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Category Archives: Government structure
Did Mt. Brook blow up Birmingham?
(Editors note: This article is not about Mt. Brook–it’s much broader than that. It’s also not about the City of Birmingham–it’s about our metro. Today we examine the topic no one wants to discuss.) A young, well-respected business man approached … Continue reading
Posted in David Sher posts, Government structure, Race relations
Tagged Birmingham, jefferson county, Mt. Brook
3 Comments
Why Birmingham’s government is so screwed up
The primary objective of ComebackTown is to create a conversation on a “better Birmingham.” We often talk about what’s great about our metro, but we also want to identify our shortcomings so we can begin to propose solutions. Many are … Continue reading
Let’s flush 5.27 million dollars down the toilet
I’m sure you saw the headlines… Birmingham considering $5.27 million in tax breaks to keep Serra Automotive in town “Tracey Morant-Adams, the city’s economic development director, said the city faces competition from nearby suburbs, including Trussville, necessitating action from Birmingham. … Continue reading
Posted in David Sher posts, Government structure
Tagged Alabama Crown, Alabaster, Birmingham, Hibbett, homewood, Serra Automotive, Target, Trussville
4 Comments
Article on Birmingham will make you vomit
I received an e-mail from a good friend, Henry Long, with a link to an article about Birmingham that made me sick to my stomach. It was an American Thinker piece titled “Civil Rights and the Collapse of Birmingham, Ala.” … Continue reading
A proposal for pishier
I was warned by my friends about the commenters on al.com when I first began publishing ComebackTown. They suggested I not read the comments and certainly not to take them personally. I was told, “They are a bunch of crazies … Continue reading
Posted in David Sher posts, Government structure
Tagged Birmingham, freeway lights, jefferson county, pishier
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VJ Graffeo dreams of Birmingham being an “it” city
Comebacktown published by David Sher & Phyllis Neill to begin a discussion on creating better government for our region. Today’s guest blogger is V.J Graffeo, a young professional. I’m a Birmingham homer. I drink the Magic City Kool-Aid in such … Continue reading
Posted in Government structure, Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham
Tagged Birmingham, New York Times, V.J. Graffeo
7 Comments
Judge Scott Vowell tells it like it is
Birmingham’s always been called the “city of potential promise,” but our metro area continues to struggle. Our children are leaving. Our largest companies are abandoning us. And we’re experiencing little or no growth. Birmingham is beautiful; we have smart … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate community, David Sher posts, Government structure
Tagged BBJ, Birmingham Business Journal, Phyllis Neill, Scott Vowell, Weld
4 Comments
Is John Rogers a nut?
“We’re going to fix it where they can’t get permission to go to the bathroom.” This is State Representative John Roger’s warning to Jefferson County Commissioners in retaliation for their decision to discontinue in patient services at Cooper Green. I’ve … Continue reading
Metro Birmingham ranked 197th out of 200
I hear it everywhere, “Metro Birmingham’s doing fine; it’s the City of Birmingham that has problems. Life is great in the suburbs; if the City implodes, that’s not my problem.” If we’re all doing so great, how do you explain … Continue reading
Posted in Alabama Constitution, David Sher posts, Government structure
Tagged Birmingham, jefferson county, Milken Institute
8 Comments
I did a back flip when the BBJ ran this piece
We started publishing the ComebackTown blog nearly a year ago to begin a discussion on improving government for metro Birmingham. We had become completely frustrated because no community leader was willing to discuss better government. The response was always, “That’s impossible…so … Continue reading
