9 MAR 05: LOSING BY WINNING?

Tuesday was a blustery day in Columbus. But some people may have been surprised when the bluster at the Government Center came only from the wind outside - and not from the Councilors inside.

Columbus Council deadlocked in a vote on giving City Manager Isaiah Hugley a raise. Four members were in favor of the $110,000 salary. Five members were against. And reporters should go track down that missing Councilor - at least sometime before the next election.

TV reports indicated City Manager Isaiah Hugley in fact DID bring up the idea of a 3.4 percent raise. He hoisted it up the proverbial flagpole - and public safety workers pulled out their weapons and shot it right down.

It finally became clear to me Tuesday what opponents of the pay raise wanted. They suggested City Manager Hugley have the salary Carmen Cavezza gave up two months ago - NOT the starting salary of 1997. So much for these critics ever getting jobs rolling back prices at Wal-Mart....

The Columbus Council debate on the city manager's pay was revealing in several ways. Gary Allen mentioned Police Chief Rick Boren is paid thousands of dollars less than former Chief Willie Dozier. Hopefully someone's watching Chief Boren's wife at the Election Board, to make sure she's not asking for extra filing fees.

Councilor Gary Allen said a pay cut for the new Columbus Police Chief was within budget, but a 3.4 percent raise for the City Manager was not. Councilor Nathan Suber answered that by saying such talk was "ludicrous." This probably stunned some TV viewers, who thought African-American people only use that word to identify a rap star.

Councilor Mimi Woodson said she was ready to "take the heat" for a raise in the City Manager's pay - but she noted potential city budget cuts are still unsettled. Do you realize what this could mean? That old state flag might stay atop McClung Memorial Stadium another year.

Councilor Skip Henderson said matching Isaiah Hugley's current salary as City Manager with Carmen Cavezza's outgoing salary seemed right to him. Could we get a show of hands on this from the community? How many fast-food managers in Columbus follow this practice now - and make the $5.15 minimum wage a moot point?

After a one-hour executive session, Columbus Council decided to keep the City Manager's pay as is. But exactly what is it? One TV station reported Isaiah Hugley would earn $106,000. Another station put it at $106,500. Those 500 bucks matter - since it's enough to fill up an SUV about three times now.

Once the salary was settled, City Manager Isaiah Hugley said he was NOT disappointed about his pay. Those of you who ARE disappointed have an obvious way to respond. Go to wife Carolyn Hugley's office, and buy some more car insurance.

City Manager Isaiah Hugley described the pay debate as a "political process" - and he concluded the "people have spoken." Don't you wonder how many e-mails he received on this subject since Sunday? And don't you wonder if he gets the same spam offers about discount Viagra that so many of us get?

Randy Robertson of the Fraternal Order of Police watched the Columbus Council debate - but he refused to declare the outcome a victory for his group. Sometimes I think he won't be satisfied until the Council has at least six retired police officers on it.

"Common sense has prevailed," Randy Robertson said of the City Manager pay decision. He called the proposed raise an idea which was "not well thought through." So if you see Suze Orman on a PBS special this week say "pay yourself first," change the channel.

But has the Fraternal Order of Police thought through this Columbus Council's decision? City Manager Isaiah Hugley doesn't get a raise - but he'll still have two deputies under him, earning $90,000 a year. First of all, the open Deputy City Manager position could be the career move Randy Robertson's been waiting for....

By keeping a second Deputy City Manager title, Columbus Council decided NOT to save roughly $85,000 this year. That's money which could have been moved to public safety, but now will stay inside the Government Center. Maybe the F.O.P. needs to find that genius on the TV crime drama "Numbers."

By the way, Randy Robertson had a busy day Tuesday. He also attended a ceremony where the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police presented Columbus Regional security officers with 15 bulletproof vests. Bulletproof?! Isn't a bigger issue at the hospital a few crazy patients wielding AIDS-infected needles?

The Georgia F.O.P. presented bulletproof vests to Columbus Regional security officers under a program called "Protecting Our Protectors." Some Georgia Tech students want to start a drive similar to this - "Protecting Our Pocket Protectors."

Did I hear it right - the deal providing bulletproof vests allows Columbus Regional's security force the option to buy stun guns?! This could make St. Francis the official hospital of the N.A.A.C.P.

