for 25 JUN 07: DEEP IN THE GLENN

If you have credit card problems, think about this: there's a Columbus Councilor who's trying to pay off a $22,000 debt -- and in the last six months has received less than $300 in help. If things don't get better soon, he may put donation boxes in convenience stores.

As of last week, the Muscogee County Election Board is posting campaign financial statements on the city government web site. Documents filed this past week reveal Councilor Glenn Davis has an "outstanding indebtedness" of $22,000. I don't know if I'd call it outstanding. Astounding, maybe....

The big campaign debt listed by Glenn Davis apparently dates back to when he last ran for Columbus Council in 2004. Based on the disclosure report, it seems he "borrowed" the $22,000 from his own bank accounts. If you see any of Davis's baseball souvenirs at a pawn shop, please let us know.

Glenn Davis is due up for re-election to Columbus Council next year - but he clearly has a campaign "deficit spending" problem to resolve right now. The financial disclosure report posted online is a photocopy, so it does NOT reveal if he wrote the indebtedness number down in red ink.

But Glenn Davis had one person come to his aid in the last six months. The campaign report shows Dr. J.B. Chastain donated 249 dollars in May. This is revealing - because the TV commercials only urge me to ask my doctor about prescription drugs.

We checked a couple of other financial disclosure reports. Muscogee County School Board member Linda Parker listed a campaign donation last year from Justice Bail Bonds. Why would a bail bond company donate money in a school board race? Wouldn't safer schools actually hurt the business?

And a final campaign report from Mayor Jim Wetherington shows he received about $175,000 in donations. He ended the race with a surplus of almost $17,000 - and I'm sure a few police officers who are losing overtime pay will enjoy those anniversary gifts.

Jim Wetherington's campaign caused a stir last year, when it received a donation from the owner of the Foxy Lady Lounge. The new report shows his campaign also received $1,000 from Carmike Cinemas executive Mike Patrick - who sometimes shows movies just as revealing.

The finance report also reveals Jim Wetherington's campaign donated $1,000 to the Jerry "Pops" Barnes campaign, to help him win the Council runoff against Nathan Suber. I don't recall Wetherington ever endorsing Barnes publicly. So who knows how many critics on the police force are being paid to keep quiet?!

There's also a $200 line in the Jim Wetherington report for "cleaning campaign headquarters" - money paid to Debbie Wetherington. It's nice to see our mayor upholding family values....

There's something else unusual to note about the new online campaign disclosures. They were posted at the urging of the woman who runs the "All About Columbus" Yahoo group - a woman who normally lists her home address as Waverly Hall. Well, I suppose she's saving money by not driving to the Government Center to look up everything.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Sunday was an off day in the Pioneer Little League debate. So what were we arguing about before that issue came up?! Oh yeah - this "Open Letter to the Editor of the Phenix Citizen" reminds us:

"Miss" Overton:

I must say! I feel slighted! I'm referring to your treatment of my submissions over the long term past; and most importantly - your rejection of my response to your attack on 5/25 of this year. To Wit, WHO SAYS THERE'S NO GOOD NEWS IN HURTSBORO!

You stated correctly that I was in your office the morning prior, (this wasn't unusual - I submit items on a weekly basis for the Phenix City Exchange Club.) You also were correct in penning the fact that I tried to offer a current news item. That flew in my face; when you refused to hear a word of it!

Peering through your rose colored glasses, you said; " I'm only interested in "good" news at this time! I maintain (and rightly so) THERE'S NO GOOD NEWS IN HURTSBORO!!

You were elated to receive a call from "someone'" in Hurtsboro volunteering to write a "good news" column. I know this individual and from her resume. it didn't seem promising to me. I decided to take a wait and see attitude.

My suspicions were entirely correct; only one column eventuated - and it was insignifcant! And to add insult to injury; you have written columns wailing about personal travails, and a "pitch" for a charity event to be held in Phenix City! Where's the county-wide-news?

My dear girl. It's time that you realize that you are running in third place with your publication! The internet, the TV stations and the daily newspapers, make your news inconsequential! I doubt seriously, if the folks out in the county care to be reminded that Phenix City athletes are becoming instant millionaires!!.

I'm sure that the reverse is also true! No one in Phenix City probably gives a "flip" if our garbage gets picked up!

I'm sure you will make every effort to disregard this little note - so I am sending it on to the BLOG of Columbus, the Ledger-Enquirer, and the Union Springs Herald.

Constable R.J. Schweiger

Why do I have this feeling a "good news" column might come from Hurtsboro, if the Constable moved to Union Springs?!

The weekly paper IS called the "Phenix Citizen-News," after all. The title makes no promise to cover any stories in the rest of Russell County. The fact that the county courthouse is in Phenix City is one of many factors to consider....

But I'm not sure the Phenix Citizen-News should be called "inconsequential." After all, that was the paper which told me about the ethics fuss involving the Hurtsboro City Council selling surplus cars [8 Jan]. Based on what's happened in recent weeks, I'll pass on any sales of surplus garbage trucks.

