President Ronald Reagan’s 1989 Farewell Address spent a few minutes discussing what “we the people” means. America is the first nation in the history of mankind that “reversed the course of government,” Reagan said. He went on to say that the purpose of government is not to tell people what to do – not to tell us what our privileges are. But instead, it is the people who tell the government what to do and “where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.”
Reagan was spot on. The preservation of freedom is why the American presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court exist. Period.
But in some cases, the public servants we have elected to represent us are listening less and less to constituents. That’s happening even in places closer to home, such as Hoover, Ala., as I’ll explain in a moment.
In 2023, a Pew Research Center survey stated that 80% of Americans believe elected officials don’t care what they think. Seven in 10 Americans believe that ordinary citizens have too little influence over the decisions that their representatives make.
That’s a whole lot of folks who feel they are not being heard.
For years, local Boards of Education (BOEs) across the country have ignored parental concerns over trans-identifying boys using girls’ restrooms and locker rooms at school. When parents complained about this invasion of privacy, their microphones were turned off, they were told their time was up if the conversation became too uncomfortable for board members, or they were escorted out of city halls. These actions are the perfect example of education leaders turning a deaf ear to the very people whose taxes pay their salaries.
As a Hoover City resident, I am pleased to say I have often felt very heard by the members of our BOE. I don’t agree with them on every decision, but they, along with our superintendent, listen to parents express concerns and, on multiple occasions, act quickly to address issues.
But it seems some Hoover leaders are a bit dull of hearing.
Hoover currently has close to 12,000 renter-occupied, multi-family or group quarter housing units. Hoover is not running short on apartment availability, yet, the Hoover zoning board recently allowed the developer of the Tattersall property – on Highway 280 at the back gate of Greystone – to allow multi-family units when it was previously designated for commercial development only.
Greystone residents are truly frustrated about this. I recently discussed this with Greystone's mom, Ashley Lovell, and she shared that she had briefly discussed the issue with Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato at a city council meeting. She shared her frustration regarding the probability that along with commercial development, apartments and condominiums will be built on the property directly outside of the Greystone neighborhood. According to Lovell, instead of listening to her concern, Brocato told her how much Greystone residents were going to love what would be built on the land and how good it was going to be for the neighborhood. Lovell continued to express her concerns about residential units being built, while Brocato simply responded with a smile.
Lovell told me that most Greystone residents are okay with a well-developed commercial area in Tattersall. She mentioned that a boutique hotel with a fine-dining restaurant was even suggested. Something like that could be used for celebrities and guests who come in for the annual Regions Tradition tournament since there is nothing like that in the area. Lovell also said that Greystone residents would be pleased to dine at a new, upscale restaurant nearby.
The Tattersall situation raises the following questions: Do residents’ desires and opinions matter? Do they matter to the Hoover zoning board? Do they matter to the mayor? Is there resident-centered planning being done in Hoover, aside from the desire to just collect revenue?
I recently had my own meeting with Hoover’s mayor to discuss some concerns. Brocato has been mayor of Hoover for nearly eight years; I voted for him twice. But I, too, left our meeting feeling unheard. When I brought up my concern regarding Alabama’s Big 10 mayors wanting to raise online sales taxes after three years of debilitating inflation, rather than share my concern for lower-income residents, he asked me what services I wanted him to cut. Fire? Police? SROs at schools? When I suggested that maybe Hoover has some unused rental properties that could be sold off in lieu of tax increases, I was met with a smile. Lastly, when I suggested some Hoover leaders had not been on the receiving end of great publicity lately, he assured me without hesitation, that no one reads 1819 News. He might want to rethink that statement given the millions of views 1819 News receives annually.
We citizens are clamoring for public servants who listen. We may like a leader, but lack of transparency, respect, and regard for our opinions quickly diminishes our loyalty. Leaders who listen are generally confident, but also humble, and possess the courage to be appropriately vulnerable.
Vice President JD Vance did something amazing during his vice presidential run. When asked how he could serve with President Trump after all the negative things he had previously said about Trump, Vance admitted he had been wrong. He admitted it in various interviews.
Politicians don’t realize how refreshing it is for constituents to hear them say, “I was wrong.” Their willingness to admit imperfection is an admission of humanity and an acknowledgment of trying to do better.
In 2025, it is time for the people to tell the government what to do, where to go, by what route, and how fast. And it is the government’s job to listen.
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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