I feel like a jerk when I write a negative piece about Birmingham.
It pains me to criticize the community I love so much.
And it’s particularly hurtful when I get an e-mail from a community leader and friend chastising me like this one… Continue reading I hate being a jerk
Usually when someone makes a brash statement that something is the best in the world, its considered hype or exaggeration.
However, we can say with complete confidence that Birmingham has the biggest and best civic clubs on earth.
Our Birmingham Kiwanis Club is the largest in the world.
Our Birmingham Rotary Club is the largest in the world.
Our Birmingham Rotaract Club is the largest in the world. Continue reading Birmingham is best in the world
“I’m Jewish.”
There, I said it.
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but I’ve never actually said those words publicly to a broad audience. (Please note I’ve never hidden my Judaism and most of my Christian friends know my religion.)
But when I began elementary school, my parents gave me one clear piece of advice. “Don’t under any circumstance discuss religion or politics.” Continue reading Being Jewish in Birmingham
On August 5, 2011, Standard & Poor lowered the U.S. debt rating saying, “The downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges.”
On November 9, just three months later, our Jefferson County filed the biggest U.S. municipal bankruptcy in history after an agreement among elected officials and investors to refinance $3.1 billion in sewer bonds fell apart. Continue reading What’s killing America is killing Birmingham
I was dumbfounded when I saw the results.
The Birmingham Business Journal ran a poll the week of February 29, 2012.
Readers were asked, “Would you be in favor of a unified metro area government for Birmingham?”
The response was more than two to one in favor. Continue reading BBJ Readers support unified metro government–two to one
The Birmingham News convened a panel of community leaders in April of 2011 to discuss the future of Birmingham. Included were corporate CEO’s, non-profit professionals, and top political leaders.
Each panelist made his/her remarks and then questions or comments were solicited from the audience. Continue reading Four unsettling comments