6 JUN 05: REBELS WITH A CAUSE

It appears one local online crusade has sparked another. Sunday brought us our third e-mail in a week from Debbie Owens, as she tries to track down who's behind that statue planned for the Columbus Public Library. From the calls she makes to WRCG's "TalkLine," we're surprised Louis Farrakhan isn't involved somehow.

Debbie Owens set up her own "e-press" web site called City Columbus in May, and she's been watching the public library ever since. Her first e-mail (also posted on her message board) was mostly fact-finding in nature:

The School Board needs to take back the authority it delegated to the Library Board/Committee. It is imperative that the City of Columbus have all city generated revenue under the control of elected and thereby accountable stewards of the money. This is most particularly imperative in the School Board/Library situation. As it now stands the Library has a $4.5 Million per year budget that is controlled by the Library Board/Committee, who are appointed by the School Board. The Library Board/Committee is basically autonomous. They have no accountability to the public whatsoever. As you know the entire amount of money for the Library project is $50.4 Million Dollars. $24.6 million was for construction. The School Board does not have control of this money.

Here are some questions I have for the School Board...

What is the line of authority with the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System, The Library Board, The Library Committee and the Art Committee?

Who are the members?

What is the procedure for appointments to the above positions, and are public discussions held regarding them?

Are they employees with compensation, expense accounts, and do they travel?

Are there any actual or potential conflicts of interest with any of the above and the Library's residential and commercial phase of construction and development?

What is the procedure for removal of an appointee?

Who controls day to day activities of The Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System, The Library Board, The Library Committee and the Art Committee?

Does The School Board have authority to give the basically autonomous appointees a directive, and if so, does it take a vote and/or a proclamation from the entire school board or a majority or portion thereof?

It is my understanding that there are three types of monies being used by the Library, et al:

1. Sales Tax Money

2. General Fund Money

3. Foundation Money

What are the amounts, who controls them, what is the spectrum of their legal use, and how are they being spent?

The School Board.... continues to meet through the summer. They can take back the authority they have delegated the Library Boards/Committees. They need your help. You need to contact them and let them have your support to take back control of the Library, its monies and its future residential and commercial development plans. Please email each and every School Board member several times and get all of your friends and neighbors to do the same. Empower them to take back the control of the Library, its monies, and the huge development projects that go along with it. Your public resolve to support the School Board in taking back control from the unaccountable is critical in the progress of this city. We need to rid our city of Government in the Shadows.

"Stewards of the money," indeed. Why should those brownies in the library café cost more than two dollars?

In a way, it's comforting to know our Library Board is "basically autonomous." So many government bodies in Columbus face the burden of NOT being autonomous. Every few years, those annoying voters keep getting in the way....

Does the Library Board travel? Debbie may have stumbled onto a good idea here. Have all the board members meet via tele-conferences -- and if enough businesses follow this example, fewer people will drive and gas prices will come down.

As for control of "day to day activities" in the local library system -- from what I've seen, that varies from place to place. As you'll recall, the Lumpkin branch has been controlled by thugs carrying brass knuckles.

For the last few months, I'm convinced the area libraries have NOT been controlled by people. They've been controlled by the new "smart cards" patrons have to carry, with the electronic chips. The Library Card -- you can't go online without it.

I'm surprised to learn about the "three types of money" used at the Public Library. For all this time, I thought the three types were the one, five and ten-dollar bills - because the staff has to scramble, if you need change for a 20.

But hold on here - e-mailing "each and every School Board member several times"?! Send the members too many messages, and they'll go the way of "Latin hottie webcams."

Apparently Debbie Owens's first posting brought answers to some questions, because this e-mail followed shortly after it:

Open Letter to: City Manager and Library Board Member and Library Finance Committee Member --- all one and the same, Isaiah Hugley

Mr. Hugley,

Can you please explain yourself?

You are a member of the Library Board and also a member of the Library Board Finance Committee WHILE simultaneously being the City Manager who approves the expenditures of the Library, its art, etc.

