19 APR 07: YOU FUELED ME AGAIN
As of Wednesday evening, the price of unleaded gasoline in my neighborhood was $2.72 a gallon. In mid-June last year, the lowest price in Columbus was $2.61. Would the Third Brigade in Iraq please surge a little harder?
If gas prices are busting your budget, consider what the Muscogee County School District faces. It runs dozens of school buses around the city every weekday - although come to think of it, making more students walk might reduce the concerns about child obesity.
The Wednesday evening news had an interesting statistic on how much Muscogee County Schools pay for bus diesel fuel. In 2004, the going rate was $1.19 a gallon. Now the district pays $2.45 a gallon. About the only other thing which has doubled in price in three years is the land around Columbus Park Crossing.
Muscogee County School Treasurer Del Parker says you shouldn't worry too much about the district's budget. He explains the current budget allowed extra money for fuel, because staff members "had the feeling that prices would increase." Which is a bit like "having a feeling" Columbus will be hot in July....
But school district officials admit a meeting is planned next week, on possible changes for the final weeks of the term. There's actually talk of adjusting some school bus routes - maybe by asking students to get running starts at bus stops, so fuel isn't wasted while in neutral.
The Muscogee County Schools also may cut the number of buses used for extracurricular activities from two to one. I saw this done in Augusta last summer, to take a high school team to a pre-season scrimmage [1 Sep 06]. With a golf or soccer team, this should be fine. With a football team wearing pads and carrying helmets, it's enough to make players long for an eight-man league.
If the cost of gasoline is irritating enough, wait until you read what Alabama's Governor suggested Wednesday. Bob Riley says it's time to consider creating some toll roads in his state. If the fare schedule is similar to other states, some truckers may feel like they have the "axles of evil."
Governor Bob Riley said Alabama's fuel taxes aren't keeping up with the costs of highway materials. This is curious, because I thought Alabama had higher fuel taxes than Georgia did and .... oh wait. The one Georgia toll road is Georgia 400 in Atlanta, and it only seems like half the state uses it.
In the late 1990's a developer went to a different Alabama Governor, and proposed a set of toll bridges around the state. One bridge would have crossed the Chattahoochee River, between Phenix City and Columbus. But nothing came of the idea - so the only money made on a bridge right now occurs when a panhandler stops someone on the 14th Street Bridge.
If a toll road was created in east Alabama, would you use it? Or would you drive a bit out of the way, to avoid it and save money? I did mostly side trips for years, dodging the Kansas Turnpike while commuting between my home in Kansas City and nearby cities. But when you're a college student, most people tend to understand that.
I can hear the critics now -- complaining once a toll road is created in Alabama, the charge will never come off. But a couple of years ago, St. Simons Island actually ended tolls on the bridge to and from Brunswick. The island residents wanted it that way. Now if the Alabama truck drivers will become just as organized....
E-MAIL UPDATE: Aren't we all sad to see WRCG drop its longtime live and local talk show? Well, maybe not all....
My Funny Blogger;
Talkline is off air, it was a great concept that lasted for three decades-keeping government more honest. Robbie Watson is another matter.
Without listening to tapes or reviewing my extensive notes on the show dialogue, several big blunders come to mind about her recent conduct on air:
1. She called Sanford Bishop "a peanut BOY"
2. She said Saxby Chambliss did not care about vet health care
3. She attacked Seth Harp for sponsoring the idea that each jurisdiction can choose blue law application or not
4. She spent two weeks wrongfully characterizing Talbot County-and harming the county's chances to attract new subdivisions as well as the corresponding ability to improve the schools
5. She made Threats on my person
Robbie Watson spent 30 minutes berating me-calling me demon, the anti-christ, etc. and that i should be vanquished from the earth/society/the public. She said she wanted to kill me and strangle me until my eyes popped out of my head. She said she wanted to see me take my last breath. I live in a very isolated and remote location without 911 service, and i am disabled from cancer. She said she wanted to take care of me and she said that "this is my chance to get back at her." Her friend called, who goes by the name of Captain Dave, and he said he wanted to meet my husband and teach him how to shut me up. He is her normal tag team for threats. She spent 30 minutes attacking my character and threatening me-saying i do not deserve to live. She is a street fighter and i would not know how to fight if my life depended on it. I had dozens of phone calls from places far away with concerns for my safety.
6. She advocated for death for some crimes without trial
7. She advocated for torture, and discussed her sadistic desire to torture
8. She shamelessly advocated for Poydasheff and Suber when her family was involved with Poydasheff (both of whom i like)-with no semblance of fair or balanced approach
9. She spent three years berating, ridiculing and attacking the very moral fiber of Paul Olson, till even he had to boycott her show, and who was the first person she called when she was fired?
10. She built her reputation of contrived controversy-with racial-and social daily dust ups that caused shock waves to go through the city
11. She attacked in a feeding frenzy with obsession and the misguided credo that bad attention is better than no attention. And she did anything for attention much to her discredit.
The First Amendment allows freedom of speech, however the FCC regulates radio speech to be in the public interest-good.
Deborah Owens
All righty, then - but what did you think of Robbie Watson when she was a sportscaster, and rooted for Georgia?
Ms. Owens should realize Robbie Watson reads this blog. And I think I know Watson well enough to predict she'll respond to this message without any help from me. But when it comes to supporting "death for some crimes without trial" - isn't that in part what the Third Brigade is doing, in the Iraqi troop surge?
I was not as fervent a TalkLine listener as Ms. Owens apparently was, so I can't confirm all 11 points she makes here. And I certainly don't understand point 8, about being "involved" with former Mayor Bob Poydasheff. I mean, Robbie Watson strikes me as a very loyal wife and mother....
Former TalkLine host Richard Hyatt commented on the program's cancellation (still unconfirmed by WRCG), with a column in Wednesday's Ledger-Enquirer. He said it will leave no place for "angry white males" to vent their opinions. I'm not so sure about that - as long as veterans' chapters and senior centers remain open.
Let's see if the Wednesday news gives you any reason to vent in this direction....
+ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a breakdown of how much homeowners would receive, under a proposed one-time tax break in the Georgia Legislature. Muscogee County residents would get about 91 dollars, while Chattahoochee County residents would get about 55 dollars. And then people wonder why the old Chattahoochee County Police Chief commuted from Columbus.
+ The Northern All-Stars Little League team was presented with rings, to mark their world championship. So which jeweler has bought the official refitting rights, for two to four years from now?
+ The New York Rangers rolled Atlanta out of the hockey playoffs, 4-2. The Thrashers were swept away 4-0 in their first-ever playoff series - which only figures, because the only birds many Manhattan residents tend to see and appreciate are pigeons.
(The Thrasher-Ranger series had a battle of "brother against brother." Marian Hossa plays right wing for Atlanta, while brother Marcel Hossa plays for New York. I guess we know which one will be buying dinner at family gatherings this summer -- even though he won't have the playoff bonus check.)
+ Instant Message to GroundFloor Stocks: Thanks for mailing me that hot gold stock tip, which declared "Columbia is THE most business friendly country in all of South America." But when you misspell the country "Columbia" throughout your letter instead of Colombia, I'm not sure I should trust you - and it won't be business-friendly very long.
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