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for 12 JUL 04: REPORT CARD TIME

Have you read the annual report of the city of Columbus? I picked one up downtown this past week - and I must say the bridge leading out of town to Phenix City on the cover never looked nicer. Is there a message here?

A message from Mayor Bob Poydasheff in the report makes a vague reference to the Kenneth Walker shooting: "We have survived some challenges to our togetherness, some pressures on our unity, but we have moved forward economically and culturally by holding onto our basic unity of purpose," Translation: no Rainbow/PUSH boycott.

Mayor Poydasheff cites 20 points of achievement for Columbus in the last 12 months. One business he mentions by name is "Ritmo Latino, Inc., with a sharp new office on Victory Drive...." Yeah, and a nice portrait of a manager now in the
police mug shot drawer....

Mayor Poydahseff adds the last 12 months have brought "energy saving measures.... in the Government Center...." When you can only enter through a single security checkpoint, that DOES make it easier to cool in summer.

A message from City Manager Carmen Cavezza cites one theme of the annual report: "quality people providing quality service." We'd like to take a moment here and thank all the quality jail and prison inmates, who pick up our trash and trim weeds on the Riverwalk.

General Cavezza mentions one program I didn't know about before - a "Pavement Management System" for road projects. Remember: if you manage your pavement well, it's less likely to run away and find work elsewhere.

The Columbus annual report has a helpful little "who to call" list to help you contact the right city offices. When it comes to 911, 311, and "Contact 211," it has the 411.

(But what's this item on the 911 list that says "I want to confess"? Is the city trying to put Catholic churches out of business?)

The city report also has some fun factoids about how many people use city facilities and programs. For instance, there's "one tennis facility" used by 91,756 people. That's funny - every time I drive by Benning Park, it seems all the courts are empty.

(We should note the handball/racquetball courts at Benning Park never are mentioned at all. If you're like me and you've actually used them, please contact me - and maybe we can meet in a booth at Denny's.)

The city "stat sheet" breaks down how many people attended various events at the Civic Center. "Other - non ticketed events" listed include youth and adult hockey, the Georgia Baptist Convention, and "Misc." C'mon, folks - you can admit
the Jehovah's Witnesses were in town.

One big surprise in the Civic Center breakdown is that the Columbus Wardogs had only 8,689 people at games in 2003. That's an average of less than 1,100 per game - so I guess the team really needed to add that new hot tub near one end zone.

(It could have been worse, I suppose. The city operates Golden Park, yet the South Georgia Waves/Columbus Catfish aren't mentioned in the city report at all.)

Another revelation in the Civic Center report is how many big-name concerts drew lousy crowds last year. Foreigner was the worst of all, with only 1,298 showing up -- but given events with Fort Benning and Iraq last year, a distrust of
"foreigners" may have been understandable.

And can you believe the Beach Boys drew fewer than 2,400 fans at the Civic Center?! Maybe Columbus residents are too used to driving four hours to Panama City Beach, for shows like this....

BLOG UPDATE: Was Mark Shelnutt ever upset with what we posted Sunday, from Judge Roxann Daniel's campaign treasurer! In fact, Shelnutt predicts what Maxine Hardy wrote will cost her that campaign job. Of course, that's no big deal - since Hardy loses that job in eight days, anyway.

Your blog had a lengthy conversation by phone with Mark Shelnutt Sunday night. He had NOT seen Maxine Hardy's e-mail, explaining lightning damaged his computer. The way this campaign's going, we should be thankful Shelnutt didn't
blame Judge Roxann Daniel for the lightning bolt.

Mark Shelnutt told me the Roxann Daniel campaign "is sitting there talking about not slinging mud -- and now they're slinging mud, not at Bobby [Peters], but at one of his supporters?!" This is known in politics as the "friends of skunks must be skunks, too" theory.

"It's all a crock! It didn't happen!" Mark Shelnutt said of Maxine Hardy's claim that he offered her $10,000 last year, if she would persuade Judge Roxann Daniel to reduce a client's sentence. I didn't think to ask him if the actual amount might have been higher or lower....

