14 SEP 08: PAIN AWAY FROM THE PUMP

The Harris County area was well ahead of Columbus this weekend. Contestants rode horses and steers at a rodeo in Hamilton. They rode bicycles at Callaway Gardens. People in Columbus had to drive cars to see those things - and they were the ones which wound up burning expensive gasoline.

For starters, let's review the rumor which was spread around the area Thursday night. From what I've seen, prices have NOT jumped $1.25 a gallon. And the increases did NOT take place at midnight - they took place in broad daylight, so no one can compare convenience store owners with small-time burglars.

But gas prices across Columbus admittedly are now at record highs. Most places I passed Saturday seemed to have settled on $4.29 a gallon. Before you call that price-fixing, I found S-mart on Airport Thruway at $4.28 - and USA on the Phenix City bypass really challenging the crowd, at $4.79.

But if stations ran out of gas, I couldn't tell it Saturday afternoon. I noticed no bags on pumps. In fact, I noticed very few people filling up at all. So is that because everyone filled their tanks Friday while the "getting was good" - or everyone stayed at home, to watch Georgia and Georgia Tech play football on TV?

The high price of gas reportedly reduced crowds at some Saturday college football games. But the Alabama broadcast team noted the stands were full in Tuscaloosa for the wipeout of Western Kentucky. One announcer said it was because fans filled up before the price went up. My theory is different - that fans made up for higher gas prices by eating two hot dogs instead of three.

Drivers with diesel-fueled cars might actually be smiling at the weekend's developments. At several stations, the diesel and regular unleaded prices are now almost even -- and the USA station in Phenix City actually has diesel for 70 cents less. So maybe Hurricane Ike was a European plot, to help sales of BMW's.

I heard one older man scoff at the explanation for this "storm surge" - that refineries are closed around Houston due to Hurricane Ike. "They use any old excuse to jack up gas prices," he said.

"I guess," I answered, "it comes down to the question: Should people keep working at refineries during a hurricane, risking their lives so you can drive?" This question shut the man up - and I hope he's not as greedy for gas as he suggested the oil companies are for profits.

The refinery shutdown will have an effect on most Columbus residents this coming week. The city plans to reduce garbage collection to once-a-week, on Monday and Tuesday. This is even tighter than the schedule proposed at recent public forums - and again makes me glad I beat the rush, and carried my bag out last Tuesday.

But Columbus city officials say for the time being, the METRA schedule will NOT change. In a way, that's too bad - because you can't take a bus to the mall for Sunday shopping, or to the Civic Center to watch the Shrine Circus. And I seriously doubt church buses will drop you off at those places after a worship service.

(And in a comforting sign, something else has not changed this weekend. WTMQ-FM is still "Tropical 88.5" - not adding a "storm" to its name.)

Alabama Governor Bob Riley declared a "state of emergency" in the wake of Hurricane Ike - not because of minor flooding at Orange Beach, but as a precaution against gasoline price gouging. Some people must be wondering why there wasn't an emergency in May and June.

But so far, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has NOT done what he did three years ago. He hasn't suspended state gas taxes, or called for school closings. Perdue can't do one because of a tight state budget. And he can't do the other, because Superintendent Kathy Cox could afford flying to Hollywood to win one million dollars on a game show.

Have you noticed this sudden price increase is occurring as Congress prepares to resume debate on offshore oil drilling? Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss may have his own name for Hurricane Ike - the perfect storm.

"The gas price in Albany is up to $4.29," a man announced to a waiting room full of people on Buena Vista Road Friday afternoon. Trouble was, all those people were waiting to get their cars repaired -- so other prices may have been a bit more important to them at that moment.

While I can feel the pain of anyone having to fill their gas tank today, Friday was even more painful for me. I was socked with a surprise bill of more than 800 dollars, to fix rundown brakes. That's about 20 tankfuls of gas at once - and the shop didn't throw in a free stick of air freshener.

My humble Honda felt like it was in need of brake work for a few weeks. When the parking brake light comes on in the middle of a drive to work, that's a clue - and that light didn't even fix the car radio which wants to fade in and out.

The mechanics told me I needed all sorts of brake repairs, and all at once. Two rotors needed changing. And my "master cylinder" was leaking so badly, it had become a servant.

I bit the bullet and had all the brake work done - but now I'm seriously hoping for a couple of things. One: no big bills for awhile. Two: for advertisers to become so disgruntled with Richard Hyatt's web site that they rush to mine.

People in several states and at least three countries are reading our new blog about poker and life. Visit "On the Flop!"

E-MAIL UPDATE: Since we're talking about big money....

Here are some highlights from the following article:

Synovus CEO received $4.2M in 2006

--Richard E. Anthony, chairman and chief executive of financial services company Synovus received compensation in 2006 valued by the company at $4.2 million, according to a definitive proxy statement filed March 2007.

