B.S. at the Watercooler

Macon is home to some of the dumbest people in the world...

2008-04-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

...And to prove it, all you have to do is look in the comments sections posted beneath the stories on Macon.com and on WMAZ-13's website. Most of the comments are negative and usually inaccurate, biased or hung-up on things that no longer apply (like C. Jack Ellis, who hasn't been the mayor for almost four months now).

But most baffling to me is that these morons bash this city endlessly but they continue to live in or around it. I don't know about you, but when I hate something, I get it out of my life. These idiots spend all day consumed with their petty hatred, going off in tantrums with their equally vitriolic Internet buddies... and they still live here. They don't move. They don't get involved. They just bitch about Macon--and everyone in it--on the Internet. Brilliant, eh? The irony is twice as delicious when they go off on the public education. I mean, no matter where they went to school, it doesn't say much good about your smarts when you don't have the brains to leave the place you hate so much.

The good news is that there's only a few of them. From what I can tell, even though they generate dozens and dozens of comments a day, it's only about ten or fifteen people doing it. In a city of 150,000 that ain't bad. Sure, there's others out there--maybe they don't have Internet access--but they too are few.

The really good news is that the people who feel positively about Macon aren't morons. They aren't stupid. They see the signs pointing in our favor and that's what fuels their enthusiasm. Better, there's more of these people than there are of the angry, self-loathing, comments page-dwellers.

If you don't believe me, pay attention to the Discover Macon campaign. It's going to do one very important thing: it's going to change the perception around so that the correct one remains. Right now, it still seems kinda cool--in that middle school kid skipping class kind of way--to bash Macon. That's because most people who can and probably want to see what's positive about the place feel like they must be wrong, that there are so many other people who dislike this place that they'd be foolish not to dislike it too. The fact is, there's way more who like it and they're already crowing. Expect that to get louder the longer the Discover Campaign goes on.

From the Mayor's Office

2008-04-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Andrew Blascovich
Mayor’s Office, City of Macon
andrew.blascovich@macon.ga.us

Status of Macon Audit Certification for Fiscal Year 2005
Macon, GA, 4/9/08 - On Monday April 7, 2008 the Mayor’s Office received an email regarding the certification of the audit from the 2005 fiscal year. The email was from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and was based off a message they received from the Department of Audits and Accounts.

Mayor Robert A. B. Reichert considers this to be of the utmost importance to the City of Macon and he has indicated his desire to resolve this issue and to do so in a timely manner. Mayor Reichert has informed City Council of the situation and continues to work to achieve a satisfactory resolution for the City of Macon, with great consideration to all parties that are involved.

It is the firm belief of Mayor Reichert that this issue can be resolved between the primary parties in this disagreement and that the audit for fiscal year 2005 that has already been accepted by the State of Georgia will remain in place.

Today Mayor Reichert has spoken with key city departments and also the previous city auditors Clifford, Lipford, Hardison, and Parker to see what the concerns and issues are with the audit from the 2005 fiscal year.

State of Georgia has not set a timetable for a resolution of this issue or withdrawn any funding from the City of Macon because of this issue. As the City of Macon moves forward to resolve this situation Mayor Reichert remains committed to keeping both City Council and the Citizens of Macon informed on the progress.

###

Andrew Blascovich
Director of External Affairs, City of Macon
700 Poplar Street
Macon, GA 31201

HB 851: The Wave of the Future

2008-03-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sure it sounds like some type of experimental drug--especially when it's called the wave of the future, which was solely my discretion--but HB 851 may be that thing that finally cures what ails us. It might be the sort of incentive that lures capital investments into Downtown and Intown so that these boarded-up storefronts and dilapidated houses get the renovation they need. Local developer Gene Dunwoody says it might be our "tipping point", meaning the city of Macon may finally deliver on its pregnant potential to be the rockingest little place in all of Middle Georgia.

But how? You ask.

Currently, the state of Georgia puts a $5000 cap on the income tax credit one can receive for rehabilitating a historic property. That amount is often too small for people to pursue, and it certainly isn't enough to motivate someone to choose the process of fixin' up an old building instead of building a new one. So, HB 851 would first remove that limit, and then replace it with a credit worth up to 25% of the rehab cost (sorry, one per project). For residential projects, over a ten year span, that would mean a cap of one-hundred thousand dizz-ollars. For a "certified" (aka commercial) structure, that limit is triple over the same amount of time.

Where those measly five g's failed, these six figures should prevail. That's why Gene Dunwoody says it might be our tipping point. This might be what it takes to bring the big bucks to our endangered downtown area.

And he brought up a great point too. This works to draw in potential homeowners. On the same principal, they'd be more likely to invest in the cost of rehabilitating an old home versus settling in North Macon (or elsewhere) in newer construction. The reason that matters is that a lot of those big dollar investors that we'd all like to see downtown usually look to plop down in areas that people actually live in. So, you kill a couple birds with one stone on this bad boy: save historic properties, revitalize the downtown and intown areas, and bring commerce and population back to the center of the city. Yee-haw!

For this, you can thank Bettye-Lou Brown at Historic Macon for giving Representative Allen Peake a phone call. He has become, she says, their "champion". They've been all about it, bout it.
House Bill 851 swept through the Georgia House, with support from our other local representatives (Randall, Freeman, Lucas) with only one "nay", and now it faces the state senate. That means it is time for you to get on the horn with your representatives, Mr. Cecil Stanton and Mr. Robert Brown.

And of course, I've included their info down below. (I threw in the Governor too since he's the final step.)

Robert Brown
Capitol Office:
121-B State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-5035
Fax: (404) 463-2071

District Office:
PO Box 5742
Macon, GA 31208
(478) 750-0220
robert.brown@senate.ga.gov

Cecil Stanton:
Capitol Office:
303-B Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-5039
Fax: (404) 656-6484

District Office:
P.O. Box 26427
Macon, GA 31221
Phone: (478) 757-0983 (O)
(478) 757-1305 (H)

cecil.staton@senate.ga.gov

Gov. Sonny Perdue
203 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-1776
Fax: (404) 656-5947

email is a web form

If you haven't gotten enough of Howie...

2008-03-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Apparently he took a trip to San Francisco and in doing so, he began a revolution.

