If you’ve been watching the news at all in the last few weeks, you know that Mother Nature hates America right now. Tornadoes have ripped up a large portion of the Southeast, some of the Midwest, and even managed to hit Northern California. You can blame whatever you want for the natural disaster end of this story. Science has pretty much ruled out climate change, but Pat Robertson will no doubt be all over the news soon declaring that our tolerance of gay sex is at fault. What is not up for debate, however, is the cause of much of the disaster that happened after the storm was long gone. As with Hurricane Katrina, that cause is human dickbaggery. And the biggest perpetrator of this dickbaggery is the mayor of Cordova, Alabama, Jack Scott.
On April 27, the same system of storms that devastated Tuscaloosa also hit the small town of Cordova, causing massive damage to private property and public buildings alike and killing four people. As should happen in the wake of this kind of natural disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Administration was called in to help clean up and give aid to the stricken. Part of the offered aid was in the form of the now-infamous FEMA trailers, single-wide portable shelters designed to give people whose homes have been destroyed a place to live while they rebuild. Putting aside all of the voluminous controversy the trailers have generated since Katrina, this seems like a vital part of recovery – you can’t live in a pile of rubble for very long. So you’d think the city of Cordova would welcome these trailers with open arms, right?
Wrong.
To be fair, the citizens of Cordova are all for the FEMA trailers. After all, they just lost their homes and, basically, their entire lives to a class-three killstorm. But their mayor, the Honorable Jack Scott, says no. The reason? The city has an ordinance dating back to 1957 that bans single-sectional mobile homes, the precise type of trailer that FEMA has on offer. Cynics – and god knows I’m one – might argue that the ban was a bit of cutting-edge social engineering, an attempt to keep the “wrong element” out of Cordova. That wrong element, of course, being the kind of people who live in single-sectional mobile homes or, as most Americans know them, Alabamans. By Scott’s own admission, the law has never been enforced. So why start now? Because Scott – again by his own admission – sees this as an opportunity to do finally carry out the mission of the 1957 statute: make Cordova a bourgeois paradise by pushing out the poor. And I quote:
“We want other people, young people, professional people to come here,” said Cordova mayor Jack Scott. “We don’t want them in a trailer. We want them to build here.”
Awesome. So, Mr. Mayor, how about the people who already live in your town? You know, the people who fucking elected you? Do you have any advice for them?
Mayor Scott suggested residents consider buying modular homes, which are allowed in the city, and one resident said the best price she could find was $105,000, not within the means of many Cordova residents.
Oh, ok. I get it. So your advice is that your constituents, whose median income is $24,774, buy a hundred-thousand dollar modular to live in while their actual home is being repaired instead of staying in that free trailer that the government wants to give them so that they can, you know, use their money to put their goddamned lives back together. This is small-government Republicanism at its finest. So one would expect that a drive through Cordova would be entirely devoid of unsightly single-wide trailers, right?
Weeeeeeeell, not quite. See, there actually are a fair number of trailers in Cordova. The Cordova Police Department has relocated to one since their station was destroyed in the storm. The place that Cordovans go to pay their water bills – you know, on all that water they’re not using because their houses were destroyed and they’re not allowed to hook up a trailer – that’s in a single-sectional trailer. There are some businesses, including banks, enjoying their new temporary housing scattered around downtown. And best of all – and let me assure you that had I not been tempted to write this sack of shit up for anything stated above, I would have written this article for the following fact alone – City Hall is currently being run out of the banned single-wide trailers.
Let me repeat that, just in case you sneezed while you were reading it: Mayor Jack Scott, who is standing by the ban on single-wide trailers because they bring the wrong kind of people to town, now has his office in a single-wide trailer. I hate to say it, Mayor Scott, but maybe you were right.
Not surprisingly, the citizens of Cordova are in a bit of an uproar. They’re understandably angry at what looks like a total disregard for their health and safety coupled with a bit of cronyism and pandering to business. And you know what? I completely agree with them. They’ve set up a number of Facebook pages, my favorite of which has a lot of great, informative discussion as well as the best possible profile picture they could have found for the subject matter. They’ve also organized a campout to be held over the weekend for people to come protest the ban as well as volunteer to help Cordovans rebuild their town.
