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3 NOV 04: LOST 'CAUSE....

What must Colin Martin be thinking today? He opposed a tax increase years ago, and it passed. He supported the Columbus one-cent sales tax on Tuesday's ballot - and it lost. Maybe he's become a local version of the "curse of the Bambino."

The one-cent local option sales tax was rejected by Columbus voters, by a 60-percent majority. Voters said no even though it was endorsed by several former mayors AND the Chamber of Commerce. The only "LOST" people in Columbus seem to want is that new TV show.

The defeat of the LOST means Columbus's city sales tax will stay at seven cents - and we all know what that means. Phenix City residents still have a one-percent reason to drive across the river to shop.

City officials warned us about what might happen if the LOST, well, lost. For one thing, public safety employees may have to go without a raise. But at least based on Tuesday's other results, those workers can hire Ken Suddeth to run a successful fund-raising campaign.

Ken Suddeth lost the Muscogee County Marshal's office to Democrat Greg Countryman by a wide margin.. With a last name like that, Gretchen Wilson and Brad Cotter may perform at the Columbus Civic Center more often....

Muscogee County Democratic Chair Frank Myers said Tuesday night Ken Suddeth has only himself to blame for losing the Marshal's office. We're not sure if that means the fund-raising drive to buy new weapons, the distortions of his war record -
or not buying front-page ads in the Ledger-Enquirer to counter all those negative headlines.

(Oh yes: our most recent BIG BLOG QUESTION asked for your opinion on the Marshal's race - and it wound up dead-even for Ken Sudden and Greg Countryman. I'd call it a "flat-footed tie," but many law officers consider "flat-foot" an insult.)

Columbus voters almost kicked out the Sheriff as well as the Marshal. Ralph Johnson won narrowly over Robert Taylor - and who knows what might have happened had Columbus police actually found beer in Adam Johnson's truck the other night.

Robert Taylor actually led Sheriff Ralph Johnson on the voting scoreboard most of the evening - but the incumbent received most of the late-arriving votes and won. We seem to have a political lesson here: minority precincts are located much closer to the Government Center.

(That reminds me - Instant Message to Pastor Joseph Roberson of South Columbus United Methodist Church: I recall you referred to him as "Sheriff-Elect Taylor" earlier this year [21 Jun]. Maybe you should stop the prophecies, and stick to
building that bow tie collection.)

Does Ralph Johnson's win mean he's been vindicated for his handling of the Kenneth Walker case? Does it mean he's not to blame for the driving record of his son? Or does it mean voters looked at Robert Taylor, and wished he spoke as well as
Jay Jones?

We have some leftovers to clean up in the Adam Johnson case on Oates Avenue. Police now say the Sheriff's son was given a "field sobriety test" at the scene of last Friday's wreck, but it was negative. Of course, most drivers who get trucks
stuck in fields usually are NOT sober....

Edward DuBose of the NAACP says Adam Johnson's two trips to court this year should have qualified as "probable cause" for a full D.U.I. test, and perhaps his arrest. He claims there's a "high probability" Johnson was "drunk or high." I think
there's another word for this reasoning - but isn't that word "profiling"?!

But we digress: Back at the election, Democratic Party Chair Frank Myers admitted Tuesday night he's giving up the position - and he says it's partly because he's tired of Muscogee County votes splitting so much along racial lines.

On the Alabama side, Smiths Station High School was a mess on Tuesday. A planned day off from school was cancelled due to Hurricane Ivan, and that was the city's only polling place. At least the football team could have held a scrimmage,
while voters were waiting.

One potential voter admitted he surrendered, after needing an hour simply to find a parking place at Smiths Station High School. The last time something in Smiths Station had this large a turnout, I think it involved an ungated rail crossing.

We also heard a complaint about voting at Columbus's Blanchard School. A man said there was a 45-minute wait to vote in the "A-J" line, while the other divisions of the alphabet had no waiting at all. We never realized Irish folks like the
"O'Reillys" avoided this part of town....

Now some other quick election notes before we go take a nap -- and we'll have more to say on Thursday:

+ Johnny Isakson easily defeated Denise Majette, to win Zell Miller's seat in the U.S. Senate. Now he'll be able to teach Sunday School on the other side of the U.S. Capitol.

+ Republicans won control of the Georgia House, to go with the State Senate. Put that together with the Isakson Senate win, and a G.O.P. revolution in Georgia politics is complete -- despite also those "I'm not running yet, REALLY" ads with
Cathy Cox.

+ Gray Conger held onto the District Attorney's job, defeating former assistant Alonso Whitaker. Since Whitaker is a minister, we'll see if his sermon this weekend is about forgiveness - or how the majority in Jerusalem abused Jesus.

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