And this...

And responding to SXE Phil...

And Howie's response to SXE Phil...

And just because this is funny...

Jeffrey Paul Jones... dog killer, chicken lover

2008-02-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes you read those things about archaic and often illogical laws, like how in some place it might be illegal to spit in the wind on a Thursday. Sometimes, I hear about things that are illegal in Macon and I wonder why. For instance, it is illegal to keep chickens inside the city limits, which might be another reason those unincorporated people are so pissed about the idea that they'll be annexed. Since I live in Macon, I'm pretty sure that when I hear something like this anti-chicken thing that there's a reason and it's probably because there's a wacko doing it.

Meet Jeffrey Paul Jones. He's accused of nearly decapitating a dog, Emax, owned by Otis Redding III, the son of our local music legend. He kept chickens in his house. And that's why he killed Emax, he says, because he didn't want dogs getting his chickens. So he trapped him and dispatched him with a machete, disposing of the remains behind a house in his Hill Street neighborhood. Since he confessed to doing this, I can't imagine why he's even on trial.

Do you remember the actor Jeffrey Jones? They aren't related except that the name sounds the same, and that's why I bring it up: because the name sounds familiar. The actor was arrested in 2002 for paying a kid to take pictures naked while he fondled. He's done some acting, most notably on Deadwood, and most disturbingly for a cartoon show. Don't you think it's strange that no one ever talks about what he did and he still gets work?

From Chris: Forest Hill Road update

2008-02-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Whit,

Caution Macon co-founder Lee Martin sent an email to me earlier explaining that even his wife won't tell him what's going on with the mediation. All he knows is that it has been extended to next Thursday.

Based on the demeanor of the Moreland-Altobelli group, Lee believes that Chester Chellman, the expert Caution Macon hired to speak about the wastefulness of the current design, really surprised them with his expertise and experience. (Apparently, Mr. Chellman was recently involved in a $300 billion project in Abu Dhabi.) You can see his website here: www.tndengineering.com

The FHR position paper has been released for public consumption. Read it in its entirety here: Caution Macon! I'll keep you updated as things develop.

Thanks, Chris

Kiss my big, fat Annex

2008-02-27T02:27:00.000-08:00

The county commissioners, in all their wisdom (and desperate need to look good in front of voters), held a meeting to let the people of unincorporated Bibb County yell about annexation. It was a circus. Except it wasn’t funny.

There’s a refrain from these to-be annexed people that sounds like someone convincing themselves of something: “I choose to live outside of the city.” Yeah, you choose to live JUST outside the city. You haven’t chosen to live in the sticks of Monroe or Crawford or Butts County because they aren’t JUST outside the city or any city like Macon.

See, for all its foibles, you still need Macon. You might not use all of the city’s services, but you certainly come here to eat and buy your groceries and clothes. You come to the Medical Center of Central Georgia and the Coliseum Hospital because they’re better than any alternative in a 100-mile radius. You choose to live JUST outside of the city because you think that the taxes are too high, acting as if those extra taxes would be like handing booze money to a bum.

You only see the problems with Macon but forget why you live where you live. Do you think the business you work for would be where it is if it weren’t for Macon and what it has to offer as a city? Maybe a few of you can answer that affirmatively, but most of you know you can’t. Do you think Kumho Tires would’ve plopped down in the middle of nowhere? Nope. They want to be near a city so when they hire people and bring people in they have somewhere to LIVE.

The worst part of it all is that you only see the problems and you don’t see yourselves as a part of it. You think the problem is the city’s politicians (which means you haven’t paid much attention to your dear County Commission) or the urban youth or crime or whatever you think the problem is, but you don’t see yourself as a part of it—neither its source or solution. If you think you can live on the edge of a donut, keep it up. Before you make up your mind, go take a look at Detroit, MI. The inner city emptied out to live in the suburbs and surrounding townships. What do you think the quality of life is for those living on the rim? If they still had a whole city, I tell you they’d have a better quality of life.

Not that this matters all that much. See, about two-thirds of the county population actually lives within Macon city limits. If the vote for annexation goes as it should, meaning it involves everyone affected by annexation—both the annexed and the annexers—then that two-thirds will probably triumph. If it doesn’t and the county commission continues to grand stand like it only has to champion the rights of the people in unincorporated Bibb County, they’ll find themselves without a job soon enough. The people of the city of Macon want a change and we’re going to get it.

The Public Speaks...

2008-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Some other members got up to speak before council, but they weren't there to talk about animals. The first guy gave a speech about Harriet Tubman, saying that if she'd been a white male she could've been President, which he followed immediately by noting "and she couldn't even read or write!" Considering the smarts on our present President, I guess he's right: you don't have to know how to read and write, being a white male helps though.

One guy made an impassioned plea for help with cleaning up historic Linwood Cemetery. He also railed on the "so-called black folks who will dress up in their Afro-centric clothes and wear their kufis" but won't come volunteer to clean up Linwood.

And Mathis Moore, a self-professed schizophrenic, tried to talk about police harassment but was cloudy and confused. When his speech was cut short by the five minute limit, he politely asked if he could say one more thing. In a moment of compassion, council president Miriam Paris nodded, and Mr. Moore said, "I also direct movies." He was gaveled quiet. (The point is not to make fun of the mentally ill, but to illustrate the variety of interesting moments that take place at a City Council meeting.)

As far as the public comments go, no moment was more entertaining than the speech given by Howie Handsel. According to his repeated testimony, Mr. Handsel was once a reporter for Fox24 in Macon (though he has no official connection to them now), but following several unfortunate incidents, he relocated to Miami for a time. After dealing with family tragedy, he returned to Macon determined to make a name for himself, though he claims his name is still big enough that he can trade on it. His efforts have mostly been centered around a promotions company that he calls The 4 Godfathers. Their goal is to "revolutionize" the Macon nightlife. You can see his videos on YouTube on the 4 Godfathers Channel. They are quite entertaining.

Handsel was at Macon City Council to speak out against alleged police abuse he suffered at the hands of Macon Police Officers as they arrested him outside of Coasters. These videos tell his story best. Enjoy.

