The city of Augusta has created a new game where the ball either gets dropped, passed along like a hot potato or bounced down the court, but no one ever scores.
Yes, as TAP investigative journalist Scott Hudson wrote, everyone dropped the ball when it came to Super Bowl Sunday alcohol bar sales, preventing bars from opening on New Years, which also falls on a Sunday. The Augusta commission followed suit of past years and just repeated the same Sunday to allow bars to be open without getting input from local bar owners as to which Sunday they would prefer to be open.
In a conversation this past week with Augusta’s Mayor Garnett Johnson, he stated that the special exception for 2023 had already been used, therefore it could not be changed. Okay, that makes perfect sense.
The mayor also wanted to tell everyone that 2024’s Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, falls on a Sunday and the non-food bars WILL be allowed to be open .
Both Commissioners Bobby Williams and Jordan Johnson won’t get this information from TAP, since they claim they, as well as no one else, reads TAP, so spread the word.
Also call your local and state representatives to have these outdated alcohol laws revised. It is past time to do so.
As far as myself going to a sports bar or any other restaurant and lounge to watch the Super Bowl, I won’t be there. I just prefer to stay at home and watch the game in the comfort and quiet of my own abode. Besides, at home I can channel surf during commercials and the halftime show, unless Bruno Mars is performing, without getting hit in the head with a chicken wing.
I received word that Commissioner Sean Frantom would be guest hosting the Austin Rhodes Show this past Wednesday. Of course, I had to tune in to listen. I didn’t get to listen to the entire show, only the last hour and a half. As a studio guest, Frantom had Mayor Johnson in attendance.
Frantom was telling all that was listening about all of the great things Augusta’s government had accomplished and would be accomplishing in 2024.
Anyone that knows Sean has to know that he is an eternal optimist. He always sees the glass half full instead of half empty. I am in no way knocking him for that attitude. Not only Augusta, but the world needs more half full glass folks.
Sadly, that’s just not the way the real world works.
The half empty thinkers are needed as well. They are the ones that see to it that the reality is also seen. They are the ones that tend to understand when enough is enough and all ideas are not good ideas, all employees are not good employees and that more money thrown at a problem doesn’t fix the core problem, it just makes it a more expensive problem.
I had to chuckle when a caller from the National Hills neighborhood called in with a good question. It was along the lines of when was the city going to finish fixing the drainage problems?
The caller reported that the city had come out before COVID and marked the roads and spots, but then the workers vanished and never returned. The caller was told that an answer would be found.
The man stated that he and the National Hills neighborhood had been trying to get the city to fix the drainage problem for 20 years to no avail. Sadly, they may have to wait another 20 years before anything actually gets done.
Now I am sure that Frantom and the mayor will look into this. They are good for their word.
But, they too will likely be given the runaround by the Director of Engineering, Dr. Hameed Malik who is an absolute pro at dribbling the ball down the court without really aiming at anything.
City workers have been in the next door neighborhood of National Hills, Lakemont, three times this year making the same spots over and over. Nothing has been done, yet when asked they can always reply, “see that pretty little paint spot on the ground? We’re working on it now.”
If anyone hasn’t noticed, the readers of TAP are unlike many readers of other papers or publications. TAP readers actually make excellent points when replying to articles and columns. Most of our commenters bring up good points that create civil conversations that are well thought out and educated. This shows real people being involved. Keep it up, we listen.
One reader asked for an update on the millions of dollars in IRS penalties that taxpayers are on the hook for. Remember the covid rescue funds that were used for payroll. It seems that the city didn’t follow through with the correct procedures with filings. Of course, the wagons circled and everyone claimed that no one knew about the errors and the ball got passed.
Well, the ball is still being passed and they are still playing reruns of Wagon Train. I have not been able to get an answer as to if the penalty has been paid and if any future penalties are to be paid.
The one sure answer is that everyone tried to lay the blame directly in the lap of the finance department, the one place it should not have been placed.
The finance department is not personnel. It should have been handled there in that department. If it had been filed correctly, then no penalties would need to be paid by the finance department.
So if anyone within the city government would like to shine some light on this issue, we are all listening.
Tomorrow is Christmas and we are in the middle of the holiday season. It is a season of joy, happiness, sadness, loneliness and misery for many. No matter what religion or belief you practice, be respectful of those that believe differently.
The new year is quickly approaching. It will be a year of elections, changes, more money being spent wastefully and the same old back door dealing. But it is certain to be entertaining.
The commission races will be interesting and I will have more to say about them when the elections approach.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. Be safe and non hostile at the family gatherings. Remember, family is always and forever.
As always folks, you just can’t make this stuff up.