So congratulations, Mayor Jack Scott. Your selfless dedication to smiting the neediest of your constituents when they have lost everything, all in order to up the tax base of your town, has earned you a place in the dickbag hall of legends.
Brilliant : )
He’s an old drunk. That’s a fact, I live in Dora located about 3 miles from Cordova. He covers up for crimes his family members commit by controlling the Police Dept. He has used the city manpower and machinery to clean up his families yards after the storm. He used the Mormon volunteers to do the same before any other areas were cleared of debris. His church turned away a woman and her children seeking shelter the day the tornado was coming. Which, by the way, was the 2nd tornado to hit Cordova downtown that day. The woman and children were killed in their house.
You changed his name to Ross near the end of the article.
Wow, Tim…thanks for the additional info. I have to believe this is Mayor Scott’s last term.
Thanks for the typo catch too. Fixed.
This is my story…..
My family and I live in Cordova. My really good friend Anett Singelton and her son Madison Phillips15 came to our house after the first tornado. She told me that the church turned her and Madison away that morning. They were at our house until about 3:30 pm, we were listening to a battery powered radio. The people we were listening to said the storms were over so Anett wanted to go home to check on her house and everything. Anett being who she was, very head strong stubburn wouldnt stay at our house after we begged them to stay. Our two oldest boys Jonathan Doss 12 and Justin Doss 10 were very good friends with Madison they were like brothers. They wanted to go with them and so we let them go. Well it was getting later and I tried calling her several times and no answer. We didn’t have good signal so I left to get signal and I went back home and my husband had left. I had three of our children with me and I tried to get into town where our boys were and they wouldn’t let me in, it was about 6:30 pm. The second tornado came through about 6:00 pm. I went back home and my husband still wasn’t home so I was even more worried. My friend texted me and asked if I had heared that Madison had died in the second tornado. I said no that can’t be true my boys are with them. I got even more worried so I got a neighbor to babysit the other kids so I could go look. I got to the roadblock they wouldn’t let me drive through, so I parked and ran from Pinsgah Hwy into town. I got to the top of the hill where the Methodist church was and the yellow house that was beside the laudrymatt was gone that was where my kids and friends were, that was Anetts house. I started crying and panicking and if you know me I don’t cry or panick. I went down the hill and found Dean Harbison and gave him my boys, my husbands, Anett’s and Madison’s discriptions and they told me I would have to go home and wait. I went home and not long after I got home Kenneth Bobo, the cheif of Cordova police dept. came and told me my boys died and Anett had died but madison was in the hospital. I went with him and identified their bodies it was very hard. I finally found my husband and he was okay thank the good lord. We went and visited Madison in the hospital he didn’t know about the boys and we had to tell him. He told us that church wouldn’t let them in and that it was a woman. After all of this we had heared that it was the mayor and his daughter that had turned them away. As far as we are concerned they will get what they deserve we are not finished. My husband told me he wants me to run for mayor I could do the job well. I think the mayor hasn’t ever been for the city he has only been there for himself. He has always gotten the city workers to work on his yard and I heared him personally talk about that. If it is true that he and his daughter turned my children and friends away their deaths are on their hands and they will pay dearly.
Jacqueline,
Thank you so much for sharing your harrowing story with us. Our website is generally focused on being funny, but this story – and hearing from so many actual residents of Cordova – has really moved me in a very sincere and profound way. I have decided to make Jack Scott my personal mission. We’re just a small goofy website that gets about a hundred hits a day, but I am going to do everything in my power to drag this man down. I would love to get in touch with you and anyone else in Cordova who has something to say about Mayor Ross. Please email me at webmaster@fataldownflaw.com with the best way to get in touch with you. The more I hear from the people in Cordova, the more disgusted I am at what’s happening there, and I want to do everything I possibly can to get the word out.
My deepest, most heartfelt condolences for your loss. It was sick, and it was wrong, and I hope that you and your town can get justice.
Hey Andrew! Correction: Mayor Scott… for some reason “Ross” is stuck in your head Andrew.
Thank you SO MUCH for doing what you can as well.
there are so many people (just like me) who don’t live in Cordova but are just OUTRAGED and feeling helpless about this whole situation.
Thank you for making this a “personal mission” as well.
