14 FEB 05: SYNO-VISION

Imagine going to Columbus Bank and Trust, and finding a TV lounge with Internet computers. Top managers say that day is coming - which sounds to me like the wait for loan approval could become even longer.

Synovus Financial was the subject of a lengthy article the other day in the Atlanta newspaper business section. It disclosed a $10 million renovation plan is in the works, to change the look of all its bank branches. We don't know how many will get those handcrafted tables, showing details of Columbus history.

Synovus President Richard Anthony told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the branch makeover will include several new things. Quoting from the article:

+ "Self-service kiosks." I remember when these things were called deposit slip tables.

+ "More open floor space." For $10 million, I'm not sure you can buy much marble flooring.

+ "Coffee bars." Now here's a big change! Years ago, banks gave you coffee-makers when you opened accounts.

+ "Lounges where customers can watch television or surf the Web while they wait." And if CNBC announces a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, you'll know it's time to leave.

Richard Anthony says the new look of Synovus banks such as CB&T will include bank personnel "walking the floor," and acting "as concierges." You could make a TV show out of this: "Extreme Makeover: Security Guard Edition."

Another Synovus executive explained the changes are needed because bank branches have been built with employees in mind, as opposed to customers. But really now - are bank customers asking for Internet computers to use? And what if they browse around, and find another bank has a better mortgage deal?

In other areas, Synovus plans to put its corporate logo on all its ATM's across the South. But we're told the names of community banks across Georgia will NOT change. It's tempting to offer a two-word response to that promise - Rich's-Macy's....

I didn't realize until I read this article that Synovus is the second-largest banking company in Georgia, in terms of assets. Imagine if it ever becomes number-one - the Synovus sign above the Riverwalk might go atop the building, and start blinking.

E-MAIL UPDATE: The rush of public safety messages seems to have eased in the last few days. Maybe that means everyone is back to doing their jobs as usual - the police officers, the Columbus Council members, and especially the e-mail writers.

We have a few leftover public safety e-mails to clear from the InBox. We begin with the now-famous "IsOurCitySafe," who obviously has cable TV:

I was watching City Council on television the other day when I began to notice that they had spent almost twenty or more minutes discussing how to better the process for the citizens of Columbus to complain about Police services. I tried to remember a time when they spent that much time discussing how to retain experienced officers, provide better pay, offer better retirement and other benefits. You know what? I don't think I have ever seen them spend even a quarter of that amount of time trying to figure out how to solve any of the problems with the Police Dept. I keep hearing that we have a plan for this and a plan for that. The truth of the matter is that there is no plan. CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT CARE! Have you ever thought about what would happen if a school shooting occurred? If you ask the Mayor, he will tell you that we have a plan. My question to the Mayor would be...Well sir, I understand that we have a plan to go in and get this school shooter. How are we going to go into a school and save the children when we don't have the equipment, there are only 12 Police Officers in the entire city, and we still have to answer 911 calls while saving the children? Are we going to call in off duty Police Officers to help? Good luck with that sir because moral is so low in the department, you aren't going to get any officers to come in on their off time to help out unless is it one of their children in the school. This is just one example of incidents that could occur that we aren't prepared for. But our fine city government says we have a plan. Would you please inform the Police of the plan because we aren't aware of any plan. So I ask the question...ISOURCITYSAFE?

Our writer seems to have an awfully short memory - because he/she spread an e-mail last month about off-duty officer McCarty actually stopping a kidnapping from a Columbus school. [23 Jan]

Perhaps IsOurCitySafe missed the analysis of public safety pay and benefits because it's more likely to occur away from Columbus Council meetings. Isn't that sort of thing done in private discussions in the City Manager's office -- with the ripping apart coming outside the Government Center, at a news conference?

As for "what would happen if a school shooting occurred" - I recall seeing local law officers doing drills over the years, to prepare for that very thing. Of course, all the officers we saw were AT the school. Their worried spouses might be at the 911 call center, staffing the phones to make sure they're OK.

From the same source comes another e-mail anecdote:

People are obviously talking about the cities problems. This citizen approached me out of the blue while I was out on a call at Walmart:

Giving the City Council more money with which to work would not necessarily solve our problem. They have not been good stewards of the money they have had to use in the past. They have lied to the citizens of Columbus about the amount of money that was available to get a sales tax passed and then suddenly discovered $14,000,000.00, they didn't know they had the week before. The first thing needed to straighten out the problems in public safety is honesty among the city leaders.

Now let's be fair - haven't YOU discovered money you didn't realize you had? The Government Center has all sorts of chairs and copying machines, where loose change can hide.

So what can be done to improve the lot of public safety workers? Our next e-mail goes quite a bit into detail:

i just received an email from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous...their response is as follows...i understand that this was put up to a vote and turned down but...

i am pretty sure, Columbus is the only city in the country that grandfathers (locks) property tax rates. I know it is on residential, and knowing the mentality, it could be on private and corporate as well. If the tax rate was changed to charge accordingly for property value on all citizens, in line with today's standard for surrounding cities of our size, the amount of money collected would more than settle the cities financial concerns. Case in point, he pays $1900 a year and it has been unchanged for 6 years. His neighbor residing for 17 years, similar property worth, pays $600 a year, year after year.

Done right, economic, sick and age exemptions could be attached to protect the less fortunate, sick and aged from an increased burden.

several other suggestions that i have pondered:

1. the super cars (fully equipped patrol cars) supposedly fully funded by the last splost. were they budgeted as a whole or just the vehicle without the equipment. Several new cars are on the street with outdated sirens, cages, and lights that were salvaged from previous fleet. Where is the extra money going from these parts that were budgeted for? Also, it is widely known that you get what you pay for. The video / audio systems are faulty, having to be placed in the shop on a regular basis. The audio feature is almost non existent. Of course it wasn't a concern until the Kenny walker shooting when city council was shocked that they could not hear what was on the video... The AVL (automatic vehicle locater) doesn't work. It is the norm that when attempting to activate this feature, it shows that the car is still in the parking garage or at the officers home. Some may try to say that it is not being activated properly, try it and you will see...

2. Why did the city invest in the Chevy impala as a patrol car? whomever was in on this, did they do their homework. Michigan St. Police, the leaders in the field of research, have done study after study on which vehicle holds up the best. Yes, the Ford crown Victoria cost more up front, but in the long run, with durability and functionality, it is cheaper. Also, maintenance is cheaper on the crown vic. the impala just will not hold up to the wear and tear of the daily activities of a patrol vehicle. Also, with all the equipment that we carry, it is nearly impossible to place anything else in the rear of the impala...for those of you that have one as a personal vehicle, do you have a donut spare tire or a full size? I am not saying that they are not good personal or administrative vehicles, just not patrol vehicles.

3. nearly every officer that has a supercar, has experienced this, nothing is more frustrating than having to start you work week by jump starting your patrol car because the battery is dead. The supposed experts advised the city "experts" that at least a second battery or larger alternator was needed to run the extra electrical equipment installed in the vehicle. Of course our "experts" thought otherwise. Again, was this feature included in the budget for the supercar?

4. why does the city allow its officers to wear equipment that is shown to be flawed? i.e, second chance body armor. they have recently declared bankruptcy because of a flaw, yet we continue outfitting our officers. has the city done any research on the safety of the body armor that it uses, and provide it to the officer to ease their concerns.

5. why is it that the only time the city council darkens the doorsteps of the public safety building is during election time? this goes back to my original suggestion, why do they not ride along. as a citizen i find it interesting that they refuse to even ride in the district that they represent.

6. why is the department still preforming funeral processions? don't the funeral homes charge the families for this, yet we take an officer off the street to provide this escort. It doesn't seem like a lot but there would be at least one more officer on the streets today if the police department did not escort funeral for free. why can't this be handled as a part time job....

7. why does the city continue to detail officers to manage the traffic at the fair...yet, those working inside the venue are doing so as a part time job, paid for by the fair. if the city forced the fair to hire off duty officer to handle the traffic think of the extra money that could be saved. or is this a case of the city charging the fair an exorbitant fee then paying the officers overtime.

8. why can't the city do like others and pay officers a percentage over their base pay who speak a second language. there are several nights that no one on the streets speak Spanish. if the city gave an incentive to the officers to speak a second language then we could provide a better service to the citizens.

9. not really a suggestion but, have you thought about this...because officers are working long hours to make ends meet do you think that they are taking care of themselves physically, not to mention do you think they have a chance to eat properly. yes, we have an over abundance of the stereotypical round officers who dine on fast food and donuts. but do you think that they are getting any physical exercise other than cinching up the gun belt or getting in and out of the car. not really a concern of city council right...now what happens when this out of shape officer gets in a foot chase, gets in a fight, or simply gets injured on the job. when you are not in good shape you take longer to recover, thus you are out of work longer and disability rates rise. so does the cost of health insurance. Now you have an officer that is not only injured but receives disability from the city, and they are paying a percentage of his/her health costs since this happened on duty. this is a hidden cost that very few think about until the family pays the ultimate cost...loss of a loved one from assault, injury, or health problems...

now for the question, the department has a budget for salaries for a full staff top to bottom. for years, there has been up to 40 shortages thoughout the police department alone. most of the time it is an average of about 20 a year. where is the money budgeted for those salaries going? and why is it when there is a budget crunch, and there is something the city wants they find the money for it, yet everything else is heaved on the backs of the citizens....

Uh-oh -- someone suggesting an end to the Columbus property tax freeze. Isn't that a little like the President suggesting changes to Social Security?

I didn't realize our police officers were riding in squad cars with "outdated sirens." What's the new thing in sirens for 2005? Can police play Green Day's "American Idiot" as they pull over a dumb criminal?

It's truly a problem when a police AVL isn't working properly. But if Columbus city officials negotiate properly, perhaps they can work out an alternative -- and get a group car discount from OnStar.

