User:Big Bird of Andalusia

"Power intoxicates men. When a man is intoxicated by alcohol, he can recover, but when intoxicated by power, he seldom recovers."--James Francis Byrnes

There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from Mayor Jerry Andrew’s first two years as mayor. Jerry Andrews is addicted to power. He is drunk with power. First, a short review of the last two years. Jerry Andrews campaigned for mayor primarily on two issues: An invented “24 percent rate increase” in electricity bills and the mayor’s salary as utility board superintendent. He promised to reduce power rates, especially for the elderly and poor, and promised to work for “a dollar a year” as utility board superintendent.

Both promises were fabrications. Upon taking office electric rates were raised and Andrews bailed out as utility board superintendent. Yet it did not matter. He had power.

When Andrews had a political dispute with Max Mathews and Ricky Jones about the utility board, he did not confront Mathews and Jones head on. Instead, he used his power to fire Terry Watts and Jeff Puckett to “punish” Mathews and Jones. In that episode, Andrews used his power to fabricate a “missing electric meter,” tried to intimidate an expert  witness from appearing as a witness and told the utility board he would  not have fired the workers if the board members had kept discussions and matters in secret back rooms. The board rescinded the firings and the mayor had a terrible hangover the next few weeks. This episode did not quench the mayor’s desire for power and the attendant secrecy that must go with it. Most recently he concealed an engineering report from his fellow council members regarding the cost involved in providing sewer services to annexed land before the annexation vote. Also, he has refused requests pursuant to the Alabama Public Records Act to provide documents in the City’s possession concerning the lobbying contract between Andalusia and Bradley, Arant. Although Bradley, Arant was hired as lobbyists, Andrews claims they are the City’s attorneys and therefore the City does not have to provide any contracts, letters, billing sheets or even the expenses of the Mayor when he has traveled to Washington. No doubt these must be very interesting files. A lawsuit has been filed against the City asking the Circuit Court to force the City to turn over these documents. If the lobbying relationship is such a wonderful deal for Andalusia, why the secrecy? Why no mention of the lawsuit in the workshop or council meeting? Remember, Andrews formerly tried to use his power to keep the utility board in secret back rooms. Perhaps similar methods have worked with some members of the Council. The Mayor’s penchant for secrecy and his addictive need for power has corrupted his view of what being mayor of Andalusia is all about. He has decided, along with his chief "enabler," and wanna-be future mayor Don Cotton, that he should attack Councilman Jones and anyone else telling the truth and justify those attacks to the people of Andalusia by creating an atmosphere of fear, where he labels anyone who does not buy his side of the argument “anti-progress” and “anti-Andalusia.”However, the mayor’s power dance is wearing thin after two years in office. He has lost his credibility. The Bradley, Arant firm is a republican lobbying firm. It boasts Luther Strange, the failed republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor as a lobbyist for Andalusia. If these republicans could not get money out of a republican congress in Washington, what makes the Mayor think they will be successful dealing with a Congress controlled by Democrats? On WAAO radio, Andrews made it sound like Congress was a money vault and all we had to do was pay Bradley, Arant $60,000 to drive the dump truck to pick up the cash. Andrews claims vast expertise in the world of lobbying and politics. Why can he not see that Democrats are not going to do favors for Republican lobbyists? Herein is the problem with a man drunk with power: His world must be under his control; truth and reality have no home in his mind. His delusions of missing meters, a dollar a year jobs and money from nothing become his reality in the wonderful world he has created in his head. Anyone questioning this reality is deemed “anti-progress” and “anti-Andalusia.” In ancient Greek and Roman plays, when the plot brought danger to the main characters, the actors escaped via the means of “deus ex machina,” a Latin phrase meaning “God from the Machine.” The writer would save the actors from a “god” flying down on a rope to save them from certain peril. This lobbying scheme of the mayor’s is nothing more that a poor example of deus ex machina or the modern equivalent of a South Seas Cargo Cult proclaimed by a power intoxicated maniac. “The lobbyists will save Andalusia,” the power drunk Mayor exclaims. “They will bring us money,” he says, employing just enough bureaucratic double talk to make it seem plausible. “All we have to do is pay them and let me eat steak dinners in Washington!” Just like the family of a drunk, we, the family of our power drunk mayor, suffer for the alcoholic delusions of our “father.” If you argue with him, you get slapped down. You are “anti-progress” and “anti-Andalusia.” The mayor wastes money on secret schemes. He has not met basic needs, like the current underfunded police department, and if the robber comes, it is not the drunk mayor’s fault, it is the officers to blame because they should have done more with the small amount given. And heaven help you if you remind him of the “father” we used to have; a father that spent less and provided more, a father that had Andalusia heading in the right direction. Two more years remain in the mayor’s term. The first step in any road to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Given his fabrications and self aggrandizement, it is doubtful the mayor will be entering any 12-step program soon.