Are we on the right path as a city? What are your thoughts as the reader? Be sure to follow Muscogee Muckraker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see our upcoming stories as they break throughout the coming week.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — From an officer of the Columbus Police Department telling the uncensored truth about our city’s violent crime, to the city manager openly stating he plans to misappropriate his position to influence a judge, to the mayor still failing to appoint an interim chief to our city’s police force, here’s all the muck that’s fit to print from the Columbus, Georgia area, along with a look at what to expect in the week ahead.
HOW CITY COUNCIL CAN AVOID A REPEAT OF THE ‘BLACKMON SCENARIO’
COLUMBUS, Ga. — “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” — Socrates.
This article is not intended to be read as a wag of the finger, but instead as a carefully-constructed exposition of sincere concern stemming from a deep love for our city, underpinned by a hopeful expression of optimism for our elected officials’ intentions.
The Fountain City may now find itself at a critical junction of political competency, with city leaders certainly undergoing a process of introspection as they examine the causes of their own recent political turmoil.
We are, of course, referring to the recently-announced retirement and months-long divisive dilemma of police chief Freddie Blackmon.
Before we get underway, it is important for the reader to understand two key concepts, along with the absolutely-necessary reconciliation between the two.
The first of these concepts is most eloquently articulated through Hanlon’s Razor, which states:
“Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.”
The second concept is expressed through a quote from Aristotle:
“Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.”
To reconcile both of these concepts is to understand that our city’s leaders are — by and large — well intended, though the measurable state of the city demonstrates just how advanced the unimportance of those intentions actually are in terms of measurable output; the years-long trail of Columbusian consequence that hasn’t only manifested itself through the circumstances surrounding police chief Freddie Blackmon, but continues to rear its ugly head throughout countless metrics of our city’s current state of affairs — be it crime, poverty, homelessness, education, workforce, per capita income, or any other.
Explore the full story to see how the Columbus City Council can avoid a repeat ‘Blackmon Scenario.’
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN APPLY TO SPEAK AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING
COLUMBUS, Ga. — “The true source of our sufferings has been our timidity.” — John Adams.
As most residents are acutely aware, the political state of the Fountain City has seen better days. Through violent gang-related crime, staggering rates of homelessness, and a poverty rate twice the national average, it is clear that we as a city have our work cut out for us.
Fortunately, the ideas for how to best address and fix these extremely-serious issues do not have to come from behind the bench of our city’s elected officials.
They can come from you.
In fact, our city’s form of government strongly encourages you to take an active role in civic engagement by publicly speaking your mind on issues that are politically important to you.
During each regular meeting of the Columbus City Council, there is a section of the meeting called the Public Agenda.
This section is entirely dedicated to having everyday residents just like you voice their opinions on whatever they deem to be of political importance to our city.
It is incredibly easy to apply.
Explore the full story to see how easy it really is to voice your concerns during the public agenda of a city council meeting.
CPD OFFICER SETS RECORD STRAIGHT; TELLS UNCENSORED TRUTH ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME
COLUMBUS, Ga. — A 16-year veteran officer of the Columbus Police Department spoke some well-needed, unadulterated, and uncensored truth as she addressed city council during the public agenda of the meeting held on April 11, 2023.
The officer’s words appeared to seriously set the record straight as she politely — yet firmly — addressed the recent history and future needs of the department as it relates to the city’s outrageous rates of violent crime.
Given the strength of the officer’s brave and bold message, we will allow her words to speak for themselves.
Explore the full story to hear her words for yourself as she boldly and bravely chose to set the record straight for the future of our city.
CITY MANAGER HUGLEY SAYS HE WILL INFLUENCE JUDGE TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL GOAL
COLUMBUS, Ga. — City Manager Isaiah Hugley recently stated in plain language that he intends to use his position as city manager to influence a local judge’s decision.
In his remarks made during the city council meeting held on April 11, 2023, Hugley described how he plans to achieve his own predetermined outcome on a case within the city’s legal system to suit his own political goal.
What Hugley openly described is far — let’s say that again for emphasis — far outside of acceptable behavior for any city official, let alone something as far-removed from the judicial branch of government as the office of the city manager.