When it comes to using Impalas as patrol cars instead of Crown Victorias, this sounds like a good old "Columbus business" decision. After all, Bill Heard has dealerships from here to Arizona -- and it simply wouldn't look good for tourists to come to town and see police not supporting someone so famous.

Don't forget the safety questions that have surrounded Ford police cars in other cities, and which national newscasts have mentioned for years. Do "Crown Vics" lead to officers being "Vics" - as in victims?

Someone else suggested by e-mail that Columbus Councilors ride along with police officers on a busy shift. Muscogee County Judge Doug Pullen did this 30 years ago, as an Assistant District Attorney. I know this because Cascade Hills Pastor Bill Purvis had him say so on videotape recently - and I don't think Purvis plans to enter politics at all.

Talk about a touchy suggestion - no police handling funeral processions?! In Columbus, some of those processions might start rolling so fast that officers will have to show up to handle wrecks....

Bonus pay for speaking a second language is an interesting idea. Of course, officers might gain a different sort of fringe benefit - free dinners at El Carrizo restaurant.

We know plenty of police officers are in good physical condition, because we've seen them put to the test at the Georgia Police and Fire Games. Let's face it: the obstacle course runs look a lot more interesting on TV than the police billiard and bowling tournaments....

Now other fun and games from a springlike Sunday:

+ Seven buildings from the World War Two era were rolled from Fort Benning to the site of the new National Infantry Museum. Until the museum is ready to open, those buildings will make excellent hideouts for homeless veterans.

+ WCGT-TV 16 presented the live talk show "Out of Order." Host Nate Sanderson proved he was in charge, by banging a gavel on the talk show table! I can't wait to see former Judge Roxann Daniel fill in, when he goes on vacation.

(Nate Sanderson renamed North Korea's dictator several times, calling him "Lil' Kim!" I shudder at the thought of Kim Jung Il wearing a miniskirt....)

+ An annual celebrity quail hunt in Albany featured an appearance by TV's "Beaver," Jerry Mathers. This had to be a challenge - because if he shot over the daily limit, he couldn't blame any of it on Eddie Haskell.

+ The 47^th annual Grammy Awards featured an all-star cast singing "Sweet Home Alabama," and a performance by the Blind Boys of Alabama. Yet once again, the "Million Dollar Band" from Tuscaloosa was snubbed....

+ Instant Message to arena football's Philadelphia Soul: What do you mean, quarterback Tony Graziani is a "special player?" When he was with the Atlanta Falcons, he was a third-string player on a so-so team.

COMING TUESDAY: Why I'm avoiding the most obvious topic for this day.... and an e-mail complaint about the new library....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

13 FEB 05: GOING TWO-WIDE

After a couple of chilly, windy days, Saturday night brought a sure sign that spring is on the way. No, not the mild weather. Not even the discovery of a couple of weeds in a neighbor's yard. It was the fact that stock cars were racing at Daytona.

The "Bud Shootout" which doesn't really count marked the start of a new NASCAR era in Columbus. If you dialed around the radio and couldn't find the race, that's because it moved from AM to FM -which still beats having to pay to hear it on XM.

After years of NASCAR races on Clear Channel AM stations such as WSHE, NASCAR has moved to WKCN "Kissin' 99.3" FM. Yet this station kept calling itself "Continuous Country" throughout the Bud Shootout! I guess they stay country during races is through sportscaster Barney Hull speaking sloppy English.

A coupon mailing I received the other day declared Kissin' 99.3 "Columbus's home for the Nextel Cup Series Racing." But country music competitor WSTH "Rooster 106" claims it's going to broadcast NASCAR races, too. And the only way you can hear East Alabama Motor Speedway races is by parking close to the track.

So what's going on here? Kissin' 99.3 will have NASCAR races from the Motor Racing Network, while Rooster 106 will carry races from the Performance Racing Network. You'll have to dial back and forth each weekend to find it - and if you get fed up with this, "Rock 103" in the middle will be waiting for you.

The Performance Racing Network handles NASCAR races at tracks owned by Bruton Smith. This includes Atlanta Motor Speedway, so Rooster 106 will handle the races there in March. Now if they'll only name an "official chicken restaurant" of the broadcasts....

I suspect some people turn on the NASCAR radio broadcasts while they watch races on TV, so they don't miss anything when the telecasts go to commercials. But FM listeners are bound to be disappointed by one thing - the radio networks don't shut up so you can "crank it up," the way Fox does.

By the way, it was nice to see Georgia's Bill Elliott in the Bud Shootout. This season marks 20 years since he made history by winning the "Winston Million." Due to all the tobacco lawsuits, I'm not sure Winston has a million dollars left today to spend on that sort of thing.

BLOG-BLAH-BLAH: We're seeking suggestions on what to name the successor to the Boom Boom Room. The owner plans to open a club near South Lumpkin Road -- which inspired this e-mail:

Though this is probably close to reality, the owner won't like it:

The Lump Dump or Dump on the Lump

Regards,

Ed Joyce

Watch out there, Ed - you risk Lump-ing together a lot of other businesses here.

(Come to think of it, Columbus has both North Lumpkin and South Lumpkin Roads - so does this mean our city prefers two Lumps instead of one?)

Now let's risk taking some lumps of our own, by sending Instant Messages:

+ To Columbus Regional Healthcare: Congratulations on opening the John B. Amos Cancer Center Saturday. I'm glad you had the good sense not to build TWO buildings with curves bulging toward Veterans Parkway - if (ahem) you know what I mean....

+ To Tate Furniture: Thank you for daring to do what no other business did for years. I was starting to think the old Wal-Mart building on the 280 Bypass in Phenix City was under a curse.

+ To Cheryl Cloud at the Russell County Jail: Yes, I know you're innocent of murder until proven guilty. But c'mon - six children with six different fathers?! Are you trying to get on the Maury Povich Show or something?

+ To Eufaula Mayor Jay Jaxon: Instead of lobbying to rename your city "Lake Eufaula," how about lobbying to rename the lake after the late Tom Mann? He helped make that lake famous. Besides, Oklahoma has a Eufaula Lake of its own.

+ To Auburn sportscaster Rod Bramblett: When you shout "Feelin' It!" during a basketball game, should I assume a Tiger player made a shot - or is analyst Damian Fishback kicking you in the shins?

+ To St. Luke United Methodist Church: About that "Sex and the Bible" series you're starting tonight for college students - are you going to do things in that order?

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

11 FEB 05: SCOTT'S ISSUES

The gas tank was full, after stopping at Summit. How ironic -- for as I parked my car and got out at home Thursday afternoon, I met a man the size of a small mountain.

"Can you give me a ride across the bridge?" he asked walking across the avenue. Then he added: "I need to get to Hurtsboro." That's a town at the west edge of Russell County - and one long way across the bridge.

I was willing to give this stranger a ride - which I suppose was Mistake #1 on my part. Columbus Police warned several months ago against doing this, because a killer of several people was on the loose. I don't think that suspect's been arrested - but then the current 2005 homicide count stands at Phenix City 2, Columbus 1.

Before I allowed the man to enter my car, I required a weapon check for safety's sake. He wasn't carrying anything - and a check of his bulging waistline showed it wasn't simply an extra-large sweatshirt he was wearing. That was all really his stomach.

The stranger climbed into the passenger seat of my humble Honda, and truly filled it. Instead of a trip to Hurtsboro, this man could have used a ride to Albany -- since at least THAT city is going to have arena football come April.

My guest claimed other people down the street wanted two or three dollars to give him a ride to Hurtsboro. He seemed a bit surprised that I was willing to give him a ride for free. Then again, I let people read this blog all the time - and THEY all do it for free.

"I need to pick up my clothing," the man said as I backed out of the parking spot. Uh-oh. I quickly pulled back into the spot, and put on the brake. I've had roommates and their buddies pull this on me over the years - as the one place they need to go turns into enough stops for a late-night city bus line.

"Before we go any further, where else are we going?" I asked my passenger with admittedly a touch of annoyance. "We're getting your clothes, we're going to Hurtsboro - and what else?"

"That's it," the man assured me. I explained as we restarted the trip I don't like people "piling on" extra stops - which may explain why I haven't gone shopping with any women in a long time.

"My name's Scott," said my guest offering his left hand. I was driving, so I didn't offer a handshake. And as I normally do with beggars, I did NOT tell them my name. Gifts seem purer to me when they're anonymous - although I'd want Publishers Clearing House to identify itself if they come to my door with the $10 million check.

We stopped the car about three blocks from my home, so Scott could get his clothing. I remembered stopping at this Sixth Street house before - several years ago, after an older man barely able to speak knocked on my door at 9:30 one night with a five-foot-tall bag filled with clothes. How DO people lose their way walking from the laundromat?

After waiting a moment, Scott came out of the house with a letter-sized brown envelope. If his clothing was in here, the envelope might have held a T-shirt and a pair of briefs - and as big as Scott was, I didn't even want to envision that.

"That's your clothing?"

"Someone in there offered to do my laundry for me," Scott explained.

"But I'm driving you to Hurtsboro. How are you going to get back here?" I thought Scott's car might be in a downtown repair shop -- and the bicycle shop didn't have a bike large enough for him to rent.

"How did you wind up here?" I asked Scott further.

"I just got out of jail."

"For what?"

"A probation violation." How do these beggars wind up reaching me, while missing all the law offices in the historic district?

"So we're going to Hurtsboro now?" I said to Scott - since it's always good to reconfirm a trip before you leave.

"Yes, and it's 30 miles." Scott apparently had time to study road maps, while behind bars.

"You say what you mean and mean what you say?" I asked.

"Yes." This approach seems to work for Horton the elephant, in the children's books.

But as we rolled toward the Oglethorpe Bridge quietly, Scott suddenly had another idea. "You can let me off here," he said pointing ahead to a Spectrum station. "I can see I'm aggravating you."

