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Popwell resigns as registrar chairman
Published Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bill Popwell has resigned as chairman of the Chilton County Board of Registrars, at the request of Gov. Bob Riley's office.
Popwell said he received a letter from one of the governor's legal advisors informing him that his resignation would be effective May 30.
"I don't know why, and I haven't talked to Governor Riley," said Popwell, 83, who has served as board chairman for about five and a half years.
Popwell contacted the legal advisor's office and said he couldn't resign on May 30 for two reasons -- he was in the process of posting address changes in a precinct and needed to complete that precinct, and he had planned to visit Washington, D.C. from May 29 through June 2.
"I offered to resign on June 15," he said. "They re-sent the letter, and I signed it and sent it back."
Popwell indicated he would have preferred the governor speak with him directly rather than sending a letter via an advisor. He said Riley knows him on a first-name basis, as "Bill."
"If he doesn't want me to fulfill this office, I don't want his appointment," Popwell added.
Allen Caton, a Chilton County commissioner and member of the state executive committee for the Republican Party, received a letter from the appointment secretary of Riley's office asking him to send recommendations for the job. Caton complied.
"I hate losing Mr. Popwell," Caton said in a phone interview. "He has done an excellent job in the Board of Registrars office."
The governor will reappoint a chairman but is not expected to do so until at least July because he is currently out of the country on an industrial recruiting trip.
Popwell, who had heart surgery in December 2008, said he was doing well.
"I'm proud of my health, and it did not interfere with me doing me job," he said.
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Comments
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 23, 2009 at 10:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Goober Riley is trying his best to right the train wreck that is going to get him indicted. Seems he is fighting a tradition of Alabama governors going to prison, to no avail!
Posted by carol (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 4:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why do you say that................just asking
Posted by shenley (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's tacky of Riley to do that without talking to Mr. Popwell personally. He should have talked to him and have given him a reason for asking for his resignation. I sure won't shed any tears when Riley's term is up.
Posted by kittycreek (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm interested in knowing why he might be indicted, as well, KW.
I’m not a fan…but I am a state employee so I have to keep some of my opinions and suspicions to myself. You’ve got my curiosity going here! ☺
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This particular issue is going to be happening more within counties that are not following lockstep behind Riley and his list of voters he wanted stricken from reistrars lists last fall. Some counties were given lists of convicted felonies that would bar one from legally voting under Alabama's Constitution. His list, and I have a copy, also included misdemeanor offenses. He was able to bluff some registrars into striking voters that were qualified to vote before there was an Attorney General's opinion and the law was clarified.
But the indictments will come from contracts given out by Riley himself. In particular, the ones that stand out are Drayton Nabors and David Barbour. Especially after the White Hall fiasco where people's and a business' rights were clearly violated, false imprisonment occurred, and half of a million dollars illegally confiscated by the KING GOOBER'S task force.
This is my opinion from the facts as OTHER media outlets, and friends have relayed. If I am wrong, I am SURE someone will correct me, scold, me, pray for me, and condemn me to Hades as usual.
Posted by kittycreek (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's very interesting. I'm gonna do a little research and poking around......
Thanks, KW!
Posted by rmims404 (Roger Mims) on June 24, 2009 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This goober we call our "govna" sporting a slicked down just for men hairdoo and a southern drawl has stepped on my last nerve. He needs to have a little backbone and speak to someone face to face. Only a coward let's his "legal advisor" deliver the bad news in a letter. Just my opinion folks.
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 6:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I spoke with our Guv back in 95 when someone I hired was using his name, liberally, to say the least. This individual offered me Auburn football tickets courtesy of Riley's then, newly formed political headquarters in St Claire county. We sniffed out a con artist. When I inquired with Mr. Riley, himself, he denied any relationship with this individual. We later determined this man and his wife were con artists and she was a volunteer in Riley's office, not an employee with football perks. Needless to say Riley never thanked us for twarting a future political embarrassment for him. I decided then, he had lost my vote for future offices. And shamefully, admittedly, that was when I was drinking the kool-aid and voting Republican.
Posted by PhilBurnette (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 7:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am sorry to see Mr. Popwell treated so shabbily. He is one of the most dedicated public servants (and best all-around persons) we have ever been privileged to know.
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 24, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree Phil. He was most helpful during this last election cycle, to make sure I was registered to vote. And the ladies in Glenn McGriff's office were absolutely great in making sure my absentee ballot was where it should be ON TIME! Both offices were outstanding!
Posted by shenley (anonymous) on June 25, 2009 at 10:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If I were Mr. Popwell, I would not resign without some explanation as to why.
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 25, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If someone asks you to resign ... is it still resigning? Riley didn't handle this well at all and I'd love to know the reason he suddenly thought Mr. Popwell wasn't doing his job well.
Posted by Rickey (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 2:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Asking someone to resign is the same as firing that person. And Riley ain't man enough to do it himself. Mr. Popwell deserves better and more respectable treatment; BUT in the final analysis, we'll be the winners when we vote Riley out of office "with no explanation."
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