Legislatin' for tha City: going to city council so you don't have to

2008-02-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

For our editor, Chris Horne, it'd been a while since he appeared in the chambers of Macon City Council, and according to his verbal and written reports of the night, he chose a great time to return. In fact, it may take multiple posts to cover it all. (But that's what I'm here fer.)

Going in, the word was all about council member Nancy White's proposed ordinance to outlaw the tethering of dogs. If you aren't familiar with this practice, as apparently councilman Erick Erickson was not, it involves tying a dog (or, we guess, cat) up and leaving it alone. Someone might do this if they had no fence to keep their pet in, or if they were feeling particularly cruel. Despite widespread animal abuse, according to Macon animal control, the city didn't have any prohibition against said treatment. That's where White stepped up.

Originally, the language made it legal for pet owners to leave their dogs (and cats) tied up for up to eight hours consecutively or, for 12 hours total in a 24 hour cycle. Wisely, they changed it after complaints came in that suggested that provision would make enforcement nearly impossible. Now, you can't have your pet tied up unless you're with it, like walking your dog, etc. The ordinance would also prohibit letting pets ride unrestrained in moving vehicles.

One of the funnier moments in the evening came when Erick Erickson spoke up, saying he originally wasn't going to vote in favor because "while I love pets, I do consider them property" and he doesn't think the government should have so much say about someone's property. Then he said he did some research into the matter and was convinced it was the right thing to do, but he wanted to amend the ordinance to allow hunters to drive around with their dogs unrestrained since, he said, many had told him they only went a short ways like that and he wanted to prevent city cops from issuing tickets to them. First Alveno Ross reminded folks that hunting within City Limits is illegal so why make the provision, and then Tom Ellington made an even better common sense argument: "I don't believe the issues of public safety change just because an individual is only hunting."

It's always nice to see people try to mask their contempt and venom within the language of Robert's Rules of Order.

Speaking of... apparently Erickson was feeling quite chatty. In response to a "point of information" comment Elaine Lucas made about what other animals are protected by the ordinance (none), Erickson interrupted with a "is this relevant" comment of his own. Lucas snapped at him, but Erickson only waited until after she was done to snidely return volley, asking if council should be allowed to debate using "points of information". You know, it seems much more dramatic in person than it does here.

Anywho. That ordinance eventually passed without objection. Sponsor Nancy White said afterwards that she was surprised that the vote went so favorably, and gave the credit to the dozen or so animal rights activists who showed up in support. Several were signed up to speech beforehand, but only three or four were allowed to because the meeting was running so far behind. Of the chosen representatives, Chamblee Abernathy of Athens spoke out, citing the ordinance passed in the Classic City. She was followed by an impassioned woman named Mrs. Greene, who recounted her memory of seeing a dog put down. She said, "I'll never forget that memory just as I'm sure Mr. Schlesinger--I hope I'm saying it correctly--just as I'm sure Mr. Schlesinger will never forget the gas chambers." Her reference to Rabbi Larry Schlesinger's connection to the Jewish Holocaust was stunningly inappropriate, but it passed by without much of a flutter. Obviously, living in the South, Rabbi Schlesinger is accustomed to some of our innocent ignorance. Either way, he let it roll off his back. She was followed by a Mercer professor who specialized in animal psychology, which was interesting since it didn't seem apparent beforehand that one could specialize in that sort of thing.

Con't in next post...

As the worm turns...

2008-02-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Macon, population you!

Pardon my French but Reichert is proving to be quite the badass. Just two months into office, he’s making the bold moves that erases some of the last eight years’ sting, like initiating an ethics code for the city. Now he’s hoping to win over reluctant Bibb County residents so they won’t freak out about being annexed. His goal, he says, is to make this city strong and viable. Our editor, Chris Horne, recently did an interview with Reichert and came away with some impressive quotes. It’s obvious to anyone who spends any time with the guy that he loves Macon.

Of course, if you’re looking for the bottom line in all this, just look at the bottom line on the info sheets Reichert passed out. It reads, “Property Value: Within the selected census tracts, the assessed value of the property is $1,077,263,018 (as of 10/2007). At the current city millage rate (10.16), this land would yield an increase of $4,377,997 in revenue to the City of Macon.” You know Macon needs it and finally we have a mayor that gets it too. Growing the tax base is important.

Now, the interesting part will be whether or not the loud mouths will be shouting in support of his plan or against it. It’s easy to point out how flawed Macon is, but it’s a whole other thing to step up and do what you can to make it a better place. This is definitely a great first move in that direction. And honestly, I think he’ll make it work. The reason is that Reichert is the kind of guy that North Macon’s people can trust, and he’s the kind of man that the rest of Macon can believe in. He should be able to explain this to unincorporated citizens without scaring them all off. (Be sure to check out the February 28^th issue with a detailed conversation with Mayor Reichert.)

The Telegraph obliquely references The 11^th Hour

In the Sunday paper, two of the Telegraph’s writers did a story about how the nightlife is important and how it is still going even after The Hummingbird and 550 Blues shut down. Well, in the process, they tried to take a poke at The 11^th Hour saying—I’m paraphrasing here—“Another local publication says the two bars will open up soon but our research on Myspace clearly shows that 550 Blues is closed.” If you haven’t already heard, 550 Blues has been sold. (They could’ve checked another local publication’s website for the story on that before they filed their story.) Oh and despite the article being titled “the Synergy of Downtown”, Club Synergy wasn’t even mentioned—the irony wasn’t lost on them. Co-owner Philip is even urging his clientele to write the writers because it is a little puzzling that the only gay club and two prominently black clubs were excluded from the article, Grant’s and Club Extreme respectively.

The State that Chuck Norris Fooled

I’d like to say something to my fellow Georgians. “Chuck Norris is not THAT cool.” Yes, yes. I get it. He fought Bruce Lee (got his ass whooped by Bruce Lee), was Walker, Texas Ranger, has received recent hipster approval through over-cloned internet slogans (maybe you think you’ll win the love of your kids who’ve outgrown their raising), and wants you to get in shape with the Total Gym Workout. But he doesn’t know how to make good decisions, people! This is the man who married a woman who sent him a topless picture of himself (if he’d been smart, he’d have only banged her), and he starred in movies like “Top Dog” and “Firestarter” (anything with Lou Gossett, Jr., that isn’t an Iron Eagle movie is a bad choice).