"You're not doing that. I can take you to Hurtsboro." All I remember doing is turning up a radio talk show a little. Since it was a religious radio station, maybe Scott would hear something to prevent a return trip to jail - unless a preacher started offering miracle cures for money.

"What's frustrating for me about beggars," I said as we turned onto the Oglethorpe Bridge, "is how they so often change what they really want. For instance, they might say, 'I'm trying to get something to eat' -- and if you offer them something to eat, they don't want it. They really want something else." They must hear too many political promises....

Unbeknownst to me at the time, I think my explanation/vent was convicting Scott's conscience. "You can let me off at the truck stop," pointing ahead to the Citgo on U.S. 431 just south of the 280 Bypass. I dropped off another beggar there two years ago -- so when is Greyhound putting a bus station there?

"I have someone to see there," Scott explained about stopping at the truck stop.

"That's OK. I can take you to Hurtsboro." What part of "I can" didn't this man understand?

"Please let me out at the truck stop," Scott said as we turned onto U.S. 431 and headed south.

"Why won't you let me take you to Hurtsboro?"

"Will you please stop up here at the truck stop? I'll have to walk...."

"You won't have to walk, because I'm driving you to Hurtsboro." A 30-mile walk can take awhile, you know.

Scott again pleaded, but I drove on past the truck stop. "Will you please stop here?"

"Why don't you want me to take you to Hurtsboro?" I asked again.

"You're frightening me."

"How am I frightening you?"

"Will you please stop up here?" Scott pointed to a B.P. station down the highway.

"Please close the door," I said noting Scott had opened the car's passenger door a little. Imagine a 275-pound man jumping out of a car going about 50 miles per hour. Maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger could do it in a movie, but him?!

"How am I frightening you?" I asked again.

"You're talking loud to me. I'm not used to that." Mistake #2: other people have warned me about this. I tend to talk louder when I'm exasperated, thinking somehow that will drive home a point to somebody. But so many preachers seem to think it works....

I apologized to Scott for speaking loudly. I didn't realize the deputies at the Muscogee County Jail talked so quietly to the inmates. It probably prevents lawsuits.

In a softer voice, I again said I'd take Scott to Hurtsboro as he requested. But he asked me to go back to the truck stop -- and finally confessed he didn't really mean what he said back on Sixth Street. "I just got out of jail, and I didn't know how to react." Hopefully the jail will get a tape of Kari Tornabene's "Honesty Test" to fix that.

"So I guess you're using to people scamming you - just as you scam others?" Scott confirmed my hunch of fascination. "And when someone treats you honestly, you're scared by that?!" I figured this out, even without watching Dr. Phil McGraw every night.

With Scott confirming he didn't really want to go to Hurtsboro, I hit the turn signal and made a U-turn at the entrance to Chattahoochee Valley Community College. As we drove back north toward the truck stop, Scott started confessing: "I was treated badly in jail." Where IS there a "Camp Cupcake" in Columbus?

"Lesson one for you after leaving jail," I said after the U-turn, "is that not everybody is out to scam you. There ARE honest people out there, who are willing to help you if you're honest with them." I didn't say where they were - and wasn't thinking about any car dealer in particular.

"Was this your first trip to jail?"

"Yes."

"How'd you wind up there, if I might ask?"

"I was riding in a car with two friends. They pulled us over and found drugs in the trunk, and they arrested me with the others." Hopefully the NAACP is reading this - because Scott never said a word about police brutality.

"So who mistreated you in jail?"

"The other inmates."

"What did they do?"

"They jumped me," Scott said almost in tears. "I tried to make nice with them...." That's an interesting idea - but it's hard to think outside the box when you're stuck inside a cell.

We finally pulled into the Citgo truck stop parking lot, and Scott showed me practically all his possessions. He had less than 50 cents in change, and a Bible was inside his brown envelope. "I'm trying to live by this," Scott assured me. Hopefully he'll get to the verses about "bearing false witness" before long.

Scott asked if I could buy him a sandwich at Waffle King, or give him money for one. "But that's another change," I told him. Holding some beggars to their word can be like trying to hold a kitten inside an unsealed cardboard box.

I'd given Scott the "ride across the bridge" he requested less than 30 minutes earlier, and that would be all. He wrote down my phone number on the brown envelope before he left. "I'll be calling you," he promised. We'll see if he does - but I hope he realizes I'm not listed in the phone book under "Taxi."

(P.S. Yes, I really WAS prepared to drive Scott all the way to Hurtsboro. Remember, I had a full tank of gas - and I hadn't been to Hurtsboro since I sang at a funeral there about six years ago. But he seemed to be so heavy that I might have had to pull over to increase my tire pressure.)

Now a quick wrap-up of other notes from Thursday:

+ Winds in Columbus gusted as high as 30 miles per hour. You can always tell if it's windy in my neighborhood -- by the trash cans lying sideways on the ground.

+ Columbus city officials held a meeting on why the water flow from the Chattahoochee River seems to be slowing. We'd like to thank the managers of the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park for taking action to correct this....

(Take that, you skeptics! I promise at the top of this blog to talk about "the flow of the river," and sometimes I really deliver on it.)

+ Instant Message to whoever wrote the words "GOD IS ALL GOOD" on the floor of a Benning Park racquetball court: I agree with you, He IS all good - but is graffiti?

COMING THIS WEEKEND: Hey, who moved my stock car race?....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

10 FEB 05: BOOM BOOM BUMMER

Wednesday evening's news announced the end of one of Columbus's best-known nightclubs. The Boom Boom Room has closed its doors - but no, I don't think the last person to leave the building shot out the lightbulb....

I didn't say the Boom Boom Room was among the best-LIKED clubs -- simply one of the best-KNOWN. The Cusseta Road club became notorious for a series of shootings in the parking lot. Some criminals simply took the club's name too literally.

The Boom Boom Room had a prime location at the "A-B-C" intersection: Andrews Road, Brown Avenue and Cusseta Road. Trouble was, people started connecting with another set of initials -- D-O-A, or "dead on arrival."

How could we forget the politicians who used the nightclub's building for advertising last year? Current Judge "Boom Boom" Bobby Peters had a big sign there, and he won. Then Ken Suddeth had a smaller sign, and he lost. Voters apparently expected the Marshal to know better....

The Boom Boom Room was one of the first places put on Fort Benning's "off-limits" list for soldiers. It was easy to understand why. Troops can get their target practice ON post - and they wouldn't risk becoming the targets.

Things eventually reached the point that the Boom Boom Room painted club rules on the outside wall of the building - no weapons, no drugs, no loitering. To which some customers arguing in the parking lot apparently said, "no fun...."

Some people living near the Boom Boom Room became fed up last year, and started a petition drive to shut down the club. They collected 350 signatures - which I think almost matched the total number of police calls there.

But we're told the Boom Boom Room's owner did NOT decide to close because of community pressure, or because the club was on Fort Benning's "hit list." The owner simply decided to move to a new location. And why wouldn't he - being in such an unsafe corner of town?

The owner of the Boom Boom Room plans to open a new nightclub near South Lumpkin Road. Now there's a forward-thinking businessman - preparing for all the traffic around the new Infantry Museum.

I asked some colleagues Wednesday for ideas about what to name the successor to the Boom Boom Room. Their ideas went in a similar direction:

+ The "Boom Boom Boom Boom Room" - as in the sequel, I suppose.

+ The "Place Where You're Likely to Get Shot." There's somebody thinking positively about Columbus South.

+ Then there's my idea to rename the OLD nightclub building: "The Boom and Bust."

(BLOG-BLAH-BLAH: Do you have a better name for the Boom Boom Room's successor? Send it to us!)

BLOG UPDATE: On down Cusseta Road, the news was better Wednesday at Mockingbird Mobile Home Park. The Columbus Housing Initiative intervened to turn the water back on for 30 days. Residents who hurried out Tuesday to buy water jugs hurried out again, to buy barrels for filling.

The Columbus Housing Initiative worked out a deal with Columbus Water Works, to restore what one Mockingbird resident called "real water." Some people, of course, prefer FAKE water - the brands sold at stores with hints of orange and raspberry....

But not all the news was a thrill at "Mockingbird Hill." The Columbus Housing Initiative left brochures at every mobile home, telling residents they have two weeks to find somewhere else to live. The timing of this could turn out all right - as these people can take those new apartments, before the new Fifth Brigade shows up.

One Columbus attorney said Wednesday Georgia tenants have little recourse in a case like this. If landlords don't live up to an agreement to pay utility bills, they can be fined $500. But the owners of Mockingbird Mobile Home Park owed $5,000 in water bills - so that fine literally WOULD be a "drop in the bucket."

Now for some quick refreshing splashes of other topics:

+ Which nationally-known morning radio program is about to go off the air in Columbus? (At least, that's what I'm hearing.) Why are the people most likely to cry about this members of the Ledger-Enquirer's editorial board?

+ Don Cook resigned from the Muscogee County Library Board, saying it's becoming too political. He used to be a high-ranking official with the local Democratic Party - so maybe the new library has too many books about private enterprise.

(Don Cook actually is concerned about the Library Board taking a stand on development around the new library. He apparently wants board members to stick to books - not to the view readers will have out the window.)

+ Columbus State University hosted the Muscogee County Science Fair, with more than 130 exhibits on display. I keep waiting for a young genius to find a way to box up the 65-degree air like we had Wednesday - so we can open it up and enjoy it in mid-July.

+ A "Black History Month" presentation on the growth of Columbus's African-American middle class was given -- huh?! At Auburn University?! Is this where so many of those middle-class people moved, for better schools and cheaper housing?

+ Auburn lost at Louisiana State 90-59 in college basketball. One of L.S.U.'s starters is freshman "Big Baby" Glen Davis. [True/Auburn Network] But I'd better not give Columbus Councilor Gary Allen any new name-calling ideas....

+ Instant Message to ABC News: Thanks a lot for that report Wednesday night - you know, about how some bloggers have been fired from jobs because of what they wrote. That's the way to uphold my freedom of speech.

