Kristopher V

The Center for a Better South is a great example of what we are capable of when we are allowed to dream.  They spent some time working with leaders from across the south (including H. Brandt Ayers, Bob Davis, Stephen Foster Black and… from Alabama) over this past weekend to develop what they are calling the Agenda for a Better South.

We won’t all agree on the details of how to achieve these goals and some of the ideas the group came up with to achieve them are difficult to see coming to fruition in Alabama, but they are worth thinking about and discussing.  The broad goals expressed were:

• Nurturing Economic Development and Education
• Boosting Wellness
• Improving Energy Efficiency
• Reforming Taxes
• Investing in Infrastructure
• Cultivating Governance
• Ensuring Opportunities
• Fostering Safe Communities

We can all agree on the need to foster education and economic development, though the devil is very much in the details on those two efforts.  Many of the candidates for governor in our state have emphasized these two areas of need, but have very different approaches to them.  One of the lines I’ve heard from more than one candidate is that the quickest way to fix our budget woes is to grow a robust economy based on solid, good-paying jobs.  Again, the how is a bit more vague, but there is little doubt they are correct.  Whoever our governor is in 2010 will have to face these issues head-on.

I also thought the cultivating governance goal came off as one that most of us can agree is worthy of achievement.  The conference participants suggested that each state should develop a benchmark citizen trust survey by 2011 (imagine how low the numbers would be in Alabama) and each state should set a goal of increasing from that benchmark by at least 20% by 2015.  The group recognized the distrust citizens have for government across the south and took pains to emphasize that restoring trust had nothing to do with the size of government, but rather with professionalism, accountability, ethics and performance management.

Those are two goals I’m willing to pick out and challenge Alabamians of every stripe to step up and support.  Any objections or thoughts?

Your comments are appreciated below.

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