Real Deal With Ron Sivak

In Episode 12 of Lagniappe's Real Deal with Ron Sivak, we sit down with the former four-time mayor (1989 to 2005) as he recalls his process of political paradigm shifting while attempting to restore economic vibrancy; inevitably becoming part of the fabric (and perhaps folklore) of Mobile's legacy. In the early 80's Mobile had lost his political way. 50,000 jobs were lost at the shipyards -- historic Brookley AFB's shut down a decade prior put an additional 17,000 out of work from disintegrating ancillary jobs -- meltdowns in the formerly stable pulp, paper and chemical industries resulted in more than 10,000 jobs lost -- all due to a collectively faltering local economy. In total more than 80,000 jobs evaporated in formerly reliable employment sectors. Political corruption had been rampant for decades and downtown Mobile was a ghost town; boarded-up, derelict buildings were status quo and zero industry outside of illicit prostitution and drugs dealers prevailed from Broad St. to Water St. This was the