COMING SOON: The hottest trend among local bloggers.... and why I'm not likely to join in it anytime soon....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

9 FEB 05: HOW DRY THEY ARE

Tuesday was a difficult day for residents of the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park -- as Columbus Water Works shut off the water for everyone. Whoever thought this will bring "Earth Wind and Fire" to Columbus for a concert must be dreaming....

Columbus Water Works explained the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park on Cusseta Road had about $5,000 in unpaid water bills. The bills go back to September 2001! C'mon, folks -- the Columbus water supply wasn't attacked by terrorists that day, and it still hasn't happened.

The residents of Mockingbird Mobile Home Park say they pay $200 a month for their lots - and that's supposed to include their water. So why wasn't the bill paid? Did the managers decide their definition of "water bill" was a trip to a Biloxi casino?

Did I hear it right - the manager of the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park is a man named Plummer?! You'd think a man named Plummer would care about keeping the water flowing at a place like this....

The manager named Plummer could not be found Tuesday. One TV station tracked down one of the mobile home park's three owners - and that woman promptly hung up the phone on the reporter. It's not like they're asking questions about AFLAC management....

One resident of the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park talked about buying 20 gallons of water at a store, to take care of needs such as bathing. Which kind is better for your bathtub - Dasani or Perrier?

(Wait until Fort Benning's Third Brigade reads about that person's plight. Sometimes they do well in Iraq simply to get one tall water bottle and a "Wet Ones" cloth.)

Look around the Mockingbird Mobile Home Park, and you'll see several abandoned mobile homes with smashed windows. It's not the classiest-looking neighborhood in Columbus - but then again, how many mobile homes ARE within a mile of Green Island Hills?

Columbus Water Works suggests Mockingbird residents take up a collection to pay some of the $5,000 debt, so the water can be turned on again. But if water is part of the monthly rent, why should they do this? Give them the water back, and have them drive their bags of trash to the landfill to make up for this.

Could the owners of this mobile home park be trying to force all the residents out, so they can sell the property for development? If so, you could almost write a book about it - oh, except the title "To Kill a Mockingbird" already is taken.

(Come to think of it, that land on Cusseta Road could be just what some group is looking for. It's about time they put a "St. Jude Dream Home" in this part of Columbus.)

The timing of this shutoff was interesting, as Columbus city officials held a meeting Tuesday night on cleaning up the Winterfield neighborhood. That neighborhood includes Cusseta Road, where Mockingbird is located. A few crumpled trailers can make the trash piles look much taller.

As it happened, someone representing MY landlord visited my home Tuesday - only in my case, there's too much water. Longtime blog readers will recall I've had a leaking bathtub faucet ever since I moved to Columbus, and now it's worse than ever. I'm not sure even the New England Patriots' defense can shut this thing down.

I reported the bathtub problem AGAIN to the landlord a couple of months ago, after my Columbus Water Works bill for a small apartment climbed above 55 dollars. My latest bill shows I'm using 11 "CCF" a month -- which computes to more than 8,000 gallons! I don't even drink that much soda in a week, during the summer.

The bathtub faucet's leak isn't a drip-drip-drip. It's a slow stream of warm water - and that's affecting my budget in other ways. My latest natural gas bill for a small apartment is above 110 dollars. It has to be for the gas water heater firing up over and over again - because I'm NOT trying to grow marijuana in this place at all.

"Came in to check your bath tub," said a note I found on the kitchen table after work. I'm glad the landlord's representative checked it. Now will I have to wait two more years, before a crew again comes to attempt to FIX it?

I wish, though, the landlord's representative could have warned me he was coming to check the bathtub. My apartment is a serious mess at the moment. Between work, exercise, keeping your blog and doing other projects, things have piled up in some places. The fact that he left his note on a dinner plate was a clue....

BLOG UPDATE: Well, what do you know - Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley announced Tuesday the city has more than $600,000 extra to spend. The public safety supporters have suspected for some time extra city money was lurking somewhere. But they were too busy "throwing rocks" to track it down themselves.

City Manager Isaiah Hugley explained the extra $600,000 is money for the CURRENT budget year, not the next one which starts July 1. So the forecast for city government remains unchanged -- cool and comfortable now, followed by a long and hot summer.

It was interesting to see how the city proposes to divide the extra $600,000. The Civic Center would get $100,000 of it, to promote upcoming events. Maybe that much money will guarantee Michelle Kwan REALLY appears with "Champions on Ice."

Now other Tuesday notes, about skating and other things:

+ "Trees Columbus" announced it's received a million-dollar federal "Streetscape" grant, to improve the look of Veterans Parkway downtown. There's a definite plan to this. Businesses on Veterans can move west to Broadway - and replace the businesses closing because of Streetscape construction work there.

+ Congratulations to Columbus resident Bernice Barber, who turned 100 years old! Why, she's probably old enough to remember the last time Columbus public safety workers were satisfied with their pay.

+ The Columbus Cottonmouths annihilated Asheville 5-1 without Coach Jerome Bechard. He was suspended, so former player Mick Kempffer was hired to fill in behind the bench. If hockey coaching is that easy to do, the Snakes should have a booth at upcoming job fairs.

(Wasn't this clever scheduling on the part of the Cottonmouths? They didn't dare take on an Asheville team on Ash Wednesday.)

+ Instant Message to all Fort Benning soldiers: Despite what one of your officers tried to tell friends at a restaurant, the Mardi Gras parties ended Tuesday night. If you go to New Orleans and get smashed now, the Catholic Church holds no responsibility for it.

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

8 FEB 05: THE BOX AND ONE

I'm the one. The box is my InBox. Let's catch up on some blog e-mail today, beginning with this reply to our mention of police receiving bananas to eat before Jesse Jackson's January march:

Did you know that Mayor Poydasheff asked Chief Boren to apologize for the "banana incident"? Needless to say, Chief Boren refused. Can you imagine what a bigger mess this city would be in if we started apologizing every time a citizen being overly sensitive was offended? Scary, isn't it?

Well, I suppose it depends on the situation. If I became offended by a traffic ticket, I might escape a fine.

In cases such as this, sometimes I go to the potentially offended people - and ask for a list of EVERYTHING that might offend them. If I know in advance, I can prepare for it. But I've found when people have to stop and think about what offends them, they tend to have a very short list -- or none at all.

Now let's let the mysterious "Is Our City Safe" out of our cyber-penalty box from last week. This mass e-mailer has sparked an online discussion about public safety with Columbus Councilor Gary Allen -- and of course, the Internet is spreading it:

Councilor Allen:

I would like to hear your plan to improve moral, increase Officers pay and at the same time maintain the solvency of the City so that we are able to continue to provide the Citizens with the services they expect and deserve. It is easy to anonymously sit back and throw rocks at those who are trying to work towards quality pay while we are under financial constraints. So please share with us what ideas do you propose?

IsOurCitySafe:

So Councilor Allen, you want me to work my normal 6 day work week, my four part-time jobs, spend time with my family when I can, find time to sleep, and do your job too?

If I am supposed to do my jobs and your job, then what are you there for? What are we paying you to do? We pay you and the other fine Councilors to solve these problems.

I promise you that if the problems aren't fixed, when you need the Police the most, they wont be there.

Keep pushing the men and women in blue and one day they are going to push back.

..And I am going to keep throwing rocks at you anonymously by telling the citizens what really goes on so they will start coming down on you and your fellow workers. The citizens of Columbus are going to hear the truth and maybe next time, someone else will be sitting on your seat at the round table.

So "Is Our City Safe" has a six-day work week AND four part-time jobs? I'm starting to think this person is a Columbus radio broadcaster....

I hear all the time from people with long work weeks and families, who DO have answers to all these things. At least, I assume they're the people calling talk radio stations.

What Gary Allen seems to be pointing out here is the difference between criticism and "constructive criticism." The latter, of course, means you tear someone or something down -- then leave an instruction sheet for rebuilding.

The discussion involving Councilor Allen and public safety continued in a separate message:

Concerned citizen:

Are you aware that the recent proposed tax was shot down because there was apparently no guarantee that the funds would be designated for that which they were proposed? I think what Columbus is experiencing is a group of men and women who want to see that they are respected, cared about, and yes, given remuneration for their dedication. I know in order to be fulfilled and successful at this job you have to have a "calling." You cannot be in it for the money. But what about households that need to be fed and bills that need to be paid?

Councilor Allen:

I agree there was a misunderstanding of the need for the sales tax but if you talk to the FOP leadership they will tell you Council made a commitment to them. I would like to correct all the pay problems but we can't do it if we do not have the funds. Hopefully the economy will get better and our tax digest will grow then we can address our issues. I would like to hear any ideas on how you think we could address this issue since the sales tax did not pass?

Concerned citizen:

Nowadays, a "commitment" is not the handshake or gentlemen's agreement it used to be. Get it in writing. As I recall $80,000 was spent to give Columbus a legacy name. Why was an out-of-town company hired to spend this type of money when I would be most willing to speculate that someone (or group) born and raised in this progressive city could have managed to come up with something just as fitting? Grant you $80,000 might not have gone very far, but when you have underpaid, understaffed, underappreciated people who witness this type of incongruent expenditures, how do you expect them to react?

Concerned citizen:

I would not say that I am anonymously responding to issues. I indeed have written to the editor of the L-E, as have other concerned citizens. In spite of some media coverage, for the most part the risks and crime rate in Columbus is not made public. In fact, I would venture to say that a lot of it is purposely kept quite to create a false security.

Councilor Allen:

The commitment was made face to face in front of other city leaders so it was not just a casual statement. The $80,000 was made up of donations. My anonymous comment was directed to "IsOurCitySafe". I am interested in your ideas or suggestions anytime you would like to share them. We are elected and have ideas but we as individuals are not any different than you. We would like to do more but if the revenue is not there it's difficult to make it happen. I expect staff to act as they have, with respect and for the most part they always do. I am not aware of anyone acting without respect.

