Mobile Is The Place To Be

Times are tough right now in Mobile. The school system is cutting jobs, there are huge inventories of houses and condos in Baldwin County and small businesses are folding. New hiring is on hold for most employers. Local charities and and social agencies face increased demand with decreased resources. As bad as it is, we are holding up pretty well compared to the rest of the country – and the future looks bright.

I have been traveling a good bit lately. At every spot I visited, the discussion centered, of course, on the economy. Last week, I flew to Pittsburgh for a funeral. Several old friends convened from different parts of the country. From the midwest – dead. From south Florida – deader than dead. And the list went on. The notable link was that each of their towns counted on time as their only hope – next year things may get better.

I was reading the local paper – the Post-Gazette and many of the local stories carried the same, sad line. But in Pittsburgh there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is a light that they are creating. Traditionally a steel manufacturing town, much like Birmingham, the city fathers saw several years ago that they had to adapt or die. They adapted. Just like Birmingham, they retooled around their local teaching hospital at the University of Pittsburgh. This new industry is thriving as a regional medical mecca.

In like fashion, Mobile has created its own light. Behind Mayor Dow and now Mayor Jones, we are looking at a future that includes the new steel plant, two cruise ships, the race track, a large RSA presence and, hopefully, the airplane contract. who would have ever thought that a national magazine would tout Mobile as an up and comer? Yes, the future does look bright … with light we have created.