A little local news - Larry Langford and Birmingham -

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State Rep. John Rogers backs bill to increase salary of Birmingham's mayor

Friday, February 22, 2008

JOSEPH D. BRYANT

News staff writer

A bill pending in the Legislature would increase the Birmingham mayor's salary to more than $133,000, making Larry Langford among Alabama's highest paid mayors.

The bill written by State Rep. John Rogers also gives the City Council the right to set the salary of the next council and gives the mayor an $800 monthly car allowance if he chooses not to use a city car.

Birmingham's mayor currently ranks third in pay, earning $88,000, although he leads the largest city in the state. The salary was set at $68,000 in 1955 and a $20,000-a-year expense discretionary account was later added.

Birmingham News

Apparently he needs the raise.

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford sought financial help after racking up $50,000 clothing debt

Thursday, February 21, 2008

ERIN STOCK

News staff writer

Federal investigators reviewing Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's relationship to investment bankers and lobbyists have questioned him about how he paid personal debts, including a large amount owed to a clothing store.

Court records show Gus Mayer, a high-end Birmingham department store, sued Langford for nearly $50,000 in 2002. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers discussed the debt in a June interview with Langford, who said he eventually turned to lobbyist Al LaPierre for financial help after being elected to the Jefferson County Commission in 2002.

Langford said in an interview with The Birmingham News last year that his debt was caused, in part, by large dental bills. But he discussed his financial problems more fully with SEC lawyers, explaining that he asked LaPierre to lend him $50,000 to cover his debt from clothing bills.

Langford's relationship with LaPierre and investment banker Bill Blount was the focus of much of the discussion in the June SEC interview, according to a transcript of the Miami meeting recently obtained by The Birmingham News. Langford has said he arranged for Blount to participate in county finance deals; LaPierre was working for Blount at the time.

SEC lawyers have said they are investigating whether Langford received inappropriate payments or benefits in exchange for his help with contracts related to county borrowing.

SEC lawyers also interviewed Langford about his clothes shopping during New York City trips with Blount.

His statement to SEC lawyers revealed the mayor's personal spending habits and taste for designer clothing. "I'm kind of a clothes person," Langford said in his SEC testimony.

Langford has said he received $150,000 in 2003 from LaPierre, including $50,000 for the clothing debt.

He told SEC lawyers he owed more than $70,000 in clothing bills, according to the transcript.

Confusion over store:

In his testimony, Langford said he owed about $40,000 to Homewood clothing store Shaia's, where he said he had a revolving credit account. But Langford appears to have confused the store with Gus Mayer, which actually sued him in June 2002, prior to receiving help from LaPierre. The court filing by Gus Mayer, a specialty retailer at Colonial Brookwood Village, said Langford owed $49,939 plus 6 percent interest.

In his SEC testimony, Langford named Shaia's and said it was owned by someone with the last name Pizitz. The Pizitz family owns Gus Mayer.

Leo Shaia, one of the owners of Shaia's, said Langford may have named his store by mistake. He said his store has never had a dispute with Langford.

Langford told SEC lawyers in his testimony that he had to pay his debt from the clothing store after a dispute over some of the clothing purchased. The store threatened to take him to court if he didn't pay off his entire bill, he said in the deposition. Langford said he had problems with shirts and sports coats he purchased.

He said he argued with the store over payments and refunds, and the store eventually agreed to take back the clothes but required him to pay off his account.

"So rather than have to go to court and all of that, I just went ahead and got the loan and paid that off," he said.

Court records, however, show Langford was sued by Gus Mayer and settled the case.

Langford said he obtained a six-month loan from Colonial Bank to pay the debt. He received the loan July 19, 2002, according to documents SEC lawyers presented during his testimony. The Gus Mayer lawsuit was settled in November 2002, court records show.

He said he later asked LaPierre to help him pay the bank loan and promised to pay him back after the sale of Hoover property in which he owns an interest.

Langford also told SEC lawyers that he borrowed $100,000 more from LaPierre, with much of that money going to pay his dental bills.

Langford testified that he hasn't made payments since 2003 on the loans from LaPierre.