Oprah-mania lives?

What seems most complicated about the Obama/Clinton battle is that you “know” it’s about gender and race, but it’s hard to admit that AND what that says about us. One headline proclaimed that Obama took Georgia on the strength of the “black vote”, but he walked away with 66% of the Democratic votes and well more than the combined votes of the top two honkies in the Republican race, Huckabee and McCain. AND Obama did that with only 30% of the voters being black. So, the surprising part is that so many white men voted for Obama—assuming that the only legitimate crossover could come from white men, should gender and racial allegiances hold true—and what that says about Southern white men in Georgia. Firstly, they aren’t as ardently Republican as notoriously believed… but they’re still backwards because they won’t vote for a woman. (Remember, black men won the right to vote before all women did by about 50 years.) So either we’re more divided by gender than race, or white men will just vote for anyone Oprah endorses.

A March that might matter…

The NAACP is working with ten other organizations and entities to start combating crime in historic Pleasant Hill. The goal is to distribute information about solutions to violent crime in the hopes of arming people with alternatives and tools instead of automatically turning to drugs and violence. President Al Tillman says he chose Pleasant Hill because it was a high crime area with close proximity to a rec center “in the event only elderly people showed up to march with me.” He might be joking but only a little bit. This is one of those opportunities for the community to do something that could at least open some eyes. The Pleasant Hill march takes place March 1^st at 11am, meeting at the Booker T. Washington community center. But it isn’t the only event. As promised, Tillman is making the NCAAP more visible in the community. On March 21^st, they’re sponsoring a Free Spring Break Youth Night at Olympia Family Center from 7pm to 11pm, where the Anti-Gang Task Force will speak to the youth. And then the NAACP turns its attention to Village Green on March 29^th in an effort similar to the Pleasant Hill march. For more info, contact Al Tillman at 478-781-8003 or Pamela Lightsey at 478-621-2603.

There are some things you can’t legislate.

Or maybe just shouldn’t. At the first of this month, the Ga. House of Representatives voted 151 to 9 in favor of a resolution to urge the NCAA to create a playoff system for college football. Obviously, if UGA hadn’t been dissed like they were, it wouldn’t be an issue, and while I agree with the House, I don’t know how much good it’ll do. (Although considering how much money college sports brings to the state—millions and millions, I’m sure—I can understand their interest.) Oddly enough, the Ga. State Senate, in 1954, passed a law to keep black people from playing baseball with white people. That is a lot less understandable. Anyway.

We're feeling good about February

2008-01-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Smackdown in the Macktown: Ellis vs. Reichert

Give him credit. If former mayor C Jack Ellis didn’t accomplish anything else in his eight years, he did one thing extremely well: he turned the ordinary and boring aspects of everyday politic processes into prime-time local drama. Case in point, Ellis threatens a lawsuit against mayor Robert Reichert. Why? By dismissing four nominees for appointment, Reichert ended a lawsuit that Ellis filed against the city’s housing authority. The sticking point between Ellis and the housing authority has only been whether or not the mayor had the power to nominate folks without prior approval from city council. The fact that Ellis always wanted to avoid going to city council for anything doesn’t apply to Reichert, who seems pretty friendly with this new city council still. So this seems like an ego thing on Ellis’s part. All’s I know is that his stand against the housing authority has cost city taxpayers a whopping $250,000. Whether Reichert did the nice thing by telling Al Tilman, Henry Ficklin, Shirley Hunt and Ronnie Milley they were de-appointed, it seems he did the right thing.

Oh when the saints go marching again…

I think MLK Day is a cruel joke on poor people because it only offers them the illusion of having a voice without the punch of actually having a voice. Whereas Dr. King first focused on civil rights for marginalized black people, he soon was shouting out for the civil rights of all marginalized people, both here and abroad. In fact, one of his most powerful speeches was an angry anti-war rant.

Read: "…don't let anybody make you think that God chose America as his divine, messianic force to be, a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with judgment, and it seems that I can hear God saying to America: ‘You are too arrogant! If you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I am God.’"

That’s hardcore stuff, right? Yet it seems like all that power and courage has been co-opted until hardly a phantom of it remains visible. We know he was a strong and bold soul, but we can’t really see it because politicians and other butt-kissers stand in the way. They want you to believe they’d be Dr. King’s best friend if only he were alive today.

See, that’s the problem. He’s dead. Can you imagine someone like George W. Bush actually trying to deal with Dr. King? Can you imagine what he’d be saying to us today? And no, not every politician and community leaders is just trying to look good. This is really a problem with The People (i.e. – us). Instead of singing “We Shall Overcome”, our anthem has become “We Shall Not Be Bothered”. If that weren’t true then things like the MLK Day March wouldn’t look so much like a historical reenactment instead of an effort to keep forging ahead for justice.

A one-in-three chance at greatness!

Macon was recently named one of “100 Best Communities for Young People” by America’s Promise Alliance. The group touts their “Five Promises”—getting four means a child has a good shot at being happy, they say—and accepted applications from 300 communities. The distinction, while not something to be embarrassed about, isn’t an overwhelmingly amazing thing just because they were one of a hundred to win. The honor is even further diluted by the fact that everyone who applied is eligible to apply for $300,000 in grants from the APA. Though it’d be natural to assume that winners would have a better shot at the grants, you’ve got to figure that it’d kind of be counter-productive since each of those 100 communities is already one of the BEST for kids. It’d almost make more sense to only award the grants to the 200 losers so they can work on catching up. Not that I’m rooting against Macon, okay. Just saying. As far as being a winner goes, the APA has hooked up with KABOOM! to give away a brand new community-built playground (value: $70,000). The catch is that the community has to be named a 2008 Playful City as a part of a KABOOM! Campaign. Oh well.

You didn't get to see all this in the paper...