He looks like a drunk and a crook .His day is coming .God will take care of him and what kind of Church does he attend that who not help someone in life and death stiuation.The Church I attend would never do that they are always there to help GODS CHILDREN.[ New Beginning Community Church ] in Graysville .May GOD BLESS all those whom live in Cordova. Get out or get rid of YOUR SO CALL MAYOR .And by the way I was born and raised in Dora I can REMEMBER GOING TO Cordova to the Doctor .When my first son was born 48 years ago.
FatalDownflaw.com… you’re doin’ a heckofa job…
Excellent!He’s a hypocrite and all he sees is the opportunity for the city to gain more abandoned property to sell to others,the ones he’s expecting to come build.Why would anyone want to come to a city that’s been destroyed and will take years to rebuild after these horrific storms?FEMA should have the right to furnish these people the use of these homes due to a natural disaster no matter what the ordinances dictate, in fact the ordinances should state(perhaps they do?) that “in the event of any natural disaster the residents have the right to maintain a home as seen fit by governments standards per the FEMA guidlines”
I can’t believe that federal disaster protocol doesn’t supersede local zoning ordinance. Maybe there’s a good lawyer around who would be willing to do some pro-bono investigation into that. I know the actual citizens of Cordova have their hands full at the moment, what with the whole rebuilding their entire lives thing, so hopefully someone can help out in that respect. I’ll put it up on our Twitter and see if anyone bites.
….I should have added….any town/city should have an emergency plan and should state exactly what to expect and what the city guidelines are in any event for all concerned.The city obviously failed it’s citizens.
Excellent piece. The City Ordinance was adopted in 2008 though. But overall very accurate.
Actually, according to everything I could find, the original ordinance was enacted in ’57 and amended in ’08.
Wow Andy, you stumbled on some real reporting here. GET’EM!
Fatal Downflaw: Where Real Reporting Is Synonymous With The Term “Dickbaggery”.
Sponsor a potty or part of a potty.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/cordova-campout-528-530/porta-potty-sponsorship-at-the-cordova-camp-out/187383484645677#!/notes/cordova-campout-528-530/porta-potty-sponsorship-at-the-cordova-camp-out/187383484645677
At the risk of insulting the horse, I just saw a segment on CNN about that horse’s ass, Jack Scott, and his dictatorial rule of the town of Cordova. Good grief! How did this idiot get elected in the first place? He must’ve bought votes. Thanks, Andrew, for making it your mission to take down this heartless, pea brained, mean spirited, poor excuse for a human. Usually I am not given to name calling but, maybe because I’m dealing with the Joplin tornado–an area where I once lived and still have many family members and friends, I am enraged regarding Jack Scott’s outrageous behavior.
Gotta know. What’s Jack Scott’s party affiliation? Or would any party have him?
He is Republican, but I saw on the facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/JackScottFail
some idiot said he would have a birth cert. from Hawaii – which to me meant he was a Democrat, and a stupid referrence to President Obama, -people forget that Obama’s mother was an American citizen- so therefore he would a citizen no matter where he was born, now back to Jack Scott, the folks in Cordova are trying to recall him but as several hundred don’t have a place to live – the recall effort is going to be slow, and I bet you a nickel that he challenges it based on the addresses not being valid in the recall….this being a Republican ploy to steal elections.
Sorry Jeff you are wrong in regards to the Presidents mother being a Citizen thus automatically Obama is a citizen no matter where he was born. ” Only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born abroad, but only to parents who were both citizens of the U.S.)”
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/presrequire.htm
And I have to ask YET AGAIN – what the fuck does any of this have to do with the story at hand? If you can’t keep your comments germane then go away. I’m not interested.
If you are using the suffering of these people to advance your windbag partisan agenda, look in the mirror and ask yourself where you have have gone wrong in life.
Good going. I’m gonna tweet this website – this prick shouldn’t be allowed to crush people who are in the worst position anyone could be in.
I’m a resident of Cordova who didn’t lose my family or our home but we live very close to the path so that was sheer random luck. I cannot imagine what you are going through Mrs. Doss and I support you all the way I have cried and prayed for you every day. Sorry seems so inadequate but I’ll say it anyway. I am so sorry that this happened to your precious sons and friend. I heard from my childrens friends immediately when we could get back into town that a family was turned away by the mayor at Long and they had been killed. THIS is NOT acceptable. We need to get rid of those who act this way not the trailers. Talk about declining values of a sort that are so much more precious than money.
