19 AUG 05: BUS OFF

Instant Message to whomever sets Columbus gas prices: Are you kidding?! You raise the price of unleaded gas 40 cents in nine days, in five big jumps - then Thursday, you cut the price a PENNY??? How much money are you guys losing in bets at the country club?

With gas prices so high, there's probably never been more interest in riding buses around the area. Yet there's probably never been more talk about cutting local service. If you didn't know better, you'd think Royal Dutch Shell was buying bus lines as well.

The latest warning of service cuts came Thursday from Lee County's transit system, LETA. Officials say the service has a $190,000 budget gap -- and if you know anything about passenger buses, you know they're not very good at jumping gaps.

So why is LETA in such a budget pinch? The same reason you and I are. Officials say the cost of diesel fuel has jumped 80 percent this year. It's getting so high, Vin Diesel might change his last name to Ethanol.

Right now LETA buses run 12 hours a day in Lee County. But officials are proposing a cut to six hours a day, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central. This could bring back an old-fashioned tradition - with workers commuting home for lunch, then driving cars back to work in the afternoon.

But a vision-impaired woman made a very good point Thursday - an 8:00 - 2:00 bus schedule will make it impossible for workers such as her to use LETA buses. I guess you could say she's "raising Cain," because she doesn't want to walk a long way with one.

(But here's the thing: that woman was identified as the "manager" of a Salvation Army store. Can't she change the operating hours, as the LETA schedule changes? Have "beat the bus" specials in the final hour of the day....)

Some riders say Auburn, Opelika and Lee County governments should increase their contributions to LETA, so it can keep its current schedule. But in all the reports I heard Thursday, no one mentioned the METRA approach in Columbus - raising fares. If we drivers can pay 39 cents more, bus riders can pay a quarter.

The news from LETA came only one day after Phenix City's PEX system warned it also may have to cut service in September. Only PEX would operate eight hours a day, to LETA's six - so Auburn and Opelika must not be the big cities we keep hearing they are.

(By the way, did I see it correctly - there's a toll-free number on the side of PEX buses? If they only operate in Phenix City, why have that? Is there a discount for cell phone users, who haven't changed their numbers from other area codes?)

But the news is not all negative, when it comes to saving on the high cost of gas. Tonight Auburn will hold the city's first organized "Moonlight Ride" for bicycles. The city has several miles of bike and walking trails - and all those bicycles speeding by could be a dog's wildest fantasy come true.

An Auburn Public Works employee talked about the bike trails on Troy Public Radio the other day. First of all, she made news by NOT inviting any disgruntled Opelika Public Works employees to apply for jobs....

But anyway: the Auburn city employee told "Community Focus" you'll be required to obey Alabama law on tonight's Moonlight Ride. You'll have to wear a helmet, stay to the right on the trails and have a working light on your bike. In other words, do exactly the opposite of what they do in Columbus projects.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Sometimes you actually can smell an approaching thundercloud, you know....

Surprise, Surprise, more Bush bashing from AR [17 Aug]. I actually expected AR to say Bush is not a true Christian because he won't open the door.

Do you think Bush has intentionally barricaded himself behind doors to avoid all the parents of lost soldiers in Iraq? Check White House records.... he has met with dozens of parents of soldiers over the past few years. Certainly it would be great if he could meet with the parents of all 1,800 soldiers lost in Iraq; but I don't think that is a practical use of his time (can anyone say Dick Chaney). Not to mention this would open the door for anyone with a gripe to get in the Oval Office (vacuum salesmen who get doors slammed in their faces would be first I imagine).

As for the President greeting visitors at the foot door...yes in fact this did happen on regular occasions.....in 1835! Let's live in the present.

And just a quick comment to everyone who lives in the world of "give it to me now!" The United States has lost approximately 1,800 soldiers in 30 months of combat in Iraq. During the Normandy invasion Allied forces had 3,000 soldiers killed in ONE DAY! Not every attack is as easy as Panama and Grenada. I have family in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, I pray for their safety every night knowing they are doing the right thing.

Justin

Hopefully, Justin, you realize many people want to live in that world of "give it to me now." You'll see them in line today, buying Mega Millions tickets.

I've read complaints online which point fingers at President Bush for something other than meeting with military families. They say he's avoided military funerals. Come to think of it, Vice President Cheney's avoided them as well - and isn't funeral attendance part of his job description?

It truly would be interesting to see vacuum cleaner salespeople knock on the White House gate. Of course, all the rules would change - and the salespeople would have to pay the customer, to get any business.

Eve Tidwell was scheduled to return to Texas Thursday, this time with something new to display outside the President's ranch. She's carrying white sheets, filled with pro-military messages written by Columbus residents. On their way to Crawford, she should have taken a side trip to Fort Hood.

Eve Tidwell says she has permission to hang the white sheets with pro-military messages outside the Crawford football stadium. But isn't this asking for trouble? High school cheerleaders might think they're for the football team to run through, when they take the field.

Eve Tidwell admits she used water-soluble ink for the messages - so if they wash away from rain, she can tie the sheets with yellow ribbons and leave them outside the President's ranch. Apparently she checked in advance, and knows they'll match the bedroom decor.

But Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside the President's ranch was interrupted Thursday by something more urgent. Sheehan left because her mother had a stroke in California. There, you see - some Democrats DO put families first.

Believe it or not, both Cindy Sheehan and Eve Tidwell have said the same thing in the past week: what they're doing is NOT about politics. Yet they're on opposite sides of the barbed-wire fence, outside the President's ranch - and I don't think either woman majored in philosophy.

SPAM-A-RAMA: As we pulled out Justin's e-mail Thursday night, we found a "bulk mail" message with the title, "Rolex Jokes." OK, I have one. These his-and-hers Rolex watches are walking down the street, and one says to the other: "We don't make time for each other anymore..."

I'm about out of time now, so let's check other items from Thursday:

+ The 6:00 p.m. news ended with "Skycam" showing strong rain falling downtown, north of the Government Center. Yet only four or five blocks south of there, my neighborhood had NO rain at all! Maybe I missed the "popcorn shower" because I had popcorn stashed away already.

+ Dr. Shaun Cruzan of the Space Science Center told WDAK's "Morning Show" while the center has been closed for renovation this week, students have been "taking sledgehammers" to the lobby. Please don't tell me they were reenacting the re-entry of the shuttle in 2003....

+ A cattle truck overturned on the U.S. 280 Bypass in Phenix City, and several cows ran loose for awhile. Too bad Winn-Dixie closed the store on that highway - because "the beef people" would have handled that in a hurry.

+ The Georgia Wildlife Federation fixed its commercial for the "Buckarama" - because there's a different one this weekend in Perry. Well, I assume the federation fixed it. Certainly WRBL wouldn't have played the wrong ad until we called them out on it, would they?!?!

+ TIC Federal Credit Union donated more than 200 "cubby bears" to the Columbus Police and Fire departments, for giving to grieving children. The way the Chicago Cubs have played this year, is this really the right name to use to cheer youngsters up?

+ The Columbus Catfish fell to Rome 7-4, on "Bald is Beautiful" night at Golden Park. I missed the start of this game - so should I assume Councilor Nathan Suber threw the first pitch?!

+ The high school football season began, with Northside handling Hardaway 21-14. This game was NOT on radio, while tonight's Carver-Spencer game will be. This is what happens when high school alumni spend more to support baseball than football....

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: FREE FOOD!, distributed at Benning Hills Park Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.... FREE outdoor movie Saturday night at the Columbus Public Library.... FREE marching band music to hear outside football stadiums for the next three months....

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