8 MAY 08: WHEN HAWK SQUAWKED
It's not clear who spilled the beans. It's also not clear why it was let out of hiding. But word spread via e-mail Wednesday about a voice-mail message, which a Columbus Police officer left on the phone of a Georgia state trooper. And it wasn't even a challenge to a bowling showdown, at the Georgia Police and Fire Games.
You may recall Captain J.D. Hawk was arrested last October for driving 103 miles per hour on Manchester Expressway [4 Jan]. After that arrest, word surfaced that Hawk called the State Patrol officer who pulled him over. Hawk's purported voice mail message was passed around town by e-mail. Imagine if the Ledger-Enquirer's Sonya Sorich did this, with calls from guys looking for dates.
J.D. Hawk called state trooper J.D. Perry, because a mix-up over court appearances led to Hawk being charged with contempt. So it was a message from one J.D. to another, when both could have used help from a different J.D. You know, a "doctor of laws."
Your blog has listened to the one-minute voice-mail message from J.D. Hawk. He tells J.D. Perry: "I don't have a problem with the citation, but I do have a problem with the contempt of court." As if the state trooper demanded that from a Recorder's Court judge? For all we know, the judge might have been surly from drinking burnt coffee all morning.
J.D. Hawk goes on to tell the trooper to defend himself on the contempt of court charge, he'd "have to bring some stuff out which is probably going to embarrass you and the court -- IN court." Hawk never explains what that stuff is. But wouldn't J.D. Perry have to go above the speed limit a little, to pull Hawk over?
J.D. Hawk was placed on administrative leave, because some people thought he had threatened the trooper. But Police Chief Ricky Boren revealed Wednesday the Georgia State Patrol and District Attorney decided it was NOT a threat. So that "stuff" may have been nothing more than photos of J.D. Perry on the beach, wearing only swim trunks.
Because the voice-mail message was declared non-threatening, J.D. Hawk has been allowed to resume his normal duties with Columbus Police. He's a patrol supervisor - and until that one-percent sales tax comes up for a vote, he probably doesn't want any officers driving 103 miles per hour in a patrol car.
So why would someone bring out the voice-mail message now? Could it be because J.D. Hawk was honored Wednesday, at a police awards ceremony? It's not like Hawk won a prize, for having the fastest car on the force....
The late-night news noted J.D. Hawk was honored for his years of service with Columbus Police. He could have moved out of town for higher pay, you know -- and become an Atlanta Hawk.
Speaking of that ceremony: congratulations to Columbus Police Sergeant Harvey Hatcher. He was named "officer of the year," for helping with the arrest of Courtney Lockhart. It's too bad Hatcher couldn't give an acceptance speech, because of that Lee County court gag order.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Someone apparently tuned in to the WDAK radio talk show "Viewpoint" this week, and didn't like what he heard. A copy of his e-mail to the station was passed on to us:
Gentlemen:
I have been listening this morning and it seems you have been either replaced by non newsworthy personnel or the Manager is intimidating you.
Why is he being pandered to?
Why are you not asking any real questions?
Did he write your questions for you?
1. Ask him where has the money from recycling that Goodwill claims it has paid every year to the city but is not listed on the budget? at least $150,000 in 2006.
Pam hodge wont answer, 311 wont answer, he has not returned calls, and Ron Smith wont answer
2. Why do we not offer a modification to the property tax, He as well as you admit we have grown and changed our requirements and have serious needs for revenue but we have over 15,000 homes paying less then $50 a year and another 1,000 + paying nothing, why not at least have a cost of inflation adjustment? The property tax was last voted on in 1993 when our budget was $50 Million, our budget is 10 times that but not change to the tax law. In 1983 and 1993 it was also a trick campaign against changing it to a fair tax system.
3. Why is he or the city council not doing anything about the outrage with the School board? too Many things to list...
4. Why are we losing the new industry battle to Auburn/Opelika, Harris County, Alexander City, Lagrange, Valley, West Point etc.... Business and Entrepreneurs have told me the council does not want too much competition in the Job/HR market driving up wages and requirements? (as in the councils friends and campaign supporters)
5. Why are we playing these games with library's and School buildings in one of the most prime retail/ central locations of the city? Parks, or something that might generate revenue could go there instead of a Admin Castle that is not for students.
6. Planning Zoning Board allowing builders and developers to exploit the city and its people for insane profits while they use illegal immigrant labor, don't believe me go to a site I do and I never see him. Why not make these developers more responsible for the infrastructure instead of making more millions?
7. Sidewalks, why not by schools, instead of by friends.
8. Gas insane prices but we collect trash twice a week? conserve some fuel and go once a week.
9. Public transportation, maybe rail network to Atlanta, Macon, Lagrange etc... (be creative) come one I thought he worked at MARTA
10. Rail to Trail, yeah nice plan but again is that what we need right now before we fix schools, fix police, fix the prison, fix blighted areas, create jobs, attract industry, fix the drug problems, clean out the corruption, etc.... Come on, complain about 1 thing but spend on another?
11. LOST is lost,
a) we could put writting to make it specifically the 70/30 rule
b) we could put a sunset provision on it to avoid violations and include check and balance
c) we could make a SPLOST to differ some money from the General Fund to the things needed for the Mayors plan
12. Why is the civic center so inefficient?
a) the city of Savannah, Knoxville, and Jacksonville are using the Civic Center as examples of what not to do, how not to run it, and where not to build it? What do you think we should learn from that?
