to his agenda, those same people would surely be used to craft new plans and/or legislation.

  Worst case scenario: It takes him a year, as you implied, to learn the judicial ropes. I’m willing to bet most Birmingham voters would gladly settle for twelve months of slow progress as opposed to four years of apathy. Wait for improvements or run toward myopia? I wish my college exam questions were this easy.

• 21 The other Michael // Sep 21, 2007 at 8:59 am

  I’ll take Coopers lack of experience over all the “experience” of the other candidates. How far has all that experience gotten the city of Birmingham?

  I’m sure Coopers natural intellegence, education, career, and life experience more than qualify him for office of Mayor of the city of Birmingham.

  Cooper has my vote.

• 22 Jac // Sep 21, 2007 at 10:34 am

  After attending the forum last night I can honestly say my vote is for Bell. I walked into the forum thinking I knew who I was voting for and came out completely surprised. I have researched Cooper as much as possible and went to the forum at the Botanical Gardens to really see what he had to say and guess what he had a prior engagement? This has left a completely awful feeling about him. If he quit his”job” to work fulltime on becoming mayor then where was he? Is this the same kind of City Hall he will run. Does he think he has already bought the vote of these neighboorhoods. My main focus is crime and economic development for the city. I have a child who will be reaching school age soon and will no doubt have to invest in private school ($8,000/yr.) to stay and support this city along with the gunfire in my backyard. It is sad to have young professional families like ours who want our kids to grow up in urban areas and willing to invest in the city and have to move because the negative outweighs the positive. Bell last night was the only candidate that even gave me a glimpse of hope. With Cooper not showing last night he actually lost my vote and several votes of my neighbors. And FYI, I lived in the heart of New Orleans before moving to Bham 7 years ago and I never felt as unsafe as I do in bham regarding the crime.

• 23 J.B. // Sep 21, 2007 at 11:30 pm

  I totally feel that Bell is being uderestimated in this election. For all those people saying he can’t, he CAN win out over Kincaid (there are too many disgruntled citizens in the city to let him say in office.) and come election day we will all see what the REAL polls say!

  For the good of the city, vote for William Bell…
  He has a love, a passion, and a working knowledge of this city and I can’t wait to see what wonderful things await this city when he wins this election!

• 24 Paige Patterson // Sep 22, 2007 at 11:19 am

  I’m voting for Patrick Cooper. I think he is enthusiastic, has measurable goals, and a razor-sharp focus. Thank goodness he is not campaigning to stick his head in books and ‘learn’ about Alabama laws…I love that he wants to be in the police chief’s face EVERY day, not accepting excuses. I live in South East Lake, used to live in Crestwood, I sell real estate in the city and see who is moving in and isexcited about Birmingham. We are changing, and I believe Patrick Cooper is the way to move forward!

• 25 J.J. // Sep 22, 2007 at 11:40 pm

  well out here on the west side of town, patrick cooper gave a flat out no in response to an invitation to the hopewell baptist church’s banquet/ forum. all the candidates were invited and all except cooper said that they would attend. however, kincaid, smitherman, and abbott didn’t show; and it was a big crowd. every vote counts, right? why the no-shows? a lot of votes were lost in their not showing. there were probably two hundred and fifty people there at least and it was called to their attention that everyone was invited and not everyone showed up. even after they said they would be there. the only ones who showed were Bell, Langford, Taylor, and Brooks. The crowd unanimously raised their hands when asked by a speaker if they were going to vote for one of the candidates who “cared enough to show.”

• 26 Paige Patterson // Sep 24, 2007 at 12:23 pm

  It’s a pretty busy time for all the candidates right now, I would asume. Did he say no because he had a prior commitment, or do you really think he has it out for ‘the west side of town’?

• 27 J.J. // Sep 24, 2007 at 1:15 pm

  i’m not sure why he couldn’t attend. i don’t think he “has it out” for the west side of town, that just sounds malicious. i do feel that our side of town is a bit neglected by some candidates who don’t feel we are a vital part of the growth in this city; just as the eastern section is.
  as far as i am aware, he just said no, that he would not be attending. that is also the impression that every oe else there had that night.

• 28 JP // Sep 24, 2007 at 7:35 pm

  JJ,
  I guarantee that he had a prior commitment. You can call his campaign headquarters and ask yourself. I know everyone on here know that I’m a Cooper supporter,but I would like you to ask the the candidate yourself and make your decision. Me and my wife drove around the western area and counted the abandoned houses in the area and after awhile we lost count because it was too many. Kincaid and Bell have done nothing about the abandoned houses. My cousin was looking for a house in your area and he kept telling me about the abandoned houses, and he asked me are the people at city hall are going to revitalize the area and I told him the current administration want. Just call and ask Cooper and you decide.

