7 SEP 08: MUDDLE IN THE MIDDLE
If you heard a big sigh of relief around midday Friday, it came from the office of MidTown Inc. The staff learned one of the biggest tenants at Cross Country Plaza will NOT shut down. That's good news, since no preacher seems willing to open a storefront church there these days....
Steve & Barry's announced it will keep the Cross Country Plaza store open. But the Pepperell Corners store in Opelika will close. I'm not sure the Columbus Chamber of Commerce should brag too much about this, though -- because Opelika still has a Kroger store, and Columbus doesn't.
Steve & Barry's opened its Columbus store only last December, filling a spot left empty for years after Service Merchandise closed. If it had shut down within one year, that would have been a setback for MidTown Inc. - even bigger than having a Midtown Columbus web site address claimed by a book publisher.
Cross Country Plaza already is coping with a big move. CVS Pharmacy has a new location waiting to open on Macon Road. In fact, it's appeared ready to open for several weeks. Did some manager take that "Drugs Don't Work" luncheon the other day a bit too seriously?
On top of that, Cross Country Plaza can't even boast about being the only Columbus shopping center with two submarine sandwich shops anymore. Not since the Wal-Mart SuperCenter opened on Airport Thruway with a Subway inside -- and with Blimpie practically next door, you're more likely to have a foot-long price war.
The strip mall across from Cross Country Plaza is a bit busier these days. That's where the Muscogee County Democrats put their campaign headquarters - a short walk from the Halloween Superstore with scary costumes. Republicans probably consider that more than a coincidence....
In between those shopping centers, the old home of Pier One Imports has been leveled. I'm not sure what's being planned there - but the site seems a bit small for a new minor league baseball stadium.
Midtown Inc. is doing what it can to improve that part of Columbus. One proposal is to extend the name "Wynnton Road" farther east, replacing Macon Road. Let's face it - when was the last time YOU traveled to Macon by driving past the T.J. Maxx on Macon Road?
But even along Wynnton Road, there are signs of a tight economy. El Zapata on 18th Avenue has posted a sign on its door, saying it now has a limit of two baskets of chips for customers - one when you sit down, the second when you order. I've seen local poker nights with more liberal chip rules than this....
E-MAIL UPDATE: A couple of Friday items moved a reader to reply....
Hey Richard, I know you are for real..You post my comments word for word..
Bill Heard is a decent guy,it is the salesmen his managers hire that are bringing him down. However,being the top of the chain of command has draw backs...
That's not merely a problem for Bill Heard. The general manager of Carl Gregory Chrysler in Albany was arrested the other day on theft charges. He's accused of keeping the down payments of customers, instead of applying them to the price of cars. So when he talked to staff members about "first down, second down," it may not have been about football.
Another reader is still watching one particular branch of city government....
Corruption in Columbus?
What about the Development Authority's recommendations that are rubber stamped by the Tax Assessors office?
1. Council Appoints the Tax Assessors
2. Council Appoints the Development Authority
3. The Development Authority recommends Hundreds of millions of tax exemptions for businesses including those owned by the council members and their employers (could this be a conflict of interest?-like with Glenn Davis and his millions in exemptions)---and the tax assessors rubber stamp it
4. The tax exemptions are supposed to be for ½ of the taxes assessed--however---are they are getting 100% through inflated values of the businesses
5. Is what they are doing criminal?
6. Check it out---this way
Look at the amount a company has gotten in tax exemptions --take 10 M as an example
From the Columbus Annex Bldg. Permit Office & records room get:
1. fair market value of a structure
2. add to that the purchase price of the land- If these add up to about 5 M based=== on some figures we have, it has
If they got a ½ exemption at 10M-- and they have a 5M total value- then they are getting a 100% exemption on false numbers--on the above values. Then something is wrong--and it involves many offices and many people.
The DA must sign off on it and the Superior Court must file it.
Pause for thought!
Regular folks need to know. It is critical. Are the tax payers becoming private investors in the inflated tax exemptions promoted by the Development Authority?
After reading over this analysis, I'm thankful for one thing. I'm glad I didn't buy a house with a sub-prime mortgage - because the fine print would have puzzled me every bit as much, and I would have lost a lot of money.
I'll let other people get out their large-sized calculators, if they want to respond to this. Instead, we'll move on to some other weekend headlines....
+ Local Red Cross emergency shelters set up for Hurricane Gustav closed. We're not exactly saying goodbye to the evacuees from Louisiana - because we've seen the track for Hurricane Ike, and they might be back in a few days.
+ The Fraternal Order of Police hosted a candidate forum. Several Columbus Councilors and challengers opposed giving a citizens' review panel expanded powers, to investigate complaints involving public safety. They're apparently trusting reporters at the Ledger-Enquirer to do this instead.
+ Georgia School Superintendent Kathy Cox appeared on Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader," and became the game show's first million-dollar winner. Now if she can arrange for her questions to appear on the CRCT exams next year....
+ A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new auditorium at Northside High School. At last Jeff Foxworthy will have a big enough place to perform near his Harris County land -- and big enough for all the "rednecks" to buy tickets and watch.
+ The rock band Bowling for Soup performed at Fort Benning. The soldiers must have been overjoyed, to find a group eating on a level below MRE's.
+ Country singer Luke Bryan brought out a big crowd at the Phenix City Amphitheater. So when can we start some rumors in the tabloids, connecting him to Taylor Swift?
+ Dougherty demolished Kendrick 41-6 in high school football. It was a Columbus homecoming for Dougherty head coach Charles Flowers - and despite all his critics, Flowers was smart enough NOT to come back for a game against Carver.
+ Alabama struggled to top Tulane 20-6 in college football. The Tide had two injured starting offensive linemen, an injured kicker - and quarterback John Parker Wilson was sacked so often, I feared he'd start staggering like Ken Stabler at a traffic stop.
+ Instant Message to everyone who makes fun of Canada: That country's Prime Minister reportedly will call a national election today, and hold it in five weeks. We've been holding votes for President for eight months, and it's still not settled. You tell me which form of government is more efficient.
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