MUSINGS FROM RADIO LAND
7-16-09
Having heard the City Council meeting Tuesday night, we have the following observations:
(1) We were extremely critical of Mayor James Perkins for acting like he was a member of the City Council. If the Council was discussing an issue and he had an opinion, he would jump up and inject himself into the council's debate. Unfortunately, we see Mayor George Evans beginning to do the same thing. Last night when the Council was discussing the motion to require all persons appointed to represent the City on boards and agencies be residents of the city, Evans jumped into the discussion like he was a council member to oppose the motion. Our comments about this are: (a) why Evans wants to appoint people who don't live in Selma to represent Selma on various city boards and agencies and (b) we do not want to see him arguing for one side or another on matters that are strictly the council's prerogatives. All the Mayor is required to do is to make a report at the Council meeting. He can do this in person, by sending a written report, sending someone else to give his report, or simply tell the council he has no report, but he is the Executive and the Council is the Legislative and that is the way government should remain.
(2) We think Council President Allen was grandstanding with her report about gas prices in the city. Is that really an issue the Council needs to be concerned about-what merchants charge for the services. If gas prices are too high, let consumers buy their gas somewhere else. The law of supply and demand will determine prices. We thought local businessman Gene Hisel made an excellent point this morning on Viewpoint when he used the example of bread 15 cents higher in Selma than in other cities. Will the City Council now write the grocery stores here asking why bread is higher here than elsewhere?
(3) Crime is rampant again in Selma. The new Dollar General on West Dallas was robbed last week (one of its employees was robbed) of more than $4000. The violence on Alabama Avenue at the clubs is in the news again. We need action and not excuses! That is one reason that we think Chief Riley should be replaced! As we listen at Riley, we hear one excuse after another about why crime can not be controlled. When Councilman Cecil Williamson suggested a couple of years ago that martial law be declared in Selma and the National Guard brought in, we liked the suggestion-since it was the only one that offered any solution to the crime problem-but we did not support it at that time; however, we now believe that martial law should be declared here and the Guard be brought in to clean up the crime in this city once and for all.
(4) Bennie Ruthless Crenshaw continues to arrogantly refuse to give a report to the Council and the public about the activities of the Youth Ambassadors. That might be permissible if the City Council had not given $8000 to the program at the beginning of the fiscal year and recently gave another $650 supposedly for a year end Banquet. Until Ruthless decides to report on the city financed activities of the Youths, we urge the council not to give another cent to support her.
(5) We continue to urge Mayor Evans to replace Community Development Charlotte Griffith. How many more "change orders" in community development projects will the city approve? Either people bidding do not know what they are doing or the CD office does not know what it is doing, or worst of all, this is just another way to give more money to one's friends. Enough is Enough!!!
(6) And it looks like if you want an extra $1000 or so, just go to the police department and tell them they impounded one of your cars and did not give it back to you. Since under Jimmy Martin and Perkins, there were no records kept in the police department, Riley and his bunch are willing to settle all claims for a thousand dollars or so. Last night, the Council majority approved paying $1200 for a car that the department doesn't know whether it gave back to the person or not-that makes 3 cars and one lawyer the taxpayers have had to pay for Martin's stupidity to the tune of more than $14,000-and yes, he is still employed at the Police Department, the people who stole the money are still working there, and the people who stole the cars are still working there.