Concerned citizen:

Re Banana event

How is it disrespectful if the entire group of Officers are eating bananas?

Councilor Allen:

My point exactly. These people had not eaten all day and are made an issue of for simply eating. They were not supported.... they were apologized for.

We advised the Mayor an apology was not necessary since there was a variety of fruit and juices available and this is a normal course of business for such events. We cannot control what he does or says but did let him know we disagreed with the apology.

Concerned citizen:

At least I am glad to hear that. That is exactly what I am talking about. These officers need to know that they are supported in some fashion, even if nothing comes from it at that particular time. Doesn't it validate your position you feel that someone acknowledges your frustrations? It gives you the feeling that somewhere, somebody has heard you and you are more willing to "work with the system" to a greater extent.

Councilor Allen:

I agree!

Concerned citizen:

At least we agree on that point. So to end this conversation, because I do have to work.... more needs to be done to applaud the many fine efforts of all safety workers. Perhaps reporting on events where they have gone above and beyond the call of duty, particular occasions when they have really made a difference in the community, ways they sacrifice so that citizens feel safe, and education to the public as to what those officers are doing (extra jobs) when seen in uniform in places such as church parking lots, grocery stores, and malls. A little praise goes a long way, but only so far. Compare your paycheck with one of them and ask yourself if you would want to leave home in the AM or PM with a very real sense that you might not make it back home to your wife and kids.

Councilor Allen:

I couldn't agree more!!!! It would be good if the media would spot light Officers as they do with teachers.

Concerned citizen:

I have several friends who are teachers. So don't get me started on their pay and what they have to put up with. Thanks for the discussion. I'm sure you have the clout to see what you can do about the spotlighting. That is if they all haven't gotten so mad at this point that you can't get their attention. There is such a thing as point of no return.

There's a lot here to chew on - but those bananas keep coming up! Only in Columbus would a bunch of bananas cause so many sour grapes.

I agree with the concerned citizen about how some professions involve a "calling," and not being "in it for the money." But if you would like to make a donation to build a better blog, I accept PayPal.

Hey, I've got an idea! We could raise money for Columbus public safety the way other charities do it! Sell tickets in a raffle for the "Police and Fire Dream House!" Of course, it would need built-in sprinklers, a fire extinguisher, an automated security system - and the winner probably still would have to pay property tax on it.

As for that "legacy name:" someone I know dared to ask the other day if anything has come to Columbus because of "What Progress Has Preserved." No one ever bothered asking Jesse Jackson if that influenced his decision to march downtown.

But hold on -- what do you mean the Columbus crime rate "is not made public?!" I thought the police released those numbers every year. If Mayor Poydasheff doesn't call a news conference to talk about the numbers improving, you can probably draw a conclusion from that....

I'm glad we all agree with the concerned citizen, that our law officers "need to know that they are supported in some fashion...." Which reminds me - how DID the new Marshal pay for his deputies to have new uniforms? Maybe he's taking the stuff Ken Suddeth returns, and selling it online.

Regular blog readers should know by now about the uniformed officers at churches. But I should note the night I went to Cascade Hills Church, the officers were NOT in the parking lot. They were right outside the sanctuary door - and the sermon was about tithing! [True] How much DOES the Fraternal Order of Police donate to church groups?

Some people apparently have forgotten WRBL once offered awards for law officers, similar to the "Golden Apple Award" for teachers. It was a monthly award - but after a few months it disappeared. I hope the security company which sponsored that feature didn't smuggle it to Mexico.

Somewhere in the midst of this exchange, Councilor Gary Allen raised a good point with "Is Our City Safe."

So you are saying you have time to send out all these emails but you don't have time to offer just one suggestion?

Maybe that's why the e-mailer barely has time to get any sleep. Or then again, maybe they're written IN his/her sleep - with a "ThinkPad" or something.

We have three more messages about public safety - but this has been rather lengthy, so we'll hold those for another time. We conclude by proving people ARE talking about other things. Take the newly-named "Club Antifreeze" which we mentioned Sunday:

Well, let's see....they have Club Oxygen, Club Antifreeze, maybe the next club to open will be called 'Club Carbon Monoxide' or 'Club Coolant'?

Hmmmm - how about one for retired politicians? We could call it "Club Airbag."

Simply out of curiosity, I did a Google search Monday night for the phrase "Club Antifreeze." There's no other nightclub mentioned with that name - but there was something about "Catawba Country Club Antifreeze." It must be made specially for golf carts.

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

7 FEB 05: THE WRBL-ER SINGS

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to have an abortion?" A woman says her former boss in Columbus asked that question when she revealed she was pregnant. You may be surprised to learn this happened at a TV station - and not a Victory Drive nightclub.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Last June your blog broke the news of a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the owners of WRBL [23 Jun 04]. Now we can report the case is scheduled for federal trial February 28, with a pre-trial conference planned this Wednesday. Do you think Judge Clay Land set those dates because he knew they're inside a TV sweeps month?

Federal court records show Media General asked Judge Clay Land for "summary judgment" in the sex discrimination suit January 10, and it was denied. It's obvious to me why he made this decision - it's wintertime, not summer.

Depositions taken last summer in the sex discrimination suit are now open to the public - and after a review of them by the blog, we can tell you they're remarkably frank. They blow open the doors on one of Columbus's top TV stations -- showing while WRBL may be "on your side," sometimes staff members can be at each other's necks.

Former WRBL News Director Mark Wildman faced deposition questions in the suit last July. He says on the record he never knew it was for a sex discrimination suit, until he entered that hearing. OK, there's one more person to put on the blog advertising list....

Let's get to that abortion quote we mentioned at the top. Asked whether he said such a thing to plaintiff Melissa Schultz Miller while at WRBL, Mark Wildman answers in the deposition: "Categorically, NO." We should note they're both journalists - so they're equally likely to misquote each other.

Mark Wildman admits signing Melissa Schultz Miller to a two-year contract with WRBL. He called it an "open" position, not specifically either for reporting or producing. Miller claims she was promised a reporting position eventually - but as the "Problem Solvers" would tell you, you need to get these things in writing.

Mark Wildman challenges the plaintiff's reputation in the deposition, quoting a Birmingham TV executive as calling Melissa Schultz Miller a "troublesome employee." The document doesn't give any specifics - so we don't know if Miller threatened to report anyone to Judge Roy Moore for prayers of vengeance.

Mark Wildman told the deposition Melissa Schultz Miller started as a producer at WRBL - but when she taped some on-camera practice items, she sounded "horrible." Of course, this hasn't stopped some people from successful careers. There's our President, for instance....

Mark Wildman claims he heard from WRBL staff members about Melissa Schultz Miller spreading lies, not doing a good job producing - and even that her skirts were too short. This is unusual, considering TV stations normally speak of "three-quarter inch" and "one-inch" in terms of videotape sizes.

Mark Wildman recalled the 2002 Alabama primary, when Melissa Schultz Miller reportedly got into a shouting match over a two-way radio with a woman in the WRBL newsroom. There's obviously a time and a place for this in television news - several hours a night on Fox News Channel.

But Mark Wildman doesn't always speak well of his old employer, either. He told the deposition Media General decided to pay a new WRBL assignment editor $2,000 less than their predecessor, even though the newcomer had more experience. Hopefully that person didn't leave to become a Delta Air Lines pilot....

The deposition record shows Mark Wildman saying when he arrived at WRBL, it had been "a poorly run news department for several years. The morale inside the news department was very low, and the product was terrible." That may explain why Al Fleming's commentaries at the time were so stinging.

Mark Wildman actually told the hearing his predecessor as WRBL "should not have been a News Director." Even at the station with an "Eye on the Environment," staff members can trash-talk.

Mark Wildman now is a news director in Macon -- and he admitted during the deposition he used WRBL news anchor Phil Scoggins as a reference. Ironically, Wildman also says he was ready to replace Scoggins as an anchor in 2001, but didn't. Some friendships truly are earned over time....

WRBL's outside consultant told Mark Wildman in 2001, according to his deposition: "One of the things they said that we could do was replace Phil Scoggins." This may stun Columbus civil rights leaders - as in this case, an African-American employee actually was favored.

So how did Phil Scoggins avoid being dropped by WRBL in 2001? Mark Wildman says of all things, the September 11^th attacks made the difference -- and Scoggins matured as an anchor so rapidly that day, Wildman changed his mind and decided against a replacement. The trouble for Wildman was, hardly any TV viewers seem to have noticed.

Mark Wildman dropped other names of WRBL news personalities during his deposition - so if you're wondering whatever happened to them....

+ Weathercaster Mitzi Oxford was NOT fired. As Mark Wildman put it: "we decided not to renew her contract." I don't hear sports teams use that sort of "corporate speak" with head coaches.

+ Reporter Jenna Maloney told Wildman she needed to leave her contract early because her mother had cancer in New Jersey. Then she turned around and took a TV news iob in Phoenix. So much for her doing a special report on "The Honesty Test."

+ Reporter Devon Doers was let out of his contract to return to the upper Midwest, because his "girlfriend" had a "troubled pregnancy." There are some places in Columbus where that also would be a sign of troubled employment.

+ Reporter Anna-Marie Gregory reportedly told Mark Wildman she was pregnant, one month after she was hired. When her contract was up, apparently it was "not renewed" -- which could leave a jury wondering if Roslyn Giles is the only woman at WRBL allowed to have babies.

Mark Wildman admitted at the deposition he replaced Mitzi Oxford and Jill Henriksen with males in the WRBL weather department. So does this show a pattern of sex discrimination? Or did Jillian Barberie simply refuse to return his phone calls?

The deposition hearing last July also turned to Mark Wildman's health - and he admitted under oath he's bipolar. But he says he keeps it under control by taking medication. So why don't WRBL newscasts have commercials for this medicine? There are so many others I'm supposed to ask my doctor about....

