County View

By Jeff Poor

Am I the only one who remembers back in late 2005 how the appointment of Juan Chastang to the Mobile County Commission was supposed to usher in a new era for conservative activism in the northern part of Mobile County?

Having attended Chastang’s swearing-in ceremony, I recall there was a lot of excitement generated within the Mobile County GOP and Chastang was going to win over a lot of hearts and minds by exposing how a conservative philosophy would be beneficial to a part of the county traditionally dominated by Democrats.

Nearly a year and a half later, the Chastang tenure on the county commission has not been what it was hyped to be. Sure, Chastang has done some good things along the lines of economic development and having a vision for downtown Mobile, but he hasn’t been the Moses-like figure that was supposedly going to lead the good people of District 1 out of the Democrat-dominated wilderness.

GOP activist fires back on Chastang situation

When it rains, it pours for embattled District 1 Mobile County Commissioner Juan Chastang. The Chastang roller coaster ride took a nosedive last week when a three-judge federal court panel, made up of Judges Stanley Marcus, Myron Thompson and Harold Albritton, ruled the commissioner must vacate his commission seat because his appointment indirectly led to conflict with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“If the Governor had appointed an African-American Democrat, the parties who filed their lawsuit would have spent their time and money organizing a victory party for a celebration,” said GOP activist Terry Lathan.

The Theodore husband-and-wife duo of Jerry and Terry Lathan were instrumental in making Chastang’s appointment by Gov. Bob Riley a reality in late 2005. Chastang filled a seat vacated by Sam Jones, who was elected mayor of Mobile. At the time of the appointment, Terry Lathan had described Chastang as a young J.C. Watts, a former black Republican congressman from Oklahoma.

“Does anyone truly believe that if a Democratic governor would have appointed a Democrat, they would have taken action? I missed the part of our laws and state constitution that said an appointee had to be a Democrat,” Lathan said.

Chastang has been in the spotlight for a couple of reasons over the past two months. He has been previously under fire for his role in a failed United Cerebral Palsy concert/fundraiser. He has also been actively pushing for a condominium to be built on the old county courthouse property adjacent to the intersection of Royal and Government Street in lieu of a Mardi Gras-themed park.

According to state law, a special election will have to be held in the next two to three months if an emergency motion filed by the Attorney General Troy King’s office to allow Chastang to remain on the commission is denied. The court’s decision comes with nearly a year and a half remaining until the seat is contested in a general election and less than a year before Republican and Democratic primary voters determine who is running in the general election.

King’s office said in a statement Wednesday the ruling has national implications because it raises issues of federalism and implies the Department of Justice’s decisions take precedent over the Alabama Supreme Court.

“The Governor’s appointment was solid so said our Supreme Court. Just plain old sour grapes from the Democrats who are aghast and breathless over not getting their way,” Lathan added “A Republican Governor appointed an African-American to the county commission. Isn’t that a good thing?”

In the meantime, District 2 Mobile County Commissioner Stephen Nodine will take over as president of the Mobile County Commission.

Economic development update

Late Thursday night last week, the Alabama State Senate approved an incentives package designed to lure the $2.9 billion ThyssenKruppAG steel mill to Mobile County that could offer nearly 29,000 temporary construction jobs and over 2,700 permanent jobs.

“It’s one more step we needed to take to secure the project,” said Mobile County Commissioner Stephen Nodine.

The next step according to Nodine would be a referendum June 4 and then a Mobile County-only vote to approve their incentive package 30 to 60 days later.

A final decision from ThyssenKrupp where to build the plant, either in Louisiana or in Mobile County, is expected by the end of the week.

Nodine is optimistic on the prospects of securing the EADS Joint Cargo Aircraft project for Mobile.

“There are some differences that need to be worked out between the army and the air force, but we look really good on the Joint Cargo Aircraft,” Nodine added.

A decision on the KC-30 Refueling Aircraft project isn’t expected at least until October, but more likely toward the end of the year.

“All of us have to be motivated to start the public relations campaign,” said Nodine. He pointed at efforts by Boeing and the Seattle community to lure the project and more specifically NBC’s “Today Show” broadcasting in Seattle as what he referred to as a 90-minute commercial for Boeing and Seattle.

Greener pastures? Let’s hope so.

For better or for worse, I’m leaving Mobile, not just for the change in scenery, but to try my budding journalistic prowess in Washington, D.C. After a year of covering the Mobile County Commission for Lagniappe and four years covering campus events with the University of South Alabama student newspaper, The Vanguard, I am going on to work inside the Beltway.

I will still be a regular contributor to Lagniappe, covering our congressional delegation and I have couple of story leads I’m already working on.

I would like to thank Rob Holbert and Ashley Toland for giving the opportunity to be a contributor to Lagniappe. I’d also like to thank Commissioners Juan Chastang, Mike Dean and Stephen Nodine for insight, even when I was frantically pushing the limits of deadline.

Contact Jeff Poor at jeffreypoor@yahoo.com.

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