Palmer talks energy, China at chamber luncheon

By NEAL EMBRY

Increasing domestic energy production, combating the influence of China and improving his home district dominated a Washington update given by U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, on April 13.

Palmer, the Republican Congressman from Alabama’s Sixth District, spoke to a group of area chambers of commerce at Mountain Brook’s Grand Bohemian Hotel.

The ongoing war in Ukraine, Palmer said, did not create an energy crisis; rather, it exposed an existing one. It is a crisis he said has been made worse by decisions made by the Biden administration, such as canceling the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would have brought about 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day through the United States down to the Gulf Coast. Countries have learned both during supply chain crises and the war in Ukraine the dangers of relying on adversarial nations for critical imports, Palmer said.

He touted natural gas as a “key” to bringing down energy costs and reducing carbon emissions. He also advocated for next-generation nuclear energy as a way to both reduce the carbon footprint and help make America more energy independent. Next-generation nuclear, he said, would help convert spent fuel rods and produce more energy on less land than what wind turbines are capable of, with a longer life.

In House Resolution 1, Palmer authored two parts of the legislation that repealed what he called a $27 billion “slush fund” for green energy companies and protected the purchase of gas stoves.

“We have so neglected our hydrocarbon infrastructure,” Palmer said. “We need to take a more rational, regional approach to this.”

Instead of relying on other countries for energy, the U.S. should be a global leader in the field, the congressman said.

“The United States is literally an energy superpower,” he said. “We need to unleash it.”

Palmer said he is concerned about China’s growing influence in both Central and South America, as well as their buying of “golden shares” of corporations, thus ensuring them a spot on the company’s board and access to information.

There is also growing tension between China and Taiwan, and should a fight break out, Palmer warned the U.S. would follow

Japan. If Japan fights, he said, the U.S. would as well.

“China’s not our friend,” Palmer said. “Their objective is to be the dominant world power.”

The threat of China and a growing national debt is serious business, Palmer said. So while some may seek TV time or social media attention, Palmer said leaders and citizens don’t have time to fight, but instead need to come together.

“We don’t have the option to fight each other,” Palmer said. “We’ve got to come together. We’ve got to realize we share this country together.”

In local matters, Palmer touted the forthcoming construction on the Northern Beltline. While Palmer opposed the infrastructure bill that funded the project, due to its north of $1 trillion price tag, he was pleased to see funding for the long-standing project be included.

On April 12, Governor Kay Ivey announced new construction this spring on the beltline that will include a fourth lane of the new road, to be called Interstate 422, that will extend for 10 miles and connect U.S. 31 in Gardendale to Alabama Highway 75 in Pinson.

The project will help finish the Appalachian Development Highway System, Palmer said. Palmer also wants to see Alabama compete for high-tech jobs and industries. With Huntsville booming and businesses coming to Birmingham, there is an opportunity to make the area stand out, he said.

“We have an opportunity in my opinion to create a technology corridor between Birmingham and Huntsville that will rival any other in the country if we get this [Northern Beltline] built,” Palmer said.

In response to a question from the audience about accusations the FBI had “infiltrated” the Roman Catholic Church, Palmer said he was “very concerned” about what he called the “weaponization and politicization” of law enforcement. FBI Director Christopher Wray in March condemned a since-withdrawn memo created at a regional office that highlighted the need for “mitigation” of so-called “extremists” within the church.

“We do not and will not target people for religious beliefs, and we do not and will not monitor people’s religious practices,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 8, according to a CBS News report. “That’s not acceptable.”

Graduates

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“When you’re a Slack icon or on Google Meet … it’s a meritocracy,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey is no stranger to the political arena. He has served as director of operations for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott’s re-election campaign and also worked as director of youth engagement for Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s re-election campaign.

“I think campaigns are the great meritocracy of American politics,” Dempsey said. “Your work is what gets you places.”

Dempsey moved from eastern North Carolina to Vestavia in 2016, when his dad became a minister at Brookwood Baptist Church. Ready for a change of pace, Dempsey embraced the move, he said.

He seized opportunities in Vestavia to get involved at both the civic and philanthropic level, sensing a call to public service in seventh grade. He first worked on former Sen. Doug Jones’s campaign.

“I’m a seeker of information and knowledge,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey said he realized he was born for this work and for leading people, like his father.

“It’s in my blood,” he said.

Getting out the youth vote in multiple campaigns was an emphasis for Dempsey, he said.

“If a student votes in the first election in his or her lifetime, they are 50% more likely to vote in subsequent elections,” Dempsey said.