The bipolarity issue apparently became up because of other items submitted in the sex discrimination suit. Papers reviewed by the blog show Mark Wildman was reprimanded at least once for using rough language around WRBL co-workers. Talk like this, of course, should be left for a station bowling team.

Exhibits in the lawsuit also mention a day when a female WRBL employee claimed Mark Wildman touched her on the (ahem) derriere with some papers. Wildman calls it an accident in the deposition. By comparison, no one seems upset about this behavior on the "Hee Haw" infomercial NBC-38 shows.

Mark Wildman was fired by WRBL in November 2003. Exhibits reviewed by the blog suggest the last straw may have come two weeks before at a management meeting. Someone from the United Way spoke - then Wildman claimed he didn't care a thing about the United Way. In "corporate Columbus," you don't dare say that aloud in a public meeting.

The sex discrimination suit against Media General was filed one week before Mark Wildman's dismissal - but a review of the exhibits now suggests the timing was only coincidental. One paper says the News Director was hurt by a "tendency to exaggerate." For instance, about how good WRBL news was?!

Plaintiff Melissa Schultz Miller actually spoke first in the deposition process last June. She testified when she joined WRBL in the fall of 2001 (apparently after September 11th), Mark Wildman promised to make her a full-time reporter in July 2002. That never happened - thus depriving Columbus of a regular "Miller time."

Melissa Schultz Miller claims the provocative statement about having an abortion came in April 2002, on the day she told Mark Wildman of her pregnancy. He supposedly considered pregnancy a detriment to a TV news career. If it happened to Katie Couric, we might see the delivery on live television.

Melissa Schultz Miller says she was moved to "News 3 This Morning" after giving birth. She explains she considered it a demotion because "a morning show is typically a beginner spot in almost every market across the country." Oh really? Wait until a friend of mine reads that -- as he produces a morning show, and he's about 60.

But a Mark Wildman e-mail submitted in the case tells Melissa Schultz Miller her move to mornings was "only temporary" - and he added: "No show is below another." Aha, he DOES exaggerate things! WRBL's Noon news is the highest-rated one they have.

At last report, Melissa Schultz Miller lived in Huntsville. I'm not sure if she's working in television news or not. If she wins this discrimination suit, her next job may be as an analyst for Court TV.

We'll keep you posted on this case -- and now let's post some other items from a Super (in terms of weather) Sunday:

+ The Spectrum station at North Lumpkin Road and Victory Drive offered milk on its marquee - in Spanish! I hope the "La Leche League" doesn't misunderstand this, and try to hold a meeting there.

+ "Cathy" of comic strip fame finally became married, after more than 25 years of singleness. Oh no! Now my relatives will be on my case more than ever....

+ Instant Message to the Phenix City Wal-Mart: I'm glad you post pictures of your automotive staff members, and list all their areas of expertise. But when you misspell Courtesy Technician "Courtesey," maybe you also need a technician in SpellCheck.

COMING TUESDAY: Our own e-mail version of a "Super Bowl," on all sorts of topics....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

6 FEB 05: FEEL THE BEAT

Columbus radio stations have spent the last few days analyzing the latest ratings report. They especially could be concerned at Davis Broadcasting - because suddenly there's a hip-hop station almost as loud as theirs is.

The big question in the fall radio ratings was whether the new WBFA "101.3 The Beat" would chomp into the audience of longtime local leader WFXE "Foxie 105." The new numbers show Foxie 105 still in front, but The Beat is a fighting second. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "fighting" when it comes to hip-hop stations....

By changing from "B-101" and pop music to "101.3 The Beat" and hip-hop in September, WBFA tripled its rating number from the spring to the fall. Well, I've never heard anyone say Columbus radio listeners wanted QUALITY in the music they hear....

The Beat actually tied for second in the fall radio ratings with WGSY "Sunny 100 FM" - the station which started playing Xmas music in mid-November. That reminds me: shouldn't Sunny 100 start playing "Easter Parade" sometime this week?

The biggest puzzle in the fall radio ratings report involves WVRK. "Rock 103" lost more than half its audience from a year ago. If all those listeners switched from white "redneck rock" to The Beat, maybe we're truly becoming One Columbus after all.

What makes this drop more puzzling is that Rock 103 broadcasts Auburn football games. The Tigers had a perfect season - yet the station LOST listeners?! Were Georgia fans tuning in during 2003, to laugh at Auburn losses?

As for other stations: WDAK's Scott Miller thanked his audience Thursday for making "The Morning Show" the top-rated news-talk program in the morning. Of course, competitor WRCG has "Imus is the Morning" - which seems to have much more talk than news, and about as much babble to match.

WRCG slumped again in the fall ratings, placing next-to-last among Columbus stations. In fact, it wound up tied with WVFJ "J-93.3," a Christian FM station which most of Columbus can't pick up anymore. If this keeps up, the WRCG sports show may become "D.J. and FRIEND" - singular.

WRCG's managers finally may be getting a message from the ratings, and making changes. For instance, the station promises to bring back big band music on Sunday mornings beginning today. But it still sounds weird to hear a deep-voiced man promoting a Sunday church service in the middle of Fox Sports Radio.

One caller to WRCG's TalkLine Thursday complimented host (and blog buddy) Robbie Watson for "getting your audience back." I have a tip which could help with this. Point out Rush Limbaugh down the dial is dating a CNN news anchor - so he's a hypocrite, because he's not dating a Fox News Channel Republican.

But WDAK is trying to stop a WRCG comeback. After Robbie Watson announced an October cruise to the Bahamas, the WDAK web site now promotes its own cruise in September to Mexico. Some talk radio listeners may consider the Mexico cruise safer - because they'll have no liberal Ed Schultz listeners to face.

There's an interesting note at the bottom of the ratings chart. WSHE-AM actually has listeners, after more than a year with a zero. Perhaps it paid to put Alabama football games on the air. Or perhaps people are glad Jim Foster hasn't brought back "Swap-n-Shop."

By the way, one Columbus radio station is entering its ninth day in a row off the air. WFRC-FM "Family Radio" was knocked out by the ice storm, and hasn't come back. This station preaches the "church age" is over - so is Someone disagreeing with this opinion?

Now other notes from a weekend which melted our memories of the ice storm:

+ Habitat for Humanity chapters showed their support for fired founder Millard Fuller by staging "Lay Down Your Hammer" day. Or as some future homeowners might have called it: "Increase My Sweat Equity Day."

(Some Habitat for Humanity leaders believe if former President Carter backs Millard Fuller, work on homes will slow down. They forget one thing -- support for Habitat from Republicans probably would go up.)

+ The former Club Zasibar on Buena Vista Road reopened, as "Club Antifreeze." [True!] Hmmmm, let's see - they're mixing two parts alcohol and one part water?!

(Recalling the crime which used to occur at this nightspot, hopefully Club Antifreeze won't have any "boilovers.")

+ Columbus State opened its baseball season, by splitting a doubleheader with West Alabama. I'm sorry -- but when college baseball teams are playing games before the Super Bowl, something is seriously wrong in America.

(So what will happen the first time a home run hitter breaks a window at the C.S.U. Business Management Center? Will he get the glass for a souvenir - or have to take a make-up class there?)

+ Carrollton edged Columbus by three points, to win the Georgia AAA cheerleading title at the Civic Center. What could have made the difference here? Did someone on the Columbus squad not tie the ribbon in her hair quite right?

COMING MONDAY: The "Blog-Buster Exclusive" we've promised you (no, it's not about Aflac)....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

5 FEB 05 (special early edition): DUCKY IN LOVE

A man suggested the other night I should find "good things" to write about in this blog. OK, here you go -- as we have what appears to be a wedding announcement. But then again, some people don't want to talk about it. And the ones who are talking are using words like "underbelly" as they do.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Your blog has confirmed AFLAC Chairman and C.E.O. Dan Amos has a marriage license with longtime corporate counsel Kathleen Spencer. Assuming they've followed through with the ceremony, he now has a very different understanding of a "Spencer high."

Saturday marks one month since Dan Amos and Kathleen Spencer filed for a marriage license at the Government Center. The groom modestly states his "usual occupation" on the application as "insurance." That's only fair - since someone else at AFLAC handles the ducks.

Kathleen Spencer's occupation is listed as "attorney." She's been a counsel at AFLAC for years, and most recently had the title "Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications." She may not communicate about her personal life, but her corporate work is different....

The marriage license obtained by your blog shows the couple planned to marry January 8 at St. Simons Island. What - not Las Vegas?! Not the place where the AFLAC duck missed an appearance at a wedding chapel, to watch a Wayne Newton show in a commercial?

Dan Amos is 53, Kathleen Spencer s 47 - and the marriage license application shows each has been married once. In fact, the parties quietly obtained divorces within a month of each other in 2003 on grounds of "incompatibility." We do not know the most important issue in these cases -- who wound up with the insurance policies.

A check of AFLAC's web site Friday found Dan Amos listed among the "management team," while Kathleen Spencer was not. Spencer has a biography hidden inside the web site, but it says nothing about her marital status. Sometimes we webmasters are the last to know these things....

So is Kathleen Spencer still an AFLAC executive or not? Did the ceremony go through on St. Simons or not? Your blog called the company's media relations office Friday afternoon - and a woman quickly said, "I'm not going to talk to you about this." So much for my sending the couple a Sears gift card.

Despite this, aren't we all happy with news of a high-powered wedding inside the AFLAC tower? Welllll.... the e-mail which tipped us off to this story seemed to curse it with faint praise:

Congratulations to Daniel 'Danny' Amos on his recent wedding to a former employee who worked under him for several years. Seems Kathleen Spencer Amos and Daniel 'Danny' Amos were doing more than just the 'Duck Walk' these past few years. As AFLAC grew its' bottom line, so also did Kat and Danny's love grow. Despite the utter destruction of the happy homes of these two jet setters, they seem to be soooo in love. And isn't that what really matters. I just thought inquiring minds would want to know. Exposing a bit of Columbus' underbelly for all to see.

