From out-of-tune to pitch-perfect

Saturday, December 15, 2007

We laugh at them as they destroy songs during "American Idol" auditions, contestants who are so tone-deaf that if they nail a note it's totally by accident.

Kind of like former Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid would be if he auditioned for "Political Idol." Kincaid, because of his attention to every detail, his inattention to potential political gain, his refusal to take risks, his tendency to cocoon himself away (and sometimes all of the above), often managed to botch golden opportunities the way William Hung butchered "She Bangs." And not just golden opportunities for Kincaid politically, but for the community.

Take the way he handled the proposed Railroad Reservation Park. In 2005, almost a decade after the city bought land for the park, Kincaid nearly derailed the project. He insisted the city, rather than the private group advocating and raising private money for the park, control the building of the park. Friends of the Railroad Reservation District had put together a plan that would let the nonprofit group manage the building of the park and fundraising for it, and made the mistake of suggesting fundraising would be easier with the nonprofit leading the effort.

"It's an insult to the citizens of Birmingham that, when it comes to a multimillion-dollar project, we need an overseer," Kincaid said at the time. "That plantation mentality has no place in 21st-century Birmingham."

It was inflammatory and ill-suited language coming from the mayor, and didn't serve him or the project well.

Even after Kincaid and the Friends settled their differences in early 2006, progress was slow. Still, Kincaid as he campaigned for re-election this year called the park his signature initiative. In a way he couldn't imagine, he was right. A politician worth his salt would have made sure the bulldozers were moving dirt on his signature initiative as he was running for another term. Not Kincaid.

Fast-forward to today, with Larry Langford, the anti-Kincaid, the new mayor of Birmingham.

Last week, Langford pledged another $5 million to the park, on top of $7.5 million already committed, to build an amphitheater on site - provided the Friends raise $5 million to match the city money. The new money would allow the amphitheater to be built in the park's first phase instead of waiting until later.

Tuesday, the City Council voted to approve an agreement submitted by Langford that gives the Friends the right to operate and maintain the park after it is completed. The management agreement is similar to the city's arrangements with the nonprofit groups that run the Birmingham Zoo and Vulcan Park, which have worked well for all involved.

We're happy to see the project is on track. The agreement is long overdue, and ought to kick the project into overdrive. Demolition of buildings on the site began in October, so finally we are seeing visible signs of progress on this very important park. It couldn't come soon enough for a project that will be a linchpin for commercial and residential development between UAB and downtown.

Kincaid was so out-of-tune on this project, that not even Paula Abdul could have saved him.



From out-of-tune to pitch-perfect Saturday, December 15, 2007 We laugh at them as they destroy songs during "American Idol" auditions, contestants who are so tone-deaf that if they nail a note it's totally by accident. Kind of like former Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid would be if he auditioned for "Political Idol." Kincaid, because of his attention to every detail, his inattention to potential political gain, his refusal to take risks, his tendency to cocoon himself away (and sometimes all of the above), often managed to botch golden opportunities the way William Hung butchered "She Bangs." And not just golden opportunities for Kincaid politically, but for the community. Take the way he handled the proposed Railroad Reservation Park. In 2005, almost a decade after the city bought land for the park, Kincaid nearly derailed the project. He insisted the city, rather than the private group advocating and raising private money for the park, control the building of the park. Friends of the Railroad Reservation District had put together a plan that would let the nonprofit group manage the building of the park and fundraising for it, and made the mistake of suggesting fundraising would be easier with the nonprofit leading the effort. "It's an insult to the citizens of Birmingham that, when it comes to a multimillion-dollar project, we need an overseer," Kincaid said at the time. "That plantation mentality has no place in 21st-century Birmingham." It was inflammatory and ill-suited language coming from the mayor, and didn't serve him or the project well. Even after Kincaid and the Friends settled their differences in early 2006, progress was slow. Still, Kincaid as he campaigned for re-election this year called the park his signature initiative. In a way he couldn't imagine, he was right. A politician worth his salt would have made sure the bulldozers were moving dirt on his signature initiative as he was running for another term. Not Kincaid. Fast-forward to today, with Larry Langford, the anti-Kincaid, the new mayor of Birmingham. Last week, Langford pledged another $5 million to the park, on top of $7.5 million already committed, to build an amphitheater on site - provided the Friends raise $5 million to match the city money. The new money would allow the amphitheater to be built in the park's first phase instead of waiting until later. Tuesday, the City Council voted to approve an agreement submitted by Langford that gives the Friends the right to operate and maintain the park after it is completed. The management agreement is similar to the city's arrangements with the nonprofit groups that run the Birmingham Zoo and Vulcan Park, which have worked well for all involved. We're happy to see the project is on track. The agreement is long overdue, and ought to kick the project into overdrive. Demolition of buildings on the site began in October, so finally we are seeing visible signs of progress on this very important park. It couldn't come soon enough for a project that will be a linchpin for commercial and residential development between UAB and downtown. Kincaid was so out-of-tune on this project, that not even Paula Abdul could have saved him. © 2007 The Birmingham News © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.