Anthony received:

1. salary of $819,000

2. incentive compensation of $1.4 million

3. restricted stock awards and stock options the company valued at $1.5 million on the date they were granted.

Anthony also received $447,929 in other compensation, including $304,119 allocated to a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, along with items such as director fees, company matching contributions under stock purchase plans, reimbursement for financial planning services, an automobile allowance, costs for personal use of corporate aircraft.

Synovus, based in Columbus, Ga., has no defined benefit pension plans and does not pay above-market interest on deferred compensation.

James H. Blanchard received $3.4 million in 2006. Blanchard, who was with the company for about 35 years, stepped down as CEO in 2005 and retired as chairman in October 2006.

Blanchard received:

1. salary of $497,992

2. incentive compensation of $871,486

3. granted restricted stock awards and options valued at $1.3 million on the date they were granted

4. Blanchard also received $659,712 in other compensation, including $309,284 allocated to a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, along with items such as director fees, company matching contributions under stock purchase plans, reimbursement for financial planning services, an automobile allowance, costs for personal use of corporate aircraft.

5. And, it may have provided Blanchard with the cost of security alarm monitoring and entertainment for his spouse during board retreats. Those costs were not itemized because they totaled less than $25,000.

6. As a retirement gift, Blanchard received a painting valued at $61,166. He was also given $28,883 to reimburse taxes owed on the gift.

Synovus also said when shareholders meet on April 25, they will vote to elect 18 directors, approve the 2007 omnibus plan and ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the company's independent auditor for 2007.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension Fund, the owner of about 5,000 shares, proposed directors to be elected by a majority of votes rather than a plurality.

Synovus' board recommended voting against the proposal, arguing that it is unnecessary and would unduly complicate the voting process.

The first thing that comes to mind from this is - why is this linked story from Boston? I found a similar summary at the Ledger-Enquirer's web site, which you can read by signing in to the newspaper's archives. Do employees fear the newspaper will track down their names, and pass them on to Synovus for the layoff list?

Then again, the Reuters report which first announced the Synovus job cuts was written by a reporter not based in Columbus, or even Atlanta -- but in Bangalore. How did someone in India find out about this first? Did some laid-off worker apply for housecleaning work at a motel?

But anyway: much of this information can be confirmed through federal securities reports. Yet the point of this e-mail seems to be that Synovus executives are making big money while they announce hundreds of job cuts. Plenty of corporations fit this description - yet Congress has yet to follow the National Football League's example, and impose salary caps.

That must be a very nice painting James Blanchard received when he left Synovus -- yet details about it are lacking, other than the price. If some gallery owner on Broadway suddenly moves into a loft at the Eagle and Phenix Apartments, that may tell us who did the work.

The forum James Blanchard organized leads to this next e-mail:

Richard, I noticed that former Congressman and House Speaker Newt Gingrich was in town to speak at the Leadership Symposium. I wonder if while he was here anyone bothered to take him by Baker High School, his alma mater, to see "What Progress Has Preserved"!

I pass by Baker High School several times a week and have noticed the "Under Contract" sign on the property for months. I thought the property was sold so I wonder why the sign has never been changed to "Sold". Usually Real Estate companies change the sign when the money has changed hands (the closing has been held). Or, has something happened and this company changed their mind like the previous buyer?

Additionally I've noticed some of the doors open with various stuff falling out the doors and graffiti being painted on the building, etc. The grass never seems to get cut and it just looks bad. So why doesn't the code enforcement for the city cite either the Muscogee County School Board or the new owners?

One new hotel opened on Victory Dr in July and two others are under construction now and a new Taco Bell opened recently. You would think that the city would be interested keeping taxpayer owned property looking presentable if they want investors to consider that area of town for new development.

It turns out the old Baker High School is on Monday night's Muscogee County School Board agenda. One item calls for an "extension of [the] inspection period" for the building. So perhaps there's some sort of delay in selling the property -- or perhaps police need a few more weeks to investigate who painted the graffiti.

We have to hold a couple of other messages for research reasons. So in the meantime, let's send some Instant Messages of our own....

+ To Georgia NAACP President Ed DuBose: You may have a valid point, complaining about police department petitions before the vote on a Public Safety Review Commission. But going to the news media about it Friday was terrible timing. People wanted to fill out petitions against oil companies instead.

+ To the Columbus Symphony Orchestra: How many people were disappointed Saturday night, when the Eroica Trio performed? How many guys misread the ads, and hoped to see an Erotica Trio instead?

+ To WRBL's Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield: Congratulations. As of Saturday night, you've accomplished the trifecta - presenting the news, weather AND sports for your station. Not even Blaine Stewart did that, and I figured sports would be right up his alley.

+ To the Auburn University football team: Three to two?! If you were playing Mississippi State in soccer, I could understand -- but then, the soccer team can only score three points when it's playing Grambling.

SCHEDULED MONDAY: The city didn't do it, and I simply can't believe it....

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