On Monday, Gov. Bob Riley asked the citizens of this state to “believe in Alabama.”

He spoke of the progress made during the past four years. When he took over as governor, the state was lagging behind in education, financial responsibility and industry.

“An economy that was lagging behind other states now ranks at the top of virtually every list and it is the envy of every state in the union.

We put billions more into the classrooms because the greatest investment we can ever make is in the minds of our next generation, and now test scores are showing dramatic improvement.

We joined together – reaching across the aisle and across branches of government – to deliver the first income tax cuts and the first sales tax holiday in this state’s history,” Riley said.

It will certainly take putting aside partisan politics to make continued progress in Alabama.

It will also take vision – thinking outside the box and being willing to take risks – to truly bring the state into the 21st Century.

We must encourage our elected officials – at all levels – to do what is right for the poor, for the environment and for our children and our senior citizens.

But, if Riley truly wants to be known as a governor who made progress in the entire state, he has to make giant strides in the Black Belt.

Shelby, Madison and Baldwin counties don’t need his attention. Our region does.