This disaster is financially crushing us because we own a business we’ve been building for several years. Our income is our customers and this hit a lot of them hard. I hate saying “customers” these are friends, people we love and there is a lot of hurt everywhere. It takes work and sweat and struggling to build a business but I know ours will be fine in the long run. Right now we’re behind on bills and in payment arrangement hell. It’s surreal, after years of sacrifice and living within our means, that somehow through it all I built my credit, My kids are going to have to work through school, my credit was MY way to help that road be a little easier for them. SO this is stressing me, this stack of double bills in red I’ve never seen and kids who have no college funds who I hoped to help with my credit until our business could carry us and not it looks like it will be hit hard and recover but that takes time. There are no funds for businesses hit like this, there is nothing we can do. We have done our best and I’ve accepted that. I am however in shock from the suddenness and I am in a sort of mourning over this. What if we need a car, etc?
But this is not about money. Take every material thing that I own and give my neighbors and friends back their lost loved ones and homes and towns. It’s not the money that’s important and my fico be damned but this sudden financial dive is wrecking havoc with my mind. Why am I terrified of not meeting my obligations? I don’t know and whatever it is it’s causing me to stress, I have loved this town from the moment I saw it. It kills me to have to go through our downtown.It’s emotional, I’ve had to pull over to gather myself to drive. I’ve hated having to drive the kids through town but I can’t waste gas to take the long way out. It breaks my heart, they mourn their town, ALL of it.. I have also realized that this ordinance means I will be in their shoes if something happens to our home. If the whole thing isn’t overturned one day & I do lose my home I will own a worthless piece of land How could I justify lets say an $80,000+ investment on an “acceptable” home that will depreciate from the first penny spent. I’ll just say it, I won’t invest money in a town that would regard my decision to live within my means after losing the one substantial thing I own as trashy. I can take a hint. I have lost my security. I can’t lose this house now and that is a gut wrenching thought.
It may sound so southern but this is where we our home, our town and we feel this great tear it’s almost physical, God bless our victims. These are out neighbors and my family will stand with and for all of them. I am terrified of my own future and it’s shaken my family to the core. I want to be where we were and the way we were but we are all in a daze. I am having panic attacks. I know what they are and I am dealing to over come them but this just isn’t me. I can’t sleep, I feel alone because my husband is not home evenings now, working late and he looks so defeated – it tears my heart in two. He’s my best friend and confidant and he’s hurting so I will not add to his burden by laying my issues on him.. He’s a good hard working man who grew up dirt poor. His biggest fear is not being able to care of his kids. I am proud of him and he is taking care of us by doing all he can do but it’s hard to see your partner in a dark depression like this and be helpless to do a thing, He’s a great dad and family man and the kids are worried because this is a daddy they have never seen. Hes furiously pedaling uphill and I can’t get him to recognize that fact.
I am stressed to a level I have never been to and I am one tough, creative cookie who budgets like it’s a competitive sport
I have been through stressful times before but this takes the cake. It’s not just the lack of help for small businesses who aren’t in a position to take a SBA loan to cover a one time financial LOSS, that just puts us in more debt and it takes time to get those babies. It’s a big rolling ball that combines all of the above and it’s a lot.
SO this is what we were trying to pull through BEFORE our idiot mayor decided to deny our hardest hit victims basic human compassion, If we are stressed like this and still have our home it makes me sick to think of how much worse it is for those directly hit and homeless. Who were turned away from shelter. I’m ashamed our town must fight this out in the public eye when we are all still reeling from something we couldn’t stop. He is going to the families and offering to low ball by their land. How unfeeling and crass. He talks of victims as “those people” and his interview where he wants “other people” moving in infuriates me, IT’S NOT HIS LAND. Who is he to say who he’d like to replace our citizens with? It’s not his call and he has no moral way to make it happen and he forgot one little thing, We citizens have the right to say who we would like him replaced with and unlike him we have the legal MEANS.
I can’t believe he thought the Blue Devils would take this. I sincerely recommend a psych evaluation.
Thanks for the humor and the wit in the essay. You made my night. Also, I appreciate the ear and opportunity to share what my family is going through and read what others are bearing too. We will rise above this Cordova.
