Enough is a Enough Jefferson County

The Jef­fer­son county com­mis­sion is at it again. With a $105 mil­lion debt pay­ment loom­ing, the county com­mis­sion is in nego­ti­a­tions with Regions Bank to take out a $25 mil­lion bridge loan to begin bring­ing back the more than 1000 work­ers who have been on upaid leave since the begin­ning of August. Last month the Alabama leg­is­la­ture voted to allow an occu­pa­tional tax to help fund the county. This tax will go into effect in Jan­u­ary and the bridge loan is intended to extend the coun­ties funds until that time. This all sounds good except that by county com­mis­sion pres­i­dent Bet­tye Fine Collins own admis­sion the new tax will not cover all the costs for the work­ers. Essen­tially the loan will bring a very short term relief then quickly dis­si­pat­ing leav­ing the county in even more debt. Where does it end? Why would Regions even con­sider such a loan while look­ing at the grim cir­cum­stances of the county?

How deep in debt must the county sink before we decide enough is enough and they declare bank­ruptcy? At this point I sim­ply don’t think there will be any way to save the county with­out doing so. I implore the com­mis­sion to stop the madness!