Category Archives: David Sher posts

David Sher posts, Government structure

Our good friends in Homewood should fund Railroad Park

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Railroad Park
Railroad Park

The big controversy currently is whether the City of Birmingham should fund maintenance for Railroad Park.

I love Railroad Park as do many of you.  Almost everyone agrees it has been the catalyst for just about everything good that has happened to Birmingham since it opened.

First there was Railroad Park, then Regions Field, the Rotary Trail, and a then an unending list of announced projects.  When the modern history of Birmingham is written, it will be clear that Railroad Park changed everything. Continue reading Our good friends in Homewood should fund Railroad Park →

David Sher posts, What's great about Birmingham

Birmingham: Next David to slay Goliath

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David Sher
David Sher

When I picked up Malcom Gladwell’s most recent book, I never expected to be reading about Birmingham.

David and Goliath—underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants features Birmingham as one of its primary stories.

I enjoy reading Birmingham history, but I chose David  and Goliath only because I liked some of Gladwell’s other books–The tipping point, Outliers, and Blink.

As we’ve come to expect, however, when outsiders talk about the history of Birmingham, they almost always focus on Bull Conner, fire hoses, and dogs.

Gladwell’s description of Birmingham and Bull Conner is no different…

“People told jokes about Birmingham…’A black man  in Chicago wakes up one morning and tells his wife that Jesus had come to him in a dream and told him to go to Birmingham.  She is horrified: Did Jesus say He’d go with you?  The husband replies: ‘He said he would go as far as Memphis.’

Continue reading Birmingham: Next David to slay Goliath →

David Sher posts, What's great about Birmingham

It must SUCK to be a Birmingham hater

Rotary Trail
Rotary Trail

It must be depressing to be a Birmingham hater.

You guys can’t seem to get a break.

You can bitch and moan about Birmingham all you want, but the tide has turned against you.

It looks like “doodoo Birmingham,” one of our regular al.com anti-Birmingham commenters is in doodoo–himself.

We have been overrun with so much good news about Birmingham, it’s difficult to keep track.

Even our crime numbers are in free fall.

Birmingham’s 2013 crime numbers lowest in 30 years

Yes, this is the “lowest (serious crime) number reported since the FBI started tracking the numbers in its Uniform Crime Reporting data almost 30 years ago.”

Birmingham haters click on the headlines below and weep:  Continue reading It must SUCK to be a Birmingham hater →

David Sher posts, Government structure, Race relations

Birmingham: Why do we continue to embarrass ourselves?

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Birmingham Water Works

Some folks want me to take sides in the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) squabble, but that’s not my role.  My role as publisher of ComebackTown is to place a spotlight on why we continue to put ourselves in such embarrassing situations.

For those of you who don’t know about the controversy, some folks in our State Legislature have determined that the BWWB is broken.  They want to increase the size of the board to bring about broader regional representation, implement term limits, cap board member compensation, and require public hearings before proposed rate increases. Continue reading Birmingham: Why do we continue to embarrass ourselves? →

David Sher posts, Government structure

I’ll do anything to help B’ham schools except send my kids there

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David Sher
David Sher

On March 1st I attended a TEDxBirmingham event at the Alys Stephens Center.  Fifteen speakers gave passionate speeches with the common theme to rediscover the magic of Birmingham. Quite frankly, it was an event I will never forget.

One of the speakers, Victoria Hollis, who’s the Program Manager at the Birmingham Education Foundation (ED), urged the audience to take ownership of Birmingham Schools.  She gave the analogy of a small child falling down on the playground. She said even though the child wasn’t yours, you would still rush over and pick the child up.  At the completion of her talk, the audience gave her an enthusiastic standing ovation.

A friend, who was sitting next to me, tapped me on the shoulder and implored me to go home and write a blog for ComebackTown about Victoria and her talk.

This is that blog.  But it’s not the blog my friend thought I would write. Continue reading I’ll do anything to help B’ham schools except send my kids there →

David Sher posts, Government structure, UAB

What would Birmingham look like without UAB–Anniston?

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UAB To compare Birmingham with no UAB to Anniston is an unfair exaggeration and I apologize to the good citizens of Anniston.  I could have selected any mid-sized city, but I Googled “cities in Alabama” and Anniston came to the top alphabetically.

Visualize Birmingham without UAB.  Exit the Red Mountain Expressway at University Avenue (without UAB–it would be 8th Avenue South) and drive west.

What would we see in place of the 86 square blocks occupied by UAB? Continue reading What would Birmingham look like without UAB–Anniston? →

David Sher posts, Government structure, What's great about Birmingham

Atlanta embarrassed–Birmingham soars

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“There was no coordination around school closings, because there are more than two-dozen city and county school systems in “__________.” There was little coordination between highway clearance and service to city streets because “_________” is comprised of dozens of municipalities connected by state and federal highway systems.”

Was this written about Birmingham?  Nope, this was written about “Atlanta.”  Continue reading Atlanta embarrassed–Birmingham soars →

David Sher posts, Government structure, Population

An idea that would transform Birmingham

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Sam Addy
Sam Addy, Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama

How about an idea most people think would transform Birmingham–but they will not consider because they think it would be impossible to implement?

You may say we don’t need to do anything different because we’re making progress.  We are making progress, but let‘s look at how metro Birmingham compares to our regional rivals in several key areas. (Birmingham Business Journal January 10, 2014).

Comparison of eight peer cities:  Birmingham, Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City: Continue reading An idea that would transform Birmingham →

David Sher posts

3 Things Charles Barkley said about Birmingham

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Charles Barkley spoke to the Rotary Club of Birmingham in August.

So why did I wait so long to write about his talk?

I invited him to be a guest blogger on ComebackTown, but have had no luck so far.   In the meantime I thought it was important for everyone to hear what he had to say…and he did have a lot to say–particularly about Birmingham. Continue reading 3 Things Charles Barkley said about Birmingham →

Alabama Constitution, David Sher posts, Government structure, UAB, What's great about Birmingham

Can Birmingham get over its low self-esteem?

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David Sher

One hundred years from now, when historians write the history of Birmingham, 2013 will be the year they say changed everything.

Birmingham’s been called the “City of Perpetual Promise.”  We’ve been described as the “Magic City” at our zenith and as the “Most segregated city in America” at our low point.

We’ve always been a great place to live, but not a great city.  2013 will be the year Birmingham begins its long-hard journey to become that great city. Continue reading Can Birmingham get over its low self-esteem? →