No doubt about it, Kevin Spriggs is a busy man. He owns three gas stations and two motels in the Daphne/Malbis area. He's always on the go on his scooter or diesel truck between businesses.

So you would think that when he does have some time off he'd spend it at home in Spanish Fort.

Wrong.

Spriggs is a fixture at all the Daphne city council meetings. He also attends the council's work sessions and finance committee meetings.

“It's the best way, I feel, to keep up with the decision making process,” said Spriggs. He agrees that the meetings “take up a lot of disposable time,” but he says he is”frustrated” with the “direction of government involvement” in people's lives.

And unlike some who watch state and national issues, Spriggs thinks local government is more important.

“City interference can take more of your ability to earn a living (than state or national government) said Spriggs.

Mostly, Spriggs says government costs area businesses a lot in “regulations and taxes.”

While he says he understands local government has a lot to do, he does have some concerns about how money is spent.

“There are millions for the convention center,” he said, “but not for paving roads.”

Spriggs, who graduated from Auburn and holds a master's degree in chemical engineering, took over the business from his father,

“When I inherited it from Dad, there was one store and one motel. We now have three stores and two motels.”

While more small businesses may seem like more work, Spriggs says that the additional businesses make, “More resources. You can move people back and forth.”

When he's not working, he like to come home with his wife, Lifen. One daughter, Amy graduated from Auburn last year and is doing work for magazines. The couple's other daughter Victoria (better known as “Tory”) is at the Savannah School of Art and Design.

After graduating from Auburn, Spriggs went to work for Texas Instruments in Tennessee.

“I was sharing a cubicle with her sister, “recalled Spriggs. She introduced me and it went from there.”

And when he is not working?

“I have projects around the house,” said Spriggs. But he likes playing multi-player games with people all over the country with his X-Box.

“There is a real social component to these games,” said Spriggs. While the players are working against (and with each other) to win the game, there is plenty of time for chats online between players.

“You see the economy through your gamin friends,” he said recounting how one game friend he had lost his job and had to give up his online account. Spriggs had his email address and has kept in contact.

“we didn't get here (with the society we have now) because some big government entity said so. We made choices.”