My new CD of Christian music is winning nice reviews -- and now you can hear clips in an easier-to-download .mp3 format! Click here for details on my debut album. And while you're here, read below for some humorous thoughts about the area I call home.

BURKARD'S BLOG

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13 NOV 03: LET'S DO THE NUMBERS

The Columbus NAACP chapter filed a challenge Wednesday to the Muscogee County school sales tax vote. We did some figuring on this - and if the no side prevails, each changed vote could be worth as much as $980,000 to the district. This makes the President Bush Re-Election fund seem absolutely cheap.

Edward DuBose of the Columbus NAACP said he's heard complaints that some "no" votes on the school sales tax last week were registered as "yes" votes. What more does the Election Board have to do - put each choice on separate computer screens?

But remember what we overheard poll workers say at the Government Center last week, about touch-screen machines being difficult to use? [5 Nov, 8:26 p.m. entry] Maybe dozens of people had misleading votes, because there was static electricity at the polling place.

Meanwhile, many were talking in Columbus Wednesday about Superintendent John Phillips's request to hire a "Chief of Staff" - and pay him $120,000 a year. Why, at that price he could hire five para-professionals to assist him....

The Chief of Staff would rank second on the ladder in Muscogee County Schools, and would be in charge when Superintendent John Phillips is away. The Superintendent was out of town on vacation Wednesday - so maybe they called a substitute teacher to fill in.

(Which raises an interesting question: what is the Superintendent doing on vacation during a school week? He could take a two-week break around New Year's....)

A former Muscogee County school employee complained to us Wednesday if Superintendent John Phillips needs a Chief of Staff, he must not be capable of doing his job. I tried to point out to the man based on his logic, every President since George Washington must have been lousy.

Former Muscogee County Superintendent Guy Sims revealed Wednesday if HE'D had a Chief of Staff, he probably would not have retired. Doesn't this sound a bit like a man who's not burning any bridges - perhaps on purpose?

Muscogee County School Board President Mary Sue Polleys told WRBL once a Chief of Staff is appointed, other
administrative openings will go unfilled. So this man not only will get a big salary -- over time, he'll probably get a bigger office.

Superintendent John Phillips already has a man in mind for the Chief of Staff's job -- and the school board plans to vote on that man next Monday. If you didn't know better, you'd think the school sales tax passed with a 91-percent majority instead of 51 percent.

Edward DuBose of the NAACP says the Superintendent's announcement about a school Chief of Staff right after the sales tax vote is a sign of "arrogance." Why, there's hardly any time to fly in Jesse Jackson to raise a protest....

But back to that proposed salary - $120,000 for a school Chief of Staff?! Doesn't Superintendent John Phillips realize what he's doing? Half of AFLAC's executives are going to demand raises, to keep up.

LOTTO MILLIONAIRE UPDATE: The hook was thrown at me Wednesday, in that e-mail offer to claim a 3.5 million
Euro lottery prize in Spain. An alleged Interior Ministry employee wrote I'd need to wire him a "processing and attestation fee." My reply should have assessed him a combination of the two - a protestation fee.

The processing and attestation fee for my lotto jackpot is only 1,250 Euros - or about $1,457. But the prize is more than three million! Don't these people believe I won? After all, they WANT me to believe that....

Since I have not provided a bank account number, the ALLEGED Spanish Interior Ministry wants me to wire 1,250 Euros to Madrid through a "Western Union money transfer." Now wait a minute here -- Western Union?! I thought I was sending this to Spain, not Mexico.

(Besides, I'm surprised they still accept Western Union in Europe at all. That union surely has been damaged, by the U.S. approach in Iraq....)

Our reply to this latest e-mail asked several questions. Why couldn't the processing fees be deducted from our jackpot? Why does your e-mail address differ sharply from the Spanish Interior Ministry's web site? And one we SHOULD have asked - how much money have you gained this year, as opposed to paying people off?

COMING FRIDAY: The big decision in Montgomery....