26 AUG 05: RAIDING SPACES
What does a Muscogee County Judge have in common with Cindy Sheehan? Both are trying to move to the front of a line - although Sheehan hasn't had the audacity to go to court and demand it.
Word came out Thursday that Muscogee County Judge Frank Jordan, Jr. issued a court order in June, demanding his court reporter receive a Government Center parking space. Apparently this judge hasn't heard conservatives complain about "legislating from the bench."
Judge Frank Jordan's court order specifies Kathy Bostic is to have one of the 298 parking spaces under the Government Center. That's all the court order says - nothing about how it's to be accomplished. Did anyone in the City Manager's office think about giving her the judge's spot?
There's one big problem with this court order: there's a waiting list to park under the Government Center. In fact, Kathy Bostic reportedly is 84th in line for a parking space. I doubt there's ever a line that long at an "84 Lumber" store....
I guess I should have realized there was a waiting list for Government Center parking spaces. So many people work in that building -- but you'd think more of them would be loyal to the city, and ride METRA buses every day.
Some city employees admitted Thursday they've been on the waiting list for a Government Center parking space for three to five years. These workers probably have one thing in common -- stronger legs, from doing more walking to and from their cars.
A few Government Center parking spaces are reserved for specific people. Department heads have their own spots, as do all Columbus Councilors. So can't we work out a compromise here? Let Kathy Bostic park in Councilor Gary Allen's space every day except Tuesday.
(Did you know the mayor also has a reserved parking spot outside the Columbus Water Works office downtown? Can't our top elected official trust what comes from his tap?)
Not only is demand high, but Government Center parking must be tight. The Ledger-Enquirer's Tim Chitwood reported the other day on a scrape involving Mayor Bob Poydasheff in a city vehicle. The mayor shrugged it off -- and for all we know might sell that car to a Russell County stock car racer.
So should Judge Frank Jordan get his way, and should Kathy Bostic get a parking space? Columbus city officials don't think so - and they've appealed the judge's order to the Georgia Supreme Court. If there's any justice, this appeal will be heard during the December shopping season.
Judge Frank Jordan declined to talk with reporters Thursday about his court order. His writing about parking spaces may be in overdrive, but at least his mouth is in neutral....
BLOG UPDATE: The Muscogee County Library Board received an update on the "Transformation" controversy. Albert Paley has stopped working on that proposed sculpture - and perhaps will divide all that metal into several creative-looking coat racks.
Library Board chair Dr. Thomas Wade said the $250,000 budgeted for "Transformation" may be used to purchase other works of art - such as paintings for the "grand reading room." Come to think of it, oil-based paint probably costs a lot more these days....
Dr. Thomas Wade added the Columbus Public Library may hold a contest among local artists for items to display. You have to admit he's saying all the right things - so which public relations consultant did he hire?
By the way, the Columbus Public Library "book lady" was on WRBL Thursday with a book called "P is for Peach." Uh-oh - didn't anyone tell this woman about Sean Combs changing his name from "P. Diddy" to "Diddy?" The letter P must be out of fashion for this fall.
Now for other items which were on display in the news Thursday:
+ Hurricane Katrina came ashore near Miami, with projections indicating it could come near Columbus Monday. There's a perfect song for this moment in history - but would any radio station dare play "Walking on Sunshine," by Katrina and the Waves?
+ The Russell County District Attorney's office threatened to take the Center City Motel to court unless improvements are made. It's supposedly become a center for drug dealing and prostitution. I wondered where the sign was, promoting free high-speed Internet access.
(What's going on here, with so many East Alabama motels being used for drug deals? Are fewer couples using those rooms for adulterous affairs?)
+ Georgia Congressman David Scott said he hopes to meet personally with President Bush about plans to close Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson. Scott says he'll remind the president that Georgia voted for him last year. Now THAT'S the way to take politics out of this process....
+ The Columbus Catfish game in Savannah was suspended after two innings, because a bank of lights refused to come on. This shows how high gas prices have become -- because not enough fans would move all their cars around, to shine their
headlights toward right field.
(The Catfish were leading 5-0 when play was stopped. The game will resume at 1:00 p.m. today, followed by another nine-inning game - or as some of us call it, a Sabbath-Keepers' Special.)
+ The Atlanta Falcons jolted Jacksonville in preseason football 23-7. This game was not shown on local television because it was televised nationally on ESPN - which you may have noticed is becoming the "Entertainment, Spelling and Poker Network."
+ Instant Message to the older woman I saw in a Phenix City drugstore wearing a bright green outfit: That's a nice color for summer - but with your dyed-orange hair, it doesn't quite work.
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