Hits and misses

Listening session

Thumbs up to the Sheffield City Council and mayor for scheduling a public listening session from 4:30 to 6 p.m. today at the recreation department. Actually, this will be much more than a public meeting. Billed as a Town Meeting and Fair, free hot dogs and drinks will be provided, the Sheffield High School ensemble band will perform, all department heads will be present to answer questions and show off city equipment and vehicles, and door prizes will be given away. At the end of the fair, the city council will hold a meeting in the gymnasium, during which Mayor Billy Don Anderson will deliver a state of the city speech. This is a unique way to encourage public participation in city government, and one that should attract a crowd. Other cities could take a page from Sheffield's book and take a big step toward further opening the governmental process to citizens.

Thumbs up to the University of North Alabama for completing a major renovation of historic Rogers Hall. The antebellum brick house, built in 1854, has become one of the visual centerpieces of the campus, greeting visitors arriving on Florence's Court Street. But deferred maintenance and lack of state funding allowed the two-story house to deteriorate through the years. Now, after a $1.3 million renovation, it will become more usable that ever. It will house several offices, including alumi relations and university relations. Money was raised by alumni and friends of the university, and general fund money was added to the cost to complete the work. Rogers Hall, originally known as Courtview, was used by generals on both sides of the Civil War, was the residence of the university president in the early 20th century, and was the home of Gov. Emmet O'Neal. It's good to see this landmark preserved.

Thumbs down to Congress and President Bush for ignoring pressing domestic issues while the costly wars in the Middle East drag on. We are no closer to enacting a sane immigration policy than we were four years ago, Social Security funding to cover Baby Boomer retirement remains in limbo, and lack of access to good medical care for the uninsured has become hopelessly politicized. It seems Congress and the president are more interested in political fiddling than in the issues that matter most to ordinary Americans. Shame.