Shopping in New York:

SEC lawyers also asked Langford about his county bond trips with bankers to New York City. They asked if he shopped for clothes while there and how he paid for the purchases.

An SEC lawyer asked Langford if any bankers, including Blount, paid for his clothing purchases during trips to New York when the two traveled together on county bond business. Langford said he paid for the clothing himself.

"Did any of the banks ... or Mr. Blount ever pick up any of those expenses?" an SEC lawyer asked Langford.

"Bill, for a birthday gift, he game me a birthday gift one year," Langford said, explaining he and Blount have exchanged gifts in the past.

News staff writer Brett J. Blackledge contributed to this report. estock@bhamnews.com

http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/i....xml&coll=2

Langford has also had problems with real estate transactions in the past and has had other debts paid off by "friends". His home is in Fairfield but he has an empty loft in downtown Birmingham just to satisfy the legal requirement that the mayor of Birmingham actually be a resident of Birmingham.

[otterinbham 0]

I don't think it's going to matter. Within the next few months, the SEC will be coming down on him like a ton o'bricks.

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I don't think it's going to matter. Within the next few months, the SEC will be coming down on him like a ton o'bricks.

That matter was out there before the election wasn't it? He and his helpers (whoever that may be) kept the SEC investigation out of the news and out of the public eye.

Here's a question for you Otter. Since it is now obvious that Langford lives in Fairfield and the loft he bought was just a "legal" way to dodge the requirement that the mayor of B'ham actually live in B'ham, shouldn't Cooper have won the election? Wasn't his lawsuit about what is right?

I'll ask you about another question about the deal working it's way through the courts. The seat on the Jefferson County Commission. When Langford won the mayor's seat, his seat on the county commission came open and Gov. Rieley appointed George Bowman. Then the local democrat machine arranged for a citizen to sue and ask for an election. It was apparent early on that the suit was brought in order to get Bell in the race so he could win. Bell being a long time crony of and heir apparent to Richard Arrington.

Who do you think is right Riley or the dem machine in B'ham?

On a personal note I know George Bowman personally and he is one of the most honest, intelligent and ethical people to come on the political scene in Birmingham. He is also a retired Brigadier General from the Army. His leadership, honesty, attention to detail and his non political approach would be a breath of fresh air on the Jefferson County Commission. Unlike many in Birmingham politics Mr. Bowman would bring things up rather than drag them down and sink to the lowest level. Another note about Mr. Bowman he didn't seek the appointment by Gov. Riley. Riley came to George and asked him to interview along with several others. After the interview the governor appointed George and the law suits commenced.

[otterinbham 0]

I don't think it's going to matter. Within the next few months, the SEC will be coming down on him like a ton o'bricks.

That matter was out there before the election wasn't it? He and his helpers (whoever that may be) kept the SEC investigation out of the news and out of the public eye.

Here's a question for you Otter. Since it is now obvious that Langford lives in Fairfield and the loft he bought was just a "legal" way to dodge the requirement that the mayor of B'ham actually live in B'ham, shouldn't Cooper have won the election? Wasn't his lawsuit about what is right?

I'll ask you about another question about the deal working it's way through the courts. The seat on the Jefferson County Commission. When Langford won the mayor's seat, his seat on the county commission came open and Gov. Rieley appointed George Bowman. Then the local democrat machine arranged for a citizen to sue and ask for an election. It was apparent early on that the suit was brought in order to get Bell in the race so he could win. Bell being a long time crony of and heir apparent to Richard Arrington.

Who do you think is right Riley or the dem machine in B'ham?

On a personal note I know George Bowman personally and he is one of the most honest, intelligent and ethical people to come on the political scene in Birmingham. He is also a retired Brigadier General from the Army. His leadership, honesty, attention to detail and his non political approach would be a breath of fresh air on the Jefferson County Commission. Unlike many in Birmingham politics Mr. Bowman would bring things up rather than drag them down and sink to the lowest level. Another note about Mr. Bowman he didn't seek the appointment by Gov. Riley. Riley came to George and asked him to interview along with several others. After the interview the governor appointed George and the law suits commenced.

Oh, it's going to be fun all right.