Mark Shelnutt says he was "horrified and offended" by what Maxine Hardy implied about him -- and beyond that, it's "simply not true." So the burden of proof is now on the Roxann Daniel campaign, to come up with the secret microcassettes.

Mark Shelnutt admitted he's talked with fellow attorney Maxine Hardy over the years about cases, and even worked with her on some. Judging from this weekend, the next time they work together might be if their children happen to wind up on the same Little League team.

Mark Shelnutt also admitted she's asked for Maxine Hardy's help with some cases going before Judge Roxann Daniel, because he feels Hardy has "a better rapport" with the Judge. Oh, to know where these judges and attorneys go for drinks after hours....

In fact, Mark Shelnutt told me Maxine Hardy called HIM about two months ago for help in handling a case. I'm not sure how that turned out - but the attorneys remain to this day in separate offices.

"If something inappropriate happened on a case," Mark Shelnutt asked of the alleged 2003 armed robbery case, "why is she bringing it up now?" That's a good question - maybe because Maxine Hardy has a balloon payment coming due?!

"Why didn't she report it to the bar? Why didn't she report it to the police?" asked Mark Shelnutt of the alleged $10,000 bribe. He went on to note Judge Roxann Daniel never reported any wrongdoing, either. But as we know, timing is everything - and this week is a perfect time.

"You can believe I'm gonna follow up on this," Mark Shelnutt promised me. He agreed with my conclusion that Maxine Hardy implied he offered her a bribe. I'd say "see you in court" - but then again, these attorneys see each other in court all the time now.

Mark Shelnutt calls Maxine Hardy's allegation a desperate "red herring" attempt to get you to overlook "the real issues" in the Superior Court Judge race. We should note to some previous writers -- Shelnutt never declared friendliness at a restaurant an issue.

Mark Shelnutt says he's disgusted not only with the allegation by Maxine Hardy, but The Mass Media overlooking a different matter. Shelnutt claims Roxann Daniel's application for Superior Court Judge two years ago was filled with
distortions and lies. Of course, some people say Governor Perdue's statements about the flag were the same thing....

Mark Shelnutt apparently has a file folder ready to show me, with "misrepresentations" Roxann Daniel made when she applied for Superior Court Judge. Shelnutt reminded me during our phone call he was passed over for the job, as well as Bobby Peters. It's good to find people who don't have hard feelings about these things.

Want an example? OK -- Mark Shelnutt says the application for Superior Court Judge asked how many trials the applicants had brought to conclusion. That statement alone surprised me. The application had questions other than, "How many votes did you get for the Governor in Muscogee County?"

Anyway, Mark Shelnutt says Roxann Daniel claimed on her application she tried 250 cases a year. But Shelnutt claims Government Center records show Ms. Daniel only tried FIVE misdemeanor jury cases over several years, and none of them
were in Superior Court. Apparently watching Court TV for hours doesn't count.

But wait, there's more! Mark Shelnutt says Roxann Daniel was confirmed to practice law in 1986 - yet she claimed to work as an associate attorney as early as 1985. If engaged couples checked each other's backgrounds this thoroughly before getting married, the divorce rate might be a lot lower.

"She has a sign up there: experience - and she just doesn't have any," Mark Shelnutt argued. Now hold on a minute! Roxann Daniel doesn't say what her experience is IN - and last time I checked, she's been a Judge two years longer than her opponent.

Mark Shelnutt made more tough statements, aimed directly at Roxann Daniel's character. He says the Judge asked for attorney Dorothy Williams's vote in the courtroom during a recent case. Yeow - at least she could have had the bailiff sneak a pamphlet inside a briefcase or something.

Mark Shelnutt also claimed Judge Roxann Daniel's campaign signs "weren't in compliance with what the Secretary of State's guidelines were." I did NOT ask him what was wrong with those signs - but I was left with the feeling the words
"integrity and experience" on them are considered unethical lies.

Mark Shelnutt openly admits he considers Bobby Peters far more qualified for Superior Court Judge - and Shelnutt wonders what his personal actions have to do with the race. Maybe Mr. Peters should come out and announce he'll turn down $10,000 bribes, too.

