(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November, December
And soon all we’ll have is a memory of you
And your trips to Qatar, Bogota, Turks and Caicos
The Caribbean, London, New York and Barbados
Hawaii, Miami and Washington over and over again
So, we’re not sad to say your mayoral days are now 110
And then you’ll go out like a dying ember,
September, November, December
Opinion
Where in the world is Hardie Davis?
Who knows this week. Last week it was Bogota, Colombia, where he participated in EXPO I 2022, and sat on a panel to discuss “smart cities.”
You know, cities that have smart leaders, smart buildings, smart lighting and lots of “sustainability,” which has become the biggest buzzword in the history of the universe.
“Sustainability” can mean almost anything. It can pertain to forestry. You know, they cut down all the trees and say they’ll grow back. That’s one form of sustainability. And green energy that’s in charging stations that fuels electric cars is sustainable. Now, where the energy fueling the charging stations comes from is a closely guarded secret because fossil fuels and nuclear power are the opposite of green energy. Solar power and windmills that freeze up in the winter and leave people in the lurch are what you call sustainable. The folks who are left to freeze in the dark call them other things.
As I said, oil and oil pipelines are the opposite of green energy, which is why you’re paying twice as much for gasoline than you were before an Alzheimer’s patient got into the White House.
So, sustainability is not cheap. A good example is Augusta commissioners paying $500,000 for a sustainability report that has been on the shelf for 12 years.
Consultant John Shields presented the Augusta Sustainability Agenda, a master plan for developing south Augusta at a cost of billions.
The plan contained goals with key phrases I translated, so you wouldn’t be fooled by the gobbledly gook.
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Goal 1: Create “preferred growth” areas to better use existing infrastructure.
“Preferred growth” means that the people who do the preferring get rich.
Goal 2: Promote “concentrated development” downtown to reduce sprawl.
“Concentrated development” means only a few people get rich.
Goal 3: Designate “priority development corridors” to lure jobs and investment.
“Priority development corridors” means only a few people get rich, but they do it faster.
Goal 4: Market green “conservation subdivisions” for better neighborhoods.
“Conservation subdivisions” means the power companies don’t get rich.
Goal 5: Design memorable “gateway areas” along major entrance roads.
“Gateway areas” means the people on the corners get rich.
Goal 6: Support trend-setting “prototype” projects that can inspire similar efforts.
“Prototype” projects means people who come first get rich.
Goal 7: Identify “champions” who can help bring about needed changes.
“Champions” means we get to choose who gets rich.
Anyway, there Hardie is in Bogota touting Augusta’s “green initiatives,” which must mean he’s taking credit for what other Augusta companies have done. Why would anybody want to listen to him anyway? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about anymore than he knows about ethics.
In his article in The Augusta Press on Friday, senior reporter Scott Hudson reported that according to the American Lung Association, Augusta currently ranks as 101 on its list of cities with the worst air quality in the United States. And that ranking has actually gotten worse during Davis’ tenure as mayor. In 2020, Augusta’s ranking with the organization was 153 on the list of cities with the worst air quality.
Furthermore, according to Savannah Riverkeeper Director Tonya Bonitatibus, the EPA ranks Augusta as 26th in the nation for particulate matter contamination in the air, Hudson reported.
Other than flying out of the country and acting like an expert on climate change and green energy in front of those other mayors, I can’t imagine why Davis would be in Colombia. It seems a little odd that somebody who’s worried about gun violence would go there. Maybe he’s planning to confront the cartels personally to tell them to keep their drugs out of Augusta.
Speaking of gun violence, after attending a conference of mayors at Gracie mansion in New York in July, Davis announced he’d be issuing a report on the manufacturers of guns used in violent crimes. But it must have just been more of that liberal rhetoric about “gun violence,” which is just a dodge for not facing up to the real problems.
Meanwhile, there must have been at least five more murders in Augusta.
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Legal news
Convicted former Augusta Commissioner Sammie Sias’ original defense team has withdrawn from his case, and Sias will now be represented by court-appointed attorney Jesse Owen.