Most people would consider that a conflict of interest, I certainly do. Do you consider this to be a conflict of interest?

Now there's a polite, decent way to introduce yourself to a high-ranking city official - demanding right off the bat that he "explain himself." Come to think of it, this DOES sometimes work for Dr. Phil McGraw.

Is it really fair to say the City Manager "approves the expenditures" of the library and its art? Doesn't Columbus Council actually do that -- and haven't been other people in town been dumbfounded in recent weeks, when Council members actually asked them about how much they spend?

To declare City Manager Isaiah Hugley has a "conflict of interest" as a Library Board member seems a bit of a stretch to me. After all, the Library Board is one place where he actually has a vote that counts. He certainly didn't have one when he asked for that raise....

If Debbie wanted to see a REAL conflict of interest, she should have been in Albany the last few years. Former Mayor Tommy Coleman doubled as the city attorney. But come to think of it, that city's police department didn't really fall into shambles until after he left office.

(And by the way: don't forget the Columbus Police Chief is married to a member of the Muscogee County Election Board. Police could have more clout in upcoming city votes than we realize....)

Believe it or not, this open letter to the City Manager actually brought a response on the "City Columbus" message board! But in the e-mail we received Sunday, Debbie Owens still seems unimpressed by Isaiah Hugley's explanation:

SUBJECT: CITY MANAGER THINKS NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN ASKING FOR MONEY AND AT THE SAME TIME, and in another office, APPROVING IT:



I think if you look closely at what our City Manager, Library Board Member and Library Finance Committee Member, (all three rolled into one big package), namely $$$$Isaiah Hugley,$$$$ is saying you will see that he has stated that:



1. He was appointed to the Library Board before he was City Manager (when he was only Deputy City Manager)



2. He was the Library Board Treasurer



3. He Chaired the Finance Committee



and



after being appointed City Manager he asked to be relieved of duties as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair (why did he do that if there is no conflict of interest?)



HOWEVER:



1. He is still on the Finance Committee per SCHOOL officials Friday, June 3, 2005

2. He is still on the Library Board



BUT:

I think he says that is okey dokey, BECAUSE

He doesn't go to the meetings!



Well, how could there be a conflict?

Of Course, silly me! HE could not have a conflict, he is on the Library Board and the Finance Committee but he doesn't attend meetings.

Shrug! Full Body Shake! Silly ME!

Far be it from me to read Isaiah Hugley's mind, but I think I know why he asked to be relieved of Library Board treasury and finance duties. He became City Manager - and they tend to be BUSY people.

(Does Debbie actually want the City Manager to risk getting these various financial tasks mixed up? Then the Columbus Police Department might have to lay off 90 percent of its staff.)

Your blog DID look closely at what City Manager Isaiah Hugley wrote - and he says if the Library Board asks him to step aside from finance committee duties, he will do so. Of course, if none of the OTHER board members show up for meetings, that will never happen....

The latest e-mail also included a list of the Library Board committee members. I'll let you visit Debbie Owens's web site to read all the names, but some of them were surprising. The Art Committee includes Billy Winn of the Ledger-Enquirer - so we may have just revealed the "source" of that story about the Library statue.

The Library Board's Operations Committee includes Pastor Jimmy Elder of First Baptist Church. That may come as a shock to many people - because he hasn't checked out any library books and burned them yet.

As we said, this appears to be a case of one online crusade sparking another - because Debbie Owens's campaign is similar to what Wade Sheridan is doing with "IsOurCitySafe." He's e-mailed us twice in the last week, which means he may be getting sluggish with the summer heat and humidity....