Love may conquer all -- but maybe not the feelings of the former lovers and their friends.

(No, we did NOT check what may have gone wrong with the bride and groom's first marriages. If they wanted us to know the details, they would have appeared on "Divorce Court" on Fox-54.)

Whoever could have guessed AFLAC has an "underbelly" to it? We see the tower extending several stories high, but ever think about the basement below. Only in California do people think about these things -- because of the earthquake risk.

With best wishes to all involved, let's borrow from Jerry Springer and offer some final Friday thoughts:

+ The Fraternal Order of Police urged people to sign petitions at the Columbus Public Library, to oppose parole for a convicted cop killer. I understand the police feelings and emotions about this case - but why haven't we heard the side of the convict? Does "fair and balanced" coverage mean you only hear from people you're supposed to like?

+ The Tour de Georgia announced the bicycle race will avoid Columbus this spring, because the city couldn't come up with proper financing. I suspect a different reason for this decision -- that local officials wanted the cyclists to go through those trails at Flat Rock Park.

+ The Georgia High School Association staged the state cheerleading championship at the Civic Center - and charged three dollars for parking. This group obviously knows how to make money from displaying hotties....

+ Gas prices in parts of Columbus dropped to $1.71 a gallon. That'll teach some stations to try to increase the price above $1.80 earlier this week. Now why don't you drop the 20-ounce soda prices back below a dollar, while you're at it?

+ Instant Message to the marriage license staff at the Government Center, where we started all this: How many jokes do you have to face every day? You know, about being an office for both marriage licenses and gun licenses?

Today's entry was the result of a blog reader's tip. To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a
reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

4 FEB 05: BROWNIE TROOPING

Atlanta used to have Mrs. Fields cookie shops, with double chocolate brownies which were absolutely addictive. The closest thing Columbus has to that right now is at an unlikely place - the new public library. The Library Café has brownies, cookies and coffee cake so nice that I forget their main goal is to sell coffee.

I'm not the only person to discover the sweets at the Library Café. The other day a woman in front of me in line asked for cookies - every single one in the display case, and a few extra which needed to be baked. It was for a meeting of some sort inside the library. I assume it was a meeting where people were liable to fall asleep.

As if the Library Café didn't already have my attention, this week it's offered "specials of the day" on some of the sweet treats. One of Thursday's specials was 75-cent brownies. Considering the regular price is $1.99, this was almost like paying less than $10,000 for a new car - something I'm old enough to remember doing years ago.

Let the record show I'm available to the news media as a Brownie Expert. I mentioned the marvel of Mrs. Fields' specials in years gone by. But I can make them at home as well - although I admit I'm still not used to seeing Darrell Waltrip's picture on a Duncan Hines brownie box.

I've also been known to take home-baked brownies to church, for the snack table or evening dinners. Yet for some reason, they don't get eaten much. I've overheard some critics say I cut them too small - but isn't how that "feeding of the 5,000" happened?

(Before you ask - no, I do NOT lace my brownies with any illegal drugs. I consider it a foul-up when someone dares to mix in large chopped walnuts.)

The most recent brownie news in my life came in the last few weeks, when Little Debbie tinkered with the size of the 25-cent fudge brownies it offers at convenience stores. The width of the brownies was reduced by about one-third. Was this a subtle statement about my waistline?

(Maybe Little Debbie heard other critics about this. Some stores now sell fudge brownie two-packs for 50 cents - proving brownies are like Lay's potato chips, and you CANNOT eat only one.)

But I'm digressing: on Thursday, the 75-cent brownie special at the Library Café simply was too good to pass up. I chose a chewy-looking one on the bottom shelf of the display case - only to be told they were NOT on special. The middle-shelf brownies were, because of "size." At this café, that means large vs. extra large.

I offered a dollar bill to the attendant for my 75-cent brownie - and she gave me a coin which seemed large and not quite right. After looking it over I said, "Are you aware this is a silver dollar?" It had Susan B. Anthony's picture on it, from 1979 - which could become a collector's item, as Republicans kick her off for Ronald Reagan.

The attendant never realized she'd given me a silver dollar instead of a quarter. After all, the 50 "state quarters" in circulation mean all sorts of designs can wind up in your pocket. Let's be thankful the Massachusetts quarter came out before "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" premiered.

As I exchanged the silver dollar for the quarter, I couldn't help thinking about a special report on the news Thursday night. I had my own private "honesty test" at the library - and in the eyes of many people, I suppose I passed. But that test didn't tell you what to do if the vending machine gives you an extra quarter.

Now let's chew on other items from the Thursday headlines:

+ Columbus Police announced they seized $100,000 worth of marijuana. It was shipped from Texas by a delivery service - but to an incorrect address. These drug dealers need to learn to put business before pleasure....

+ First Baptist Church hosted a 12-hour prayer vigil for area soldiers and their families -- and as it ended, St. Luke School across the avenue held a big spaghetti dinner. How many members would get in trouble, by admitting they attended both of these?

+ WRBL's Restaurant Report Card revealed Pizza Pronto on Second Avenue was marked down for having a buildup of mold and mildew, in a "bucket used to make the dough." There are some places where I might not mind this - such as a restaurant offering "aged steaks."

(Did I read that right - they're making pizza dough in a bucket?! How I hope they disinfect the mop before they knead it....)

+ Instant Message to the man who told WXTX "News at Ten" he opposes a seatbelt law for pickup trucks because it would violate his constitutional rights: yes, the tenth amendment DOES say certain powers are reserved "to the people and to the states." But this is a Georgia proposal - and Georgia still IS a state.

SCHEDULED THIS WEEKEND: Did "The Beat" beat the current champion?....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

3 FEB 05: THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STARBUCKS

"I went to one church and gave to their Building Fund for two years, and I never saw 'em build nothing." So said a member of Cascade Hills Church recently to Pastor Bill Purvis - who should have responded by quoting that Bible verse about "counting the cost" of building a tower.

Bill Purvis mentioned this during a recent worship service because that member sees his "building fund" money at work at Cascade Hills Church. An expanded three-story building is being prepared, with the third floor to have a theater for movies and other presentations. Knowing this church, it will have a "flat screen" and surround-sound.

But what caught my attention before the service was something else a woman said on videotape about the construction. Once it's completed, Cascade Hills Church will offer Starbucks coffee! I thought this church's contemporary Christian music was enough to keep worshipers awake through the service.

You may not know Cascade Hills Church has its own small version of the Mustard Seed Christian store (except it doesn't sell my CD), and a coffee shop called Soul Café. The woman on the tape says these will be combined, "to have a Barnes and Noble-type feel to it" - and Starbucks coffee will be served. I suppose latte foam is easier to clean off your Bible....

(I was struck by the fact that Cascade Hills's Soul Café sells coffee in the first place, starting at 50 cents a cup. At all the other congregations I've attended, the coffee is free except for a donation box on the side. That'll teach Pastor Bill Purvis to say "offerings" can go outside the church budget.)

Newcomers from other cities probably are surprised to find Columbus has no Starbucks coffee shops. The only places offering Starbucks items are Barnes and Noble at Columbus Park Crossing, the TSYS food court downtown - and I don't think the six-pack bottles at Winn-Dixie stores really count.

In recent years, a Starbucks shop has replaced a McDonald's restaurant as a sign your city is "on the map," and is progressive. Yet a search of the company web site Wednesday found no shops within 50 miles of Columbus. Is the coffee at Cracker Barrel and Waffle House THAT good?

Given this coffee dearth, the news that Cascade Hills Church will offer Starbucks is quite noteworthy. Southern Baptists are so against bars, you'd think they'd have problems with "baristas" as well.

In effect, this church on 54^th Street will have a Starbucks before "Uptown Columbus" does. But at least the downtown area has a Thomas Kinkade gallery -- while visitors to Cascade Hills have to settle for T-shirts with fish symbols on them.

Is Cascade Hills making religious history by planning to offer Starbucks coffee? Not quite. An online search Wednesday led to an item on the "Neither Nor" blog, about a New Hampshire church which added a Starbucks kiosk last summer. Since that happened, attendance has doubled. Amazing -- coffee brings in people, but wine at communion doesn't.

The "Christian Science Monitor" article quoted at the other blog included this comment from the New Hampshire church pastor: "It's not so much the coffee as the environment the coffee and the coffee bar create - a relaxed, relational, and fun place." My pastor would answer he'd rather be fundamental, than simply fun....

BLOG UPDATE: Please note one e-mail item and one joke have been deleted from Wednesday's entry. I've been asked not to go into the details of why - but I'll say only this: some people take time to call total strangers for their stories, before we spread them all over town. "IsOurCitySafe" didn't bother doing that.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Because of that deletion, we will penalize "IsOurCitySafe" and hold his/her latest stack of e-mails for another day. Instead we have a follow-up from a college student in Dallas, whose message we mentioned Tuesday:

Hi,

I meant that I missed Columbus local news in a more general way, such that I have grown up watching them and its very exciting when you get to see them around town in a restaurant or something. The news here is just fine, although I will never have the connection to these newscasters (I don't even know their names) like I do in Columbus. Thanks again.

Frank B.

I guess what it means, Frank, is that your heart is still anchored here in Columbus - including your TV news anchors.

Now let's sail around town, for other items of note from Wednesday:

+ A cloudy, rainy day turned surprisingly rough when an evening thunderstorm rattled downtown Columbus. Thunder and lightning, only four days after an ice storm?! This is turning into a weather version of a Golden Corral buffet.

+ A group called "Columbus Free Net" had a kickoff meeting, to discuss creating what one man called a "wireless cloud" over downtown Columbus. Well, this WOULD be a change of pace - a cloud over Columbus which people of all ethnic communities might like.

