Legendary country singer and songwriter Merle Haggard wrote and sang a ballad that can easily fit the ongoing craziness of the Augusta commission. The song is titled, ” If We Make It Through December.”
Lyrics:
“If we make it through December,
Everything’s gonna be alright, I know.
It’s the coldest time of winter,
And I shiver when I see the fallin’ snow.”
Now, here in Augusta, we may or may not shiver from the falling snow in December, but it is more likely the taxpayers may be shivering from the gross self-serving actions of certain commissioners.
This past Tuesday, a special meeting for set 10:30 a.m. was called for by Mayor Johnson to hire a permanent city administrator. There was plenty of advance notice given via government email to each and every commissioner. That same email went out to all media, most of which dutifully reported that the meeting was to happen.
Yet, the advance notice was not enough for Commissioner Jordan Johnson and his crew.
The Gang of Five chose not to attend the special called meeting, nor did they attend the legal meeting that was also scheduled. They were not in attendance for the full agenda of committee meetings as well. In essence, that damn near stopped all of the city business from being performed.
Petitioners for alcohol licenses were told to go home and come back the next week because of a lack of a quorum.
As most know, the Gang of Five consists of Commissioners Francine Scott, Tony Lewis, Stacy Pulliam, Jordan Johnson and Bobby Williams. Williams has now missed five meetings since his election loss.
Meanwhile, ailing Commissioner Alvin Mason, although still under his doctor’s care, did return for this important meeting.
Since it takes seven voting members to make a quorum and there were only six present, the Gang of Five literally stopped the commission from conducting the taxpayer’s business. This should show all voters that the ethics of these five are not where they should be.
They should be embarrassed, but they’re not.
The gang will try to pass their unethical behavior off as being “best for the city.” They will also have excuses as to why they missed the meetings, and, sadly, some folks will indeed buy into their explanations. Those are the same people that fall for rediculous telephone scams and then complain they were deceived.
Commissioner Frantom stated, “It’s politics in Augusta. This isn’t the first time we’ve had shenanigans happen. It doesn’t make us look good at all. But, this is Augusta, Georgia.”
Commissioner Catherine McKnight stated, “At the end of the day, whether we agree or don’t agree, we all work for the Augusta-Richmond County citizens.”
Commissioner Mason may have said it best when he stated: “This government’s infected. It’s like a plant that needs to grow. It needs to shed some leaves or our whole government will be infected.”
The gang’s actions have only delayed the inevitable and nearly cost the airports of Augusta nearly a combined $13.5 million in state grants and funding. Yes, an FAA AIP grant of nearly $9 million to the Augusta Aviation Commission at the Augusta Regional Airport was nearly tossed away, due to a deadline, by the gang’s political posturing.
There were also two state funded projects for the Daniel Field Airport that needed immediate discussion and a vote. One in the amount of $2.75 million, and one other in the amount of $1.8 million. These items were time sensitive and needed to be approved by the commission and signed by the mayor. It was only by sheer non-thought by Scott and Lewis that the items got passed.
Scott had put on the Engineering Committee agenda the status of the Olive Road train overpass closure, and while Scott is not on that committee, Lewis is. Now, it was obvious to those of us that pay attention this was a well planned “see me” item. Scott showed up just in time for the Engineering Committee meeting. It just so happened that Lewis was right behind her.
Most likely they were in the lobby area watching the meeting on the big screen TV’s and knew just the right time to enter. Even with Bobby Williams, a member, not present, that did make the committee have a quorum with McKnight, Lewis and Garrett.
The Olive Road issue was discussed in detail, and it was voted to approve another safety measure, covered chains hanging over the roadway that over height vehicles would hit and be alerted to danger and that the road should reopen immediately.
As soon as it passed, Scott got up and left post haste, but Lewis lingered. Thinking all was fine in the world of the Gang of Five, so he just sat there. The agenda items for the airports were brought forth, and the body voted to approve.
This is where the question was posed to the interim city attorney, Jim Plunkett, since there is now a quorum after the airport agenda items were brought forth and voted on. Would it be legal to bring back the vote on hiring an administrator? The answer was YES.
This is where Tony Lewis must have got the Forrest Gump message. The one that said, “RUN TONY RUN,” for he looked down, presumably at his phone, grabbed his belongings and literally ran out of the chambers.
Rumor has it that the Roadrunner was impressed with the speed Lewis displayed. It was indeed pathetically funny. In fact nearly all in attendance laughed. You owe it to yourself to pull the last of the commission meeting up online and watch it.
I would be remiss if I failed to state that there were three past commissioners in attendance who would have never been a part of something so unethical as what the Gang of Five pulled for their own self interest; that would be former Commissioners Dennis Williams, Bill Fennoy and, yes, myself.
Believe me when I tell you that we would fuss and fight for a cause, but we would never allow it to come to this kind of obnoxious behavior. Two newly elected commissioners were in attendance as well, and I firmly believe they would never allow themselves to be a part of anything such as this. District 7’s Tina Slendak and District 5’s Don Clark patiently sat watching the spectacle.
I can understand why Takiyah Douse wants to be hired as the permanent administrator: the salary. She makes approximately $201,500 now as interim. Of course, she would want the same $240,000 that the commission foolishly voted to pay Odie Donald.
Let me clarify again. I was the one NO vote to hire Donald, and I certainly didn’t agree to the salary that was given to him. I lost that vote, but I didn’t sit at home and sulk, I showed up and got out voted. That’s the way it happens sometimes.
Rest assured that for whatever unlikely reason Douse is hired as permanent, she would indeed expect the same $240,000 Donald was paid. If she isn’t, there goes just another EEOC lawsuit that will be based purely on gender in nature.
If she is retained and placed back as Central Services Director, she would most likely be allowed to keep most of the salary increase she was given to be interim administrator.
Then, there is the interim director Ron Lampkin. He would most likely retain most of his increase that he was given as interim. That’s just the way Augusta has allowed these things to happen in the past. Maybe it would be best for business if the both of them would just pull an Oz and “ease on down the road.”
Rest assured come January things are going to change. The dynamics will be very different. The Gang of Five will be shy one member, and they will lose their strong arm position.
Therefore, “If we make it through December, Everything’s gonna be alright, I know.”
Folks, as always, you just can’t make this stuff up.
