The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

http://www.abc3340.com/story/27550400/bi...rt-for-uab

By Crystal CARR

At this point, not releasing a statement would have been better.

We can add members of the BBA to our list. They support the most hated person in the City of Birmingham; that is not good for business. Shameful response by them.

Very disappointed in the BBA. But I can't say its too unsuspected since John Johns was recently their Chairman.

Hopefully soon they will be supporting his ass somewhere else.

My comment on the websight:

"I am really disappointed in the BBA. Hopefully they have not been paying attention to just how poorly and disgracefully Dr.Watts has handled this situation. He has created a national public relations nightmare and has inflicted real damage on a great university. He needs to step down immediately for the good of of the university. If the BBA was fully aware of the situation and still indorsed Ray Watts' conduct, they too need to seek new leadership."

Is the BBA a real entity ? Or is it a made up thing just to have a vehicle for a press release ?

(12-04-2014 11:35 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  My comment on the websight:

"I am really disappointed in the BBA. Hopefully they have not been paying attention to just how poorly and disgracefully Dr.Watts has handled this situation. He has created a national public relations nightmare and has inflicted real damage on a great university. He needs to step down immediately for the good of of the university. If the BBA was fully aware of the situation and still indorsed Ray Watts' conduct, they too need to seek new leadership."

He have to try our hardest to protest, get him to step down. It will take a lot, but we have to try.

Bryant Bank and Watts are both on the BBA.

(12-05-2014 12:16 AM)Shrack Wrote:  Bryant Bank and Watts are both on the BBA.

Imagine that horse crap!

Birmingham Business Alliance 2014 Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Business Alliance serve as volunteers in support of the BBA and its mission as a dynamic advocate, unifying voice and constant catalyst for economic development and business prosperity for the Birmingham Region.
Lindsey Allison*
Charles Ash
Johnathan Austin*
Charles Ball Jr.*
Stan Batemon*
Delor Baumann*
Jeffrey A. Bayer
Nelson S. Bean
John G. Beard
Mayor William A. Bell*
Neal Berte
William A. Bowron, Jr.
David Bowsher
Thomas Brigham
F. Dixon Brooke, Jr.
Robert O. Burton
David Carrington*
Jan Clevenger
Leigh Collier
Ralph D. Cook
John H. Cooper
Mark A. Crosswhite
A. Fox deFuniak III
Al Denson*
David Dickson
Walton C. Doster
Felix M. Drennen III
Mark Drew
Garry Neil Drummond
David R. DuBose
Alex Edgeworth
David Fleming*
Ann D. Florie
George T. French, Jr.
Will French
Alain J. Gallet
Garry Gause
Jonathan Geisen
David K. Germany
Nancy C. Goedecke
M. James Gorrie
Keith Granger
Jerry Grant*
Chris Green*
Steve Greenwalt
John B. “Beau” GrenierMichael Grim
Jay Grinney
O. B. Grayson Hall, Jr.
Gene Hallman*
Brian Hamilton
Herschell L. Hamilton
Jim Hansen
Raymond J. Harbert
Hillery Head
Jason Hoff
James S. Holbrook, Jr.
Scott Horne
Bill Horton
Ricky Hubbard*
Gary Ivey*
Donald M. James
John D. Johns
Doug Jones
Randall W. Jordan
Terry Kellogg
Robert Kelly
Barbara J. Knight
Charles C. Krulak
Dennis Lathem*
James C. Lee III
Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
Timothy A. Lewis
Bruce Limbaugh
Don Logan
Marcus Lundy*
Billy Luster*
Edgar B. Marx
Keri Till Massey
Fred McCallum
Charles D. McCrary
John J. McMahon, Jr.
James T. McManus II
C. Phillip McWane
Judy M. Merritt
Charles M. Miller, Jr.
Tom Mims*
Bill Morton
Claude B. Nielsen
Henry Craft O’Neal
John D. O’Neil
Mike OatridgeDaniel Pahos
Harlan Parrish
Nyya Parson-Hudson
G. Gray Plosser, Jr.
Charles K. Porter
Hernán Prado
David Proctor
Van L. Richey
C. Dowd Ritter
William D. Ritter
John H. Roberts
Alan T. Rogers
Brad Sandidge
David Sher
Pamela K. Siddall
Robert A. Simon
Sanjay Singh
Thomas Sisson
Hatton C.V. Smith
Lee Smith, Jr.
Zeke Smith
Jim Smither*
Steve Spencer
W. Stancil Starnes
William Stevens
John Stewart
Lee J. Styslinger III
Michael D. Thompson
W. Lee Thuston
T. Charles Tickle
Naomi Truman
Anthony Underwood
Mac Underwood
José Antonio Valencia
Fernando Valentin
Paul E. Vercher
J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner
Perry W. Ward
W. Michael Warren, Jr.
Ray L. Watts
Joel Welker
Andrew Westmoreland
Dontá L. Wilson
David Winwood PhD

