Next time, commissioner, go to the meeting

THE MOBILE Area Chamber of Commerce does not work for County Commissioner Stephen Nodine.

It is not, as Commissioner Nodine claimed earlier this week, "their job to follow me around." Nor does contributing money to such an organization give elected officials control over that organization's agenda.

Mr. Nodine was upset with the chamber's legislative agenda as outlined at a lun cheon among chamber leaders and legislators, a meeting attended by the other two commissioners — commission president Mike Dean and Merceria Ludgood — but not Mr. Nodine.

He has problems with the chamber's ongoing support for annexation by the city of Mobile and for eminent domain laws, but those chamber positions are nothing new. The chamber of commerce's positions on the issues reflect the majority of its membership.

Mr. Nodine could have politely expressed his differing point of view, or even shown up for lunch to hear the chamber's briefing. Instead, he basically complained that no one asked his opinion.

"It's not my job to follow the chamber around. It's their job to follow me around," he said, and threatened to try to get the commission to cut off funding for the chamber, which is nearly $318,000 in this fiscal year.

Mr. Nodine has taken shots at the chamber before, both as a county commissioner and, previously, as a Mobile city councilman. He reacted the same way in 2002, suggesting that the city cut off its chamber funding because of the chamber's advocacy of "a more enlightened national understanding and humanitarian posture with Cuba."

But overall, leaders of local and state government, the University of South Alabama, legislators, business leaders, members of Congress and the chamber have coordinated economic development efforts with great success in recent years. ThyssenKrupp AG and the Northrop Grumman-EADS partnership are just two examples.

Mr. Nodine is not required to play nicely with the economic development team. But when he makes unnecessary threats and heavy-handed, belittling comments, he becomes a less effective advocate for his constituents.