Mayors discuss wish lists

Instead of “letters to Santa”, small town mayors across the United States are asking President-elect Barack Obama what his administration can do for their communities.

In a recent survey by msnbc.com, small town mayors asked the president-elect for help in a time of economic uncertainty.

Barbour County’s own mayors had a few requests of their own for Obama.

“It remains to be seen what actually can be done,” Clayton Mayor Rebecca Beasley said. “But due to the economy, all of rural Alabama is suffering.”

Beasley says the greatest need of her town - as well as towns across America - includes federal funds for infrastructure.

“We don’t have infrastructure,” she said. “You can’t lure economy without infrastructure.”

In regards to Clayton specifically, Beasley lists a source of natural gas and a generator in case of power outages and natural disasters as needs.

Eufaula Mayor Jay Jaxon Jr. also has several requests.

“As long as the economy is good, we can compete,” he added. “Our main priority is to protect the jobs we have. If industries can’t maintain a market share at a productive level, they won’t retain workers.”

Read more on this story in the midweek edition of The Tribune avaliable Tuesday (Nov. 18).