Mobile, Alabama

Had a great trip to Mobile, Alabama to attend the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Meeting. This is a very large league with over 1600 persons attending the conference. I was on the agenda with Governor Bob Riley of Alabama and enjoyed speaking with him. He is a Republican Governor and is up for reelection this year. Alabama is doing fairly well with an unemployment rate of about 3.2 percent. Mobile is a growing city and is trying to renovate the downtown. It has a lot of vacant buildings but they are working on some exciting projects to bring new jobs into the downtown district.

Got to visit Fairhope, Alabama on Sunday and had lunch with Debbie Quinn, a councilmember from Fairhope and Hal Bloom a lobbyist with the Alabama League. Debbie showed us around Fairhope and the beautiful flowers in the downtown. It is really something to see. Flower boxes, hanging baskets and lighted trees make Fairhope one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. We also drove by the Grand Hotel, a historic building that sustained some hurricane damage.

I have visited Alabama more than any other state as an officer with the National League of Cities and I really enjoy seeing a lot of old friends. Cynthia McCollum, NLC's Second Vice-President was at the meeting and we spent quite a bit of time together talking NLC business. Ted Jennings, Mayor of Brewton, Alabama and his wife Susan joined us for lunch on Sunday. Ted is a true Southern Gentleman and speaks with the deepest southern drawl that I have ever heard.

The weather in Alabama makes me glad to be a mountaineer. It was fairly hot and humid and rained a little during our visit. I don't know how people live in the hot, hot south. Air conditioning really is a necessity.

Hopefully we will have several new cities from Alabama join the Inclusive Communities Program. I spoke to dozens of members and I know that the message resonates well in Alabama. So many times we have preconcieved notions about the south, but I am encouraged by city officials who are really interested in improving our cities through an inclusive program.

So long for now.

P.S. Had great flights on Northwest and USAirways. On time and got seated in the exit row. Thats important when your legs get folded up like an ironing board.