7 JUL 08: THE UNTRUSTABLES?

A group of adults was chatting before church school began, when one of them suddenly brought up a surprising topic -- the one-percent Columbus city sales tax question. It surprised me, because one percent is considerably less than a tithe.

"I'm 99 percent in favor of it," one man in the group said. "But I'm not really sure I trust the city with it." Maybe if city officials announced which bank would hold the money....

The man went on to say Columbus city government forgot some promises concerning the removal of a 1989 SPLOST issue. That was years before I moved here - but wasn't that one-percent sales tax renewed by voters a couple of times? Some people must have better long-term memories than others.

"It might sound like I'm cynical of politicians," another man in the group declared. Then he admitted he is.

"I've known a few good politicians," someone else spoke up.

"Aren't they all dead?"

The man who spoke about good politicians named two Columbus Councilors he likes. He said Glenn Davis and Wayne Anthony take time to ask questions about how money is spent. Does this mean they probe deeper - or that other Councilors have better math skills, and don't have to ask?

The admittedly-cynical man then said when it comes to politicians, "Local ones steal a little bit. State ones steal a lot more. National ones steal in big bunches." I didn't dare ask the man for his opinion about the United Nations.

The discussion then turned to the public safety aspect of the sales tax question. One man claimed the salary aspect isn't being emphasized by "Yes for Public Safety," because some current officers aren't happy with what's being proposed. New hires supposedly could make more money than some officers with five years' experience -- giving Columbus Police something in common with the National Football League.

At times like this (especially when no one in the group knows I write this blog), I often choose to be a listener instead of a talker. I only spoke up to clarify the fact that two one-cent sales taxes are scheduled to end in December: one for the city, one for Muscogee County schools. Someone thought the school tax had expired already -- putting him almost in the same boat as Common Cause Columbus.

The church school finally got "down to business," as the teacher put it -- and as it happened, the teacher's topic was how to deal with life's challenges. It's safe to say Columbus city government faces a challenge with next week's sales tax vote. It's a challenge of winning voters' trust -- and perhaps of whether Mayor Jim Wetherington has learned how to smile in the last two years.

The sales tax question has raised all sorts of other questions. This e-mail is based on something we mentioned Friday:

Richard, Reference the statistics on the Columbus Police Dept - 197 hired in the past 5 years and 190 left -

How many left by way of retirement from the Cols PD and how many left to take employment with other law enforcement agencies? It might also be interesting to note how many left the law enforcement profession to go into another line of work and how many left to return to college. (We might also ask about the number who were fired due to being arrested and convicted) The retirement figures would give a clue as to how many officers need to be recruited each year to retain the same number on the force and how many would have to be recruited to increase the size of the department. "Just Curious"

The news report didn't break down the numbers in that much details -- but last December, Chief Ricky Boren said the police force has a budget for 388 officers. So there's been a turnover of almost 50 percent in five years. But look on the bright side -- it's probably below the turnover rate for Columbus journalists.

Sunday's Ledger-Enquirer attempted to answer other questions about the sales tax vote. I was surprised to learn some of the "streets" part of the money could be used to fund a new ice rink in South Commons, and the promised aquatic center near the main library. I never knew base realignment was bringing so many hockey players and swimmers to Fort Benning.

Advance voting begins today for the sales tax question, as well as the Georgia primary. The number of early voting locations in Columbus has expanded this year. Has anyone asked if a "No" vote will close those locations come November?

E-MAIL UPDATE: Now to one of the Democratic primary races. The matter of a car break-in is still an issue in the State Senate campaign - at least for one man:

Dear Richard,

Just to follow up on a couple of questions raised by today's [3 Jul] blog post.

(1)--I am guessing the vehicle you saw is Ms. Kirby's. She took it in to be repaired Monday morning and I believe had it repaired and returned to her sometime later this week. It is her and her mother's sole mode of transportation. I did see video footage of the damage and am awaiting photographs which I will scan and send to you upon receipt.

(2)--Have you tried calling the number on the flyer I scanned and sent to you?

(3)--Senator Harbison has intimated on a number of occasions that the Ethics Complaint against him is politically motivated. Just to be clear, the Ethics Complaint is now more than 2 years old. I got personally involved when Ms. Kirby was preparing to go to the Ethics Commission in July 2007 and she retained me to represent her, some 12 months after the last Pugh-Harbison race and about 9 months before the current race began. I am involved in this, as Ms. Kirby is, because we are very concerned that our elected officials respect the rule of law. Senator Harbison could have cleared the Ethics Complaint up in 2007 but has deliberately "gamed" the system to delay a final resolution of the Ethics Complaint until after the election.

Senator Harbison must know who he is furnishing signs and other campaign material to, as this note was distributed with the attached campaign literature. If he does not know who has access to his campaign material, he is running a strange campaign indeed. Just to underline this point one more time, placing signs without permission (even if you leave notes pretending you have spoken to the homeowner and placing the burden on them to call you to stop you) is criminal trespass.

Thanks as always for your reporting on events effecting our community.

Regards,

Josh McKoon

We called the number on that flyer Sunday evening - but admittedly a bit reluctantly. The way Josh McKoon phrased his earlier e-mail, I was concerned some thugs collecting addresses might come out and steal things from my car.

