6 MAY 09: How They'll Spend Their Summer Vacation

Now that was unusual Tuesday evening -- a unanimous vote by the Muscogee County School Board. And it was something serious, as opposed to honoring a state essay contest winner....

The Muscogee County School Board voted unanimously to put the one-percent sales tax question on the ballot 15 September. The board voted on Cinco de Mayo, and the voter referendum occurs on the eve of Mexican Independence Day. So maybe Mimi Woodson is serving in the wrong governmental body.

The school board set a budget for money from the school SPLOST at $223 million. WRBL reports Superintendent Susan Andrews tried to reduce the budget by $24 million, but was rejected. This board clearly learned its lesson from the administration building - and it's planning for cost overruns right now.

The vote on the school SPLOST referendum came after the last in a series of public forums across Muscogee County. People at a Monday night forum reportedly expressed concern about schools being in disrepair. That meeting was held at Baker Middle School - and if they think that school is bad, they should walk over to the old one down the street.

Superintendent Susan Andrews told the last-night news all the response to the proposed one-percent school sales tax has been positive. Is that really a surprise? Opponents of the tax realize they weren't going to be able to talk Andrews out of it.

We noted several weeks ago the Superintendent is blogging, in conjunction with the SPLOST forums. A check of the comments Tuesday night found not everyone there seems to support the sales tax. One writer recently called a proposed new fine arts magnet academy "completely ridiculous." It sure worked on network TV about 30 years ago....

Superintendent Susan Andrews seems to dismiss other objections to the school sales tax by using the "that was then, this is now" excuse. The last superintendent and school board made those alleged mistakes with spending. Which leads me to wonder - has Dr. John Phillips become so ashamed by those comments that he's moved out of town?

The list of projects to be funded by a school SPLOST still isn't final. But the school board already has decided the top priority is a new Carver High School. Jordan High School would have to settle for an upgraded auditorium - while the principal appeals for Dick McMichael to remember his alma mater in his will.

It's curious to me that three of the 12 projects on the proposed SPLOST "Room to Learn" list involve athletics. The top item listed is air conditioning for all school gyms -- which I suppose will help athletes learn the skills to gain college scholarships.

The "school sales tax" wish list even has a line for "museum upgrades." Beyond the Columbus Museum, I'm not sure what that means -- unless the old Bradley Library is going to come full-circle, and display historic books.

Since this is an off-year for elections, I expect the SPLOST question to dominate the local political discussion this summer. In fact, the "back-to-school" selling job may last more than a month after the new term begins.

Now for some other highlights from Cinco de Mayo -- and with kudos to the Ledger-Enquirer, for jokingly calling it "Margarita Appreciation Day":

+ Columbus Council held a hearing on the fiscal 2010 budget proposal. A close look at the plan shows it includes money for nine new 911 dispatchers, to direct all the new police officers. Now hold on here - does this mean Mayor Wetherington expects crime reports to increase? I thought the officers are supposed to bring just the opposite...

(The Ledger-Enquirer reports the budget plan also includes a $16,000 raise for Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower. He's apparently ready to pronounce the recession dead at the end of June.)

+ The Auburn City Council called on Councilor Arthur Dowdell to apologize for plucking up several Confederate battle flags from a cemetery. Dowdell apologized for any "misunderstanding" of his actions, but NOT the actions themselves. In that same spirit, I hereby apologize for you not getting some of my jokes.

+ Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed a bill imposing larger fines on "super speeders." Well, it's about time! We need to bring those NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway under control....

(Governor Perdue was joined at the signing ceremony by a celebrity speeder - Andre 3000 of the musical group Outkast. You must be crazy to think you can drive as fast as your name.)

+ WLTZ interviewed former Hardaway High runner Eric Plump, who now is on the Savannah State University track team. But c'mon - a man named Plump is a runner?! With that name, he ought to be competing in the shot put....

+ Cleveland clobbered Atlanta 99-72 in the first game of the N.B.A. Eastern Conference semifinals. I didn't realize until Tuesday that Hawks assistant Mark Price is officially the team "shooting coach." Does this mean somebody else teaches players how to dribble between their legs?

+ Instant Message to the man who told Macon police he was robbed by two other men, while playing basketball at a park: The lesson here is obvious - avoid those double-teams.

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