ComebackTown: To create a discussion on creating better government for our region.
According to an article on al.com on October 11, “A rift developed between the city and county after Birmingham filed a lawsuit to keep open the inpatient care unit at the county owned hospital for the poor. The county responded by withholding chairs and tables for the city’s referendum…”
I only know what I read on-line, so I don’t know the real story, but I have three and four year old grandchildren who get along better than our politicians.
However, our politicians are not at fault.
We’ve created a perverse government structure that creates these ludicrous situations.
Our City Council members are following the wishes of their constituents…and so are our County Commissioners. That is how representative government is supposed to work.
Please note our City Councilors each represent one of nine districts. I bet if you polled Birmingham residents in those districts most would applaud the actions of their Councilors.
Our County Commissioners represent one of five districts. Two Commissioners voted against closing inpatient care at Cooper Green and three voted in favor. Again, if you polled Jefferson Count residents in those specific districts most would applaud the actions of their Commissioners.
Also note that not one City Councilor answers to all the citizens of Birmingham and not one County Commissioner answers to all the citizens of Jefferson County.
Our representative government works perfectly…except our city sues our county which cost both entities legal fees, etc. and our County withholds help from our city which adds to our city’s cost.
Birmingham and Jefferson county waste money and we all look like fools.
And even more maddening is State legislators who denied funding for Jefferson County bitterly complain about closing inpatient care at Cooper Green when they caused the funding problem in the first place. Why do State legislators control funding for Jefferson County? This is not how it works in other states. (Alabama Constitution)
Isn’t it time we begin a discussion on how to fix our metro government?
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David Sher is a partner in Buzz12 Marketing and co-CEO of AmSher Receivables Management. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (ONB), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