After helping Woodfin win re-election, Dempsey worked in community engagement during The World Games last year. That was followed by his helping Frank Scott, the mayor of Little Rock, win re-election. Dempsey briefed Scott on his public appearances and became interested in memorandums and briefings, he said.

“The key to all of this is showing up,” he said. “This is about showing up and getting work done.”

Outside of the political world, Dempsey has served as governor of the state of Alabama’s chapter of Key Club, which helps young people become engaged with volunteering. While there are opportunities in the political world for him now, he wants to be sure and give back to others as well, he said.

“These are the people I go to church with, see at the grocery store,” Dempsey said.

Following graduation, Dempsey will attend the University of Alabama and hopes to help keep talented young people in the state, in the realm of talent retention.

Whatever career Dempsey may find himself in, he is committed to his now-adopted state.

“I’m choosing to plant here in Alabama because this place adopted me,” he said.

Macy Stoffregen

A desk job was never in Macy Stoffregen’s future.

Her goal is to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, she said.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people,” Stoffregen said.

While at VHHS, Stoffregen has served on the RISE committee, been vice president of Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills and was on the cheer team for six years. She plans to attend Auburn University to pursue her medical degree, she said.

Being in Youth Leadership has helped Stoffregen learn about responsibility and leading, she said.

“I’ve had to learn how to be in charge and be a leader,” Stoffregen said.

Stoffregen said she is a big reader and enjoys hanging out by the lakes and going on walks.

Reflecting on her time at the high school, Stoffregen said RISE Day is her favorite day, a culmination of the students’ work for the fundraiser and a time to see how much money they raised to combat cancer.

As she gets ready to graduate, Stoffregen said she is looking forward to meeting new people. She is also hoping to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a cheerleader at Auburn.

Emma Nunnelley

Emma Nunnelley has spent the past year serving her fellow students as SGA president at VHHS, but she has been in leadership for several years.

Nunnelley first got involved in student government in eighth grade and has served in class leadership positions before moving into the executive branch of the SGA.

Nunnelley has also been on the swim team for three years and serves in Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills. She also writes for The Pillar, the school’s online newspaper.

In addition to her extracurricular activities, she takes almost all honors and AP classes.

“My parents had always encouraged me to pursue challenges,” Nunnelley said.

Nunnelley said she realized she enjoyed public speaking and began talking with teachers about how to further serve her fellow students and community.

Leadership has “opened so many doors for me,” Nunnelley said.

“I really love serving others,” she said.

While Nunnelley pursued dance for a while, stepping away from swimming, she said she now wishes she hadn’t. Being on the team provides fun and good exercise, she said.

“You’re competing for yourself and your team,” Nunnelley said.

Being part of the RISE team each year, which raises money for the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, has allowed Nunnelley to see the entire school unite behind a worthy mission, she said.

“I’m really grateful for the community in Vestavia because I feel like we do a lot to give back,” she said. “That’s been really cool to see that sense of community really build.”

Nunnelley will attend the University of Virginia and will either minor or major in Spanish and hopefully get into the school of commerce, she said. She is hopeful to continue working in different cultures and in charity work, she said.

Malaika Dsa

Early in her life, Malaika Dsa learned to code. So when she transferred into VHHS for her junior and senior years of high school, she was determined to help other girls learn to code as well.

Dsa started a “Girls Who Code” group at the school and hopes to see it expand into the middle and elementary schools as well, she said. High school girls get a crash course in coding in the group, Dsa said.

Dsa, who also serves on Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills and has been part of competitive science fair clubs, has always been interested in STEM. She said she wants to see more women in the male-dominated field.

In the competitive science fair group, she and others guide students in finding out what kind of science project they want to pursue, assist them with research and help make it aesthetically pleasing. Dsa won at the state science fair in the earth and environmental science category.

Transferring into Vestavia has proved beneficial for Dsa, she said.

“Vestavia has a lot of opportunities for their students that my previous school didn’t have,” she said.

Dsa said she has been told “you can’t do this” in regard to her passions, which only motivates her more.

“It only pushes me to work harder. I want to know how far I can go. I love a target,” she said. “This is the life I want.”

Dsa will attend Columbia University and pursue chemical engineering on a pre-med track.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. “There’s so much about the world I don’t know; there’s so much about myself I don’t know.”

Money Talk

Freeman requested a 9.8-mill increase, which would bring the city’s current total millage rate from 92.6 mills to 102.4 mills.

A mill is one-tenth of one cent, currently expressed in Vestavia Hills as 0.0926. The millage rate is multiplied by the assessed value of a home — which is equal to 10% of a home’s appraised value — in order to determine how much a homeowner owes in property taxes.

An additional 9.8 mills would mean an additional $487.50 annually, or $40.63 monthly, in property taxes for a home appraised at $500,000, around the median price of a Vestavia Hills home.

