28 MAR 06: SPEAK UP!

We take our title from the name of a daily five-minute editorial, which appeared on Kansas City television about 40 years ago. Jim Monroe sat at a desk and read the opinion of the day. Much has changed since then, of course. Nowadays, Al Fleming of NBC-38 doesn't use a desk.

Several items have me thinking about speaking up today. Let's start at Columbus Council, which could vote today on putting a "protest-free zone" around all funerals. This sounds difficult right from the start. If the minister tries to preach the leader of a murderous drug gang up to heaven, how do you stop him?

The proposal before Columbus Council would put a 300-foot ring around funerals. No one could hold protest signs or use abusive language inside that ring during a service -- which opens the door for the scheduling of mass funerals outside the Fort Benning gate on S.O.A. Watch weekend.

(I hope Columbus Council doesn't get its proposals mixed up today - and vote to bar protests within 100 yards of a fire lane.)

Mayor Bob Poydasheff told WRBL Monday while he respects the protesters' right to speak freely, "we have the right to dictate the time and place." For instance, the city government channel is available between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m.

Columbus's Mayor is confident the 300-foot "protest-free zone" can pass a court challenge. After all, the U.S. Supreme Court set similar boundaries for protests outside women's clinics several years ago. In fact, I'm a bit surprised the clinic doctors didn't spray the boundary line on the sidewalk....

If you haven't been keeping track, the protest-free proposal is aimed at Kansas preacher Fred Phelps and his congregation. It travels from coast to coast, picketing outside events of all sorts. You almost get the feeling the only funerals they support are for the church's own membership.

Fred Phelps seems to enjoy the proposals being made by governments across the country, restricting his church's protests. Phelps told CNN a few weeks ago he hopes Congress will take up the issue, so he can have a national audience. Sorry, Pastor, but that didn't work for Roy Moore....

I can understand why Columbus Council and other governments want to set-up "protest-free zones" outside funerals. But can such areas really pass a court challenge? Remember: if the U.S. Supreme Court is turning right, it's heading in Fred Phelps's direction.

There was one recent case where free speech was abruptly stopped, and it caused a stir among many in Columbus. If you tried to hear Saturday night's Cottonmouths game on radio, you know what I'm talking about....

I found out only Monday that WCJM-FM shut down its Cottonmouths broadcast early Saturday night, before the double-overtime game in Huntsville was over. Please, young people -- follow the Snakes's example, not the radio station's.

Based on what I'm hearing, WCJM had set its computer to end the Cottonmouths broadcast at a certain time and return to regular programming. Trouble was, the game in Huntsville lasted until about 1:00 a.m. - long enough for the Snakes' mohawk haircuts to grow about two inches.

Cottonmouths fans rushed to the team web site to pick up the Internet broadcast of the double-overtime game. People with no Internet access started inundating Columbus TV stations with phone calls - as if it was the biggest event in the area since "24" was interrupted for a severe weather report.

The Cottonmouths won in double-overtime, and face a decisive third game in its series with Huntsville tonight. Thankfully, the game is at the Columbus Civic Center. Fans won't have to worry about a radio broadcast -- because you can't hear WCJM at the Civic Center, anyway.

Perhaps the happiest news for bloggers about speaking up came Monday from the Federal Election Commission. It ruled blogs are exempt from campaign finance laws -- so they can bash candidates all they wish online, and try to get money for ads to make it all stop.

The Federal Election Commission put blogs in the same class as newspapers, when it comes to campaign finance laws. Now I don't have to worry about spending limits, unless paid political ads are placed on the blog. Don't worry, you candidates -- I do my own taxes, so I'm good at bookkeeping.

Longtime readers know this blog can get a bit wild with e-mailers, when election time is near. Monday's federal ruling means the messages can keep coming, and I can keep posting - and recalling a couple of years ago, the attorneys can file slander suits against each other after it's all over.

E-MAIL UPDATE: For example, we can keep posting messages from "IsOurCitySafe" -- and another lengthy one came Monday:

Here are some excerpts from letters sent to the editor of the Columbus Ledger Enquirer concerning displeasure in the job our city government is doing:

1) When I see fine policemen leaving Columbus for better-paying jobs, reducing our city's vital protection, while our public school administration continues to become top-heavy; I question who is really serving the public. I hope other voters are as disappointed as I am with the performance of our local officials and will exercise their power at the polls, as I will surely do in the coming elections.

Submitted by Carl "Bud" Paepcke

2) The Rails to Trails project behind my home seems at first to be a lovely idea. Just imagine being able to walk out of my back gate to a park. But, how long will that park be lovely? If the City of Columbus doesn't have funds to provide me with the necessities (police officers and firefighters) how long can they provide routine maintenance for a park? What if the park then becomes a breeding ground for vagrants and drug activity? If I call 911 will an officer be available? Maybe not. Please use my tax dollars wisely. I need meat and potatoes first. If there is enough money left over I will take the dessert.

Submitted by Brenda Folsom

3) I am in complete agreement with the author who stated that one way to keep our city positions filled instead of cutting 150 jobs back was to park several of the unfilled Metra buses. Just yesterday, I was traveling down Wynnton Road and something caught my eye that I would like for that author to know, along with the rest of this city; There running beside me was a brand new city bus! There was a paper tag on it with a January date and at the top of the tag is said "Commercial Bus Sales." I was not able to catch the 800 number, but I did get the #1187 bus number already tagged on it. This is an outright injustice to the people of this town who are looking at the unemployment in the face because the city townsmen supposedly do not have the money to pay them. What will they do next?

