What Does RSA Suit Bode?/How Stands National Alabama?

Tonya Denson is an employee of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. Venius Turner is a nursing instructor at Jefferson State Junior College. Together they have sued the Retirement System of Alabama and its CEO David Bronner. The suit also names Gov. Robert Bentley and State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton as well as several other state officials.

Representing the plaintiffs is the law firm of Prichard, McCall, & Jones. Billy Prichard claims that, while the RSA has not performed well over the past ten years, the years of 2007, 2008, and 2009 were particularly dismal for the RSA. Specifically Prichard mentions RSA investments in Raycom Media and National Alabama--the Barton based rail car manufacturer.

Also specifically mentioned is a five hundred million dollar loan to the Canadian company National Steel Car, the former parent company to National Alabama. The suit claims the loan is fast approaching default. In the words of the suit:

Defendant Bronner has further admitted that the returns generated by the TRS and ERS have trailed national returns in part because of investments in TV stations, newspapers and a rail car plant in Alabama. RSA made a $500 million dollar loan to a Canadian owner to build rail cars. This loan was practically in default ab initio and the property sits empty.

The entire lawsuit may be read here: RSA Lawsuit

If we read this suit correctly, it does not take into account that RSA purchased the facility from its parent company in August 2010. Perhaps the main question now is how long this suit will be drawn out in the courts of Alabama.

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And just how are things at our beloved National Alabama? From an extremely reliable source:

Apparently all is not well at National Alabama Corporation. Prior to the resignation of Dave Soldo, National Alabama Corporation had a small manufacturing contract with a local RV manufacturer. It has been learned that this contract 'ended' with Mr. Soldo's departure. It has also been learned that several members of National Alabama's management team are quietly looking for new careers elsewhere.



Shoalanda

Character: Dave Soldo Has It; Kimberly Bynum Doesn't

Good character seems to be a rare commodity these days. At one time attorneys were the usual brunt of jokes about shady character, but teachers must be rapidly closing in on first place. Kimberly Bynum-Garner, a math teacher at Vina, is our sextactular teacher du jour.

Bynum-Garner teaches algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and statistics at Vina High School...or did until arrested for having "deviant sexual intercourse" with a student under the age of 19.

What kind of person is the 29 year-old Bynum-Garner? Here's a brief description in her own words:

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama where I graduated from Hewitt-Trussville High School. I earned my Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics and Secondary Education from the University of Alabama. I am married to Nathan L. Garner, band director at Hamilton High School. We reside in Hamilton with our children, Ladybird (chocolate lab) and Bandit (ninja cat).

If convicted, Kimberly Bynum-Garner could face 20 years in prison. Sources say her 28 year-old husband, a Hamilton native and one-time drum major at the high school where he now teaches, has already moved on. We wish him the best.

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We commented yesterday on Dave Soldo, fabrication manager at National Alabama, who has left the beleaguered rail car company. In that blog we referred to Mr. Soldo as an engineer. We have received this e-mail from Mr. Soldo :

My name is Dave Soldo and as your article states am currently employed with National Alabama Corporation. Although I find your article flattering I feel that some parts of it have been somewhat over dramatized and in fact are not accurate. So in interest of clarity and to be fair to many hard working people in that organization, please allow me to state some actual facts.

I am not an Engineer and at national Steel Car in Canada I held position of Project Manager. I was not a "GUY" responsible for feasibility of projects at NAC for that is responsibility of a group of people and is very much a team effort. Without me NAC will not come to a screeching halt. Although I provided inputs in all outsourced projects, others were very much involved.

In conclusion I personally feel that NAC will be successful company and this community's support has been the best I have ever seen. I can only hope that this will continue. We will all see that company achieve great things. To all my friends at NAC, Best of luck and I will miss you.

Dave

Thank you, Mr. Soldo, for your clarification. May we say you qualify as someone of great character, or as we in Alabama are apt to express it, a "class act."

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J. J. Ray has left our blogging group. We wish him the best in his future endeavors. If you would like to become a regular member of our team, or just contribute from time to time, please feel free to contact us. Thanks to all our readers who make our blog worthwhile.



Shoalanda

Top Engineer Leaves National Alabama

David (Dave) Soldo is an engineer, in fact quite an accomplished one. While at National Steel Car in Canada, he was considered part of the elite in both management and production. When NSC opened what was to become National Alabama, Soldo moved to the Barton plant. His title with National Alabama was "Fabrication Manager."

Yes, we says "was" since Mr. Soldo is no longer with the company. This may not be a total surprise for many since his Linked-In profile states he's interested in new job offers. It was a shock to many who currently work at National Alabama where he had also taken a lead in community projects, including one to support the Lauderdale/Colbert Girls' Attention Homes. One source told us:

Mr. Soldo was THE guy responsible for making sure ANY project National Alabama Corporation undertook was feasible. Without Mr. Soldo and his expertise, all production at National Alabama comes to a screeching halt. Dave Soldo was among the original group of Canadians that came in 2007. In late 2009 he was among those that resigned from the Canadian entity and hired on with National Alabama Corporation. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, was fabricated, or even THOUGHT of being fabricated, unless Mr. Soldo "OK'd" it.

What does this bode for National Alabama? Will the company hire a new engineer? Do they need a new head engineer since they have no new projects? We welcome input from those familiar with the company's current status.

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Yesterday we commented on Larry Fisher being named Sweetwater citizen of the year for 2011. Apparently some readers were bemused by this. Sweetwater is a common name for all the East Florence, and sometimes Weeden Heights, communities. Mr. Fisher does not have anything to do with the purported efforts to restore Sweetwater Mansion, nor does he support the individuals behind them.

Other readers have reported to us that those on the Sweetwater Tours Committee have been setting up at First Fridays in Florence with collection jars. Until the books of this organization are made public, we cannot in good conscience support these individuals nor encourage our readers to do so.



Shoalanda