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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Around 30 concerned citizens participated this evening in the second town hall meeting of I Believe in Birmingham to try to spur grassroots action to end the Jefferson County financial crisis.

Joseph Baker, the founder and head of I Believe in Birmingham, told those in attendance it is time to take action instead of just talking about the situation.

That action will be to call upon Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to investigate JP Morgan Chase & Co. to determine if any laws were broken in the bond dealings that put the county’s sewer system $3.2 billion in debt. Baker said the public also needs to call on the Jefferson County legislative delegation and Gov. Robert Bentley to hold a special session of the Legislature to deal with the county’s general funding it lost with the defunct occupational tax.

Baker said the situation for the county is too dire to wait for the Legislature’s next regular session next year.

“In my opinion, it demonstrates a lack of leadership, at least decisive leadership, on the part of the legislators and the governor,” Baker said at the meeting, which was held at Pale Eddie’s Pour House on Second Avenue North.

Baker said the he will determine if an online petition or a hand-written one will be the best way to try to force the actions on the part of the attorney general and the governor or if another means might spur them to act.

Baker said one way to get elected officials to take notice is to humanize the problem by finding those whose rising sewer rates is having a truly detrimental effect on their standard of living.

“Right now, it seems like an abstract, government finance problem,” Baker said. “But it’s having a real negative impact on the community.”

Baker said he plans to hold other meetings until the issues are resolved.

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