13. How about the cover ups of council member's family, friends, and church leaders in the city? What about his controversies and alleged favoritisms?
14. Why did we build a skate park in an area plagued by drugs and crime? A place with insane traffic paterns and congestion? A place children can not get to easilly? A place with out suppervision? A place with any possibility of generating revenue? A place that is a half answer to the problem?
15. Why do we not create some creative solutions, ie cameras at stop lights, cameras in parking lots, doing something about the drugs from the powerfull in Columbus.
16. What about the divisive attitude of the community and city officials, ie continual Racist preaching in churches, racist speech at the NAACP, and the community, and city officials (to include you) support of Reverend Jeremiah Wright and his profane divisive speech?
Just a few things a reporter might ask not what I heard today from propaganda coffee talk commercials you guys asked him.
John
John may not realize who the host of Viewpoint is. He's Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Mike Gaymon -- and he's "newsworthy," but normally it's when he's being interviewed about local business.
When I talk about the lack of a local radio talk show in Columbus, I leave out Viewpoint on purpose. Every time I hear Mike Gaymon's show, the information isn't really "news." It sometimes borders on "schmooze."
I didn't hear this interview with (I assume) the Columbus City Manager. But I assume Mike Gaymon asked what he considers some tough questions -- like who Isaiah Hugley thinks should win American Idol.
John has brought a couple of these questions to this blog already, so we'll pass on those today. But as for Columbus Council not doing anything about the Muscogee County School Board -- City Manager Isaiah Hugley has a relative on the board. Maybe Patricia Hugley Green should drive to Phenix City, and join him for a church dinner.
It seems to me there's a good reason why other cities are gaining new industry. They're a lot closer to the Kia plant in West Point. But at least we now have three free-standing Starbucks coffee shops.
Uh-oh - John wants to put something that "might generate revenue" around the central library. That's the very thing the Education Park Coalition was concerned about, in its lawsuit against the school district. It feared "greenspace" might turn into stores handling greenbacks.
Which local schools are lacking sidewalks? As I recall, an effort was made in the last ten years to build new sidewalks around Muscogee County schools. Sad to say, the most recent mishap involved a walkway some think is too close to the river.
The sales tax resolution approved by Columbus Council this week gives John what he's demanding. It says: "To the extent permitted by applicable Georgia law, we hereby express our intent to use 70% of new LOST proceeds for enhancements to public safety and 30% for roads and other infrastructure improvements." Please note not one penny is promised for a park....
I don't have a clue about this allegation of a "cover up" involving a Columbus Council member. Mike Baker is so quiet that he seems to be in hiding, but I don't think that's a crime.
As for the skate park being built in South Commons, this may come as a surprise to many people - but young skateboarders already are there. I've seen them turn and jump around the Olympic monument from time to time for months, if not years. And if all else fails, they probably can find the park through Google Maps on their iPhones.
Several Columbus intersections have "red-light cameras" now - but police have promised NOT to use them to catch traffic offenders. And J.D. Hawk was pulled over on Manchester Expressway last fall without one....
And which Columbus churches already have "racist preaching?" The ones which marked African-American History Month in February, and not Confederate Heritage Month in April?
With a reminder that the City Manager has NOT paid me to be his spokesperson, let's check other Wednesday headlines....
+ Columbus Water Works announced drought restrictions in Muscogee County will be eased next week. People will be allowed to water their lawns ten hours a day, three days a week. It's not yet clear if the fountains will come back on - just in time for high school seniors to soap them as a graduation stunt.
+ WRBL watched a Russell County Sheriff's Department dive team stage a training exercise in the Chattahoochee River. The team found four handguns in water under the Oglethorpe Bridge. Those "Help the Hooch" cleaning crews need to work a little harder next fall.
+ Sonny Coulter announced he'll run for Phenix City Mayor -- the job he gave up four years ago, citing health problems. There's nothing like a new hospital in town to make you feel better....
+ Former President Jimmy Carter told NBC's "Tonight Show" he'll announce which presidential candidate he's supporting after the final round of primaries 3 June. But the Democratic Superdelegate noted his 15 children and grandchildren all support Barack Obama - so they must not think Grandpa would be a good compromise in a deadlocked convention.
(Jimmy Carter toured Los Angeles to promote his new book "A Remarkable Mother" - but he told PBS's Tavis Smiley he spent Tuesday morning on his Plains farm. Why do I have this feeling he's yet another potential customer avoiding the Columbus Airport?)
+ The NCAA accused Alabama State University of sports rules violations - not merely one or two, but 668 of them. Roger Clemens would like to thank this school, for making him look like a model citizen.
+ Atlanta Hawks general manager Billy Knight announced he'll resign in July. Knight wanted Coach Mike Woodson fired last winter - but he stayed, and the Hawks made the N.B.A. playoffs. If Knight can judge talent that well, maybe he should clean out his desk right now.
+ Instant Message to Joe Williams: Best wishes on your retirement from Randolph-Clay High School. Very few basketball coaches have the school gym named after them, as you do. Columbus State University hasn't even named a golf course the "Herbert Green."
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