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Friday–October 16, 2015
THE SOUTHERN TORCH
Publisher, Joseph M. Morgan Layout editor, Dwayne Adams
AL License office closing provides minor savings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 offices in regions heavily populated by blacks in order to suppress votes by preventing minorities from being able to obtain identification from the local offices. These claims come from a handful of high-profile Democrats, including former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In fact, Clinton said the closings hearkened back to the segregation era. Rev. Jesse Jackson was so distraught, he came all the way to Alabama to
discuss the issue with Gov. Bentley and Sec. of State John Merrill. Jackson described the closing of the AL Drivers License offices as “a return to Alabama’s Jim Crow past.” Alabama’s own U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate the closings, citing concerns about ballot access and travel for those affected. Democrat leaders like Clinton and Jackson openly accused Alabama’s Governor, Secretary of State, Legislature “and other white Republicans” as
being racists who were intentionally and elaborately attempting to disenfranchise voters. In response to Jackson’s accusations, Sec. of State Joh Merrill provided something that had unfortunately to that point eluded many—the facts. According to Merrill, the offices in the 31 counties losing offices only issued or renewed about 8,900 licenses and non-driver identification cards in 2014, less than one-half of one percent of the 551,911 active or inactive voters in those counties. In the 12 Black Belt counties that will lose offices, the number
of voters affected—both black and white voters combined—only make up 2.1 percent of the 128,788 electorate. It is unclear what motivated ALEA to close 31 offices throughout the state. Some say the governor is using closings as leverage to force legislators to sign on to his $350 million tax increase package. Or perhaps it is simply an effort to continue a claim that the agency is in financial straits in order to gain additional funding, or an effort to make good on threats made earlier this year by ALEA and the governor’s
office to shut down a number of state agencies and services in response to the Alabama Legislature’s refusal to enact the governor’s proposed increase of $350 million in new taxes. Whatever the reason for the office closures, despite the claims and accusations from Democrat leaders like Jesse Jackson and Hillary Clinton, Alabamians can be certain of one thing: this is not a plot by Republicans to suppress minority votes.
Barbara Mackey honored for fifty years of service with Liberty Bank
Bailey was one of many people there honoring Mackey Friday. He said, “We really appreciate her and all her years of service”. Many of those present were customers who had come to show their admiration for Mackey. It was obvious that Collinsville and bank leadership hope that she will be around for many years to come.
By Joseph M. Morgan joseph@southerntorch.com
Barbara Mackey was honored in Collinsville on Friday, October 9, for her fifty years of service with Liberty Bank. She is Branch Manager in Collinsville. The reception was held at the bank. Ms. Mackey began her career in 1965 at the bank in downtown Collinsville. It was then known as People’s Bank. The name would change to Bank of Geraldine and finally to Liberty Bank. The bank recently moved from
downtown to a new building by the interstate. At the reception she said, “It has changed a lot. For the good. All good. I really enjoy this new building immensely. I have worked with really good people during the years. I have really liked the ones I worked with and the ones I worked for.” One of those co-workers in 1965 was Elaine Gilbert who is now Executive Vice President. She was honored later in the day at a reception in Geraldine. Bank President Chris