Submitted by Stephanie Hoover

4) First, we read about 150 city employees getting laid off. Then we read about private meetings with selected members of council, the city manager, and the finance director. Be assured that when this crowd meets in secrecy, they are cooking up well-developed front to hoodwink the citizens and then make it look like we simply misunderstood. Their behavior is shocking but not surprising. Every year they foretell of financial meltdowns that never occur, yet there continues to be an expanding tax base, massive amounts of private development, increasing sales tax revenue, plenty of taxpayer dollars available for special interest land giveaways and on and on. I am appalled that even long-term employees targeted for layoff are offered no more than pink slips for their years of dedicated service. Obviously, the council doesn't put much value in the slogan "quality people providing quality service." Despite their claim that the $9 million increase in the next year's budget is for health care, pensions, energy and elections, most of this money is for employees raises that include substantial increases for the highest paid executive level positions including the city manager and his assistants. Councilor Pugh recently said that there is no "finance committee." I totally agree. A real finance committee would protect the citizens by reviewing the hard numbers and ensuring the budget is consistent with reality. Instead, council scrambles around months later wondering why the fund balance increased after the budgeters projected a draw down.

Submitted by G.W.Odom

5) Why in the world are our elected officials putting so much thought into Riverwalks, skating parks and walking trails when we don't have enough police officers to protect our residential areas and roads? Cutting our police and fire departments should be the very last thought in their minds. And I believe paying them well should be a primary thought! No, I am not part of a family either. I have, however, been in desperate need of police officers during an armed robbery where two people were killed and a second seriously injured. Of course, the officers responded not knowing what they were running into. And believe me, my co-workers and I were eternally grateful! When one does not know if the next person shot will be him, it puts a deep appreciation for the police officers taking that chance and coming to their rescue. Friends, lets rally around our police officers and firefighters. Maybe the next time we are asked for a penny increase, IT WILL BE SPECIFIED FOR THE ONES WHO LAY THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO PROTECT US! Otherwise, Columbus may cease to be the safe, wonderful place we have enjoyed all these years.

Submitted by Dee Lowery

An article of interest contradicting statements made by our fine city mayor that Columbus is ready for a disaster: This article titled "Ready when disaster strikes" quotes Captain Rick Kelly (Muscogee County Sheriffs Office) with saying "If a disaster occurred in Columbus, local emergency services would be completely overwhelmed because they are simply not set up now to assist that many people at once."

How is it that our city leaders, primarily "Bob" and councilors, can say that Columbus is ready for a disaster when police officers and sheriff's deputies say we are not? Who would you believe? The people in the ivory tower downtown who have their heads implanted in their posteriors or the men and women patrolling the streets everyday who see what actually goes on in the city?

VOTE THEM OUT ON ELECTION DAY!

Concerned citizen and constant pain in Bob's side,

Wade Sheridan

I think I'm starting to see why Wade doesn't write the Ledger-Enquirer himself. He'd exceed the "letters to the editor" word count limit almost every time.

The thoughts of "Bud" Paepcke are worth noting, because he's a longtime marshal in U.S. District Court. But doesn't he have his government areas mixed up here? Does he really expect school district officials to fill in as late-night police officers?

As for letter #2, about city parks and trails becoming drug-infested places for lowlifes -- well, it's sad to hear Lakebottom Park has fallen so far, so fast. The last few times I was there, no beggars approached me at all.

And how dare METRA buy a new city bus! Some of us prefer the old pollution-belching models, thank you very much....

. But haven't the last few weeks shown Columbus actually IS ready for a disaster? Simply sound the sirens early, and chase everyone inside to watch TV weathercasters scratch their heads about what's happening.

Wade may want local elected officials voted out -- but it's the last week of March, and where are the challengers to take them on? The only one I've heard about so far is Reginald Pugh of the Urban League. And he's running for Ed Harbison's State Senate seat -- so even he wants to leave Columbus for three months every year.

Now a quick check of other things we noticed Monday:

+ Another local blog which proudly displays a Burkard Award took WRBL's Chris Sweigart to task for a Sunday night news story. Sweigart called it the "Phenix City Dragway." That other blogger says the proper name is "Phenix Dragstrip." Maybe Sweigart was trying to avoid the word "strip" in a Bible Belt city.

+ Country music legend Merle Haggard performed at the Columbus RiverCenter. The center had trouble selling out this concert - perhaps because residents protested Haggard calling his hit record "Okie from Muskogee," with a K.

(OK, who will be the first to call WKCN "Kissin' 99.3" and challenge the on-air announcers to name three Merle Haggard songs? In 2006, they might have trouble naming anything by Barbara Mandrell.)

+ Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks denied speculation by gubernatorial candidate Roy Moore that the reported mad cow case might be a hoax. Maybe the state should sell pictures of that cow to the National Enquirer, and settle this....

+ Instant Message to St. Luke School: What's going on here? You give students a book project based on the alphabet, and the boy assigned the letter J writes about jellyfish and "jingling jingle bells." Shouldn't a Christian school have encouraged the mention of Jesus in there somewhere?

COMING WEDNESDAY: An e-mailer asks: "What do you have against WTVM?" Ooh boy....

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