16 FEB 07: TALBOT TOPPLERS?

First we had Hurtsboro Monday - and now because of another e-mail to the blog, we may have to start a "Talbot Friday." If this keeps up, we may only cover Columbus topics once a week....

We first mentioned Talbot County's "Concerned Citizens" group last Friday. That post brought this lengthy response:

Dear Richard;

Citizens for Responsible Government --- CCRG

--- an undisclosed government source leaked the secret, albeit unofficial, name for the newcomers:

Concerned Crazies R Goofy.

You should see them at the monthly and informal county commissioners meetings. They come dressed up in full regalia, donning space gear antennas, earphones, video and what looks like directional high gain microphones (long range listening devices, perhaps?). They film the county meetings and listen to everything they can. They have reportedly discussed what appeared to be private info, did it come from closed executive sessions? I am not a lawyer, but I am told it is not illegal to use such devices --- but is it sleazy?

Some of the "Concerned Crazies R Goofy" followed a person who spoke at a County Commissioners meeting, to his car, to harass, jeer and try to provoke him. The man spoke to the County Commissioners to compliment a County employee on whom "Concerned Crazies R Goofy" are obsessively and destructively fixated.

Two weeks ago, one of CCRG board of directors, newcomers to the area, told me that her husband's family has lifelong best friend ties to LESTER (AKA) AXE- HANDLE MADDOX --- Interesting thing to brag about, best friends with an infamous racist, in a mostly black county.

They seem to be deeply in hate with their new community. Most Talbottonians regard them as pariahs. Though they are a non profit org they have serious political aspirations---to remove all county officials. One of the Concerned Crazies R Goofy Board of Directors recently told me they want every single person removed: Sheriff, Commissioners, Judges, Muscogee County DA, and basically many Talbot County employees. (They have sent large files to the Muscogee DA and since he apparently found nothing wrong with what they sent they have decided that he must be replaced). The Concerned Crazies R Goofy really don't understand, taxes, farming, farm subsidies, or contracts.

They are deluded enough to think they are going to remove all county government, remove/decrease all taxes, and build bridges and new roads.

They are about as realistically effective as NASA's psychological screening program!

They need your money. They have to pay $.25 per page for County Commissioners meeting minutes---so why are they filming every meeting and all inside and outside of the meeting? They want your money and are willing to do a bake sell to get it --- those minutes add up! Speaking of minutes where are all of their meeting minutes--- the minutes of their own meetings are not on their website-- oops, so much for THEIR OPENNESS. But, as I mentioned, they have a public profile and a private profile --- publicly the org is a non-profit that is all about bettering the government here with no political aspirations --- but privately they will tell you their reason d'etre is to dismantle the entire Talbot County government --- and, oh, yes, the Muscogee County DA, while they brag about their ties to Lester Maddox.

Our government is small, simple, unsophisticated, poor and lacking funds to do many needed repairs and county work. The reason is that we have a sparse population of ~6,000 people and 400 square miles (twice the size of Columbus), no industry, retail, large banks, ATM's, ER, hospitals, doctors, fast food, county-wide water and sewer system, county-wide emergency response team, county-wide cable, local media-newspaper/radio, county-wide cell phone coverage, or on-line government. Most of the people in the community do not own a computer. Last I looked we had about 4000 blacks in the county, and about 2000 whites. We need industry, we need more population and we need many other things, but while we are waiting for those things, we do not need Lester Maddox's friends to come and give us their misguided directions. The good people here are mostly too smart to listen to the Concerned Crazies R Goofy group.

On the side of Talbot County: the people here are strong and good. The county, as a whole, is very spiritual and loving. We have almost no crime. Everyone will try to help you, and invite you in for dinner and put a glass of sweet tea in your hand. This county is not about phony facades, or immediate gratification living. The people will look at you, not what you are wearing or driving. They will look into your eyes and deal with the person inside. The people here will talk about their church, the county history, and recollect several good, upbeat things about whatever your topic. For all we don't have, let me mention, what we do have --- The county is covered in ancient, pristine hardwoods. We have crystal clear streams, moss covered banks, fern covered forests, and magnificent hickory hollows. We have abundant wildlife, with puma, bear, deer, fox, bob cat, rabbits, wild hogs, turkey, geese, bald eagle, hawk, falcon and lakes teaming with fish. It is a grand and gloriously natural place.

Have you ever taken a deep breath deep in a hickory hollow that is covered in ferns? It is like an oxygen tent. Have you ever seen a herd of pie bald deer or an eagle's flight from the nest? Have you ever been tracked and circled by a lone and harmless puma, or been where there are no human sounds, only the calls of wild birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind? Have you ever been 4 miles from the nearest homesite? Have you watched a bluebird nest while you ate breakfast? Have you ridden a horse bareback through an ancient hardwood forest or visited an ancient Indian cemetery that predates the Roman conquest of England? Have you ever found a 10,000 year old Indian tool? Have you ever planted a tree among millions of other trees to find ancient relics and chiseled amethysts left by the ancient peoples who inhabited Talbot County? Talbot County has a lot to offer. Please experience it.