(C'mon now - tasers for a hospital security force? Shouldn't laser treatments like this be left to day spas and optometrists?)

The donation of bulletproof vests to hospital security workers seems to be a sad sign of the times. I'm not sure which event led to this idea first - the September 11^th attacks, or that Denzel Washington movie set in a hospital emergency room.

E-MAIL UPDATE: While we're conducting the "Randy Robertson Roundup," Tuesday's entry about the City Manager pay question brought this message - sent before word came about the Columbus Council vote:

This is in response to the people who said Randy Robertson sounded jealous when he voiced his objection to the proposed raise for the new City Manager. You're right, there probably is a hint of jealousy there. Jealous that the new city manager is treated as an invaluable asset and law enforcement is treated like a thorn in the side of council. Jealous that Isaiah didn't have to ask for that generous raise, but public safety officers have had multiple demonstrations and come before council numerous times requesting nothing more than fair pay and benefits with no results. Jealous that city council repeatedly tells public safety "there's no money", but always find the money for what they want, when they want it. I wonder how much time Isaiah Hughley had to take away from his family to convince council that he should be paid fairly, in comparison to city managers in other cities of comparable size. Probably not as much time as Randy Robertson, as well as hundreds of local law enforcement officers have sacrificed with their families trying to convince council that these pay and benefit issues cannot continue to be overlooked. Good Luck Mr. Hughley. I hope you don't have to work as hard as public safety has to get your "fair" pay.

Christy Robertson

Christy Robertson, eh? Assuming you're related to Randy, we're well on the way to a perfect method of settling this -- a "Family Feud" game against the Hugleys.

Christy raises an interesting point about city pay. It's been awhile since public safety officers held a big demonstration calling for raises. Maybe it's because I visited one in late February last year which included Ken Suddeth as a protester [1 Mar 04] - and now he's not Marshal anymore.

I don't know for sure if Columbus Council considers law enforcement a "thorn." But I'd point out there's still no bulletin board posted in town, listing Randy Robertson's home phone number....

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION was changed at midday Tuesday, and now is about the Columbus City Manager's pay. We had a split decision on the question about putting a Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Midland. More people were for it than against it - but then again, maybe those people own vacant property right down the road.

Our seven-day, incredibly unscientific survey found 47 percent of voters want a Wal-Mart on J.R. Allen Parkway at Gateway Drive. But 35 percent do not, and 18 percent suggest putting the SuperCenter in a different part of Columbus. A prime spot could open soon with plenty of parking - but that's if no one attends Catfish baseball games.

Now other fine bits of news pollen, tossed by Tuesday's breezes:

+ Russell County commissioners decided there wasn't enough money to pay for late-night ambulance service from Seale. Richard Haglar's call for everyone to be home with their families by 9:00 p.m. keeps gaining more support....

+ Columbus Council decided to widen Buena Vista Road between Brown Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive. But it will be widened to three lanes, instead of four. This way, at least there will be one lane for turning - and for starting protest marches outside the Columbus Times' office.

+ The Baltimore Sun reported Frank Thomas has been subpoenaed to testify next week, at a Congressional hearing on steroids in baseball. Uh-oh - is it possible?! Without steroids, would our local star be simply "The Hurt?"

+ The Ledger-Enquirer mentioned the firing of Boeing's C.E.O. for having an adulterous affair, and put it on page one. Hmmmm - do you think there's any particular reason why the newspaper put it there?!?!

+ Chick-Fil-A on Wynnton Road posted a sign marking "one year of service." That's nice -- but I'm still waiting for someone there to explain why the store's flag was at half-staff for weeks.

+ Phenix City's flags were lowered to half-staff, because former Mayor Jane Gullatt died. She was the city's first female mayor - and made news a few years ago when a giant sinkhole suddenly swallowed her car outside the Phenix City Shoney's. Strangely, the restaurant never used this to promote its "all-you-can-eat" buffets.

(The Phenix Citizen reported days later Jane Gullatt's weekly newspaper column was in the car, so it couldn't be printed. I'm not sure some teachers would settle for an excuse like that....)

COMING THURSDAY: A LaughLine Flashback marking Dan Rather's final newscast.... and a song to file your taxes by....

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