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Rauf Bolden
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Humorous Incidents, Short Stories and Essays: Beach Towns, Politics of Everybody, and Government That Works (Orange Beach Government) Kindle Edition

by Rauf Bolden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Our tale is about Li’l Johny, as he wades through the literal and political swamp of south Alabama’s peculiar politics of everybody, wandering from the wetlands to the beach, traversing the Backcountry Trail, bordered by the jurisdiction of the Orange Beach Government.
This collection of humorous incidents, short stories and essays provides a platform for addressing political points that local government has not, or is not willing to tackle like rebating the 4-mil property tax.
The plan is to make people aware that vast wealth is hidden in the vaults at City Hall ($40 Million in cash reserves), but the residents (population: 5,600) are seeing no revenue sharing in their pockets. This situation is not a dark humor short story, but the sad reality of unbridled ambition.
The key issue is local government’s sense of solutionism, meaning one vision is the best solution for everyone moving forward, possibly exporting the mayor’s brand of leadership to all the beaches of the world as an example of pro-growth tourism.
Some people will argue the Orange Beach government has a vision. I refer you to this quote, “…load up and come to a council meeting so that u can get the facts, the real truth and stop being educated into further ignorance by following this site [Facebook],” posted by Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/155706324781200/members/).
We are blessed in our country to have a voice, and with this voice I ask for a government that works, respecting other ideas without being called down in the Council Chambers. I argue for a chance to free Council Members from the yoke of always voting unanimously with the Mayor.
Perhaps Council Districting is the answer, forcing Council Members to live in the neighborhoods they represent, voting for their constituents’ best interests instead of serving the city at-large. Perhaps we could ask Council Members to share their personal and business tax returns, disclosing what development projects they, or their family members hold a financial interest in.
This is why we are here, creating a sense of financial transparency, and rebating a small portion of the city’s wealth back to the residents.
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  1. Print length
    64 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    May 10, 2019
  5. File size
    1853 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07RTJ63Z7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ VELVETILLUSION S. A. (May 10, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 10, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1853 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 109780111X
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the author

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Rauf Bolden

Rauf Bolden

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We are adventurers. Starting in 1984, my wife Jeannette Dean and I sailed around the world in a 35 ft. fiberglass sloop, seeing and experiencing places and people we will never forget. It is this love of people, striving to make the world a better place on a global scale that motivated me to write this book.

We do not live on an island. We represent humanity at large. To this end, I learned German, French, and Dutch, giving me more insight into and appreciation of cultural diversity. I am an emerging author of political essays, having been published in myriad online magazines. This is my first book.

Recently retired as IT Director at the City of Orange Beach in Alabama, I am presently working as an IT & Web Technologies Consultant on the Beach Road. Please contact me by email: helpdesk@raufbolden.com. or visit my author’s website: http://raufbolden.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Capt. Randy
5.0 out of 5 stars Beach town growth while preserving small town culture
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
Not only does Rauf take a good look at small-town politics, he also adds some good old-school humor. The insight is timely, thorough, and concise. And just before Rauf got too far into the weeds, Li’l Johnny took over!

If you are interested in Alabama, small-town politics, or challenges of living at the beach, I think you’ll enjoy this book.
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Diane Farnham
4.0 out of 5 stars Rauf knows his politics
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2019
Rauf is an entertaining writer. I have been reading his creations for over a year now, and I still get a chuckle over his stance on politics. This is a gotta read!! Buy it, folks, and read a bit about our little island of Paradise in lower Alabama.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great combination of art and politics!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
Rauf Bolden artfully blends humorous storytelling and powerful essays into a great read . A courageous foray into the world of local politics, his book is loaded with compelling insights, strong critiques and brilliant ideas that can help bring about long overdue changes within communities across the country!
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J
3.0 out of 5 stars Small town growing pains and beach politics
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
The author intersperses jokes, political satire and wacky stories between more serious critiques of small town governance. Conflicting issues of growth tourism, environmental protection & sustainability, tax reserves, public access and open space are discussed with the hope of meeting everyone's needs. There is some guidance for those who may want to get involved in politics and commentary on possible conflicts of interest. The book was long on criticism and short on solutions.
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Jerilyn Hansen Reeves
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun!
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
It’s a pleasure to see this book after following Rauf & his wife Jeannie around the world. Rauf is a great writer... mixing humor with politics is done brilliantly. Well done!
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karen clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and poignant
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Mr Bolden captures the essence of small town politics with humor and great insight. This book makes me laugh out loud and think deeply. Wonderful combination
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prslc
3.0 out of 5 stars A rather candid look at Orange Beach, Alabama
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019
I think one must be a resident of Orange Beach to fully appreciate all the political machinations and implications of decisions made and discussed throughout this narrative. Bolden has some wonderfully delightful one liners that stop you in your tracks and make you smile.
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Reed Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent inside of city politics
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019
An excellent view and guide to understand the inside view of the City of Orange Beach. Rauf shares great information from being on the inside and a logical process to be involved and make a difference in the Orange Beach community.
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