2008-01-17T03:51:00.000-08:00

Let me clear our throat
In a letter to the editor, Josh Rogers, the Director of the College Hill Corridor Commission, reminded The 11^th Hour that the Commission is NOT a NewTown Macon project as was stated in the Jan 3^rd article “Artist’s Guide to Downtown Revitalization”. Though written by Mercer students, editor Chris Horne failed to get the facts straight, and for that, he is sincerely apologetic. He, in fact, wants me to stress how dumb and absent-minded he can be. (If you’ve ever read the paper with a red ink pen, you already know this.) The Commission is, as Rogers states, “a joint project between Mercer University and the City of Macon” which is “informed by a broad range of local stakeholders.” In specific, the Commission is the brainchild of Mercer President Bill Underwood, who believes that recreating the area between Mercer and Downtown Macon is a vital part of reviving our urban core. Personally, I think this is one of the best and most overlooked on-going efforts in the city. Wanna know more? Go to collegehillcorridor.com/

Fighting stereotypes from his pigeonhole
Al Tillman has proved impressively resilient against our local media’s pigeonholing. His name has repeatedly been prefaced with “entertainment promoter”, which is a clever way to dismiss a person who is trying to make a difference. Well, he’ll be harder to ignore now because Tillman is taking over as the new local NAACP President. On the agenda? Eliminating racism and becoming more pro-active in the community, which would sound empty coming from most people. With his Unity-N-Community group, Tillman has pulled together city leaders from various racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds because he understands that the fabric of our community is diverse and interwoven… like plaid. Seriously though, Tillman knows the rights of disenfranchised populations matter to the health of the whole, whether or not the whole likes that. And he’s bold enough to believe that being an entertainment promoter can be a position of social importance. He seems to understand that, sometimes, our social ills are best remedied in social settings.

Good to see our city leaders have such spirit
Our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards Show was, again, a blast. Surprisingly (to me, at least), there were several city council members in attendance: Rick Hutto, Nancy White, Rabbi Larry Schlesinger, and new council president Miriam Paris. They not only attended, but they mingled. Paris got up and danced to Da Clay, one of the live performances, and Rabbi Schlesinger stayed all the way through the end. It was not just neat having them there; it provides evidence that this new guard is seriously interested in building community, which is what The 11^th Hour is all about.

Don’t Rock the jukebox
There’s a connection between Roger Clemens and John Rocker. Yes, John Rocker was implicated as a HGH user in the Mitchell Report. The other connection? Both Clemens and Rocker were recently interviewed by reporters who lobbed softballs at them. No hard questions. In Rocker’s case, there were no questions at all, or at least that’s how it looks when Joe Kovac does one of those “life lesson” features. All we get is a bunch of random quotes and nothing that seems to relate to his involvement with the biggest scandal in baseball since the White Sox threw the 1919 World Series. Instead, we get his insights on Ted Nugget, anti-Liberal quips that Rush Limbaugh did ten years ago (and better), and of course, making fun of Ellis’s name change despite the fact that Ellis was the only public figure to stand up for him when the whole world wanted his head.

Let’s get literal, literal! I wanna get literal!
Hey there, Coley Harvey, I know you’re upset that an announcer (and reported friend) said the only way for the new crop of golfers to stop Tiger Woods would be with a lynching, but do you seriously believe that announcer was suggesting that they actually lynch him? If the greatest golfer in the world was white, do you think she necessarily would’ve said something else, and if so, and if it ended in death, as you point out lynching does, would that have been okay? Is it wrong to mockingly wish death on someone or just on members of a minority… or just in a manner historically tied to racial minorities? We all say things like “Ooo, I could kill you!”—it’s part of our vernacular. If Tiger says it’s no sweat off his sack, why are you upset? Are you trying to use a celebrity athlete to take up the cause of young, black men, or worse, waiting on one to fight for you? You’re absolutely right that this is a scary time in America when more young black men are incarcerated than college-educated, but you make that injustice look ridiculous by trying to pair it with this.

Picture Pages
Did Ellis steal City Hall’s portrait of Otis Redding? Was it an honest mistake? Who cares? I want to know why city employees were doing Ellis’s moving for him. Actually, I want to know how to get city employees to move my stuff for me.

Hank Vegas gets sticky with Paste
Big props to local rockers Hank Vegas, who were voted Best Overall Band in 2007. They are on the new Paste Sampler CD with the likes of Radiohead, Bright Eyes, The Whigs and the Blind Boys of Alabama. It’s a big step up for our local music scene for one of our own to get that kind of national attention. Oh, and they’re on tour for the next month too!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Fly Like an Eagle... twice daily to Atlanta

Kudos to the Telegraph who put Travis Fain’s well researched and informative story on the Middle Georgia Regional Airport at the top of the Sunday, December 30^th edition. They avoided the temptation to obliterate the front page with their list of top ten news stories from the past year. If you haven’t read it yet, Mr. Fain says the airport is still in a pickle. Delta and ASA want out but can’t go because the Feds won’t let them. The grant Ellis secured in an effort to bring a new route to D.C. can’t be used because it’d create competition for the Delta/ASA partnership that already wants to leave. More interestingly, Fain says the airport has averaged about 40 passengers a day this year, down from a high of 100 a day just a couple years ago. Meanwhile, the company the city hired to take care of the airport, TBI Airport Management, remains very optimistic that there is a solid market for the airport in Macon despite all the signs that point to the contrary. They claim to have done amazing work in Orlando so it’s hard to completely dismiss them. Either way, this should be an interesting year for our little airport.

Telegraph publisher PJ Browning is leaving

A while back, someone pointed out that one reason the news here so often sucks is that reporters, television and print, use Macon as a stepping stone. The size of the “metropolitan” area is large enough to look good—demographics wise—to potential future employers and so our city makes for a good middle stage for enterprising journalists. It hurts in a couple ways. One: some of the journalists never become really engaged in the community, already having their eye on a bigger position elsewhere, and two: the folks who do get involved and then leave are sorely missed. The Telegraph’s latest publisher, PJ Browning, is one of the latter. She was on several major boards and, from all appearances, had really put herself to good use in Macon. She’s going to Myrtle Beach, and she will be missed, no doubt. The next publisher will have big shoes to fill… if they want to. If they don’t want to, they’ll probably still move on to a bigger paper somewhere else in a couple years.