• 29 J.J. // Sep 26, 2007 at 11:03 pm

  JP, 2 things,
  1. I went to forums both last night and today to ask him (as you suggested) and guess what? Yet again, Cooper has had “prior commitments” on days where there are forums out on the west side of town. Coincidence? Yesterday, he failed to show at 1st Congregational’s forum and tonight again at Miles college’s forum. Three times now he has declined to show up on our side of town. I guess there are more important commitments that he has to attend to. But enough about Cooper.
  2. William Bell was the actually the key person who initiated the new housing construction in the Fountain Heights housing community, Rising-West Princeton, and the Hope 6 project in Birmingham. That new housing constuction is a direct result of his efforts. He also took a delegation of ordinary citizens to Washington DC to solicit funds for the Hope 6 project here in Birmingham. To say Bell has done nothing is totally wrong. He, in fact, has had more abandoned lots cleaned and houses torn down than any other elected official! Granted there is still a ways to go, he IS doing something. I believe that if given the chance he can do the even better for the entire city of Birmingham aking it a beautiful place to live in again. You can’t honestly think that he enjoys living around all of that. No one does. If you’re going to make brash statements about people, be able to back them up with facts, please. You may want to re-inform your cousin about that too…
  Also, he shows up to every forum all over the city. East side, South side, West side and North alike.
  Clearly, Bell has my vote in this upcoming election.
  Cooper had his chance and blew it. Three times.

• 30 JP // Sep 27, 2007 at 12:19 pm

  JJ,
  I’m glad your going to vote, I hate that it is for Bell, but this is America and that’s what makes this country great. Cooper has gone to a lot of neighborhood meetings throughout the western area, I know because I was there. Bell had 25 years to do something for Birmingham and has done nothing. I guess we both had bad experiences with the candidates, you with Cooper and me with Bell. I was at the Smithfield forum and I spoke with all the candidates there. Bell is the only candidate that did not shake my hand, he looked right at me, my wife, and my aunt and kept walking. He knew I’m a Cooper supporter just like the other candidates,but the other candidates still spoke to me and my family. Bell ignored us. To your answer about the abandoned houses, I counted 100 houses is the area, this is 30 more from last year. My brother is a real estate broker, and he told me he has never been to a city with that many abandoned houses in one area District 5 Bell’s district. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bell is a nice guy, but he needs to finish being District 5’s council member instead of running around trying to be the mayor. First improve your district then looked to be mayor. Bell lost to Kincaid twice, Cooper is a new face, with new ideas and he is not a career politician, he will be our next mayor. JJ I do wish you the best, and we will know who the rest of Birmingham want on Oct.9 and I really think is going to be a run-off between Cooper and Langford, with Cooper winning in the run-off. Let the best person win.

• 31 Jimmy // Sep 28, 2007 at 12:34 pm

  I am the Block Captain for our Neighborhood Watch. Cooper came and met with us on “National Night Out”. I spoke with him for about 10 minutes. he gets my vote! *As a transplanted New Yorker, it is unbelievable to see how this small city is run and the crime & murder rates are INSANE. Cooper told me himself that he will use Guiliani’s program to reduce the murder rate by 40% in 2 years. I saw it happen first-hand in New York… it CAN be done! Kincaid and that Chief of Police should be run out of town a rail!
  It’s almost 2008… how about some HOV lanes? How about massive private investment in that creepy downtown? How about a light-rail system along the entire length of 20th St.? How about 3% sales tax “Enterprise Zones”? And lastly, how about a mandatory year in jail if caught with a hand gun within city limits?
  Sheesh…. the time is NOW, B’ham!

• 32 A. Khalis Pride // Sep 28, 2007 at 1:34 pm

  As it relates to the candidates in question, I’m reminded of a quote I heard radio talk show host Joe Madison convey, and it’s appropriate, in my opinion, in this case:

  “Stallions lead herds, ponies do not.” I only see two “Stallions” in this entire mayoral race, and that’s Patrick Cooper and Larry Langford.

  Bernard Kincaid is one of the worst things that has ever happened to this town where Mayors are concerned, IMO, to vote for Smitherman, Bell, or Kincaid is just asking for more of the same rhetoric and ultimate stagnation.

  I think the city will take a turn for the better in either Cooper’s or Langford’s direction.

• 33 A. Khalis Pride // Sep 28, 2007 at 1:42 pm

  Sorry, I left out Abbott in my previous post as well, she’s a vote gone to waste, too.

  Her myopic, uninspiring view on expanding transit for the region to include light rail when she responded to a question at the first forum at Workplay a few weeks ago raised my “red flag”, where she was concerned.

  Transit advocates and patrons/supporters should think twice before voting for Abbott.

• 34 R. // Oct 8, 2007 at 8:38 pm

  Did anyone attend the forum at City Hall tonight. I heard it was a thriller! Well, could someone please fill me in.

• 35 Doodee // Feb 1, 2008 at 5:21 pm

  Thanks for sharing

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