Oh yes, about that sermon Mark Shelnutt gave on Men's Day at South Columbus United Methodist Church - he says the title "Whatever" referred to the Bible verse on thinking about "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely...." In other words, anything but this campaign for Superior Court Judge.

(Instant Message to the TV reporter who brought up that sermon in a separate conversation with Mark Shelnutt: please don't accept my punchlines as facts - sometimes they're SUPPOSED to be funny.)

E-MAIL UPDATE: Even before I called Mark Shelnutt Sunday night, I received TWO follow-up e-mails from Maxine Hardy. I'll combine the two, since they go together:

I was pleased to see my message to you broadcast promptly and verbatim. I'm not terribly concerned about your reply; it stings a little, but I'm a bottom-feeding lawyer, after all, with dulled pain receptors. It doesn't seem that there are a great many people reading you, anyway. I hope that's a situation that improves (actually, I'm being sincere about this: I do hope your blog continues and grows).

I'm aware that Mark Shelnutt is involved with his church. I, on the other hand, am a heathen, as my pastor, Reg Hall, at Edgewood United Methodist Church, will undoubtedly confirm. I am very curious as to how Mark will respond when you contact him. I'm sure you'll let us know.

I do want to say that I am not accusing Mark of attempting to bribe the judge. What I am saying is that Mark had a client who had come into some money, but who was, unfortunately, incarcerated following his conviction for armed robbery. Mark asked me to speak to Judge Daniel about this client and he told me that I would be paid $10,000 if the client's sentence was reduced. I don't presume to know Mark's motives other than the obvious: to get the man's sentenced reduced.

I am very aware of the potential for a defamation suit, which is probably why my heart is racing as I write this. On the other hand, as every first year law student learns, the truth is an absolute defense to a charge of slander. I have held back on trying to make this information public because I didn't want to make unnecessary trouble for myself or my family. But I feel like a coward, because I know what is going on and I'm not saying anything.

So there it is. Go ahead and do your worst. Slice me to ribbons.

By the way: why aren't you reading the Ledger?....

As I was going about my regular Sunday afternoon routine with my husband and our cranky five-year-old son, it occurred to me that there is one more thing I want to get off my chest: I know, without any doubt, that this confession of mine is an entirely futile gesture. It's too little, too late, and my motives are suspect, at best. I'm not likely to convince anyone with this message or this venue, and I imagine that I've bought myself at least one sure enemy.

Now I'm going to try to quit obsessing about this, and do something useful with the rest of my afternoon.

Maxine Hardy, "bottom-feeding lawyer"?! Hey, I'm simply a blogger -- and I don't charge hourly rates.

Can a United Methodist be a "heathen," as Maxine Hardy calls herself? My Pastor probably would say yes -- mostly because she isn't attending his congregation.

Maxine Hardy may say she's not accusing Mark Shelnutt of attempted bribery - but as you read above, Shelnutt believes she certainly implied it. Considering how close their law offices are, I suggest extra police patrol Second Avenue between 10^th and 12^th Streets for the next few days.

Slice Maxine Hardy to ribbons - who, me? I'm just sitting here, feeling like Jim Ross announcing a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view.

Oh yes -- why am I not reading the Ledger-Enquirer? Well, sometimes I do - but most of the time I don't need to. TV and radio stations read the most important points for me....

At this point, you may be wishing we had some other topic to discuss - and you'll be pleased to know we do:

just to set the record straight. cynthia worked for a bank and was cashing the checks for tosha miles who worked for the healthcare center. i don't have much more info as i am an outsider looking in as
well. FREE CYNTHIA SUBER!!!

Thanks for the clarification - and I've corrected the 9 July posting to reflect that change. It's my goal to make sure you laugh here as accurately as possible.

But what struck me most was this admitted out-of-towner's e-mail address: "FreeCynthiaSuber" at a domain name. A big civil rights "Dignity Day" march is coming up in Columbus Friday. Do you think she was arrested to give the guests something to talk about?

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