Random rant…
Macon has always looked like a mostly blank canvas to me. Instead of painting on it, folks just bitch and moan that there’s nothing much on the canvas. That’s a point that this paper has harped on for a while, but I want to start harping on a new one in the same vein. I see plenty of people using Macon for their own gain and then leaving, but I also see plenty who use it for their own advantage because so few are getting involved. They don’t often actually add much to the community as a whole, but they’re all over the place on boards and at non-profits. It just looks good on their resume, and that’s why they do it. Yeah, it bugs me that those people do it, but it bugs me more that we let them. How easy is it to really get involved? Very! There have been several seats on City Council in the past couple cycles that people just walked up and put their names on without having to actually run against anyone. (Note: I’m not suggesting that the individuals who did are abusing anything for their own gain, just making a point about how easily someone can get involved at even that high a level.) Seriously, it’s so much easier to jump into something here than it is almost anywhere else because most of us are content to wait on someone else to do the work. Think about that next time you’re getting ready to complain. Remember, you’re a part of Macon, not apart from it.

The Thin Blue Wallet

2007-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

No Incentive

For all the B.S. lip-service people give about how jacked-up it is that the most important jobs in our society (police, firefighters, teachers, community columnists, etc) don’t get paid what they’re worth, we all do a crappy job trying to change it. But boy howdy, if the taxes go up the populace is pissed!

In case you didn’t notice when it happened, the “old” city council voted to fund the pension fund at 6% ($353,854) by cutting the incentive pay plan for fire and police personnel in half. According to the Telegraph, who didn’t think this belonged above the fold, Macon Police Chief Mike Burns reports that 16 officers have resigned since July, not counting retirements, each citing pay as a significant reason. The incentive pay plan was put in place to reward extra training and education, and doled out twice a year. And that means that our best trained and education officers have even less reason to stick around the MPD.

If you’re wondering who would do such a thing, former councilman Henry Ficklin proposed the measure, and the following council members voted in favor: Brenda Youmas, James Timley, Anita Ponder, Willette Hill-Chambliss, Charles Jones, Filomena Mullis and Nancy White. Voting against: Rick Hutto, Elaine Lucas, Mike Cranford, Ed DeFore, Alveno Ross, and Miriam Paris. (Cole Thomasson wasn’t present.)

It is mildly interesting to note that five voting in favor are out of office, for various reasons, but everyone voting against it is still in office. That night, two other options were offered. One would have deleted new vehicle purchases in the fire and police departments, providing more money to the pension fund and leaving the incentive pay intact, but that wasn’t legally possible so it couldn’t happen. The other was to increase the tax millage rate to fund the fire and police pension fund. That’s when Ficklin offered his alternative method.

Regardless the options—or the option of seeking other options—we’re now stealing from current officers and firefighters to pay those who’ve retired. Like the hotel deal, which has gotten far more play in the public eye, this is probably something that should’ve been mulled over just a little longer. As it stands, Macon looks to lose its best firefighters and police officers, which means we likely won’t be getting off those “high crime” lists anytime soon.

That New City Council Smell

Warm welcome to Lonnie Miley, Larry Schlesinger, Tom Ellington, Virgil Watkins, Jr., Lauren Benedict, and Erick Erickson. Despite only having to beat someone in your own party (for those who actually had to run against someone), we all go forth with great big, fuzzy feelings about the potential you hold. Seriously. We know (hope) you’re taking this job with the best interests of the city at heart.

Behind Closed Doors

Inside of a week, a few folks did a lot of politicking. In something of a surprise, Miriam Paris was the sole nominee and unanimous winner of the vote to become City Council President. She was followed in the exact same manner by James Timley as President Pro-Tem for the second time, and Ed DeFore as the third member of the Committee on Committees, which is a weirdly named but super powerful committee. Without speculating, suffice it to say that it didn’t take long for the internal shift in power to take place. You don’t get three unanimous decisions, even with three sole nominees, without someone throwing some weight around somewhere. The looks on certain council members’ faces said a lot. That doesn’t mean it was shady, but it does mean something… we’ll just have to wait to see what that is.

Oh Yeah…

We have a new Mayor now. His name is Robert Reichert. Ever heard of him?

the next column

2007-12-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Next Civil War

I’ve always snickered at folks who think the South will rise again, but after witnessing my beloved Bulldawgs suffer great indignity during the BCS Selection Show, I’m ready pick up arms and declare a secession. Hawaii?! Lewis Grizzard is rolling over in his grave! The one team that no one took seriously even though they were the lone undefeated—bull hockey! This while Illinois, with three losses, gets to have their teeth kicked in by the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl.

Gimme Some Coin

The Mayor of Upper Cherry Street called the office with some interesting news. Seems that Mayor Ellis isn’t done yet. He’s minted some coins, no joke, of himself. You can go to the WMCC News blog and peep some pictures of these bronze babies. They announce one indisputable fact and two nice goals. Fact: “C. Jack Ellis First African American Mayor of Macon, GA.” And, wishful thinking: “Macon, Georgia… One of the Most Livable Cities in America/A City of Excellence.” (It’s true unless you’re a homeowner, a police officer, a downtown business owner, or a child trying to catch the school bus.)

It’s how you look at it, stupid

Contrary to my cynicism about Macon being one of the MOST “livable” cities in America, I do love this town. I just see it for what it is: a work in progress. So it hurts when I think it’s being maligned needlessly, just like it makes me roll my eyes when I think it’s being praised needlessly.

The Telegraph ran a big story about the city going through a projected 30% economic slowdown. However, the deal is that the percent decrease seems really contrived. Towards the end of the article, it points out that the 30% decrease is actually the projected percent change off of an earlier projection, both projections actually suggesting that the economy will still grow… even if the number went down from 2.7% to 1.9%.

When Executive Editor Sherrie Marshall states in her blog, in defense of the excessive Oprah coverage, that Telegraph readers wanted more positive stories, this is probably what they meant. Don’t spin things like this so they seem so damn dire. Just tell the story. It doesn’t have to be fluff to be positive.