The ballot will ask whether voters want to increase an existing 25.6 mill tax by 9.8 mills for a new total of 35.4 mills. The 25.6 mill figure represents one of two special school taxes collected in the city of Vestavia Hills, with the other tax set at 3.15 mills. That tax will remain as is. The school also receives 23.3 mills from Jefferson County property taxes, for a total of 52.05 mills currently dedicated to Vestavia Hills City Schools. The other 40.55 mills collected by the city goes toward city revenues.

School officials said the new tax money is needed to pay for a litany of new programs and offerings for students, as well as numerous improvements and additions to campuses throughout the system.

Freeman said the system needs about $8.2 million a year to pay for those improvements and said the 9.8 mills should generate about $8.42 million annually.

The school system would borrow money for improvements and use revenue from the new tax increase to repay the debt over 30 years at $8.2 million a year, said Whit McGhee, the school system's director of public relations. The tax increase would remain in perpetuity for future system needs, McGhee said.

Sixty-one percent of the budget would go toward existing facility and campus improvements. The system would take out about $100 million in debt service to pay for those improvements, repaying it with new tax revenue.

Twenty-two percent would go toward education programs and another 17% toward operational costs, Freeman said. The latter two categories would mostly include personnel, he said. The personnel budget is anticipated to be about $3.2 million.

The school has launched a website, 1rebel1future.com, where residents can key in their tax-appraised home value and see how much of an increase they would owe if the measure passes. The website also includes details about the plan and a video of Freeman’s presentation to the public.

Planning For The Future

The 1Rebel 1Future plan seeks to add new facilities and renovate others, as well as add and expand program offerings, Freeman previously said.

“We have limitations on our ability to provide our students with an opportunity to learn without limits,” he said.

The plan centers on two initiatives: to invest in “profound learning experiences” and create “safe and dynamic facilities,” Freeman said.

While Vestavia Hills is highly regarded for its school system, there is always room for improvement, and the areas in need of improvement now include STEM and world languages, Freeman said. Right now, STEM classes are available for middle- and high-school students, and this proposal would add it as a “special” for elementary students, Freeman said. Specials are classes held once a week and currently include things like art, music and a day in the library, Freeman said.

“This is a meaningful path for them,” Freeman said.

There are currently five world languages taught at the high school and three languages at the middle school level. Similar to the proposals with STEM, Freeman said he wants to add world languages as a “special” at the elementary level. Teachers and course resources would need to be added for those classes, and the school system is still developing what particulars would look like.

The 1Rebel 1Future plan also seeks to upgrade the system’s facilities, making them not only safe and secure, but energy efficient and able to meet the needs of students, Freeman said. There are many aging facilities throughout the system, he said, and system leaders are thinking about spaces that will be needed to meet the needs of expanded academic offerings.

Freeman said it’s also important for campuses to be comparable to each other. While Vestavia Hills Elementary East and West have large student populations, they have the smallest gyms and don’t have the meeting spaces other campuses do, he said.

The existing gym at West would be turned into new classrooms for art, music and meeting space, with the existing Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce building being turned into gym space, as chamber offices will move to the new Vestavia Hills Civic Center. There would also be office space and community meeting space in that building as well, Freeman said.

Each elementary school in the plan would have a gym that has the capacity to expand, he said.

At Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, the kitchen would receive a much-needed expansion, Freeman said, and East would receive an expanded gym.

At the middle school level, Liberty Park Middle School would receive an auxiliary gym. While that school has fewer students than Pizitz Middle School, it has the same number of teams and programs and needs more space. Pizitz would receive more dressing room space, Freeman said.

Vestavia Hills High School would receive the bulk of the changes in the plan and is set to receive upgrades in the areas of arts, STEM and athletics. Choir would move into the existing band space, with a black box theater moving into the existing choral space. The band would move, along with dance, into a new space, with STEM and arts classes moving into existing spaces that would be renovated, Freeman said. The band space would also include a new kitchen and expanded cafeteria and would connect to a new plaza area that goes into new arts and athletic spaces.

A new indoor facility, located in the open field behind the competition gym, would include 50 yards of artificial turf that could be used by athletic teams and the band, and it would also include a weight training area for all sports, a locker room and a wrestling area.

The proposed tax increase would be the first ad valorem increase since 1990. If it isn’t approved, Freeman said the system would prioritize how they use existing funds for needs.

If the plan is passed, the system wants to be “aggressive” in completing the projects and, while they would have to be phased in such a way as to not interfere with the learning process, Freeman anticipates a roughly four-year schedule for new construction. New programs would start this fall.

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