Columnist
"Today, we dedicate a building. Tomorrow, we start putting life back into this structure. Our management team is on board as of today, and we start a new era. As you-know-who once said, 'Papa's got a brand new bag.' "
-- Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority Chairman Richard Isdell at the James Brown Arena plaque dedication
Friday's dedication went off swimmingly in front of a good crowd of elected officials, authority members, James Brown's family members and other folks.
Rep. Henry Howard made a few remarks. So did Sen. Ed Tarver , Deanna Brown Thomas and Sue Parr from the Metro Chamber of Commerce. They cut a big, red ribbon with a pair of scissors big enough to trim your hedges or cut your grandpa's toenails, and the Brown family unveiled the plaque.
Then the fun started. The meeting rooms and arena were all decorated, George Croft and the "Heeeey Baby Band" played, and the hors d'oeuvres looked yummy, with such delicacies as pheasant and cognac sausage wrapped in puff pastry.
There were lots of "formers" there: former arena manager Robert "Flash" Gordon ; former Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams ; former authority Chairwoman Annie Rogers ; and former authority members J.R. Riles and Joe Scott , both of whom are named on the plaque.
Word is, some members will complain at Tuesday's authority meeting about the cost of the invitation-only event.
But heck, where will they get the nerve to gripe about spending $7,000? The finance director during Mr. Gordon's one-year tenure lost more than that in checks and late fees on overdue bills she couldn't seem to get around to paying, and the authority refused to do a thing about it until Freddie Sanders got on the board. Oh, how I wish he'd stop wanting to be a judge and come on back. But he thought being on the authority was ruining his good reputation.
THIS OUGHT TO CUT DOWN ON THE RASSLIN' MATCHES SOMEWHAT: Papa's not only got a new bag. He's also got a new holster. With a gun in it. Starting with Tuesday's authority meeting, a deputy will be present from 9 a.m. until noon at every meeting.
WHO YOU CALLING FAT? Gov. Sonny Perdue wants to take away the tax grants to local governments permanently. He says they've used them to get fat. Is that a case of the fat calling the fat fat?
The governor just wants the money to cover the state's revenue shortfall, but what it means to you is a big fat tax increase.
A DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION: Mr. Tarver, who, incidentally will be at the Democratic convention as a delegate for Barack Obama when you read this, said the Democrats are pushing for a special legislative session to deal with the governor's freeze on this year's property-tax grants. He says it's not fair to make local governments wait until January to find out whether they can count on the money.
So if the state doesn't keep the $428 million, what will it cut to balance its budget? The $50 million in tax credits for people who want to send their children to private school. They also could stall or stop some of the property-tax caps, Mr. Tarver said.
"We're in difficult times," he added. "The Board of Regents is proposing increases for some of their projects. This is not the time for budget increases."
I think he was referring to the $8 million increase in the budget for a Medical College of Georgia satellite campus in Athens and program expansion in Albany and Savannah.
BUT SEE, THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES: It's like MCG President Dan Rahn creating a new foundation in the face of possible 10 percent budget cuts.
The MCG Foundation he tried to fire is still going to be doing what it's been doing for 54 years, so there will be duplicate administrative costs.
And now there really will be "a lack of alignment," as Dr. Rahn called the foundation's association with MCG. One can hardly think the foundation will now be willing to bend its rules a little to give Dr. Rahn some extra cash, as in the past.
Last year, the foundation paid $11,500 to fund two legislative study committees visiting MCG to investigate the expansion of medical education in Georgia. In 2006, it paid $1.1 million to cover cost overruns in MCG's early retirement program. And in 2003, at Dr. Rahn's request and against the foundation's better judgment, it "loaned" $63,415 to the University System of Georgia Foundation, which was unable to fulfill its financial commitments to the chancellor. That loan was later forgiven.
EEO BETTY: Mayor Pro Tem Betty Beard knows how to throw her weight around. In recent weeks, she demanded City Administrator Fred Russell and the utilities department's interim director, Drew Goins, devise a way to give Theo Jones a promotion. So a "training liaison" position was created for him, and he received a 10 percent raise. No one inside or outside the utilities department was considered.
Last year, a hiring committee chose Bobby Pollard , a former manager of the Columbia County water treatment plant, as the most qualified candidate for operations manager at the Highland Avenue water treatment plant, based on his managerial experience and two science degrees.
EEO Betty, however, demanded the job be given to Mr. Jones, even though the committee ranked him at the bottom. Former Utilities Director Max Hicks resisted, and eventually Mrs. Beard gave up but insisted Mr. Pollard be disqualified because he had made some errors on his rÃsumÃ.
He had submitted his application online and checked "yes" to questions where he should have checked "no," such as, "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" The mistake was cleared up, and he was notified he'd gotten the job.
Then he was told the hiring had been rescinded. He filed an Equal Employment Opportunity complaint, but it was denied.
"But I was discriminated against," he said. "It's just not right."
Mrs. Beard said she was just trying to help Mr. Jones, who she said has worked at the treatment plant for 10 years and "was never considered for anything."
"Anyone who would come to me in a situation like this, I would try to help," she said. "That's why I'm there. And I would never do anything without talking to our administrator."
HOT AIR TO SPARE: U.S. Rep. Paul Broun is close to running out of money for staff, rent and other expenses, but it's not because he's enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Washington. He sleeps in his office on an air mattress and bathes in his building's basement gym. So do about 40 other House members.
I'm sure there's enough hot air up there to fill everybody's blow-up mattresses, with some to spare.
BUTLER'S REBUTTAL: District 22 state Senate candidate John Butler isn't taking phone calls these days, but he's denying through e-mail that he was fired or forced to resign from his job with the Richmond County Board of Education.
He says it's negative campaigning, a "below-the-belt shot from those who fear change and support the political status quo," and that he left the board because of a career opportunity that arose because of his college graduation.
Records from Mr. Butler's administrative personnel file indicate he was tardy 34 times and left work early 11 times this year. He resigned six days after receiving a letter from his supervisor, Maintenance Director Benton O. Sparks . The letter gave him three days off without pay and warned him that if his punctuality didn't improve, he could be fired.
FREE TO GOOD HOME. MAYBE: Driving to work Thursday, I saw a dog huddled against the inside concrete wall on Calhoun Expressway, only five feet from the speeding traffic. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I wasn't going to just leave him there, so I called Mr. Russell's office and told administrative assistant Alexandra Alston , and she called animal control.
Long story short, Deputy Administrator Robert Leverette got involved. Animal control rescued Calhoun, but he turned out to be a 70-pound female Shepherd mix with a high fever, so I changed her name to Calhouni.
Animal Control Director Diane Downs said she can't yet determine whether she's adoptable. If she is, you can have her.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