Buzz for the King Bee

This time last year, a coalition starring Alan Walden and Bill Elder tried to get the Georgia Music Hall of Fame to induct “the King Bee”, Hamp Swain. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. So they’re trying it again. If you don’t know, Hamp was the first black DJ in Macon, and the first DJ of any color in America to play James Brown—in fact, he helped record Brown’s first demo in the basement of the WIBB building here. He was the first to play Otis Redding, and his “Teenage Party” was some of the first exposure Redding got outside of church. In later years, he established a record label to help get other locals a chance to be heard. It seems safe to conclude that without Hamp Swain some of those greats wouldn’t have been heard. Go to www.HampSwain.com for more details.

Try a Little Remembrance

Speaking of Otis Redding, December 10^th marks the 40^th Anniversary of his untimely passing. The aforementioned GMHF will be hosting a memorial reception. It’s free to the public from 7p-9p with their big Otis exhibit on display. There’ll be dignitaries and such present, perhaps some music too. This celebration of our famous native son extends across the country at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, the Stax Museum, and in Wisconsin where his plane crashed. As nice as those all will be, there’s no tribute as fitting as putting on a few tracks and remembering the power in that man’s voice.

The Readers Choice Awards

The 11th Hour’s big fuzzy publisher gave me the inside track on how some of the voting is going in our Readers Choice Awards. Obviously, he found this one situation rather amusing: Telegraph columnist Ed Grisamore has charged far ahead of booze columnist Chris Horne in the Best Writer category. Funnier to me is that, within a month of the other, they both profiled the same person for their respective papers: Westside student Quin Simpson. Maybe our voters saw Ed’s version and liked it better.

Oprah… again?!

As sick as I am that I’m doing this, I’m even sicker that I feel obliged to. The Telegraph ran another front-page story on Oprah. Apparently, it is NEWS to us that we were on TV. That’s what the article was about—that and how we’re still Oprah-crazy around here. On a different note, I think it’s time The 11th Hour took credit for spreading the word that Macon is the birthplace of the Kazoo. Sure, some folks knew about it, but no one was talking until the 2006 City Guide came out with that juicy tidbit in it. And of course, who put on the (failed) World Record Kazoo attempt? We did. I bring this up because Oprah passed out kazoos on her show.

Some Dead Horses

2007-11-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

I think I finally understand why pundits and commentators waste so much time beating dead horses. Like Barry Bonds and steroids, or Democrats and hating America. For one, it’s still news, even if it is made to be that way by the media, and people are still talking about it, even if they are saying how they hate all the talk about it. Secondly, each one of them thinks they can bring something new to the table, that they can say something no one else has yet said.

That’s how I feel about Oprah. I know it’s being talked to death, and part of what I want to say is that it’s being talked to death, to which I automatically contribute to, but I still think I have something to say.

Who Oprah is and what she’s done with her life is really remarkable. She is probably the closest thing this country has had, in terms of a pop hero, since Elvis. That people are excited to see her is not a surprise and it is not necessarily upsetting. The degree to which people are excited is surprising, and the way that media coverage has been is upsetting.

The Telegraph has some fine writers who do a good job. I do not subscribe to the notion that our daily isn’t a local paper, though I am frequently critical of some editorial decisions, like all the farmed out stories that make their way to the front page and where they put some local stories. Whereas Oprah is concerned, it is upsetting that they have three or four writers gathering stories on Oprah, but it is more upsetting that a great piece by Matt Barnswell on Mayor Ellis’s shady charity was relegated to one line below the fold on the front page, and practically buried in the local section.

If you missed it, and you probably did, the Mayor’s farewell party took place the same day as the filming of Oprah’s show. The proceeds of the party are to go into Ellis’s charity. Acting like a reporter, Barnswell went in search of where these funds go and how they’re allocated, to which the Mayor responded with profanity as he refused to explain where the money goes. He said, giving the vaguest of specifics, that the money will go to “families with kids who have special damn needs.” Barnswell didn’t rely only on the shocking way with which our city leader responded, but also dug into what kind of charity it is and how it operates. It’s a good piece of reporting, the kind we need more of here, a throwback to the notion that the media is our fourth estate, here to protect the regular joe. Unfortunately, that issue of the paper, like several before it, were consumed by the stupid tabloid crap that the Telegraph thinks the regular Joe wants to read instead.

I understand it when the Telegraph does revenue building stuff like charging people to submit pictures of their pet then charging them to vote on the cutest pictures and then selling a calendar comprised of the 12 top vote-getters. I get it. Print isn’t the money maker it used to be. I get it when they exploit WRLL’s world championship, selling momentos and giving ungodly coverage well after the heart-warming victory. We all need money. No problem.

What I don’t like is when this means sacrificing the actual news. While you could argue that Oprah’s visit really deserved front page attention (again), I don’t see how you could argue that in the same issue Barry Bonds’ indictment and the naming of the Cherry Blossom mascot also deserved above the fold treatment while a story that sheds light on some potentially shady dealing by our top city official gets pushed down.

Pay attention to shit like this. You’re partially to blame if you’re more willing to buy a paper with fluff on the cover than actual news. At the same time, I wish the Telegraph had a little more integrity in that department.As for Oprah’s visit, I’m still dismayed at how fanatical the city has become. Though I’d debate how good the exposure her show will generate for our city, I don’t think it is a bad thing.

What I realized Friday, as I watched scores of people hustling from spot to spot trying to find Oprah, is that the best exposure she could give us would be internal. Our publisher noted how full downtown was because of her. What I take issue with is that Oprah knew all the cool places to go downtown—the Tubman, the H&H, Ginger Michelle, Nu-Way, etc—but on a daily basis, citizens of this city don’t. During Cherry Blossom and on First Fridays, people turn out. Those cool places aren’t any less cool on regular days, but again, it seems like only outsiders see that.

Running the Race

2007-11-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Dr. Catherine Meeks and Company filled the Douglass Theatre last night (not a difficult task, even in Macon) to talk about race. I have mixed feelings on the race discussion. I think it needs to take place, yeah, but what good is talking? What bothers me is the social segregation we willingly do to ourselves. Talking isn't going to change that. What I'd like to see is someone out there providing logical opportunities for the different races (including Asians and Mexicans, etc.) to mix and mingle, to hang out. That'll do more to change our attitudes on races than anything.