A computerized voice mailbox was the result of our call. And without our even leaving a verbal message, State Senator Ed Harbison called us back. Now that's what I call responding to the community - perhaps with unknown psychic powers.

We again read much of Josh McKoon's e-mail to Ed Harbison, and he was unimpressed. "Obviously, my staff didn't know where Ms. Kirby lives," he said. Don't worry, Mr. McKoon - I didn't tell him the address.

Ed Harbison went on to claim the Reginald Pugh campaign is trying to use the break-in to Ethalyn Kirby's car to get "water out of a rock.... a purse out of a
sow's ear. And that's my quote." So Harbison is a bit like Barack Obama - his staff is looking for votes everywhere, even in some places where people haven't voted his way in years.

By the way, is there any evidence that an Ed Harbison sign was planted on Ethalyn Kirby's lawn? If none wound up there, no criminal trespass occurred - at least not in that way. And let's face it, the Mafia probably would have left a horse's head inside her SUV.

We've also heard twice in recent days from the write-in candidate for Muscogee County Sheriff. We're combining the messages Mark LaJoye sent us....

Hello Richard,

I read some of your concerns that where posted on Thursday blog. I would like to address your readers concerns about my military service. I will be retiring from military duty after 31years in December. I think thats long enough, besides I have to be here to take care the Sheriffs office and I can't do that from overseas....

Let me help dispel any myths and rumors that your readers mite have started about me, one of your readers wrote [4 Jul] that he heard stories (lies, innuendoes, rumors and half truths) that I was an angry person; on the contrary the fact of the matter is that I'm the only one around here that cares for his neighborhood everybody else is scared to go against the thugs that drive through our community all-night long, vandalizing and stealing our hard earned property, When we moved to this neighborhood thirteen years ago things were quite nice here till only about two years ago, the crime has doubled and citizens of this community don't seem to want to follow the laws anymore go figure! laws why do we need to follow those, their easley broken, maybe that reader is one of those law breakers. As far as the election is concerned we are doing fine and we are gaining lots of ground, and it appears that it will be a landslide race in my favor. Columbus knows that's it's time for change it was only a matter of time before the Good-Old-boy! network is gone. Now Ralph Johnson that's a good role model for our children to emulate, lets take a-little trip on the yellow brick road! son and daughter problems, Walker shooting, mentally disturbed inmates being sodomized in jail, do I need to say anything else. We seem to forget past history, is that who you want to be your Sheriff. All I can say is that family values really do matter.

I agree, 31 years IS a long time in military duty. But really now -- why can't you run a Sheriff's office from another country? President Bush is running the U.S. right now, as he attends yet another overseas summit meeting.

But consider Mark LaJoye's comment about local crime. If people in Columbus really "don't want to follow the laws anymore," will 100 more officers from a one-percent city sales tax make a difference? One man pointed out to me Sunday you can't have officers "on every corner, all the time." At least not in Columbus - but perhaps in North Korea.

We've documented the "problems" with Sheriff Ralph Johnson's son, in court and outside. But what's this about his daughter? As I recall, she was attacked by thugs on a Columbus street last summer [3 Jul 07] - and maybe she met her former felon-turned-boyfriend on a dating web site.

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THE BIG BLOG QUESTION had a dramatic ending Sunday afternoon, almost on the order of the Wimbledon men's tennis final -- except our contest had NO champion. The Fireworks Outlet "Bang Bang Lady" and "Boom Boom Lady" tied at 20 percent each, in a vote to determine who is hotter. We'll be nicer than the Miss Georgia pageant, and let a tie for first stand.

In fact, 60 percent of our voters said there was no difference at all between the Fireworks Outlet TV stars -- at least, not on the hotness scale. If we'd asked which woman reminded them more of a "Black Cat," the outcome might have been different....

Now let's wrap up some hot items from Sunday's news:

+ A late-afternoon thunderstorm dropped about more than an inch of rain on downtown and midtown Columbus. My apartment complex actually had puddles on the lawn, which I hadn't seen in months. But after the drug raid next door, suddenly no children are left to stomp around in them.

+ The Jehovah's Witnesses wrapped up the first weekend of their summer conference at the Columbus Civic Center. More than 10,000 people are attending the meetings over two weekends - so when I passed the Saturday night wedding reception at Golden Park and heard "Soldier Boy" blasting from a stereo, I wondered if this sect had a liberal branch.

+ Which store in Fort Valley has the audacity to sell regular unleaded gas for $4.16 a gallon? If this was the fall semester at the state university, Ed DuBose would be finding a way for the NAACP to hold demonstrations.

+ NBC announced it will buy the Atlanta-based Weather Channel. I can't wait to see how these networks will combine their staffs - perhaps with a forecasting marathon called "Last Meteorologist Standing."

+ Chipper Jones and Brian McCann from Atlanta were named to the National League All-Star team. Atlanta's had so many injuries that if there's any justice, the team trainer should make the trip as well.

+ Instant Message to Sonic on Wynnton Road: Let's review. The little sign attached to your menu board said if I wasn't offered a drink or a side item, I could get two dollars off my next purchase. The man on the speaker didn't do that. Then your car hop told me that deal is over, and the staff simply hasn't changed the sign. You won't mind if I stay away for a few weeks, so the staff has time to take care of that....

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