It was painful!
I was driving to Atlanta to visit my family during afternoon rush hour traffic.
It took almost an hour to exit from I-285 to Georgia 400 in Atlanta–almost as much time as it took to drive from Birmingham to Anniston.
I kept asking myself —how can people live like this? Continue reading Do we want to be another Atlanta? (vote)
It’s uncomfortable to talk about race.
It seems that most whites don’t like to discuss race–and neither do some blacks.
However, how can we have an intelligent conversation about Birmingham without race when race is almost always the central issue?
Last week I was wheeling my shopping cart through the produce section of Publix in Vestavia Hills when I was confronted by a casual acquaintance. Continue reading Confronted by a Vestavia man
Would the University of Alabama have national championship football teams if 80% of its students were ineligible?
UA would have some good players, but we wouldn’t be winning many football games.
This is the heart of Birmingham’s problem.
Continue reading Mountain Brook and Homewood suck leadership out of Birmingham
It’s time for folks in the suburbs to show our appreciation for Birmingham.
There’s a tendency to think that our suburbs are independent and could operate fine by themselves. Continue reading Is Birmingham Sugar Daddy for our rich suburbs?
If you think you’re good looking, but few people ask you for a date, you might suspect you have a problem.
You may think you’re ‘cool,’ but if all your friends give you the same advice, then maybe they see something you’re unable to recognize in yourself. Continue reading Nashville Mayor has advice for Birmingham
Do you have any idea what’s about to hit us?
D Day is October 1st, 2018—next year.
And we’re letting it happen without a whimper—because, quite frankly, it’s too late.
This is just another example how we in greater Birmingham accept our helplessness and lack of vision. Continue reading Alabama must think we’re chumps (and we are)
Birmingham’s been called the ‘city of perpetual promise.’
But that potential seems to elude us.
Destiny, however, has dealt us a hand and it’s up to us to grab it.
If we want to make our mark on the world then we must identify how we’re unique and how we can exploit that uniqueness. Continue reading Time for Birmingham to embrace our civil rights past
The national media is having a love affair with Birmingham.
The Washington Post recently wrote, “With revitalized neighborhoods and a ramped-up food culture, Alabama’s largest city boldly returns to the stage…”
The New York Times quickly followed, “You’ll find a city (Birmingham) experiencing an electrifying revival. Creative entrepreneurs are returning home…”
Birmingham is having so much positive press lately–it’s almost become boring.
But then 24/7 Wall Street dropped a bomb on us. Continue reading Birmingham may be best city in America
I love living in Birmingham.
I love living in Alabama.
We live in a beautiful state with kind and generous people.
But the State of Alabama is just not competitive with many Southern states. Continue reading Birmingham needs to get the hell out of Alabama
Birmingham and Atlanta were about the same size in 1950.
Have you ever wondered why Atlanta grew and Birmingham stagnated?
In 1959, the Mayor of Atlanta sent us a letter spelling out how Birmingham could be a great city.
We paid no attention.
Continue reading The letter everyone in Homewood & Mountain Brook should read