18 JUN 08: BLUE PERSUASION

Wow - Mayor Jim Wetherington must be quite a salesman. He persuaded a Columbus civil rights group to change its mind Tuesday on a big issue. If Bill Madison of the NAACP had changed his mind, it would have been the most shocking development in Columbus since last year's tornado.

The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance went to Columbus Council, and announced it was against the one-percent "streets and safety" sales tax. I'm not sure why the group opposed it. I haven't heard of any sheriff's deputies raiding church services with subpoenas in years.

But something changed by the end of the day. Mayor Jim Wetherington met with leaders of the I.M.A., and then it announced it now is FOR the sales tax. This is astounding, since ministers ought to know those Bible verses about wavering and being double-minded....

This is the same alliance which compared local law enforcement to the Taliban, after the shooting of Kenneth Walker five years ago. But now it's siding with a "law and order" mayor, in favor of a sales tax for public safety. In fact, this conversion happened so suddenly that you wonder if some people in the room started speaking in tongues.

Mayor Jim Wetherington reportedly convinced the I.M.A. to change its opinion, by promising some of the sales tax money will be used for crime prevention. But c'mon - was it really THAT easy? Or did the mayor show the ministers some old business cards, from his time as headmaster at Calvary Christian School?

Mayor Jim Wetherington may have faced an even tougher "sell job" Tuesday night, when he spoke to a meeting of Muscogee County Republicans. An early deadline prevents us from mentioning what happened there. But let's face it - Republicans support tax issues about as often as Auburn football fans find something nice to say about Nick Saban.

People on both sides of the sales tax question (and our current BIG BLOG QUESTION) announced plans to get organized Tuesday. Mayor Jim Wetherington will appear in TV commercials paid by the group "Yes for Public Safety." Hmmmm -- does this mean they're against that 30 percent for street improvements?

A "sneak preview" commercial shown on the evening news included a web site address. But when we checked it Tuesday night, a "coming soon" message was posted -- along with silhouettes of four scattered people and an empty chair. The steering committee needs to spend some of its funds on a better digital camera....

On the other side, two regular critics of city government announced their own committee. It's called "Be Smart, Vote No LOST." So if they're anti-LOST, does that mean they're the found?

One leader of the "Vote No" group is Paul Olson, who also opposed a one-percent sales tax question in 2004. Voters agreed with Olson then [3 Nov 04] - yet the city somehow has found money to provide public safety workers with raises. Columbus is yet another city saved by Wal-Mart....

Paul Olson is joined on the anti-tax side this time by Bert "Cowboy" Coker, the former write-in candidate for mayor. If everyone who voted for Coker in 2006 votes no in July.... well, they might feel like they stood in the path of a cattle drive.

Bert Coker argues the sales tax is "regressive." He also claims a no vote will allow a current city sales tax to expire, so Columbus residents will have more money in their pockets. Trouble is, the 30 extra cents I'd have on grocery day won't even buy a pack of chewing gum anymore.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Tuesday's message comparing a proposal before Columbus Council to the "Nazis" brought a quick response....

Limit someone to once a month to confront Council.

It is something like that on the west side of the River when Councilors/Commissioners have a 2 minute limit for a Citizen to Complain or Compliment on what is going on.

This message was titled, "Once Is Enough" - but I had to laugh when I found it was sent to our InBox twice.

If you think about it, even a two-minute complaint to officials is a long time. In pro basketball, coaches can get a technical foul after about 15 seconds.

Muscogee County Republican Chair Josh McKoon came out Tuesday against the proposed "once-a-month" rule for speaking to Columbus Council. He told WRBL it goes against the concept of a "redress of grievances." But McKoon already seems to know there are other ways to accomplish that - like all those lawsuits to get a library park.

So did anything happen outside the Government Center Tuesday? Why yes, as a matter of fact....

+ WLTZ reported coyote sightings have increased in the Maple Ridge neighborhood. In a way, I'm not surprised by this. They're simply after all those roadrunners on the J.R. Allen Parkway.

+ National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" went to Eufaula, to interview Barbour County Chief Deputy Eddie Ingram. He's been dubbed the "11-million dollar man," for seizures of money and drugs along Alabama highways. And you thought only Tommy Tuberville was deserving of that title....

(Eddie Ingram revealed part of his strategy for finding criminals along U.S. 431. He says where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour, most drivers travel 75. People driving at the speed limit or slower are considered suspicious. If obedient drivers are getting pulled over, Barbour County has moved beyond Judge Roy Moore.)

+ WRBL reported "Miss Georgia" Leah Massee was stopped by law officers in Tennessee, on suspicion of driving a stolen car. It was a mix-up, involving a vehicle identification number. But I think Massee would have had a much prettier mug shot than Mindy McCready.

+ Georgia School Superintendent Kathy Cox urged local districts to open their 2009-10 terms later in August. It's not to save energy, but to allow difficulties from student re-testing to be resolved. Never mind the long hot summer -- some children must be facing a long HARD one.

+ University of Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham was named a finalist for college baseball's player of the year. He seems to be doing much better than that other Beckham - and he doesn't have to worry about a wife named "Posh" being surrounded by the paparazzi.

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