Earlier this week, The Augusta Press ran an editorial that some said was a swipe at our black elected officials.
It was full of condemnation that seemed to be punches at our commissioners and legislators alike. It referred to some as criminals, making allegations of having their hands in the cookie jar, and even going as far as to state that many of them “have occupied space in the Augusta wing of a federal prison complex.”
We have had local politicians from both sides of the political spectrum who have spent time away. It would almost be insulting to have readers believe that only the black politicians have routinely run into issues as it relates to the “public’s trust.”
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Just a side note — I received several calls from local politicians and local community leaders who were upset over the editorial piece. They said in no uncertain terms that it was a direct attack on black leaders. They even pointed out the fact that the paper went as far as to name only white politicians as the ones that were “good.”
I personally have no issue with the politicians they named, being that I know each and every one of them personally. I do, however, take issue in the fact they did not name a single black elected official or even make an attempt to show that there are numerous black leaders who do great work for the CSRA community. I have done my best to highlight both the good and bad from all sides. I do not want to appear as the black columnist from the Augusta Press that talks black issues, but as the columnist that will tackle all issues for the good of our community, regardless of race. I certainly would encourage others to do the same.
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Now, let me tell you about the latest in the mayoral race as another name was being sent to me as a potential candidate.
It seems as if another commissioner is considering a run for the middle seat. This came to me from multiple sources. One went as far as to state that there was even a meeting held to discuss his possible run. That commissioner is Bobby Williams.
When I reached out to ask him about a possible run for mayor, Williams confirmed that he has been confronted by numerous constituents who have promised their support if he decides to run for mayor. His quick ascension to mayor pro tem after being elected to his first term has served for some as a lightning bolt of support from this community.
Williams is no stranger to Augusta. He was a long-time educator who became a very popular principal and serves as chairman of the Board for the Medical Associates Offices in our community.
They have several offices throughout our community and give top-notch medical care for the underserved and insured alike. They are locally owned, and it is actually where I go to see the doctor as well. They take all types of insurances, and if you are uninsured, they have a sliding scale to determine what you will pay based on income. That concludes my Medical Associates plug.
Back to Dr. Bobby. When I asked him about his potential run for mayor, he laughed. However, he did say, “I’m not ruling out anything. This community deserves good effective leadership and the people know they can and will get that from me… but I love my district.”
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Candidates for the mayor’s seat continue to grow by the week it seems. Word has it that Steven Kendrick is locking up a huge amount of support. Garnett Johnson is also making his rounds. Very little is known about the other candidates campaigns, but I am sure will have more to say about them in future columns.
Speaking of mayoral candidates, I had a great conversation with Commissioner Jordan Johnson in the West Wing of his East Augusta Mansion (inside joke). This was after he had to change our lunch plans because he was tending to constituent issues.
I think it’s a three way tie for who handles more constituent calls between Johnson, Brandon Garrett and Ben Hasan. Their phones are forever ringing off the hook from people in Augusta, but I digress.
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Commissioner Johnson quickly shot down my assertion that he is a potential mayoral candidate and stated that District One is his community and his main focus. I asked him directly who would he be supporting in the upcoming race, and he quickly responded (he has an answer for everything, after all).
He said he would support the candidate that was about passing policy to make Augusta a model city in the state; the candidate that understood economic development; one who understood passing infrastructure measures to truly make Augusta a better place. He was adamant that whoever the candidate was, these items would need to be a focus to gain his support. He also hinted that he was still researching all candidates and was not ready to make a pick at this time.
Now to try to finish getting information from my sources on this upcoming indictment that finally should be handed down by mid July— Oops. There I go again talking about next week’s column.
Michael Meyers is a Columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com.
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