If that sounds stupid, or if you're thinking "well, we have to get past racist attitudes just to get people to hang out", then think about this: Where are the most integrated places in Macon? Kroger, Smiley's, chain restaurants -- it's in middle class environments. Granted, get into the bars and churches then you see one side or another, but you know what, there are folks already assembling in the same spaces. What we got to do is make it more social.

That, to me, also points out that the racism is less of a big deal for regular folks, for those lower-middle and middle class people. The trouble is with the groups of people who routinely only hang out with one race or another. In other words: the really broke or the well-to-do. They are the people who are most insulated. They are those most likely to hate or act like they hate.

Either way, the Telegraph didn't treat this story right. Writer Ashley Joyner spent her first three paragraphs marveling at the size of the crowd as if a couple hundred people in a metro area of over 150,000 should be that impressive. Secondly, she wrote this: "many in attendance concluded afterward was the most candid discussion about race they had witnessed in a long while - in Macon, at least."

She's alluded, I'm sure, to how Macon just hasn't moved on, and in some ways, she's right. But in other, more accurate ways, she's blind. It isn't just Macon. It isn't just the South. It's this whole country, and in fact, the whole world. We just find prejudice in other ways. Does it make us less sophisticated because we haven't moved on to hating gays more than blacks?

But what really pisses me off is how little the whole article says and this paragraph is the heart of it not saying anything. "... the most candid discussion about race they had witnessed in a long while..." Really?

And what, pray tell, made it so candid?

An Open Letter to Joe Kovac Jr

2007-11-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Joe Kovac, Jr.,

You remember that episode of the Andy Griffith Show when the big wig Hollywood types came to Mayberry to film a movie? Remember how Mayberry reacted? Like a bunch of desperate teenagers at a middle school prom, hopin' and a'prayin the pretty girl would dance with them.

Macon is starting to act like that about Oprah, and you, my man, aren't helping. "Oprah's coming but in some ways she's always been here" -- What in the world, dude? Seriously. What does that even mean? I read the article and I still don't know. All I know is that you and Tina McElroy Ansa both really like Oprah and seem to think that this will be a life-altering experience for the city. Are you shitting me?

Since I don't know you but believe you, like most human beings, are good and decent, I want to believe that this was just a shitty assignment you got handed. I want to believe that you protested, and in fact, that a part of your protest was to write the lamest piece of bullcrap you could imagine. Few things of a non-sexual (but definitely hetero) nature would make me happier than to think you were trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.

But I'm not betting on it. Honestly, if I had to bet -- if my money, my reputation or my kids were on the line, I'd bet that you approached your boss with the idea. You're probably pushing to do one of those irritating questionless interviews with Oprah. (Really, chief, why can't you print the damn questions? It'd make so much more sense.)

Alright. I'm done... for now.

Just so's you know what all this is about

2007-11-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

I am not a politician. I'm not even into politics, but I am into my community. Some stuff just pisses me off more than others, and someone was stupid enough (or smart enough) to give me a forum for sharing it. More than anything, I figure I'm a lot like you out there. I hear what's going on, and it bothers me. Someone's got to because there doesn't seem to be a lot of anyone standing up for the little guy (and gal) in the midstate. Everyone's got their clique but us. Until now. Whit Mumbley here, ready to blog truth to power.

PS - Sometimes, there are things that make me happy. I'll get to them too. Balance, they call it.

My column from the November 8th issue

2007-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Super… Tuesday
Well, I just voted, and the cynical part of me really wondered why. For the most part, all I did was put a check beside the only person on the ballot. Aside from there being two mayoral candidates and David Corr’s write-in campaign, there was really no point. It was just confirming the foregone conclusions.

Why do we have partisan elections for city office? Whoever takes the primary usually has no other opposition. That kills the drama, and more importantly, it hinders the quality of the people we put into office. If we had viable two-party representation in Macon, it’d be one thing, but we don’t. The problem is that the primaries take place two months before the “ELECTION” and if you don’t think that matters, look at the Mayoral race. There were some really qualified candidates but they were all on the Democratic ticket. They battled it out so one would have the indignity of facing one of the Republican candidates, neither of whom had held a public office before trying to become the leader of our city.

With two additional months of campaigning, we’d certainly know more about our candidates. I’m not bashing Reichert or our new council—and god knows I’m wishing you all the best of luck, for yourselves and us—but really, this is a ridiculous system and it needs to change. Y’all see if you can put that on your agenda.

Just don’t get the message
The bozos in the office apparently only check their messages once in a blue moon. Seems David Corr, in a moment of true political courage, called up to let me know he doesn’t support sexual slavery. He said he’s personally asked the women in the massage parlors if they are, indeed, sex slaves. Corr reports that they are not—so it’s all good, right? Of course, the head cheese at the paper didn’t save the messages so I don’t know verbatim what all Corr said, but I do invite him—and any of you, if you’re brave enough—to send your messages directly to me at the email address above. Go on, I dare ya. I might just start up a blog while I’m at it.

I want a whole mess of fried Oprah
Oh man, oh man, can’t wait until Oprah comes to town. It’s like Cherry Blossom is happening twice this year! Gon’get me a brand new pair of church pants, and some steppin’ out shoes. Exciting times are here again! (And, the mayor’s farewell party is that night too!)

Seriously though… The Telegraph has three writers working on some of the lamest bullshit I’ve ever heard. Phillip Ramati is looking for the “biggest Oprah fan in Middle Georgia.” Harold Goodridge wants to know we think have been the greatest moments from Oprah’s show. And of course Joe Kovac Jr. wants to hear from people who actually got tickets to the show—and he wants to know what special something-something you wrote when you applied.

Despite constantly churning out sappy-ass non-news like this, one writer at “Tha Graph” recently called The 11th Hour “bastardized journalism”. Well buddy row, we’re not the newspaper—YOU ARE. Our paid staff consists of four people—y’all just assigned three writers to cover the filming of a TV show.

And you wonder what’s wrong with the city. It ain’t always the politicians, folks.

Procreating Grace
Big ups to muh girl, Nancy Grace. She’s a mama to brand new twins—a boy and girl. Congrats to you and yours. Can’t wait until she’s back on the air being the helmet-haired avenger we’ve all come to love for her ability to make us believe that evil is real and it lives next door.