Chris Estes

The first person from my college days is making a run for political office.  When you meet certain people you know they are meant for greatness. My Friend Mitchell Howie is running for congress.  Since I met Mitchell, or Mitch to me, I knew he was going to be somebody.  I have known Mitchell for years and have no problem putting my support behind him.  He is a natural born leader with a great heart.  He is a visionary and will be a great Congressman from Alabama.

The picture below is from an Ole Miss at Auburn University game in 2005 when I got Mitchell to go to a game with me.  In his true form he still wouldn’t wear the real burnt orange of Auburn instead he wore the burnt orange of the University of Texas his Alma Mater.  As you can tell Auburn won that game and he got to experience Toomer’s Corner in its prime!

As time goes on you are sure to learn more about Mitchell J. Howie from me as I will be helping out with his campaign as much as I can.  Mitch sent out a mass e-mail today that I thought you might enjoy:

by Mitchell John Howie, Alabama 5th Congressional District Candidate

For far too long Washington has failed to operate because of gridlock.  Gridlock due to party politics being placed higher than the desires of the American People.  Parker Griffith’s flip to a Republican after campaigning as a Democrat is a good example of this self serving problem.  Washington politicians are far too concerned with winning reelection than serving the people they represent.  The instinct of professional politicians (like Parker Griffith) for self preservation and their perpetual political posturing leads to these sorts of Washington-style games. When Parker Griffith takes a poll and flips parties, he abandons the values and principles he was elected on and betrays the public trust.  This is not what the people deserve. The people deserve someone who is dedicated to service, they deserve a military officer who understands service to this country.

Gridlock leads to our government not getting anything positive accomplished. Instead, we are left with a system of professional politicians attempting to score political points and one party is portrayed as failing and the other succeeding.  But the only folks succeeding are professional politicians.  Service to the country becomes a casualty in these political games and the people are left with each party’s political failures.

I am convinced that the American people, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, or an angry Tea Partier, you want our government to serve the people and stop playing tired Washington politics.  Just as I joined the military to serve my country, I am dedicated to serving North Alabama and doing what is in the best interest of the people and our country.  I am not going to congress to play political games, I am going for service.

Now I am a Democrat and I will not switch parties.  Not because of partisan politics but I believe folks should campaign on values they believe in and then legislate based on those same values.  It is a matter of my personal integrity and governing based on values I share with the residents of all the communities across North Alabama in District 5.

Those shared values are strength and growth.  I want to strengthen and grow all our communities by growing our economy, by strengthening our education system and ensuring our National Security.  Last week we announced our candidacy in every single county across North Alabama.  Since that time, I have met with seven mayors, 3 university presidents, a board member of the TVA, and countless constituents.

In meetings with the mayors and other local officials I explained my jobs initiative of a Green TVA and received a warm response.  My jobs proposal would replace many manufacturing jobs that have been lost over the years in North Alabama.  Once we implement this proposal, North Alabama will attract companies to North Alabama to manufacture solar panels and wind turbines.  By easing our reliance on foreign oil with this jobs proposal we will simultaneously ensure our national security while strengthening our economy.  When I am in congress I will work with state and local elected officials and private industry to make this vision a reality.  With your help Alabama will become one of the first leaders in this new technology just as we were pioneers with space technology.  It is time for a new day in Washington with a young patriot dedicated to serving this country with innovative ideas.

I need your help.  Will you help me defeat the likes of self-serving politicians like Parker Griffith and implement service oriented representation in congress?  I need you to take the time to donate $25 or more on my website.  This simple act will help elect someone who is dedicated to service and who will get the job done in Washington. You can send a clear message to all politicians that what is important is service to the people, not saving their political career or their next re-election campaign.  This is a message that needs to be sent, please send it with me.

The time is now!  We have our financial reports due at the end of this month, and people are waiting to see who is getting funding to make decisions on who to support.  I disagree with this dynamic but recognize that running a campaign is expensive and without funding, even the best ideas and noble values are lost. For my service oriented campaign to succeed I need your help and your contribution.  If you cannot afford to donate at this time then please go to our website and get involved with the campaign.

Thank you so much for your support and please forward this request to anyone you think wants to send the message to Washington to “stop playing political games in Washington and get to work!”

