We’ve all heard of long goodbyes, but this is getting to be ridiculous. I keep saying it, thinking my seemingly never-ending journalistic career is finally over. But when I get called back from the bench to pitch in and cover something for The Augusta Press like last week’s Augusta Commission meeting, I waste no time warming up and tuning in.
And in the words of the late great Yogi Berra, it’s always “like déjà vu all over again.”
Yogi Berra was noted for his quirky sayings, and after reading a few, such as “We made too many wrong mistakes,” you’d think he was a member of the Augusta Commission.
You can observe a lot just by watching
Former commissioners Jerry Brigham and John Clarke were at the meeting, along with several old friends Al Gray, Lori Davis and Brad Owens. Of course, Lena Bonner was there sitting in her regular seat across from a new county attorney, Jim Plunkett, who’s new in title only, having done lots of commission work.
Up on the dais was Wayne Guilfoyle and an empty seat for Alvin Mason who, unfortunately, is still out recovery from major surgery. Bobby Williams’ seat was empty as it normally is even when he sits in it. Jordan Johnson was probably playing Democratic politics and looking for a TV camera somewhere other than Augusta that day.
Honored employees
During the Years of Service part where city employees who’ve lasted longer than all the previous administrators combined are honored, several firemen and a deputy sheriff were recognized for 30 years of service, then they had their pictures taken with Mayor Garnett Johnson and other city officials.
The most amazing recognition Tuesday was for the Finance Director Donna Williams, who’s worked for the people of Augusta-Richmond County for 45 years. Imagine that. Still young and beautiful after all that time juggling all that money.
Congratulations and condolences to those long serving employees.
“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be”
Just like always, folks were there to complain, and folks were there asking for money.
Al Gray was there to deliver “Patrick Henry’s Augusta Warning,” which was a clue it wouldn’t be a staid presentation, but at least he didn’t bring a bucket with a hole in it as he did a few years back as a prop for his speech on sales tax money. He was there Tuesday to complain about the Tee Center, as he has on and off for the last 10 to 15 years. His timing was impeccable because the facility was hosting 6,000 visitors to the city that very day. And, sadly for Al, because the public has such a short memory, almost nobody knew what he was talking about.
Former Augusta mayoral candidate Lori Davis was sitting beside him, but to my amazement, did not say a word. Some things do change.
Brad Owens was next with a complaint about Arts in the Heart, one of Augusta’s showcase festivals. This unnecessary kerfuffle was way too much ado about almost nothing and goes to show that no matter what you do in Augusta, you’re sure to make somebody mad.
Most of the delegation presentations were met as usual with blank stares from commissioners, except when Augusta Circuit Public Defender Rahmaan Bowick asked for more money for assistant public defenders and client services advocates. Commissioners rushed to fly their anti-crime flags and promise to do whatever they can to make Augusta safer by hiring more lawyers. I could hear former administrator Fred Russell’s comments on trying to run a Cadillac system on a Volkswagen budget echoing in the chamber.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else”
Then they tackled the consent agenda, which consists of items that aren’t usually controversial which means nobody pays them much attention although they concern the day-to-day operations which gobble up lots of your tax dollars and belch out a lot of excuses when potholes don’t get fixed and the grass doesn’t get cut.
Certain commissioners like to refer touchy issues, such as the matter of reimbursing the mayor for $40,000 of charges on his personal credit card, to a committee, in order to politic behind the scene before it’s voted on.
The mayor’s reimbursement has blossomed into a controversy because the commissioners blocking it just don’t like what the mayor spent the money on, especially at the Augusta National’s store during the Masters Tournament. You know, shirts with the club’s logo to give to dignitaries from other cities to wear back home. You’d think everybody would know that would be good publicity for Augusta. But as Yogi said, “There are some people who if they don’t already know, you can’t tell ‘em.”
And commissioners who don’t already know should refuse those free Masters tickets from the Augusta National next year.
Guilfoyle had put the mayor’s reimbursement issue on Tuesday’s agenda, so we got to hear for the third time the whole argument about why the mayor should or shouldn’t be paid. And the result was the same. Stalemate.
