BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 14 - Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, went on the road with an anti-tax truck Thursday to point out that flip flopping on taxes is all the proof Alabama voters need to know “you can’t trust Bob Riley,” she said at a press conference at the Birmingham Public library.

Photo by Glynn Wilson

Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, at the first Blue Dot Ball in Homewood, says “you can’t trust Bob Riley.”

Ms. Baxley and Jefferson County Assessor Dan Weinrib both expressed their strong opposition to Governor Bob Riley’s property tax increase because of its negative effect on Alabama’s working families.

“As a candidate in 2002 Bob Riley said he would not raise our taxes, but then as soon as he got elected Riley proposed the largest tax increase in Alabama history,” Ms. Baxley said. “When the people said, ‘No,’ Riley had his Revenue Commissioner order annual property reappraisals, and with the stroke of a pen and without a vote of the people Riley raised our property taxes.”

She pledged that her first official act as governor will be to revoke Bob Riley’s property tax increase he ordered of every revenue official in all of Alabama’s 67 counties when he made the ad hoc decision to reappraise property taxes every year instead of at least once every four years, as the law calls for.

“Alabama families already pay enough taxes,” she said, including new home owners in Alabama’s burgeoning suburbs, where many African-American families are already stretched to the breaking point economically.

Robbie Yarbrough, chairman of the Jefferson County Democrats, joined Baxley and read the statement from Weinrib.

“Never in my wildest imagination did I ever believe that this governor would help impose the biggest property tax increases imaginable and do so without the consent of our people,” Weinrib said.

Jefferson County begins collecting taxes from property owners Monday October 2 based on the third year of annual revaluation.

“Every tax season I hear heart-wrenching stories from constituents, whose pocketbooks are already stretched thin as it is,” Weinrib said. “Often they are elderly folks on fixed incomes or middle class families struggling to keep up each year with increasing house payments.”

Riley has said that it would take an act of the legislature to overturn annual property reappraisals, but the last four Alabama Governors operated under the same laws as Riley and none of them ordered annual reappraisals, Baxley said, including Gov. Fob James.

“Governor Riley could reverse the property tax increase any time he wanted to by executive order, but instead he is trying to mislead us,” Baxley said. “It just goes to show you, folks, that you just can’t trust Bob Riley.”

Lt. Gov. and Democratic Party nominee for governor Lucy Baxley will hold a press conference at the Birmingham Public Library Thursday, Sept 14, from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 2100 Park Place, along with Deputy Jefferson County Tax Assessor Grover Dunn.

Dunn will read a statement from Jefferson County Assessor Dan Weinrib which in part reads, “Never in my wildest imagination did I ever believe that this governor would help impose the biggest property tax increases imaginable and do so without the consent of our people.”
 
Earlier in the day Baxley will speak from noon to 12:45 p.m. at a WWII Veterans reunion where she will be honored by the gift of one of the only two remaining pieces of the USS Birmingham.
 
Following the 3 p.m. press conference the campaign will unveil the “Tax Truck.”

The truck reads, “Thanks Bob Riley for our Tax Increase!” and includes a headline from the Decatur Daily, “Get ready for tax man.”

The Tax-Truck will crisscross the city of Birmingham for the next week, after which the Tax-Truck will head out for a state-wide tour. The Tax-Truck will remind the people of Alabama that Governor Riley raised their taxes with the stroke of a pen when he ordered annual property reappraisals. The truck will be parked just outside the Birmingham Library following the press conference.

Rally at West Birmingham Car Wash on Riley’s Connections to Gambling Money, PAC-to-PAC Transfers
 
Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, will hold a rally at Dundee’s Car Wash and Detail at 1700 3rd Ave. West in Birmingham from 11:30 am to noon on Wednesday, September 6.

Baxley will ask Governor Riley to “come clean” about his connections to Mississippi gambling money and outline her proposal to ban PAC-to-PAC transfers, according to a press release.

Baxley will also hand out copies of former Riley aide Michael Scanlon’s company ledger showing he earmarked $75,000 for Riley under the heading “Operation Orange,”  the nickname he gave to transactions intended to limit gambling competition on behalf of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians.

Testimony included in a report issued by Senator John McCain’s Indian Affairs committee shows that the total amount of money in question could be as much as $13 million.