Sending good thoughts from Boston……..
Andrew, thank you for the work you are doing on this horrible tragedy! I was born and raised in Alabama. I now live in Providence, R.I. It not only saddens me to see how heartless and cruel this pathetic excuse for a Mayor is, it f***ing pisses me off. Sadly, it doesn’t really surprise me these days! The Teapublicans have shown their total disregard and outright hatred of anyone who is not wealthy or corporations! My heart truly goes out to all my brothers and sisters in Alabama and all the other states affected by the killer storms that have wreaked havoc over the past few weeks. Also, to those affected by the floods. I can only HOPE that people will finally see that the Teapublicans don’t give a damn about them! Their only concern is for the wealthy and corporations! It’s time for people to wake up and start voting for their best interest, not on the divisive wedge issues that the Teapublicans use to get votes! I will share your site with my FB friends and on the progressive blogs I participate in! Keep up the great work!
If you haven’t read Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine” the mayor’s behavior is just what she describes – using a crisis, when people are frightened and confused, to implement a program long desired – usually impacting the poor. NOLA’s school system was taken over and privatized in the wake of Katrina and we are seeing it nationally now as the Republicans deconstruct the social safety net, education, and many of our rights under the guise of recovering from the recession.
Huh, that’s rich re: Shock Doctrine. The Obama doctrine: “Never let a crisis go to waste” – http://www.bing.com/search?q=never+let+a+crisis+go+to+waste&src=ie9tr
Nice try at spinning, but the NOLA education system privatization is an Obama / NOLA democrat deal, http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/duncan-katrina-was-the-best-thing-for-new-orleans-schools.html
Sorry to bust up your hatefest.
Dear partisans on both sides:
What the fuck is wrong with you? Read the above stories. Who fucking cares if Scott is a Republican or a Democrat? HE IS RUINING LIVES. PERIOD. Please don’t make this an excuse to pursue your meaningless, destructive pissing contests. And if you feel the need to do so, please take it the fuck off of this comment thread. Why does everything always boil down to this? You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
Andrew, you are absolutely correct.
Because the Teahadists and their supporters have spent years working to systematically destroy America and its support for anyone other than the top 5% and half the people think that “both sides are equally bad.” Unless/until the average uniformed voter figures out it’s ALWAYS the Republicans f’in over the working class (often times with help from corporatist Democrats), nothing will ever change.
Save it for another story. I’m all for anger, and I’m all for throwing feces in comments threads, but this is too important. This is not about a party, it’s about a man. A man who is doing terrible things to his own constituents. It doesn’t matter what party he’s from, this is not about party policy. It’s about this ONE MAN taking horrific advantage of his office (which is not the sole domain of one party or the other), and I’d rather the discussion here be aimed at him rather than diluted to include stupid partisan politics. If you want to bash Republicans, go on over to the DailyKos and do it there. Or wait until I finish an article I’m working on about how stupid partisan politics is and how anyone who is willing to sit and blame one political party for all that is wrong with the world is a mouth-breathing waste of carbon atoms who is too fucking ignorant to look around and see that EVERY POLITICAL PARTY IS A CONGLOMERATION OF SELF-SERVING MEGALOMANIACS. But that’s not a discussion for this post. If you’re not going to add to the discussion, then – as the kids say – GTFO.
And yes, I just broke my own rule. It’s my website, I get to do that.
Andrew, give these party picker sonsofbitches hell. You’re right, who the fuck cares what goddamn party he belongs to. I just can’t understand why this asshole is still breathing after his dumbass activities, and treatment to residents there in Cordova.
Are they stupid, or what? I remember some 50+ years ago, they wouldn’t worry about a damn recall. They’d just drag the bastard out of office, and tar his ass, along with the rest of his goddamn family. He know’s he’s got ‘em beat. They won’t do anything except run their stupid mouths, and keep believing in these damned politicians.
Rahm Emmanual may have SAID “Never let a disaster go to waste” – but it is obviously only southern Republicans WHO WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NATURAL DISASTER to get away with racist social engineering.
People, seriously. I know a bunch of you showed up here from MSNBC, and we’re super glad you came and all, but if this turns into the idiotic blathering that goes on in their comments threads I swear to fuck, I’ll just take the goddamned comments section off of this story.
