Guest blogger

Let’s save Birmingham & our children

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William Barnes, President & CEO of the Birmingham Urban League
William Barnes, President & CEO of the Birmingham Urban League

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  William Barnes.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birmingham Police Officer Wytasha Carter was gunned down last month.

“He lived for us, and he died for us, and I mean that.” Those were the final remarks during the funeral services of Sgt. Wytasha Carter by William White, one of the officer’s closest friends. Another life lost to our “magical streets.” Continue reading Let’s save Birmingham & our children →

David Sher posts, Government structure, Regional collaboration

Who do we blame for I-20/59 shutdown?

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Elevated bridges of Interstate 59/20 divide Birmingham, isolating neighborhoods and creating a clear boundary between two parts of the city.
Elevated bridges of Interstate 20/59 divide Birmingham, isolating neighborhoods and creating a clear boundary between two parts of the city.

ALDOT closed I-20/59 through downtown–and the sun came up the next day.

I don’t know if this has been a fiasco or a nonevent, but I do know it’s time we take control of our future. Continue reading Who do we blame for I-20/59 shutdown? →

Corporate community, Guest blogger, Race relations

Let’s galvanize behind a community effort to grow the Black Business Class

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Bob Dickerson
Bob Dickerson

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous metro Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Bob Dickerson.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

If we close Birmingham’s racial wealth gap we all benefit.

If you’re black and you’re reading this then you know exactly what I mean by the racial wealth gap. If you’re white there’s a chance that you might not realize and worse, might not have ever focused on the problems that this gaping disparity cause.  Continue reading Let’s galvanize behind a community effort to grow the Black Business Class →

David Sher posts, Regional collaboration

What we can learn from Vestavia Hills

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Spouts' abandoned retail space on Highway 31 Vestavia Hills
Sprouts’ abandoned retail space Highway 31 Vestavia Hills

I publish an article about our Birmingham region every week, but this piece affects me more directly since I live in Vestavia Hills.

It also impacts my wallet since I spend a lot of money in my community and Vestavia raised our sales taxes from 9 to 10% last year. Continue reading What we can learn from Vestavia Hills →

Corporate community, Guest blogger, Technology, UAB

Time to brand Birmingham for the 22nd century

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Danny Markstein
Danny Markstein

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Danny Markstein.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Over the years – and especially recently – there has been a lot of conversation about branding Birmingham. Many other cities have engaged in processes to develop, launch and maintain their brands – with wildly varying levels of success. Continue reading Time to brand Birmingham for the 22nd century →

Alabama, Guest blogger

Alabama worst in the U.S. for sales tax red tape

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Bruce Ely
Bruce Ely

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous metro Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Bruce Ely.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Alabama cities and counties depend heavily on revenues from sales taxes.

Unlike other states, sales taxes are the largest single source of tax revenue for Alabama municipalities and many counties. Continue reading Alabama worst in the U.S. for sales tax red tape →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

An inspirational Birmingham story

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Zach Wooley
Zach Woolley

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is  Zach Woolley.  If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birmingham has kept me alive.  Literally!

I’m a twenty eight year old guy with Cerebral Palsy.  Very physically disabled.  Yep, looking at me you see many of the stereotypical (and, actually, pretty common) characteristics of someone with CP.  Not so great. Continue reading An inspirational Birmingham story →

David Sher posts, UAB, University of Alabama, What's great about Birmingham

Alabama quarterbacks & UAB coach have heart

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Tua Tagovailoa & Jalen Hurts
Tua Tagovailoa & Jalen Hurts

Some things you just can’t make up.

All of us in Alabama and most of the civilized world know that on December 1st, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts came off the bench for an injured Tua Tagovailoa to lead Alabama to a come-from-behind victory over Georgia in the SEC championship game. Continue reading Alabama quarterbacks & UAB coach have heart →

To begin a conversation about a better Birmingham