So Watts has the support of:

a) a business council to which he belongs and,

b) a collection agent employed by Kirklin Clinic.

Mighty impressive array of supporters there, Ray.

Is there any way we can tie businesses to that long list of names? I don't want to give any of them my business, and I'd like to let them know why.

(12-05-2014 12:23 AM)58-56 Wrote:  So Watts has the support of:

a) a business council to which he belongs and,

b) a collection agent employed by Kirklin Clinic.

Mighty impressive array of supporters there, Ray.

I hate to point this out, but just about every major business ceo/owner in the B'ham area is on the BBA list.

But, I doubt they all support the statement.

(12-05-2014 07:43 AM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 12:23 AM)58-56 Wrote:  So Watts has the support of:

a) a business council to which he belongs and,

b) a collection agent employed by Kirklin Clinic.

Mighty impressive array of supporters there, Ray.

I hate to point this out, but just about every major business ceo/owner in the B'ham area is on the BBA list.

But, I doubt they all support the statement.

My God. You're exactly right. This is a HUGE opportunity:

There are names on that list we KNOW are angry over Watts' actions. There are probably more. We need to contact these people and ask them, individually, if they endorse this endorsement. A public refutation of this right now, just before the Senate vote, would be huge.

We need a list of e-addresses (at least for the known opponents - Austin, Bell, Carrington, any others), sticky this, and spread it to our others sites. I'm in a break from a meeting or I'd do it right now myself. PLEASE get on this.

This could be really big. This is how we fight: we turn Ray's PR efforts into PR disasters. It's way more effective than things we start ourselves, and we won't get these chances often. We have to take them when we do.

backyard, I take back every nasty thought I've had about you. This is a gigantic opportunity to attack that bastard. Thank you.

