17 SEP 08: BACK FROM THE BRINK

The weather was nice in Columbus Tuesday. Maybe that was the problem - it was TOO nice, because our InBox received all sorts of complaints about other things. It was almost like our readers were warming up for that Fort Benning "warfighting conference" at the Trade Center....

A few of the complaints concerned the fuel crunch Columbus is facing - or at least what governmental organizations are facing. Take this e-mail for starters:

Hey Richard,

I would like to know something. The city is said to have shut down the gas pumps to everyone except public safety vehicles, trash trucks, and county school buses. Does that mean that the mayor, city manager and all the other city vehicle drivers had to pay for their own gas to get to work and home on their own?

I am doubting that this restriction is as strict as they make it out on the news. I can't believe that this would be enforced by anyone either.

Thanks!!

The restrictions took place at the city fuel station on Schatulga Road. But really now - do you think Mayor Jim Wetherington and City Manager Isaiah Hugley would drive all the way to the east edge of town to fill up their cars? These are busy men, you know. And the city landfill doesn't need inspecting that often, to justify the trip.

Perhaps this e-mailer wanted us to head out on yet another blog investigation. We'd park our car outside the Schatulga Road fuel pumps - and when a vehicle showed up, we'd ambush the driver with critical questions: "What department do you work for? How much are you paying for fuel? Have you ever banked with Synovus? What's the interest rate on your checking account?"

But thankfully, this issue became a moot point Tuesday. City Manager Isaiah Hugley announced an agreement had been worked out to assure diesel fuel deliveries would continue for city vehicles. That means trash pickup WILL occur Thursday and Friday after all - and as a result, the only plumes of smoke in Columbus should come from barbecue restaurants.

Along with that e-mail came a reply to the news that Muscogee County Schools were low on fuel for buses:

I want an all out community war against the board on this one. DON'T SHORTEN THE SCHOOL WEEK. STOP BUILDING THE ADMIN BUILDING AND PAY FOR THE GAS TO GET THE KIDS TO SCHOOL!!!!!!! JUST HOW STUPID IS OUR BOARD GOING TO PROVE THEMSELVES TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR ONCE PUT THE STUDENTS FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmm -- do you think this response is a little bit emotional?

The suggestion that construction money be moved to pay for school bus fuel sounds simple, but I don't think it works that way. Isn't the administration building being built with specially-assigned SPLOST sales tax money -- which can be used ONLY for that purpose? Or do you mean school bus drivers should siphon fuel out of the construction equipment on Macon Road?

Thankfully, this issue was resolved Tuesday as well. WRBL reported the Muscogee County Schools will receive a diesel fuel shipment today, so buses can keep running for the rest of the week. Of course, this assumes a tanker truck isn't hijacked by desperate drivers in the middle of Mississippi....

But these two cases raise a question in my mind. How have surrounding cities such as Phenix City and Opelika avoided cuts in service so far - or even warnings that cuts might happen? Did some city official decide where Hurricane Ike would land by throwing a dart at a map?

The rest of us must keep waiting for gas prices to come down. Well, we SHOULD keep waiting. The Tuesday night news reported a couple of convenience stores in Columbus were robbed. Simply because YOU feel robbed at the pump does not allow you to get even.

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue released a statement Tuesday, with gas-saving trips for residents. One of them calls for "keeping tires properly inflated...."
This may prove once and for all Perdue is still deep-down a Barack Obama Democrat.

Thanks to an executive order from Governor Perdue, gas prices have been frozen across Georgia since Friday night. But some were frozen at extremely high levels. A Bronwood, Georgia convenience store is at $5.69 per gallon - and the owner says she's only making 22 cents a gallon profit. Well, from the people unfortunate enough to have their tanks run out in Bronwood....

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: Another reader offers a different item from Monday's Muscogee County School Board meeting....

Hey Richard,



Look into the "retirement" of the principal for Rigdon Road Elementary. You might find out some very interesting facts.



Thanks

The agenda of the school board listed several "resignations/retirements," including Phyllis Jones. It listed names, but nothing more. And I seriously doubt the school district would let me check her personnel file -- especially if they don't let us know how high school football players score on graduation exams.

I'm sorry, but this message is the last straw. Have you read the box at the top of the blog recently? It says we offer "often-humorous views on life." Yet in recent weeks this HUMOR blog has been asked to examine a reported beating at the County Jail, a convicted thief, the interest rates of city government funds, possible racial pandering in an election - and now this. I know the Ledger-Enquirer has cut staff, but really....

Perhaps I put myself in this position, by attempting to be "fair and balanced." If someone makes an accusation here, I feel an obligation to get a response from the accused. Most of the time, the accused can't turn the tables because the accuser is anonymous. Isn't it nice to see what Guantanamo Bay's holding cells have inspired?

These investigations are NOT what this blog set out to do, when we began 5.7 years ago. Yet increasingly, it seems to be what readers expect us to do. And these requests weren't even made of the hosts of Talkline, when that program was on WRCG -- although on that show, you figured out after awhile who the accusers were by their voices.

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION wants to settle this matter. Which way do you want this blog to go? Do you want the humor emphasis to continue - or do you want the jokes to stop, so we do nothing but investigate your questions and accusations? Admittedly some might see this as a choice between "The Simpsons" and "The X-Files" - but there it is....

While we wait for your direction, let's check some other Tuesday news:

+ Did we mention the weather was nice? The high in Columbus was only 82 degrees F. I may have turned on the air conditioner for the last time this year - but of course, that means the off-season for copper theft is over.

+ A public hearing was held in Cusseta on improving transportation in southwest Georgia. One proposal would expand Interstate 185 beyond Fort Benning - but which direction should it go? Plains has the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. But Westville might be ready to include an interstate, and upgrade its farm to around 1950.

+ The annual "Doughboy Awards" for the infantry were presented by Fort Benning. One of these years, the chief executive of Pillsbury HAS to receive this....

+ Former Brookstone High School and Seattle Seahawks running back Mack Strong was named to the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame. And to think for all these years, I thought that name only applied to a shipping truck.

(Bill Jordan of Realtree Outdoors was named to the Hall of Fame as well. There may have to be an exception made for his section - with flashing lights pointing it out, because it will blend into the scenery so well.)

+ WLTZ meteorologist Julie Martin interrupted her "First Weather" report to admit a wasp was flying around her. This is why forecasters still should use pointers at the weather maps -- because they can double as fencing swords, to fight off attacks.

+ Instant message to WRBL's Steve Garrett: I should congratulate you, too. I notice you're now a "meteorologist," after all those months of simply being a "forecaster." May you cherish that signed certificate by Bob Jeswald for years to come....

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The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

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