If you haven’t heard Larry Langford, Birmingham, Ala., Mayor, Convicted on 60 counts of Bribery and Corruption.  These charges alone can earn him 805 years in federal Prison not including the money he will have to return to the people of Jefferson County. Now that Langford is convicted felon he can not serve as Mayor of Birmingham City…

What happens to the Mayor’s office?

The president of the City Council takes over until a special election can be convened and certified.  Which has to be conducted within a certain period of time (perhaps 90 days) where the new mayor is chosen.

What does this mean for Birmingham?

Birmingham City Council President Carole Smitherman became Mayor after the first guilty conviction was announced today in Tuscaloosa, AL and Valerie Abbot Councilor Pro Tempore stepped up into the Council President position.  The problem with that a new city council will be sworn in the later part of November following an early October vote unseating a few current members and filling a couple vacant seats.

After the oath of office for the new and old members under the current Charter of the City of Birmingham’s Council President must be elected.  There is no guarantee that Mayor Carole Smitherman will be re-elected council president and in turn the newly elected council President would take the office of mayor until it can be filled by the special election. It is possible that the City of Birmingham have a 3 mayors in the span of only about 2 and a half months.

Analysis

Chaos in the making.  At this pivotal point in time a strong leader is needed not the in fighting and bickering of city officials.  Carole Smittherman has been much of the root of the in fighting and has a dwindling popularity rating with the city of Birmingham as she could have been unseated by an opponent in early October herself.  The likely hood of her winning the council president seat again is unlikely.  Interim governments or leaders are at best controlled chaos to add unpopular political figures in the mix is likely yo make matters worse.

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President Barack Obama took a stand on Friday night by imposing an import tax on tires imported from China.  This has been an issue I have been involved with since 2004 with the “Export Tires not Jobs” campaign. And, I am proud to say that this is a step in the right direction for salvaging what is left of the US Tire Manufacturing Industry.

China may appeal the Tariff to the World Trade Organization according to the Wall Street Journal and according to the New York Times China denounced the new 3 year declining tariffs within hours of its announcement.  Appeals and denouncing the tariffs are probably on the horizon as it is in China’s best interest since the USA is likely the largest importer of Chinese exports.

Tariff’s will begin September 26th at 35% for one year with 30% the second year and 25% the third in the form of an Ad Valorem tax in addition to the duties and taxes in place prior to the announcement. The Ad Valorem tax, often called VAT, will only cover tires for cars, light trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles.

The timing of Obama’s announcement is particularly suspicious as the meeting of the top 20 economic countries, known as the Group of 20,  is in 2 weeks.  This will come off to many, and me, as a political move to pay back union members for their support and financing his election and will be used as a trading card in the Pittsburgh meeting.  The opposition argument will be protectionism, like Daniel Ikenson of the Cato Institute, or international obligations. This bold and perhaps controversial move by the Obama Administration will be put on the chopping block for other political gain in the international politics marketplace.  My early prediction is that Obama’s stand for Tire Workers is short lived or best case scenario will be scaled back.

My biased opinion is we have to take care of ourselves first.  As a friend of several tire workers I have seen the impact of globalization of tire manufacturing.  With plants closing, hours cut, and jobs lost the illegal flood of Chinese made tires has impacted domestic tire workers and most importantly my family and friends. If the tariff does stand it sets a precedent for other Ad Valorem tariffs to come.  I hope it will be a Tariff on Steel Products particularly Tubular as it is cleaner than steel pipe made in China.

In the early part of April US Steel manufacturers filed suit against China for dumping steel on the US Market.  It is no suprise that the Chinese Government is upset about the probe and for the obvious reasons.  As a product of the US Steel Market and the tublar pipe used for the Oil & Gas industry the probe is welcome.

I am all for fair trade and globalization…  But the dumping of cheaper goods unfairly is dangerous to all involved, especially my family.  There are lots of problems in the US Steel Market all the way down to raw ores and scrap metal – I am not defending that.  But, what the Chinese have done over the past few years is detrimental to the global economy.  Not only in a monetary standpoint – also environmentally (see my Earth Day post “American-made steel is cleaner than steel made in China.”

I found an interesting article on United Press International titled “China dismayed over U.S. probe of steel”