While we're focusing on East Alabama....

Richard, I was one of the 450 residents of Lee County, AL to receive a phone survey this past week reference my opinions about the Lee County Commission. There were about 25 questions. The first 22 were about our county government and the last three were personal. They wanted to know which political party you were a member of or leaned toward, your age group, and your annual income. I do wonder why they needed that information . It seems that would be helpful information to anyone wanting to run for the county commission.

After doing a little research I found that the survey was initiated by the Citizens Advisory Committee and the survey was done at no cost to them by the AEA (Alabama Education Association). The results will be announced at a public meeting in July. Time and place of the public meeting have not yet been decided. I feel certain however that the meeting will be in either Auburn or Opelika. Consequently very few (if any) residents of the densely populated Smiths area will attend.

So.....I have a mini-survey for the 30,000 or so people in eastern Lee County (Smiths area).

1. Do you ever see your County Commissioner other than every 4 years when he's running for re-election?

2. Have you ever attended a Lee County Commission meeting?

3. Do you know when and where they meet?

4. Do you know how much your commissioner is paid annually for this part-time job?

5. Do you know what the county budget is and how much of it is spent for our area of the county?

6. Are you concerned about the poor condition of most of the roads in our area of the county?

7. Are you concerned about the extremely expensive Homeowner's Insurance rates because of the poor rating of our volunteer fire department?

8. Are you concerned that our property taxes are increasing every year but you are not seeing any improvements in services or maintenance on our roads?

9. Would you attend a town hall meeting reference county government if it was held in your area of the county?

A concerned Smiths Station Resident

Those last three questions actually may be designed to show what issues or topics matter to certain groups, as opposed to others. For instance, people over age 50 probably are more likely to want new shuffleboard courts.

I don't live in Lee County, and hardly ever drive there nowadays. But I can offer answers to some of your questions, from a Columbus perspective:

1. I've only seen my Columbus Councilor in person once - and we passed on the sidewalk, as she handed out campaign T-shirts. (I haven't worn it yet.)

2-3. I've been to one or two Columbus Council meetings (Tuesdays, usually at 9:00 a.m. ET). They're every bit as thrilling in person, as they are on TV.

4. No - but I think it's much less than some people want to pay the Phenix City Mayor.

6. Yes, I am concerned about the roads - because jogging across the rugged bricks of Broadway in the Historic District puts me at risk of turning an ankle.

Our last message today responds to last Thursday's topic:

I didn't grow up here, but I have lived here for a little over ten years. I have not found people overly friendly; if anything just the opposite. Especially in the local workforce. Heaven forbid if you actually get a job at a large company here. It's like taking a trip back to high school with all the clicks and close minded people that barely graduated from high school and are proud of it.

I actually overheard a lady at work one day tell her son who was a Senior in high school you are not going to college your father already has you a job at the mill why waste the time and money for another diploma that you will never use. And people around here wonder why people from outside of Columbus think they are dumb ignorant hicks. Well just listen to some of your fellow residents speech sometime and you maybe be able to figure it out if you're actually one of the very few college educated people around here.

I just wish people around here would just grow up, do there job, and quit harassing those of us who did have the sorrow of growing up here. I know I am asking for too much, and I am sure there will be several complaints about my response, but I have wanted to vent this for ten years now. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to blow up and vent.

MJ

Please be careful where you "blow up," MJ - because as you probably know, much of this area is still in a drought.

MJ must have experienced some of the distinctively Columbus family feuds. You know, like the Carvers versus the Spencers, or the Columbus Highs versus the Hardaways....

If a woman actually promised her son "a job at the mill," she may be more ignorant than most -- because there aren't many mills left operating in Columbus. In fact, I've heard some people say the promise of work has changed. Now the common phrase is: "There's always Aflac."

Now let's close the vent for the day, and check some weekend highlights:

+ My Saturday night run was a dream come true - 3.05 miles non-stop! It came exactly three months after my temperature hit 103 degrees due to pneumonia, leaving me wondering if I ever could make long runs again. And amazingly, the heat index wasn't far from 103 when it happened.

+ Fort Benning's Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation survived a U.S. House showdown on funding, passing by 11 votes. If Columbus still had a daily radio talk show, conservative callers would be at a loss to explain this.

+ Local amateur radio clubs joined in a large North American frequency check, at the Kmart on Airport Thruway. Pardon the old joke, but I assume they ended the day by holding a ham supper....

+ Flat Rock Park hosted the Georgia state championship of mountain bike racing. Talk about confusing the visitors! Isn't it time to change the name of this park - maybe to "Rock-a-Hilly" or something?

+ Columbus native Frank Thomas hit his 499^th career home run for Toronto. All he needs is one more homer, to win his choice between a random steroid test and a formal meeting with baseball special investigator George Mitchell.

+ Instant Message to "Who Cares Outreach Evangelistic Ministry" on Cusseta Road: With a name like that, why should I even walk in the door?

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