10 JUN 08: OFF OR RUNNING?
As of today, we're only five weeks away from the Georgia primary. You'd think races would be heating up like the Columbus temperature. But so far, many of them seem as meager as a low-funded candidate at a four-dollar gas pump.
To look at business signs around Columbus, you'd think there's only one candidate for Muscogee County Coroner. Ricky Weeks endorsements have been up for.... well.... for a lot of days, but not quite months....
There actually are two Democratic candidates for Coroner, and they don't have to file campaign financial statements for three more weeks. But preliminary documents posted online show something interesting. Ricky Weeks owns two properties, while incumbent Bill Thrower claims none. In fact, Thrower lists no financial holdings of more than $10,000 - so maybe he needs the job a little more.
The financial disclosure statement requires candidates to list a variety of things. Neither candidate for Coroner received "monetary fees or honorarium" last year. Wow - they weren't even asked to speak at a murder mystery dinner theater.
When it comes to the Muscogee County Sheriff's race, incumbent Ralph Johnson is ready to run. His latest campaign report shows as of March 31, he had a war chest of almost $40,000. Johnson could save the city budget some money, and run the commercials for wanted criminals out of his funds.
Speaking of the Sheriff's race - who is Mike Lajoye, and why is he running as a write-in candidate? I found a professional-looking sign promoting his campaign the other day on South Lumpkin Road. But Lajoye isn't listed in the phone book, and an online search Monday night turned up nothing. Even Bert Coker promoted himself a bit better than that.
Mike Lajoye doesn't have to run as a write-in candidate for Sheriff. The qualifying week for independents is two weeks away. That's when Ralph Johnson will file his papers. And with five days to file, I think Lajoye can sneak into the Election Board office without exposing his true identity to Johnson.
There's one financial disclosure report on the Election Board's web site which admittedly had me puzzled. It's the "State Fund for Effective Leadership" set up by Synovus -- and a summary statement says it "supports candidate who will protect and preserve the Constitution...." Anyone trying to get the al-Qaeda Party on the Georgia ballot might as well not even apply.
That "Campaign Money" web site turned up some very surprising information. Did you know Dr. Georgina Asante donated to a "Podiatry Political Action Committee?" I've heard of voting with your feet, but this is ridiculous....
That web site also reveals Aflac Chair Dan Amos donated recently to the campaigns of Republican lawmakers Saxby Chambliss and Lynn Westmoreland - but also Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Amos may secretly be a big fan of political debates on C-SPAN.
(But ouch - the results of the Democratic Presidential primary season must have hit Amos like a ton of Baracks....)
If there's an organized campaign to promote the one-percent "streets and safety" city sales tax, it isn't listed with the Muscogee County Election Board. Apparently Mayor Jim Wetherington is taking on the task himself -- speaking Monday with the Ledger-Enquirer's editorial board. The way some staff members took notes on pads of paper, they could use an extra one-percent for laptops.
(New F.B.I. crime numbers released Monday might help the mayor's cause. Sad to say, the number of rapes in Columbus tripled last year. Maybe some of the 100 new police officers can go after spammers selling Viagra without a prescription.)
Columbus Council candidates will file for office in two weeks. The Election Board's reports show Skip Henderson's campaign is using "Michael Baker" as a Treasurer. So one Councilor is handling the funds for another Councilor's campaign?! Get donations from a third member, and you could have the makings of a political machine.
But poor Glenn Davis - the Columbus Councilor's latest financial report still shows him with a campaign debt of close to $22,000. And imagine how much in potential donations he may have lost, when Jeremiah Wright canceled his hotel reservation in May.
In one other campaign note, Richard Hyatt's web site reported Monday Alonza Whitaker plans to run for Kenneth Followill's seat in Superior Court. Whitaker already has served on Environmental Court and Recorder's Court - and if he joined a league at Cooper Creek Park, he could umpire a tennis court.
BLOG UPDATE: We now understand Brent Rollins is appealing his firing from the Columbus Police Department to the city's Personnel Review Board. So he isn't filing suit against the city yet. Perhaps Rollins is deferring to the pedestrian he reportedly hit.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Last Tuesday we mentioned what happened with our humble Honda on Interstate 70 in Missouri. That brought back memories for one reader....
My first car was a 78 Nova. Once when my father and I changed the oil, there was about 2 quarts extra and it was really thin. (Do you change your own or get it done in a Jiffy?)
Turns out there was gas in the oil and had the have the carberator repair/rebuilt. I was surprised it didn't cost too much. Consider this your very own advice from Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers.
Best to you
In this crankcase, my oil was changed by a business on Veterans Parkway with no "Jiffy" in its name. But why would anyone mix gasoline in motor oil these days? Isn't that a little like adding cognac to a wine cooler for flavor?
Speaking of gasoline, let's check other Monday discoveries....
+ Many Columbus gas stations raised their prices ten cents a gallon, pushing the price of regular unleaded to Pizza Hut range. You know, like those old commercials said -- "four bucks, four bucks, four bucks."
(I don't want to say inflation is getting out of hand - but before long, the "Three Dollar Cafés" in Atlanta may be forced to change their name.)
+ Former Phenix City Utilities Director Greg Glass came out of retirement, and declared he may sue the city for openly accusing him of mismanagement. Trouble is, I'm hearing Glass may have signed an agreement NOT to sue the city - which made officials free to borrow from the Eurythmics, and start "Walking on Broken Glass."
(Greg Glass openly suspects Phenix City officials are trying to make him a scapegoat for tight city funds. But if Glass files suit, I think that effort will increase - thanks to all those fees to the city attorney.)
+ Muscogee County Superintendent John Phillips proposed allowing high school students to graduate one semester early, if they have enough credits. Phillips apparently granted personal approval for DeRon Furr to leave Carver High School for Auburn University - but if Furr isn't the top quarterback on the depth chart, was it really the right decision?
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