Wade Sheridan first passed along a letter to the Government Center from someone else:

Honorable Mayor and City Council,

At a budget meeting on Tuesday, May 24th, 2005, Councilor "Red" McDaniel asked that the Budget Committee consider increasing the salary of City Attorney Clifton Fay by $10,000.00. While I feel that Mr. Fay is a capable City Attorney and a dedicated employee of the Columbus Consolidated Government, I feel a need to remind each of you that Mr. Fay is also a city employee. Three years ago all city employees received a 3% pay raise including Mr. Fay. To grant Mr. Fay such an enormous increase at a time when employees are being laid off would be taking a giant step backwards. George Santayana said "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I am sure none of us want to relive the dark days of our city's recent past when our Deputy City Managers were given large pay increases while all other city employees were denied a raise. Special treatment was given again during this years midyear budget adjustment period when several employees of the city manager's office were given pay raises retroactive to the beginning of the calendar year. City workers were told the reason for this action was that these employees were taking on more responsibility. What seemed to be overlooked was that ALL City employees are being required to do more and more each day due to an increase in the public's wants and a decrease in applicants who want to work for our city. These Consolidated Government employees continue working hard each and every day, some even risking their lives for the citizens of Columbus, without an increase in wages. But remember, if these other employees had received a raise, they would not have received it until their anniversary date, which in some cases is 364 days later. It would not have been retroactive. Let us not make city
employees feel that unless they are part of that special group that sits around the table on the Plaza every Tuesday, they are only "Snuffys" hired to do the sweat labor and should be happy for what they get and not to expect to be treated equally. I know many employees will be pleased to receive the proposed 5% bonus on July 29th. I truly hope that Mr. Fay understands that he, as a city employee, deserves this bonus also, but only this bonus.

Respectfully Submitted

W.R. "Randy" Robertson, President

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9

Columbus Georgia

My response to Mr. Robertson:

With all due respect to Mr. Robertson...talk is cheap. You have been talking and talking to our City leaders, but your words are falling on deaf ears. They are going to do what they want to do no matter how many letters or marches or whatever you do. Lets see some action! Let's see something happen that knocks our City leaders on their butts!

This message is stunning on several levels. For starters, when was George Santayana a Columbus city official? Or did Randy Robertson have help from the Library Board with his letter?

I was out of town when this suggestion was made about a raise for the City Attorney, but it's quite a surprise to me. Councilor Red McDaniel may be living up to his name -- as in red ink.

Were there "dark days" in Columbus a couple of years ago, when the Deputy City Managers received big raises? I thought the local mills and Char-Broil made their job-cutting announcements after that -- and I don't recall the companies blaming Carmen Cavezza for anything.

Randy Robertson's letter also opens the door for an interesting precedent. The next time you're stopped by a police officer, apparently you can look him or her in the eye and say, "Hi, Snuffy!" Calling an officer "The Fuzz" is so out-of-date.

But the "response" to the Fraternal Order of Police President is the biggest stunner of all. What sort of action would Wade Sheridan like to see, other than letters and marches? It wouldn't be right to hold all the Miss Georgia contestants hostage....

The e-mail challenge to Randy Robertson led to another message from Wade Sheridan -- and we're not sure if one is related to the other:

Apparently my mission in writing these emails has been misunderstood. I was not attacking the leadership of the Police Department in any way. My goal was NOT to make our Chief of Police look bad. My goal was to inform the public of some of the problems that our department has to deal with. My opinion is that our Police Department does a very good job of keeping it's head above water
despite the fact that our fine elected officials keep tying concrete blocks to the departments feet. I honestly believe that if our elected officials gave the proper support to our Public Safety, we would not have half the problems we do. If you read many of the exit interviews that officers write when they leave the Police Department, you would see that many write that they like working for the
Columbus Police Department and the people at the department, they just hate working for a city that doesn't support Public Safety. Once again, my intentions were not to insult or "bash" our leaders at the Police Department. My intentions were to point out that our elected city leaders don't have a clue.

Thanks,

Wade Sheridan

Wow - Wade may be a "compassionate conservative" after all. This is the closest I've seen him come to complimenting a high-ranking city official. So when did the patrols increase in HIS neighborhood?

Hopefully Columbus city officials will heed these e-mails, and not tie "concrete blocks" to the feet of police officers -- although it might build up their leg strength, for the next Georgia Police and Fire Games....

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