+ Habitat for Humanity chapter leaders began an online protest against the dismissal of chairman Millard Fuller. Imagine the fun icebreaker their meetings could have - as people take turns trying to say, "I'm fuming and furious over the firing of founder Fuller."

+ The Columbus Riverdragons blew a 19-point second-half lead, then made a three-point shot at the final buzzer and went on to beat Florida in overtime. They'll meet two more times in Florida this weekend - so there's plenty of time left for a bench-clearing brawl to start.

+ Instant Message to WRBL's Dan Edward: Troup County tight end Ben Watts is NOT going to the "Ivy League," as you claim. He signed to play college football at Bucknell. In fact, he's probably smart enough to know that's not in the Ivy League -- and he doesn't have the college degree you do.

COMING SOON: A former Columbus executive speaks openly about his old employer. This "Blog-Buster" exclusive will have jaws dropping....

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

2 FEB 05: I FOUGHT THE LAW?

Ooh boy - the trickle of e-mail messages about Columbus public safety is turning into a flood. But that's OK, I can handle it. As long as I don't hit the "reply" button, my e-mail account might decide it's all spam....

Let's take the week's e-mails (and we won't get to all of them today) in the order we received them. First, someone sending a Tim Chitwood newspaper column about the January 15 civil rights march. The message came titled, "It's just a banana!!!!" I saw this title, and wondered if the police force couldn't afford handguns anymore.

If you didn't read this column, someone at Jesse Jackson's civil rights march reportedly took offense at security officers being provided bananas. The person claimed that sent a wrong racial message. Imagine if a bakery had shown up with loaves of white bread.

Then came another message from the mysterious "IsOurCitySafe" - aimed right at me:

I see that some people are paying attention to my emails even if they think it's a joke. The two officers in church [30 Jan] were working a part-time job in order to feed their families. Lord knows this city doesnt care about our families or our pay. I wonder if the blog will be laughing when its his family that needs the Police and the only officer that responds cant read or write. Or better yet, a Police officer doesnt respond at all. Its always funny until it happens to you.

The following was sent to me by a friend:

As you can tell by reading this......the Blog writer does not, and is not taking the officers comments seriously......he just doesn't know how right this officer is. We are in trouble and those officers that care all know it. Hope the Blog writer doesn't find out the hard way. He doesn't even realize that those 2 officers at the church service were WORKING PART TIME JOBS. Sad isn't it? And he is right....."is our city safe" shouldn't like reading this. Did you?

Yes, I AM paying attention to you. Perhaps to some people I'm paying too much attention, but at least I'm doing it....

Since the e-mailer keeps bringing it up: Columbus police have visited my apartment complex several times over the years - for everything from vandalism to a killing. In every case, I recall officers doing their jobs well. For all I know, the suspect who was cleared in the killing may have been Gray Conger's fault.

But isn't it nice to know Columbus Police are allowed to wear full uniforms in their part-time jobs patrolling church services? It makes them a lot like referees at high school basketball games.

Our next e-mail also concerns the officers at last weekend's church service:

I'm not sure that you are fully understanding the concept of "part time" police work. These officers are off-duty and have taken part time security jobs as supplemental income. So, in reality, they are working overtime on a part time job because their full time jobs DON'T PAY THE BILLS! What a sad state of reality this town is coming to...

And the difference between these officers and Wal-Mart employees is.... well, WHAT exactly?

= = = ONE E-MAIL HAS BEEN DELETED, AT REQUEST OF PERSON MENTIONED IN IT = = =

But wait - the e-mails keep on coming:

I am getting terribly confused by these e-mails. Some of the city's safety problems have been addressed (I did NOT say handled) in the Letters to the Editor in the newspaper, but the problems keep swirling around and around. Does the information contained in these emails get where it is intended? What does the average citizen do when they have concern but are not sure that the emails are even being seen much less read? For instance, do the names listed read these emails? You are right. Just let the right person have the wrong thing happen and something might get done.

How many times do people have to be reminded that uniformed police officers seen at churches are working on their own time being paid by those churches? They are NOT working for the city at those times. Might I add that those part-time jobs are paying much more per hour than the city pays them. God bless them for doing what they have to do to support their families.

And while I am at it: what happens when Columbus gets army personnel who have been serving in other countries where they have had to be ready to fight for their lives. Many times they come back to us and have not had the proper help in assisting them to live in a "friendly" environment. They may still feel under pressure to.... fight for their lives. How will our safety workers who are already spread so thin be able to lend assistance to these individuals and families who might come up against a time of crisis?

This city is one of unrest. What will it take? I don't know for sure. I guess we will just have to hit rock bottom and then come up for air. It's a shame, isn't it?

If you're getting "terribly confused" by these e-mails, imagine how I feel. I'm almost getting as many of these things as I am offers for discount-priced Viagra.

It's sad to learn the Columbus public safety problems are not being "handled" in the Ledger-Enquirer's letters section. But then again, I wonder if public safety officers have been able to handle some of Kaffie Sledge's recent columns.

As for the "names listed" reading all these e-mails - they're being sent to a long chain of InBoxes. They're addressed not only to me, but to city officials and media outlets. And I think Alan Quin of "Sunny 100-FM" made the list because his station sometimes plays songs by The Police.

And about those army personnel - that's a sure way to raise the bar in this discussion. Imply some members of Fort Benning's Third Brigade will come home from Iraq as crazed psychopaths....

"This city is one of unrest" - aw, c'mon now! If that's true, someone should have been arrested at Jesse Jackson's march....

Had enough yet? I hope not, because another e-mail apparently was aimed at our blog:

Obviously, this person who is responding to the "Is Our City Safe" is either an idiot, or just patronizing the police. I think, or hope, he knows that when he sees officers standing around in uniform at churches or businesses, they are working what is commonly called "part time jobs". The term "part time job" is really misleading. It would be better termed "over time jobs". The officers that work over time jobs are doing so after their regular work hours. This means, Mr. Idiot or Mr. Patronizer (I can only hope you read this), that the officers are working after they get off from regular duty or working their off days.

I am an officer that works these extra jobs to make ends meet. This means I see a whole lot less of my wife and kids then I prefer. I do not consider having to work all these extra jobs a "privilege", as our old Mayor stated. The situation puts a strain on every officer that has to work them. So, when a citizen mocks this fact, it really upsets me.

I have worked for this city as an officer for 5 years. I have a bachelor's degree. I have yet to earn $2,000 more in annual salary than when I started. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that is ridiculous.

How people can think its funny that their Police Department CANNOT retain their experienced officers is beyond me. How someone can think we are not "short" on officers is beyond me. Here is a fun fact: I recently answered a Burglary In Progress call at about 12:30 AM. The original call came into 911 at 10:30 PM. Headquarters was not able to send an officer to the IN PROGRESS call for 2 hours (which is when I came on duty). This is not unusual, more like the norm.

Yeah, everything is fine here in Columbus.

At least we know for sure here that we have a police officer's viewpoint. Thank you for sharing it -- and I'll resist the urge to report you to the Citizen's Review Committee for calling an interested resident an idiot.

So in Columbus, a police "part-time job" is really an overtime job?! How many Burger King employees will try to take advantage of that knowledge, to get extra money?

If Columbus Police "CANNOT retain their experienced officers," how do we explain the many exceptions to that statement? There's Chief Rick Boren. There's Russell Traino of the Metro Squad. There's.... well, there WAS David Glisson, in that other
department....

Letters such as this one leave me twisting for an appropriate response. I should praise the Columbus Police officers for the work they do - yet I'm supposed to be upset that they're doing it two hours "behind the curve." I suppose the phrase "better late than never" can work in law enforcement, even if it doesn't at the tax preparation office.

To all the writers taking me to task here, I'd refer you back to the e-mail which started all this. It was "just a banana" - and I'm just a humor blogger. But I'm one taking extra care right now to drive at the speed limit....

The task of finding funds for Columbus police was passed to new hands Tuesday night. Columbus Council voted to make Isaiah Hugley City Manager - which already will save money, in terms of lobbying the Georgia Legislature. After all, Rep. Carolyn Hugley is the new City Manager's wife.

This appointment is a reminder of how a few families hold a lot of power in Columbus. The new City Manager is married to a state lawmaker. The police chief is married to an election board official. The school board president is married to a former city attorney. So it's no wonder people watch every woman Judge Bobby Peters dates.

Isaiah Hugley makes history as the city's first African-American City Manager. He promised Columbus Council in an acceptance speech he'll work for "One Columbus." Some civil rights leaders won't believe that until he orders police to invade the Sheriff's Department office.

After his appointment, City Manager Isaiah Hugley said a ten-percent cut in the public safety budget would be "unacceptable." So what do you think - will the final cut be closer to five percent, or eight?

So is anything else being discussed around here? Believe it or not, the answer Tuesday was yes:

+ Developers revealed their plans to renovate downtown Phenix City. They include a marina, new downtown college campuses, an expanded Russell County Courthouse - why, I saw everything except that new movie theater Mayor Jeff Hardin campaigned about.

+ The Lumpkin Public Library reopened, after being closed three months. It apparently took a long time to find magnets large enough to stop those thugs with brass knuckles.

+ Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller hinted he might file legal action, in the wake of the Habitat board in Americus firing him and his wife. After about 30 years with Habitat projects, we can be sure Fuller knows how to build a case....

(Despite the firing, Fuller told WRBL he plans to fulfill his upcoming speaking schedule on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. So when audiences show appreciation by donating money to him, will that be a "love offering" or not?)

+ Alabama Governor Bob Riley told state lawmakers he "does not need gambling to balance my budget." I fear some gamblers will take this the wrong way. They'll organize private poker games, and presume the state won't fine them.

+ Instant Message to WCGT-TV 16: About that "Urban Rebounder" exercise device you're offering in infomercials - do you have a rural version for people in Harris County?

To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

** REVISION ONE/7:50P **