22 MAY 07: THE PRICE OF GROWTH

Uh-oh - it's becoming increasingly clear that someone will have to pay for base realignment at Fort Benning. And that "someone" well could be you and me, in the form of higher taxes. Explain to me again how this "volunteer army" works?!

On Monday, Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley became the latest area official to suggest a sales tax increase might be needed to deal with BRAC. Yet he called it a "last resort" - a comment which might disqualify him from the John F. Kennedy "Profiles in Courage" award/

City Manager Isaiah Hugley's first resort is to obtain federal grant money for additional police and EMS personnel. If he thinks Congress is going to provide that - well, has he noticed all the trips Muscogee County Superintendent John Phillips has made to Washington? So far, all Phillips has brought back is a frequent flier discount voucher.

(Some cynical bloggers would point out federal grant money comes from federal tax dollars. But if Columbus gets some of them back, isn't that sort of like a tax cut?)

The City Manager already has done the math - and Isaiah Hugley says a one-cent local option sales tax would bring Columbus city government 34 million dollars a year. But hopefully city officials have learned a lesson in recent weeks. We demand at least two acres of green space around the Fort Benning main gate.

But the Muscogee County School Board may beat the city to a tax hike. It held a public hearing Monday night on a property tax millage rate increase of 2.75 percent. It would be the first such increase in more than a decade - something I think only John Wells is old enough to remember.

Muscogee County and other area school districts expect base realignment at Fort Benning will bring 10,000 new children to this area. To borrow from that documentary shown in Columbus the other night, you could call them BRAC Brats.

It was actually Phenix City's school superintendent who was first to propose a "BRAC bump" in taxes. Larry DiChiara says new construction already is underway in his district, including one project at Central High School. If you build it, they might vote yes....

More money for schools seems understandable - but a higher sales tax to pay for police officers?! When soldiers and their families are the ones moving to the Columbus area? I haven't heard of any moves to build new bars and nightclubs along Victory Drive.

BLOG UPDATE: Former Fort Benning Commander Paul Eaton appeared on the PBS "Tavis Smiley Show" Monday night. This makes two Columbus-related guests in three weeknights. Former Mayor Bob Poydasheff must be wondering where he went wrong....

Retired Major General Paul Eaton appears in one of the "VoteVets" commercials opposing the President's policy in Iraq. Eaton claims President Bush ignored advice from commanders such as himself, about the risks involved with an invasion. So why didn't that hurt morale in 2003, while Congressional debate supposedly is hurting it now?

Paul Eaton revealed to Tavis Smiley he might consider running for public office someday - but he's not "considering it actively" right now. In other words, more people need to tell him they're tired of Columbus Councilor Mimi Woodson.

E-MAIL UPDATE: One writer is in a mood to celebrate....

YEA...Columbus just might have another sports national winner..CSU baseball is headed for the college world series..

First Glenwood won a state high school baseball title in Montgomery. Then Russell County finished second there. Now the C.S.U. Cougars are heading for Montgomery as well - and I hope someone with the Columbus Sports Council worked out a long-term motel deal for all of them.

Add to that list the C.S.U. softball team finishing third in the national Division II championship -- and Columbus and Pacelli High Schools play in Georgia quarterfinal series today. What is it about the Columbus area, which makes us so powerful with bats and balls? I can't believe good-quality footballs cost that much more....

We had another e-mail about Hurtsboro, but that will wait until our next Hurtsboro Monday (which next week might be adjusted). Now let's check other items from Canada's Victoria Day holiday:

+ A number of Columbus gas stations lowered their prices BELOW three dollars a gallon. A Spectrum in my neighborhood went down from $3.03 to $2.96 - which means it's probably getting a running start for a boost to $3.20.

+ Swift Spinning Mills was sold to Blackstreet Capital, a private equity fund based in Maryland. The company is being sold by Marubeni Corporation of Japan - so all remaining World War II veterans in Columbus now can rest in peace.

(I didn't realize until I saw the news release on this sale that Swift Spinning produces yarn for Tommy Hilfiger and Sears products. So why are Hilfiger's items so much more expensive? Is his yarn delivered in an armored truck?)

+ Auburn University showed off its new "Tiger Transit" bus system. Students now can track their bus's progress by using a GPS tracking device -- and they can time how late to sleep, with split-second accuracy.

+ The Montgomery Advertiser reported the city's first Hooters restaurant will open Wednesday. It's hard to believe Montgomery did NOT have one until now. The fear of Roy Moore must be stronger than I realized.

+ Instant Message to Jordan High School: I admit I haven't been keeping track - so how did you wind up with someone in tonight's final round of "American Idol?" Has Ryan Seacrest been pronouncing the name correctly?

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