28 APR 09: The Frozen Fountain City
So you thought things were getting warmer in Columbus. Monday's news told us otherwise. Columbus is now a city in a freeze - and it's a little suspicious that it happened as "Disney on Ice" left town.
Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley confirmed the government is under a hiring freeze until the end of June. Republicans across the city heard this news and said, "What took them so long?!"
The City Manager explained a hiring freeze was imposed because tax revenue took a big drop in February. WRBL reported one part of city sales taxes was down nearly 30 percent from last year. I never imagined an extra day for leap year would make such a big difference....
Isaiah Hugley says overall, Columbus city revenue is down seven percent from last fiscal year. It's a bit hard to feel sorry about that when your retirement plan's revenue is down about 25 percent.
But there's one area of city government that is exempt from the hiring freeze. Guess which one. Yup, the police department. Let's hope some of these new officers have backgrounds in sewer repair -- because we might need them there.
The "streets and safety" sales tax money from January is not included in the city's monthly revenue reports, because it was not part of the budget for this fiscal year. Officials seem to be making extra-sure that money is kept separate. Why, it's probably not even kept in a box inside the police evidence room.
The City Manager hinted the city hiring freeze could continue beyond the end of June. He says much depends on the revenue reports for March and April. But please, do NOT attempt to go out and buy something with a backdated check.
Isaiah Hugley says the city's financial approach right now is one of "precaution," as opposed to panic. If you see a city official doing the opposite, please let us know. For instance, if they're standing in line for Mega Millions tickets today....
The news about a hiring freeze makes the next Columbus Council meeting on Thursday a bit more interesting. Mayor Wetherington is scheduled to unveil his budget proposal for fiscal 2010. Will he call for any city programs to be cut? Will city employees be asked to clean their own restrooms, so prison inmates are free to install street lights?
BLOG UPDATE: Our apologies to the man who urged us to go to federal court Monday, to get details on the Ritmo Latino raid. Any ol' journalist can pick that up. But there was free chicken out there, waiting for the taking - and a single guy's gotta do what a single guy's gotta do....
So in the 1:00 p.m. hour, we drove to the KFC in downtown Phenix City. Our goal was to take advantage of the offer of one free piece of grilled chicken. But the staff admitted to a long line it was out of grilled chicken. So our plan to "unthink" turned out to be unlucky.
The woman at the 13th and Broad Street KFC offered an alternative: one free piece of original fried chicken. That didn't thrill several people in the line, but we took advantage of it. Only when we returned home, out box had a leg which looked like it came from Chicken Little.
Undaunted in our grilled chicken hunt, we drove across the river to the downtown Columbus KFC. While the Phenix City location had a long drive-through line, the parking lot at Ninth and Veterans Parkway was practically deserted. But we know this neighborhood, and suspected the KFC might have been held up again.
Much to our surprise, the downtown Columbus KFC wasn't even selling grilled chicken. "You can get it anywhere but here," the woman behind the counter said. If all else fails and the grilled version somehow gives people swine flu, part of the restaurant chain still will survive.
We walked to our car empty-handed, but laughing at this adventure. This promotion was turning into a Kentucky Fried Nightmare. And I couldn't believe Chester's Barbecue was the only restaurant allowed to have grilling smoke close to the Government Center.
Our third try for grilled chicken turned out to be successful. There was plenty of it waiting at the KFC on South Lumpkin Road. The server even offered to add a biscuit for only 50 cents. Wow - she out-lowballed me for a cheap lunch.
We took out free grilled chicken home, and found it had that slightly-blackened taste you expect from something on a grill. But how did wind up nearly as greasy in our hands as KFC's fried chicken? Is this "Earth Day" chicken -- marinated in recycled oil?
Oh yes -- meanwhile back at the courthouse, Jose Ricci joined a brother and sister in entering NOT guilty pleas. They're accused of using the Ritmo Latino club to launder cocaine money. That accusation sounds strange, doesn't it? Powder cocaine is very white to begin with....
The evening news revealed Jose Ricci's brother Diego is currently in prison in Texas. He was found guilty last year of "possession of an illegal substance, with intent to deliver." Wow - possession alone isn't enough in Texas?! You have to take business away from Federal Express?!
Let's see what else we can deliver from the Monday news....
+ A statewide tour stopped in Columbus, promoting motorcycle safety awareness. At first I admittedly misunderstood this, and thought it was simply about "motorcycle awareness." I'm very aware of motorcycles - especially when they race up the bridge outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night.
+ The manager of Valley Lanes in Phenix City said looters have stolen bowling balls and bowling pins since last week's tornado. Police are on the lookout for people practicing spares in their driveways.
+ Christian radio station WFRC-FM spent an eighth day off the air due to tornado damage. If WFXE "Foxie 105" was able to get back on the air in only two days, does that mean this storm was NOT an "act of God?"
+ The latest Columbus TV switch became official, as The CW network moved to WLTZ's 38.2 digital channel. WLGA TV-66 showed a variety of replacement shows - including a dumbed-down version of "Deal or No Deal" at 5:00 p.m. Yes, it's dumbed-down. The names of models are attached to the briefcases.
(Did I see it right - WLTZ celebrated the launch of The CW by bringing two Spencer High School cheerleaders into the studio? Let's be thankful they did NOT recreate a scene from "Sex and the City.")
+ The Atlanta Hawks mashed Miami 81-71 to even their N.B.A. playoff series. But Hawks announcer Steve Holman stole the show again on WEAM-AM, suggesting the referees were getting phone calls from the league office to be biased toward Miami and Dwyane Wade. Holman probably spends his off-seasons working on political "truth squads."
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