(12-05-2014 12:19 AM)Shrack Wrote:  Birmingham Business Alliance 2014 Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Business Alliance serve as volunteers in support of the BBA and its mission as a dynamic advocate, unifying voice and constant catalyst for economic development and business prosperity for the Birmingham Region.
Lindsey Allison*
Charles Ash
Johnathan Austin* - Bham City Council
Charles Ball Jr.*
Stan Batemon* - St. Clair County Commission
Delor Baumann*
Jeffrey A. Bayer - Bayer Properties
Nelson S. Bean
John G. Beard
Mayor William A. Bell*
Neal Berte
William A. Bowron, Jr.
David Bowsher
Thomas Brigham
F. Dixon Brooke, Jr. - EBSCO
Robert O. Burton - Hoar Construction
David Carrington* - Jeffco Commission
Jan Clevenger
Leigh Collier - Wells Fargo
Ralph D. Cook
John H. Cooper
Mark A. Crosswhite - Alabama Power
A. Fox deFuniak III
Al Denson* - Bham Airport Authority
David Dickson
Walton C. Doster - Doster Construction
Felix M. Drennen III
Mark Drew
Garry Neil Drummond - Drummond Coal
David R. DuBose
Alex Edgeworth
David Fleming*
Ann D. Florie - Community Foundation & Water Works Board
George T. French, Jr. - UAB Professor!! & Water Works Board
Will French
Alain J. Gallet
Garry Gause
Jonathan Geisen
David K. Germany
Nancy C. Goedecke - Mayer Electric
M. James Gorrie - Brasfield & Gorrie
Keith Granger - Trinity Hospital
Jerry Grant*
Chris Green*
Steve Greenwalt
John B. “Beau” GrenierMichael Grim
Jay Grinney - Healthsouth
O. B. Grayson Hall, Jr. - Regions
Gene Hallman* - Bruno Event Team
Brian Hamilton
Herschell L. Hamilton
Jim Hansen - PNC Bank
Raymond J. Harbert - Harbert Management Corp
Hillery Head
Jason Hoff - Mercedez
James S. Holbrook, Jr. - Sterne, Agee, & Leach
Scott Horne
Bill Horton - Regions
Ricky Hubbard*
Gary Ivey*
Donald M. James - Vulcan Materials
John D. Johns - Protective Life
Doug Jones
Randall W. Jordan
Terry Kellogg - BlueCross
Robert Kelly
Barbara J. Knight
Charles C. Krulak - Former BSC President
Dennis Lathem*
James C. Lee III - Buffalo Rock
Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
Timothy A. Lewis
Bruce Limbaugh
Don Logan - Barons, BASS
Marcus Lundy* - Bham City Council
Billy Luster*
Edgar B. Marx
Keri Till Massey
Fred McCallum - AT&T
Charles D. McCrary - Former CEO of Alabama Power
John J. McMahon, Jr. - CEO of Ligon Corp and former Trustee that's pro UAB
James T. McManus II - Energen
C. Phillip McWane - McWane Inc
Judy M. Merritt
Charles M. Miller, Jr.
Tom Mims*
Bill Morton
Claude B. Nielsen - Coca Cola Bottling
Henry Craft O’Neal - O'Neal Steel
John D. O’Neil - O'Neal Steel
Mike OatridgeDaniel Pahos
Harlan Parrish - Aliant Bank
Nyya Parson-Hudson
G. Gray Plosser, Jr.
Charles K. Porter
Hernán Prado
David Proctor
Van L. Richey
C. Dowd Ritter - Former Regions CEO
William D. Ritter
John H. Roberts
Alan T. Rogers
Brad Sandidge
David Sher
Pamela K. Siddall
Robert A. Simon - Corporate Realty
Sanjay Singh - CTS
Thomas Sisson
Hatton C.V. Smith
Lee Smith, Jr.
Zeke Smith
Jim Smither* - Greater Bham Convention & Visitors Bureau
Steve Spencer
W. Stancil Starnes - ProAssurance
William Stevens
John Stewart
Lee J. Styslinger III - Altec
Michael D. Thompson - Thompson Tractor
W. Lee Thuston
T. Charles Tickle
Naomi Truman
Anthony Underwood - Small business owner in Bessemer
Mac Underwood - Bham Water Works Board
José Antonio Valencia
Fernando Valentin
Paul E. Vercher
J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner - State Senator
Perry W. Ward
W. Michael Warren, Jr. - Children's CEO
Ray L. Watts - .......
Joel Welker - Publisher of the Birmingham Business Journal
Andrew Westmoreland - Samford President
Dontá L. Wilson - BB&T
David Winwood PhD - UAB Research Foundation

I filled out where this people work to my knowledge.

Looking at this again, this half statement from the BBA was probably because they are feeling pressure from the Ray Watts/BOT PR machine, but didn't come out stronger because many of their members probably oppose the situation.

(12-05-2014 08:17 AM)58-56 Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 07:43 AM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(12-05-2014 12:23 AM)58-56 Wrote:  So Watts has the support of:

a) a business council to which he belongs and,

b) a collection agent employed by Kirklin Clinic.

Mighty impressive array of supporters there, Ray.

I hate to point this out, but just about every major business ceo/owner in the B'ham area is on the BBA list.

But, I doubt they all support the statement.

My God. You're exactly right. This is a HUGE opportunity:

There are names on that list we KNOW are angry over Watts' actions. There are probably more. We need to contact these people and ask them, individually, if they endorse this endorsement. A public refutation of this right now, just before the Senate vote, would be huge.

We need a list of e-addresses (at least for the known opponents - Austin, Bell, Carrington, any others), sticky this, and spread it to our others sites. I'm in a break from a meeting or I'd do it right now myself. PLEASE get on this.

This could be really big. This is how we fight: we turn Ray's PR efforts into PR disasters. It's way more effective than things we start ourselves, and we won't get these chances often. We have to take them when we do.

backyard, I take back every nasty thought I've had about you. This is a gigantic opportunity to attack that bastard. Thank you.

I would add Marcus Lundy, Nancy Goedecke, James Lee, and Donta Wilson. As an FYI, Donta Wilson was close with McGee so he may know some things.