But I was enjoying the way that people keep negating any validity in what they say by demonstrating a complete inability to do something as simple as “not using this issue to advance their own political agendas”.
…And besides, if everyone listens to you, Andy, I’ll have to go back to reading comments on YouTube to get my hourly dose of pure, unbridled internet troll ignorance.
Totally agree. You go!
He meant this in the same way the plagues were great for the survivors, people became WORTH something other than fodder for war machines or serfs-slaves for the ordained and aristicrats.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news%2Fnational_world&id=8158890
The story seems to be getting out there….let’s hope that helps…..
OMG!! That mayor needs to be run out of town!!!! Can’t the President do something, like an Executive Decision to override the City Ordinance?? I’m so spittin’ mad at that guy!!!! These elected officials are just that–elected to serve the people!!! Come on people, it’s time we all open our windows and doors, stand on the street corners and yell at the top of our voices “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore”!!!! Then actually DO SOMETHING!!!
Keep going! People have got to understand, our problem isn’t democrats or republicans. The problem is the politicians who buy themselves a little bit of power and then suck the system for all the can get. But given the calibre of people willing to go through the process of running for office (admittedly a nightmare) I don’t see much hope of change in the near future v
This is why I avoid the news. I get sooo pissed at assholes like this
The first time I heard about this I wrote EVERY SINGLE TV Station I could find an email addy on. I wrote to the Senators and Representatives for their areas. I wrote Governor Bentley – I was just short of writing President Obama! My friend asked… “twitchy much”? LOL I’ve NEVER been so insensed at this wreckless use of power in my life and I’ve never gotten politically involved but OMG…I have been SO PISSED at that Jacka$$ and his city council ever since I heard about it!
I keep seeing that the “government” can’t override the city’s governace…I say BS!!!!!!!! What the HELL is upper government for for goodness sake?
Does anyone believe that by now President Obama hasn’t gotten wind of this? Really?
The People of Cordova have to worry about where to lay their heads at night…why is this a-hole making it more difficult for them? HE is an embarrasment and I’m so glad that he’s not my mayor…
I pray & will continue to help the folks in Cordova thru volunteer efforts and I hope that sometime soon, someone can put this political mess to rest so the citizens of Cordova can begin to live again…
The mayor is thinking small. Had he the foresight to move a few hundred miles south and buy an election, he could have had an entire state to work his revisionist magic.
I’m writing from Tennessee to tell all y’all that we know how to take care of folks like that, and if tried in a court of law, we just tell the judge that “He needed killin’”
Ah, Southern Justice. I have to say – for legal reasons if no other – that we don’t condone any violence or threats of violence against Mayor Scott, certainly not his family, nor any others in his administration, including the city council of Cordova. We think that a public, national shaming and shining the glaring spotlight on his crimes, ensuring that everything he does for the rest of his life is tainted with the stench of what he has done is a far worse punishment than any physical abuse he could possibly suffer. Call me a Yankee hippie if you like, but I don’t think violence has any place in this discussion, hyperbolic rhetoric or no. Shame is a far better tool, and the complete dismantling of his public life a much better punishment.
Please don’t cite “small-government Republicanism” as part of your argument. I am A Republican and I am all for the FEMA trailers being given out and used. WHEREVER AND WHENEVER needed! This story about this idiotic asshole of a “mayor” has incited within me the same incredulous anger you feel. I in no way, condone this man’s behavior!
The “small-government Republicanism” line was meant to be a crack at not accepting government-sponsored aid. It wasn’t really meant to be a swipe at the party itself, because I don’t actually know Mayor Scott’s party affiliation, nor do I really care. This is the part where I’m supposed to apologize if I have offended, but if you’ve read anything at all on this website you probably know that’s not going to happen, so I’ll just say “request noted” and leave it at that.
This reaction by Scott to the FEMA trailers truly is the limit. People are homeless, and he’d prefer they live on the street instead of a FEMA trailer, because gosh, the trailers might not LOOK as nice as he’d like??
At the very least, the city should allow the trailers to be used for now, and perhaps impose a time limit on when they need to be removed. However, to ban these homes is truly insane.
I suggest he open his own home to those in need, instead of being a miserable excuse for a human being. This guy makes the original Scrooge look like Mahatma Gandhi.
