I would like to bring to everyone’s attention a series of articles and videos from Anderson Cooper’s 360 Blog. These postings from the week of March 17th are very positive and really paint a great image of Alabama and what is going on within the region economically.
Aside from the stereotyping done in one of the article’s titles, migraine “Is that a banjo on your knee?” (Come on AC, purchase you can do better than that!), diabetes and pregnancy the article points out some very positive endeavors, such as the investments being made by the Alabama Pension Fund that has increased tourism into the state by several billion dollars.
However, I think that one of the most positive yet sad themes in all of this is that international business and investment is flowing into Alabama. Why? Because international investments understand that Alabama, along with much of the south, has an intelligent and highly motivated labor pool that can produce a high quality product at a reasonable cost. At the same time, we have communities and states that are willing to work with international as well as domestic business.
Yet, while it is very positive, it is also sad. Sad that many domestic companies send their products overseas to be built when they could be relocating to places like Tallahassee FL, Macon or Statesboro GA., Meridian MS, or other communities that have the labor resources to support the growth of business. And, while we are shipping production off shore, international investment is coming in shore. What is wrong with our business leaders that they don’t see what the rest of the world sees?
Read about AC impressions of Alabama.
Video about the retirement bonanza for the state of Alabama.