Larry Langford Profile
Mayor Larry Langford thinks big. Real big. Like here, on this busy Birmingham street corner, where he wants to build a new police and fire headquarters modeled after the Pentagon.
“He is a master at talking people into things. You know I say he could sell ice to Eskimos and he could. You know, he sold me some!”
City councilwoman Valerie Abbott says Langford has set a feverish pace of proposals. Tax increases, free life insurance for parents of schoolkids, a dome stadium for Birmingham’s non-existent pro sports team. He made national news when he implemented a four day workweek to combat high gas prices. Kyle Whitmire covers politics for Birmingham Weekly newspaper.
“He can have very good ideas. He’s not very good at war-gaming those ideas out. You know looking for the kinks and ironing out the wrinkles.”
In his finely pressed Italian suits, Langford is quick with a soundbite. He is, afterall, a former television news reporter. But critics accuse him of being impetuous. Like the time he awakened at 3 in the morning with the idea to offer free public transit. He announced the plan 6 hours later. Larry Langford likes action and doesn’t like critics. When councilwoman Abbott questioned another councilmember’s private use of a city car, Langford said she couldn’t be trusted and quashed a development deal in her district.
“Things like that happen when you’re a kid. You know, people are always, you know I’m gonna get him. You don’t expect it with adults.” (Abbott)
“He is a bully for trying to push what I campaigned on?”(Langford)
Mayor Larry Langford.
“Nothing I’m doing has come as a secret to anybody. I never walked in and said, ‘well, I’m not for taxes.’ Those people aren’t happy when nothing’s being done and now they’re unhappy when something being done, so I just ignore them and go right on.”
He goes on, despite growing legal problems including a lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC alleges that while Langford was a county commissioner he accepted money in exchange for funneling millions of dollars in contracts to a friend. There’s speculation a federal grand jury is considering criminal charges.
“This is America. You can indict a ham sandwich in this country. You take off the lettuce and tomato, anything can go to jail. The government is going to do what it’s going to do and when it does whatever it’s going to do, then I’m prepared to fight it.”
And the Birmingham mayor says God is on his side.
At a city-sponsored Day of Prayer, hundreds of people packed a large auditorium to hear Mayor Langford beseech them to drop to their knees for God’s mercy. Behind him a shofar sounds. Ancient Jews used the ram’s horn to announce war, and newspaper columnist Kyle Whitmire says Larry Langford is waging a battle for public opinion.
“When you have respected ministers from the city of Birmingham up on stage, laying on hands, saying ‘god put this man in the mayor’s office’ – What does that mean about the people who voted for other candidates last fall? Does that mean they’re doing the devils work?”
Langford’s mix of religion and politics is not new in the south. It was a cornerstone of the civil rights movement. The message resonates with residents like Sandy Patterson, a regular at weekly city hall bible sessions.
“The fact that he does pray puts his feet on the ground a little bit better. I would much rather have Mayor Langford down here being questioned about separation of church and state than see what we’ve got in New York and some other places.”
Larry Langford governs under a cloud, as the federal grand jury continues taking testimony, and observers say that may, in part, be driving his frenetic pace. He’s working hard to leave a legacy like the civil rights activists he so admires.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
