16 APR 08: TRUST, BUT VERIFY?
It's one thing to be upset. It's another thing to let out your emotions by calling someone who has nothing to do with the problem. But then again, Dr. Laura Schlessinger has made a pretty good living by using that second approach....
A man vented to me Tuesday about something which hasn't been mentioned here at all, but happened to be a front-page story in the Ledger-Enquirer. It's the community effort to help a Columbus woman avoid losing her rundown home. It's a bit like "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" -- except no one's brought me together with the cute-looking Paige Hemmis look-alike.
"You had all these people coming together to help somebody," the man complained. "And you had nice soundbites about trying to do something good." But then along came the daily newspaper, with an expose on the woman being helped - and suddenly she might as well have been a contestant on American Idol.
The front-page newspaper story revealed Theresa Jones has a criminal record -- with three drug convictions, two prison terms, and an arrest only two years ago which was never prosecuted. So people are aiding a convicted felon. That's enough to make any politician bail out, in an election year....
"These things happened back in the nineties," the man kept complaining -- referring to the convictions, of course. He didn't think Theresa Jones's criminal record should have anything to do with the effort to build her a new house. If the builders were convicted swindlers, perhaps his view might be different.
To be honest, I'd heard rumblings for more than a week that something wasn't quite right about Theresa Jones. The Ledger-Enquirer's Tim Chitwood went through court records to learn the truth. He also got Jones to admit she has a record, but is trying to live a "new lifestyle." There are times when that phrase might make the Columbus Baptist Association tremble a bit.
In fact, the Columbus Baptist Association is playing a major role in assisting Theresa Jones. A company went to her old rundown home last week, and tore it down for free. I suppose that beats waiting for criminals to show up and steel the copper gutters.
The team working on Theresa Jones's new home is unfazed by the news that she has a criminal record. Workers plan to help her, anyway. They're showing a giving approach to.... well, check that. They're giving in the present, because they don't give a flip about the past.
Judging from the man who talked to me Tuesday and the online comments at the Ledger-Enquirer web site, Tim Chitwood is going to hear from a lot of critics about his front-page story. It's tempting to call it the "Revenge of the Kaffie Sledge Fans...."
Yet a longtime pastor of mine probably would be glad to know what Tim Chitwood found. He's stated if you forgive a person who hasn't repented of their sins, that person will laugh at you behind your back and call you a fool. This pastor actually suggested this before President Clinton was impeached, for what he did in office.
If our title today seems familiar, that's because it was President Reagan's favorite Russian proverb. "Trust but verify" is an approach people should practice in many walks of life. It's true for journalists, police officers - and even the tax preparer who filled out your forms Tuesday night at the last minute.
But the Columbus Baptist Association admits it lacks the resources to do background checks on the people it helps. These religious people apparently choose to err on the side of mercy, as opposed to justice. We'll have to wait to see what this does for Theresa Jones. But that approach didn't keep Paris Hilton out of jail, or Britney Spears out of a rehab clinic.
E-MAIL UPDATE: One of our Monday news notes provoked a reader to write us....
Your jab about the Columbus road workers completing the Wynnton Rd and Brown Ave. project faster than the Broad Street job made me wonder....how far back in time did Columbus decide to go ahead with this project? First they had to form a committee to examine if everyone in the area was for or against road construction. Next the committee had to be from out of town, since anyone involved in-town may have had too many inside connections and may benefit in an un-fair manner. Then money had to be appropriated to hire an out-of-town advertising agency to name the project. If I had a guess, this project may have gotten to the drawing board when Bob Hydrick was Mayor. (Note: Not a jab against Mr. Hydrick. His name is used for time period reference only). I have lived here long enough to have learned the process that everything in Columbus has to go through. If only I had the local market cornered on "red tape" and "hoops" in which they have to pass from one side to the other. Did I hear somewhere that the crew doing the work in Phenix City was from Auburn? If so, we already know how "SLOW" they are over there.
I only heard about the Wynnton work in recent months, after Midtown Inc. announced plans to renovate several blocks on that road. And it happened without Columbus voters approving those tax allocation districts. Maybe the next block down from Brown Avenue will have the toll booths.
Phenix City closed several blocks around 13th and Broad Tuesday night, for Streetscape construction. That's at least the second time this has happened in recent months. And if it keeps happening, the KFC restaurant at that intersection might join Tyler's down the street - and open only for lunch.
By the way, I think other Columbus residents already have "the local market cornered" on "hoops." And Kendrick High School's championship parade for the girls' basketball team will take place this Saturday.
BLOG CORRECTION: It turns out Muscogee County High School lunch prices are NOT as steep as we thought. The proposal before the school board would raise the daily price from $1.75 to two dollars. Now that's better -- beating the McDonald's Value Menu, because you don't have to pay sales tax at school.
Now let's pick up some loose change from the Tuesday news....
+ Columbus Council voted to rename part of Lynch Road "Technology Parkway." I'm not sure which street gang will have to change its name because of this - not to mention its reputation.
+ Buena Vista resident Lauren Moy walked from her home to Columbus, raising money for a disabled neighbor to buy a new mobile home. Yet I'm hearing the neighbor is embarrassed about that effort, and pleaded with Moy NOT to do it. So we may have found a successor for Roy Bourgeois at SOA Watch.
+ The National Football League unveiled its 2008 schedule. Unlike last year, the Atlanta Falcons are not scheduled for any prime-time games at all. So any rumors you hear about early parole for Michael Vick apparently are false.
+ Instant Message to the main Columbus Post Office: Couldn't you have made Tuesday night's tax filing deadline a little easier on people? You didn't really have to borrow those tents from funeral homes....
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BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 602 (- 1, 0.2%)
TRUDGE REPORT, DAY 45: Spring cleaning, 90 minutes. Total: 157.3 miles run, 15.4 walked
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