Hits and misses

Violating trust

Thumbs down to Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford for violating public trust when he served as the Jefferson County Commission chairman. A jury convicted Langford on all 60 counts of accepting bribes in exchange for funneling $7.1 million in bond business to a prominent investment banker. The bonds are at the heart of Jefferson County's financial problems.

Thumbs up to local firefighters who are participating in an annual safety program that links the time change to a battery change for smoke detectors. Daylight saving time fell back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday and firefighters tout this as a good reminder to change the smoke alarm batteries.

Thumbs up to autumn and all its glory. If you haven't gotten out and enjoyed the fall colors this is the perfect time to do so. Soon those leaves will become a brown blanket on the ground, making a chore for plenty of us as the trees turn bare for winter.

Thumbs up to the U.S. Senate for extending the tax credit for first-time home buyers and expanding it to include repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years. This is one stimulus project that has a direct positive impact on people and businesses.

Thumbs up to the Entrepreneurial Center and the Digital Arts Shoals program. The program includes 5,000 square feet of space at the Sheffield center for businesses focused on technological aspects of the music and film industry. Proponents hope to turn Alabama into a center for film and music production.