Then the board tackled the most important matter of the day, the 2024 tax rate. And I’ll be the first to admit that after listening to these discussions for more years than I care to remember, I still haven’t figured out what it means, how it works or even how it’s calculated. And I’m not too sure that anybody who gets to vote on the rate has figured it out either because I texted a couple of commissioners questions I had about it after Tuesday’s meeting, and from their obtuse responses, I’m sure they didn’t know beans about it
“The future ain’t what it used to be”
And that’s because the city has no money to buy fire trucks and equipment for the fire department. Through the years, this was done using dollars from the Special Purpose Sales Tax program, but somehow the fire department was left out of Sales Tax 8. Therefore, there’s no money for fire service essentials, including outfitting and manning (or womaning if you prefer) a new fire station being built in south Augusta. Everybody knows the city needs fire trucks and equipment. But somehow, the fire department was forgotten!
Fire Chief Antonio Burden asked for over $5 million this year, and the $1.3 million proposed by the administrator – which some people have compared to smoke, (which seems appropriate given the topic) and mirrors didn’t get anywhere close. After a lot of talk and much angst, they set rollback tax rates that mean the department will collect $114,000 less than was budgeted in 2024.
Therefore, residents should buy their own fire extinguishers and a longer water hose.
The meeting ended with commissioners having spent lots of money, not raising property taxes unless you had a higher reassessment this year, listening to people complain about things that happened years ago and things that are going to happen soon.
“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours”
Many people were saddened to hear that longtime Augusta University professor Dr. Ralph Walker died at the age of 94 earlier this month. Dr. Walker achieved many things during his distinguished career, He was the first chairman of the Department of Political Science, and he established the Augusta College Research Center. He received much recognition and many honors during his esteemed career, but what I remember him for is his kindness. When I worked at The Augusta Chronicle, I and every other reporter would call him when a political issue arose that needed input from someone who knew what they were talking about. So, we bombarded Dr. Walker with calls and interrupted many nice dinners. Still, he was patient and always so helpful I will always be grateful.
Another Augusta University professor we relied on for input when matters concerning the history of Augusta came up was Dr. Ed Cashin, who died in 2007. He wrote “The Story of Augusta,” so he knew all about it, and we called him so much the newspaper should have put him on a retainer. He, too, was kind and patient although I know we worried him to death too with phone calls at dinnertime.
So many of the old heads in Augusta have died, and I miss them all. I could go way back to some you might not have heard of, but I’ll stick to remembering some of the more recent ones, now and in weeks to come, such as my all-time favorite commissioner, Grady Smith. He died in 2018, and I can’t believe it’s been that long.
Grady was one of a kind. I’d call him up to get his opinion on some commission issue, and he’d start off towing the company line, being politically correct and all, and go on for five or so minutes in that vein; then suddenly he’d blurt out his real thoughts on the subject. And they were usually quite amusing. I think he must have kissed the Blarney stone at some point in his life. He had the gift of gab, and sometimes I’d have to say, “Grady I’ve got to hang up now because my ear has gone to sleep.”
His daughter Catherine McKnight, now the District 3 Augusta commissioner, wrote about a hilarious Smith family trip to New York in 1992. Here’s an excerpt:
“Boarding the flight from Atlanta to LaGuardia, my Daddy and I sat together, and my mother and sister sat several rows behind us. Now, I must say that my Daddy was afraid of heights throughout his life, so flying was definitely something that made him nervous. I knew something was wrong when my Daddy was reading the newspaper upside down and had ordered a vodka and orange juice at 9:45 a.m.
“Back in the day, Delta used to serve breakfast on flights. My dad ate two breakfasts plates. We had turbulence most of the trip, and matters were made worse when we heard this woman yelling out, ‘Land this damn plane!’ and a few other words. That woman happened to be my mother. I remember vividly my daddy saying, ‘Your mother needs to calm her ass down.’ I said, ‘Well, Daddy, you have been reading the same page of that newspaper for about thirty minutes upside down.’”
There’s so much more I’d like to tell you about Grady if you didn’t know him, but I’ve got to stop now. I had intended to write about another memorable Augusta personality who has gone on to her heavenly reward, Jane Howington, but another time. Maybe next week.
