(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column of those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
Gov. Brian Kemp signed off on the redistricting maps last week and there was a Tweet that circulated stating that a federal judge said the maps were OK, so we will see if any of the lawsuits stand up.
The Board of Elections threw out the recall attempt on Commissioner CatherineMcKnight who didn’t even attend the meeting. Well, for one thing, there were not enough verifiable signatures, and then there was attempt to withdraw it at the last minute, but the law didn’t allow the withdrawal. The Elections Board went ahead with the hearing because by law they had to. Either way, Commissioner McKnight prevailed, and there will not be a recall.
I appreciate the calls from people attempting to keep me informed on what was happening with that situation. What I appreciate even more are the people trying to get me straight on who made what appointments and who can remove who. I believe they missed the point of what was being said in those instances – remember this column generally covers things that are being said and talked about. Maybe that was something that was being, “said and talked about.”
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So, as we continue to bring up things that are said and talked about, Sean Frantom’s email response seemed to come out pretty hot against the state legislature, or maybe I am just reading too much into it. He wanted to make sure he was absolved of being involved on any level with what happened.
There has been plenty of talk about how much input or lack of input at the state level was given. I asked a local politician/elected official his/her thoughts on the lines and what happened. The response I received made me take a seat. This person, who will remain nameless, stated that when the opportunity presented itself, it seems as if some within the delegation were only concerned with making sure their districts were OK.
They went on to show me messages where people in the community have been seeking their help and others to run against the incumbent legislators. So. I guess this week will shake out and we will see who actually qualifies.
There is no shortage of names being thrown out to run for seats at the state level – remember we have state representatives and senators on the ballot. Ben Hasan, Sean Frantom, Venus Cain, Kelby Walker, James Germany, Dennis Williams (get to this name more in a moment), Monique Braswell and Jordan Johnson are just some of the names that were given to me this week in reference to possibly running for state office or at least asked if they would run. So, we all will have to wait and see what pans out.
Out the race
One person that is not running, well at least for mayor, is Dennis Williams. He, from all accounts, has decided he will not take a run for mayor. I really though he was going to run – even though many people told me from the beginning he would never qualify. Maybe he decided not to run for mayor to seek a different seat. Guess we will see shortly.
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Wayne Guilfoyle is in
As we continue our talks about local races and candidates, Wayne Guilfoyle has declared his intention to run for District 10 commission seat. This is after months of speculations of whether he will run.
I asked Guilfoyle by text if he had decided to run after hearing from the street committee. He responded, stating he had spoken to John Clarke that morning out of respect to let him know he would be running.
I asked Commissioner Clarke was he still running, and he replied in all caps, “YES!” I asked him about what was being said about him possibly only going to do one term.
He replied, “Here’s a novel idea. Let the voters decide who is elected based solely on job performance, and the dedication to every citizen in this wonderful city regardless of their position in life. There is much to be done. I will continue to fight the people’s fight.”
Then I received a call from a couple of community people stating to me their support of John Clarke – Band of Brothers representative and another local community advocate.
Either way, this race will definitely be interesting. People love the transparency of Clarke. Guilfoyle is no stranger to the commission, and he is a politician’s politician. I asked several people in the community where they will be lining up in this race, and let me just say this – everyone on all sides had great commentary about their respective choice.
Lake Olmstead project – Bigger than we thought
It seems that the possibility of having an event at Lake Olmstead is starting to dwindle. What’s even worse is the possible solution for fixing this issue. Either it can’t happen in time or will cost more than building from scratch.
When I asked a commissioner his thoughts on what was going on up there and what should the community think about the next steps, he replied, “Disaster.”
I am not sure of all the details. What I have gathered is the ground can’t hold the weight of something, Obviously, it’s an engineering problem, with either the stage or bleachers, and then there is a possibility that it will turn over or sink. There is quite a bit going on. The county has had several other venues or potential locations reach out to try to keep the event happening. Let’s see what comes out of that and what will the outcome be.
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Booker announcement official
I made mention of Judge Patricia Booker retiring and the names that would go into the nomination pot. The scenarios that have been mentioned to me are well within reason for why the governor may go one direction compared to another. Everything from one of the possible nominees only needing a year for retirement to the possibility of another nominee being able to garner some much-needed support for when the governor makes it out the primary. Because he will make it out the primary.
The governor has had a very specific agenda when making judge appointments in areas like ours, and I believe we will see this same happen here, which would be most fitting considering anyone that I named last week is more than qualified.
The issue you run into is, will some of them who are already on the bench like anyone that I said would be nominated? One of the names I called asked me where did I get their name? I quickly let them know what was being said, and they agreed. I chuckled when someone called back and said, “Now, if you would just call the name of the person responsible for the Judge Watkins incident the same way you called those nominees… I’ll be good.” I assured them in time. See, somethings you can’t just let lose like that. You have to let them fester. That way, it makes people sweat and keeps others on their toes. Remember, it’s the early bird that gets the worm; but it’s the second rat who gets the cheese. That’s not my quote, just something I read.
Ash Wednesday
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful time Monica and I had observing Ash Wednesday services with St. Mark Church on Washington Road. The atmosphere was overwhelming, and we could feel the love oozing all over.
The message was outstanding! If you have never had an opportunity to meet Pastor Sargent Nelson over there, you are missing a real treat. The members love him, and you understand why the moment you hit the door. It was such a welcoming atmosphere, hugs and good cheer were on full display and as my wife said to me when we got in the car. Everyone we met was genuinely nice and loving. I miss hugging people at church. I even had a couple of people ask me was I the Michael Meyers who wrote for TAP. That made my heart smile. We will definitely be going back to enjoy another service…
Did I mention the landfill earlier? Well, apparently the director has resigned. I am being told that place is in total mayhem. You need to understand details about this entire situation, but it seems I may be getting ahead of myself again.
Michael Meyers is a columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com.