This makes me absolutely sick to my stomache! Jacqueline Doss, you will be in my thoughts and prayers. The audacity of people, that think they are above the rest, will get theirs. I believe in karma and this man will be getting his, hopefully sooner than later! I posted this to my facebook, to let everyone read and share what a pos this man (and I’m using that word loosely) is!
I lived in Alabama all of my life until I moved to TN 4 years ago. I seriously cannot believe this is going on. Alabama is full of compassionate people. What happened to him? As I’ve been told through this and that, Scott has got people in his pocket and is threatening citizens about speaking out against him. The camping protest turned very “civil,” that anyone carrying protest signs would be arrested, etc. Now, this is all stuff that I’ve only heard. Thank God I don’t live there because I couldn’t handle it. I just believe that this guy needs to be fired, run off, booted out of the town… whatever, so these people who have had their lives turned upside down can depend on a mayor who will actually help rebuild the town from the citizens’ houses up. It sickens me to know that Alabamians are suffering from tornado damage such as loss of lives, homes, businesses, vehicles, pets – all the things people take comfort in. But then to have an official turning his back on them. No excuse for it. There is no compassion… I have been and will continue to pray for everyone that has been harmed in these storms and the families that have lost loves ones and friends (not only in Alabama, but across the country as well).
I have looked everywhere and there isnt a mention of Scott Walkers Political Affiliation? Is he a Republican or a Democrat not that it matters much he is not a decent person and if you can recall him you should. Please know that Americans are praying for you and as we can we will send you help as we always do.
Stephanie shared a very funny, very relevant video on the Fatal Downflaw facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fatal-Downflaw/198579520182700
Check it out here: Alabama mayor rejects FEMA trailers for tornado victims
Isn’t there some way this man can be charged with endangerment? I understand trying to uphold laws and all that, but when disaster strikes, some things need to be pushed to the side. If he doesn’t want the FEMA trailers, does he have an appropriate alternative to offer people housing with running water? Is there a large open area outside town limits where the trailers could be set up, since he won’t allow them in town? Where is he staying and why can’t that dwelling be opened to allow others to stay there? I certainly do not agree with his decision, but I wish he would offer viable alternatives to his absolute no.
If you are one of the lovely Cordova folks who has been displaced from your home and you are residing elsewhere: Walker County EMA has contacted us asking that we tell anyone needing housing to contact Tommy Davis at (205) 384-7233 so that he can help with steering everyone to the people they need to speak with, ASAP.
Andrew, great job on raising awareness on this.
I am at a loss for words on how anyone could be so evil. To deny the people in his town housing? While I am sure he lives in a nice house with AC and running water.
And the kicker is how he allows the same trailers for his city departments that he is not allowing for the people left devastated by the storm.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Mark
Good news…at least it’s a start. FINALLY Alabama’s governor’s office is stepping in:
http://www2.alabamas13.com/news/2011/jun/01/gov-bentley-wants-resolution-cordova-housing-issue-ar-1915054/
A meeting was held this evening at 6pm at the Armory to adopt a resolution to enter into an agreement with FEMA for emergency housing. No word on whether the resolution was approved.
Have you gotten anywhere new with this? I would really like to know. (A preacher friend of mine wanted to have a tent revival in Cordova to lift the people up and share God’s word but the mayor’s pastor told him that he wasn’t welcome in Cordova. He is going to file for a permit anyway, just to make it “official” that he was turned away. What harm would it do for a man to come preach? If you don’t want to hear it, don’t attend, right?)
I’m working on a follow-up with some pretty horrible additional information. I’m going to actually visit Cordova next week, and the follow-up will come after. In the meantime, please enjoy the feast of stupidity that we offer on the rest of the site!
I live in Corner ,Alabama.My husband and I both have friends and family from Cordova. My mom grew up in Cordova and last fall I drove my oldest 35 miles out of the way just so he could play toybowl football for the Cordova Blue Devils. It’s an outrage how Jack Scott can get away with treating people like this and the worst part is turning children away from shelter no one i mean no one should ever be turned away from shelter. He deserves to be “Hung Out To Dry”
So what ever happened with all this mess?
Solid question. My contacts in Cordova went quiet and no more news has come out of there, so either it resolved itself somehow (which is doubtful) or nothing has changed and people are just suffering in silence now.