Concerning the recent Fairhope Courier article published online at BaldwinCountyNow.com as “Fairhope funeral director could run for City Council” and the reaction from local “political watchers that Gary Wolfe wasn’t eligible because he lived outside the city limits” made me think about how closed the political system in Fairhope truly is.

New to the community, I think that most of Fairhope is controlled by the affluent, who think that the city is composed of the “quaint downtown area” only. I have learned that this affluent group of citizens seems to control politics in this little town.  Well, I hate to break their bubble, but I learned that the city of Fairhope is more than the downtown area and is composed of more than the affluent.

The city extends east of Highway 98—hard for the three lawyers, the real estate developer and the doctor’s wife that compose the current City Council to believe. There are people out there that work hard every day to support their families and try to make sure their children get an education.

To the surprise of that “affluent” minority, these people also vote and maybe they need some representation in this city also. I never see the Fairhope police in my neighborhood conducting patrols. It seems they stay downtown to make certain the noise level in the entertainment district is not exceeded.

Wake up Fairhope elite. There is more to this city then the little shops and the barber shop. There are real working people out here that deserve representation. Hey what would the creator of “Forest Gump” think about that?

Larry J. Smith

Fairhope

Editor’s note: State law requires that candidates for mayor and council reside in the city limits at least 90 days prior to the third Tuesday in July preceding the August 2012 municipal elections. In correspondence, Smith said he planned to run for local office soon and referred newspaper staff to the city’s website for the composition of Fairhope’s council by profession, which differs from that stated in his letter.