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Post by solinvictus on Jan 27, 2007 20:32:57 GMT -5
I vote for #3, the schools are beyond repair and Montgomery's going to overtake Birmingham in population by the end of this decade.
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Post by killer on Jan 27, 2007 20:58:56 GMT -5
I vote for other. I do not believe Birmingham is beyond repair. With strong, honest leadership, I would have hope for the city. Will there be such candidates to vote for? And if so, would the people vote for them? Not sure. But the possibility is there.
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Post by solinvictus on Jan 27, 2007 21:10:49 GMT -5
With strong, honest leadership, I would have hope for the city. That's the rub; this sort of person will never be elected in Birmingham because the current voting demographic in the city seems to have no problem with governmental corruption, rampant lawlessness, dirty streets, economic ruin, failed schools, etc. etc. etc. etc. From listening to black talk radio, as long as they have black elected officials, as long as their local organizations receive handouts from the City Council, and as long as their leaders keep pointing the finger outward for all their problems; nothing will change. The black middle class is abandoning Birmingham for the same reasons whites left years ago; poor quality of life issues. There was a huge write-up in the B'ham News about the phenomena of black flight from the city. The number one reason? Schools.
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meatman
Apprentice Cog
The name says it all!
Posts: 112
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Post by meatman on Jan 29, 2007 16:39:26 GMT -5
I moved here from Iowa in 1999 (the week of the Birmingham teachers strike threat) and it took me all of about ONE day, to realize I was not staying in the city, nor JeffCo. I've lived all over the great United States, and Birmingham is quite possibly the poorly run city I've ever seen. From the mess of I-65, to the nightmare that is downtown traffic, to the homeless issue, to crime, to the ultra smart mayor, wearing his "Mayor" cap on the nightly news so he wouldn't forget who he was. What a joke. Blow it up and start over again.
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Post by jonathant on Jan 29, 2007 18:17:04 GMT -5
I'm honestly considering running, and I've decided to make a tentative list of platforms.
1. Drop the dome issue. It's stupid. 2. Denounce the current leadership of the police department. They've made a mockery of all that is public safety, and it would be known that the Mayor did not approve of their actions. 3. Stop all capital enhancements of schools, push for the end of the placement of teachers on tenure, and push for better scores and lower drop-out rates. 4. Extend to the cities/towns immediately outside of the Birmingham area the bus lines, and bring in civil engineers to map out more efficient routes. 5. Cut taxes including, but not limited to, the occupational tax. 6. Allow tax credits for businesses willing to invest in the downtown area. 7. Takeover the world!
I don't know exactly what Kincaid has power over (I don't think he does either), so some of those issues might not be possible.
Not that I'll be elected anyways...
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Post by jaisyn on Feb 5, 2007 0:07:24 GMT -5
Birmingham has so much potential, but everyone wants things their way. Politicians are so worried about getting their name on a new building than they're helping the city. People make the schools argument, I can roll with that but there are some good schools in the system. If you want to learn, you'll learn. Crime is a definite problem!
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Post by jaisyn on Feb 5, 2007 0:08:20 GMT -5
I moved here from Iowa in 1999 (the week of the Birmingham teachers strike threat) and it took me all of about ONE day, to realize I was not staying in the city, nor JeffCo. I've lived all over the great United States, and Birmingham is quite possibly the poorly run city I've ever seen. From the mess of I-65, to the nightmare that is downtown traffic, to the homeless issue, to crime, to the ultra smart mayor, wearing his "Mayor" cap on the nightly news so he wouldn't forget who he was. What a joke. Blow it up and start over again. I agree with him
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