Sias was convicted in federal court in July of destroying government documents and lying to an FBI agent. He has appealed that conviction. He was originally represented by Kenneth Crowder and David Stewart.
Judge Brian Epps, who allowed the attorneys to withdraw from the case, did not rule on a motion by Sias’ previous attorneys for a new trial. He extended the time for filing a motion for a new trial until October 14.
Sias was convicted for lying about destroying government records regarding potentially stolen money from taxpayers. So now, he appears to be asking for taxpayers to pay an attorney to represent him in his appeal.
That’s the ultimate definition of double dipping.
As a retired Army command sergeant major, Sias surely gets a generous retirement and could pay for his own attorneys.
Good news, bad news
The good news is that after four tries over several weeks, Augusta commissioners voted on a rollback tax rate instead of a millage increase.
The bad news is that most of your houses were reassessed at a higher value, so you’re still going to have to pay more.
The good news is that Regency Mall has been rezoned for development.
The bad news is that it’s almost too good to be true.
The good news is that the last Augusta Commission meeting lasted only 40 minutes.
The bad news is that they got the same amount of work done they did when the meetings lasted for four hours. Unfortunately, that’s nothing.
The good news is that Commissioner Jordan Johnson talked about tiny homes.
The bad news is that taxpayers will be paying for the tiny homes to house the homeless, but they’re not talking honestly about that yet.
And last, but not least
Thank you, dear readers for the kind comments you posted at the end of last week’s column about my recovery from COVID-19. However, I was a little hasty in reporting that I’d recovered and had a new motto, which was: “I Survived Covid 19, and I’m Going to be Hell on Wheels.”
That boast showed no humility gained from suffering, nor gratitude for being well, so I had a mild relapse last week. And since I come from a long line of Calvanists on my daddy’s side, I think God was punishing me, so I have repented.
As I said, I appreciate all of your kind comments, some of which I’d like to mention here.
Gene Walker:
“What’s the most screwed up? Augusta government or healthcare?”
Janis Parsons responded:
“It’d be a tie IMHO.”
And Jeff Simless wrote:
“Both are so screwed up, I am not sure either can be fixed.”
In the same vein, Cherie Griffin commented:
“You have had recent personal experience with health care, why don’t you tackle them the way you have local government? It really needs to be looked at.”
Cherie, tackling government is actually pretty easy. The worst thing they can do is raise my taxes, which they’re going to do anyway. Tackling health care is a horse of a whole different color.
MORE: Sylvia Cooper: Davis term comes to a close; Sias appeals; Augusta Commission in limbo
Steve Eubanks commented:
“Good to see you’re back and feeling better. Had you been vaccinated for Covid?”
Yes, Steve. Twice last October. I didn’t get a booster because my sister scared me when she said she’d had booster shots and her feet had been going numb. She went to the doctor, and the doctor said she’d had booster shots, and her feet had been going numb, too. Well, that cinched it. But my friend Floyd said my sister’s feet were probably going numb because she’s getting old. He said his feet go numb, too. I’m older than all of them, and my feet aren’t going numb, so I don’t know what to think.
Should I get one of the new and improved booster shots I’ve read about? I asked my in-house doctor, Dr. Ernie Rogers, if he thought I should get one, and he said, “No. You just had Covid. You’re immune.”
I think I’ll get a second opinion. What do you think?
Gardelle Lewis commented:
“Georgia Tech has received so many complaints about Hardee Davis that I don’t think he will be teaching anything when it’s all said and done! What a joke, Davis teaching ethics! He does not practice ethical behavior in anything that he does or says! He is a complete loser and a big nobody!”
Robert Schloesser commented on Gardelle’s comment:
“Hopefully, Gardell is correct about Georgia Tech sorting out how to back down from Hardie the ethics professor! What a strange selection. It reflects the state of many university faculty members across our great land. They teach all the things most of the nation is against.”
Actually, Gardelle and Robert, he might be a good ethics professor. Since he doesn’t have any ethics he can serve as a perfect example of unethical behavior.
Sylvia Cooper is a columnist with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com