Part of my family, The Creek Indians, have been here, or near here, since time began and part of my family arrived here in the 1700s- Pleasant Hill-Owens Island on the Flint. We have an humble and ancestral devotion to this wonderful county and its fine people, a devotion that is like our air---it is part of our every breath. It is who we are. Our identities are inseparable from the land.

We have many species of rare and endangered plants, and as a botanical and wildlife conservator, I am proud that the county has some of the original precolumbian flora and fauna preserved, in the glory God bestowed upon this ancient land. Talbot County's virgin ecosystems --- perhaps this is key to Columbusites' understanding of our land and people and our single minded devotion to this county.

Old Talbottonians, love this county and we will not allow anyone to dismantle the Talbot County Government.

Thank You for reading this.

Sincerely,

Deborah Owens

This message makes it sound like there are TWO groups of "Old Talbottonians" - one going back a couple of centuries, the other preferring to start history at around 1965.

This e-mail made some interesting accusations about the C.C.R.G., which called for some answers. So Thursday night, we talked with the group's Secretary-Treasurer. Susan Horton didn't mention Lester Maddox - but told me her husband is the Mayor of Geneva. So maybe there's an outside chance to gain business from Switzerland.

Susan Horton denied putting on "space gear" at Talbot County Commission meetings. But she does videotape the meetings, and takes notes which are posted on the C.C.R.G. web site. If any group member wore a funny-looking outfit on camera, it probably would be posted on YouTube by now.

Susan Horton also denied her group points highly-sensitive microphones toward the doors of executive sessions in Talbot County. She says during those private sessions, the camera is turned off and the microphone unplugged. She'll never get hired by "Dateline NBC" with that sort of behavior.

Susan Horton told me the C.C.R.G. started about two years ago to keep watch on how Talbot County tax money is spent. The group wants to make sure tens of thousands of dollars isn't wasted. Is this why it took so long to get that run-down recreation center repaired?

So do the Concerned Citizens for Responsible Government want to throw out all the elected officials of Talbot County? Susan Horton told me that's NOT true. But if they find out who called the group by another name, I imagine everything might change....

The C.C.R.G. will have its next meeting Saturday afternoon in Box Springs. Other commitments will prevent me from attending, but the group's web site indicates anyone is welcome. The group might even let you show up with earphones -- as long as your iPod isn't turned up too loud.

(I've always been fascinated by the fact that a Talbot County town is named Box Springs. If someone showed up there with a waterbed, would he be shunned?)

But let's return to the e-mail which prompted all this. All sorts of nonprofit groups look for ways to make money. Some hold bake sales. Some sell T-shirts. And part of me wishes other groups sold cookies, during the Girl Scouts' off-season.

Lest anyone be confused: Gray Conger is the District Attorney of more than Muscogee County. His district includes Talbot and Harris Counties, along with a couple more. But Talbot County voters DO have some clout -- as they helped chase Rep. Danae Roberts out of Columbus a few years ago.

If Talbot County has "no local media/newspaper," then what is this weekly thing called the Talbotton New Era? Is it disqualified, because the printing press is in downtown Columbus or something?

Admittedly, I've only driven through Talbot County once - and I was hurrying home from a Power Frisbee commitment last summer when I did. No, I did NOT stop to take deep breaths around trees. More noticeable to me were all the protest signs against sludge.

(And oh yes, I think I have been four miles from a home site - and it scared me when I was young. My family practically ran out of gas, between small towns in southeast Colorado.)

It's nice to know Talbot County residents have preserved some of the scenery and environment of long ago -- like that "pre-Columbian flora and fauna." As a Kansas graduate, it's sad to know people from Columbia, Missouri and Big Bad Mizzou have spoiled other places....

OUR TEXT FOR TODAY: This new occasional feature will focus on unusual text messages. After posting Thursday's entry around midnight, we went to an online game room where someone wrote, "Happy v-d, everyone."

Which brought this reply: "Hey now - I don't have that sort of thing."

Now let's send some Instant Messages of our own, to end the week....

+ To the driver of a Columbus city truck with license tag GV1558A: Is that legal - loading seven people in the open back of your truck? Wouldn't I get pulled over for a ticket, if I had even one person back there?

+ To whomever left a mock bomb at the Smiths Station Post Office: Next time, enter something like that in the high school science fair - or offer it to the Cartoon Network.

+ To the ConAgra plant in Sylvester: Isn't it ironic? You make all that Peter Pan peanut butter - and now a batch of it with salmonella gets the hook.

+ To Regal Jewelers on Broadway: I saw your ad with Valentine's Day offers on TV - on Thursday. They must be for the REAL procrastinators.

+ To the Atlanta Hawks: I'm glad you finally have a player in the N.B.A. All-Star Game, for the first time in five years. But I couldn't help thinking of you when I heard a sermon series on religious radio - called "Hand Me Another Brick."

COMING THIS WEEKEND: Our mock sportscasters get a "bye week".... but we'll have something related to the Daytona 500....

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