A New Day in the Magic City

There have been dark days in Birmingham's past. Some of these linger in our hearts and minds while others have faded from memory through time. But as the old saying goes the night is always darkest before the dawn and after each of our dark days we have picked ourselves up and moved forward into a new day. Following a rocky decade in Birmingham I believe we have begun our new day. At perhaps no other time in our history have we had the opportunity to shape our own destiny and seize our potential. From the public-shaped Comprehensive Plan to the business community's Blueprint Birmingham, there is a fledgling spirit of optimism that is manifested in our desire to plan for a better future. While we still have many challenges to overcome that is exactly why you plan because if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. I personally feel that the struggles of the city over the last few decades can be traced to the lack of a real plan for addressing the changing needs of the community. But as we begin the 15th decade of the city we have a renewed sense of the possible and a desire to realize it. So the challenge now is growing that spirit and nurturing the budding optimism. We have the tools, talents, and resources to transform our community into a world-class city. The question will be: can we rise to the occasion? I believe we can because I believe in Birmingham.