This is not the first time Hugley has demonstrated a continuous pattern of brazen misconduct that falls well outside of his role as the city’s head administrative employee. His continued unethical behavior and prima facie exhibits of political corruption have become so frequent that many — many — Columbusites of all demographics and political backgrounds have taken note.
Explore the full story to see Hugley’s words for yourself.
WHY RIVERCENTER RESIGNEES EXEMPLIFY LARGER COLUMBUS CONUNDRUM
This article was originally published by the Muckraker on July 14, 2022.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts is a landmark staple of Downtown Columbus, Ga. Complete with grand entrance and a red-carpet interior, its halls have hosted a plethora of world-renowned acts at its Broadway location.
But the days of sold-out showrooms may be numbered if the RiverCenter doesn’t address the large purple elephants currently residing in its grandiose foyer.
From 2014 to 2019 alone, the RiverCenter accrued a cumulative net loss of more than $1.13 million. The organization has only produced positive revenue during one of those years in 2018, which was quickly overtaken by an even larger snowballing deficit the following year.
The deficit coincides with the hiring of RiverCenter’s executive director, Norman S. Easterbrook, who took over charge of the organization in 2015.
Easterbrook has developed a reputation within the arts community throughout the greater Chattahoochee Valley region for being difficult to work with. However, one needn’t look too far to catch a glimpse of his tendencies. Just ask his own staff, or, what’s left of it.
In the last three years alone, six of his employees have quit, citing their reason for departure as a hostile work environment created and fostered by Easterbrook. Most of them walked off the job without even lining up future employment. They simply couldn’t stand it anymore.
Five of those six employees were female.
Many of the resignees filed formal complaints with the RiverCenter against Easterbrook and the continuously-worsening environment he had allegedly created for them.
According to the former employees, their complaints largely centered around Easterbrook’s purported dictatorial behavior, general irrationality, and conniving tendency to undermine female employees based on their gender.
But their complaints went largely ignored. The RiverCenter took no perceivable interest in investigating the situation. The status-quo remained, and Easterbrook’s alleged culture of misogynistic dictatorship continued.
Explore the full story to see how this irony may provide the valuable insight needed to get it right.
ONE WEEK AGO, MAYOR SAID CPD WOULD HAVE INTERIM CHIEF IN ‘A DAY OR TWO’
COLUMBUS, Ga. — In the immediate aftermath of police chief Freddie Blackmon accepting a severance package from the city, Mayor Skip Henderson said an interim chief would be appointed ‘almost immediately.’
The following day on April 7, Henderson walked back his words in an interview with WRBL, now saying the interim chief would be appointed in ‘a day or two.’
One week after Henderson’s words, no interim chief has been appointed — though the department is far from leaderless.
Despite Henderson’s delays, the same experienced leaders already within the department — whom officers have already been accustomed to following through the department’s years-long debacle — have continued to do what they always have: lead.
In the absence of formally-appointed leadership, these officers have continued to do what they do best — and the officers of the department embrace them.
When speaking with officers of the department, the Muckraker has been able to identify a serious concern that arose in several conversations. Officers are extremely worried that bringing in an outsider to serve as an interim chief may seriously wreak havoc on the already-vulnerable department.
Given the backgrounds of us at the Muckraker, we tend to strongly agree with those officers.
Explore the full story to see how CPD is far from leaderless, despite Henderson’s delays.
THE WEEK AHEAD
As the Columbus Police department remains without a formally-appointed interim chief, we would hope to hear from our city’s director of public safety — Mayor Henderson — on what the status of the situation is.
If we had to guess (eh hemm) the Mayor’s delay is probably centric around a certain power-hungry Assistant Chief making threats of erroneous legal action in hopes of extorting her way into a position she is not — we say again: not — entitled to nor demonstratively qualified for.
That Assistant Chief should probably sit down and reevaluate her definition of leadership. In fact, we’ll help: If you feel the need to threaten your way into a position, you therefore are not the right candidate. That Assistant Chief should stop throwing a temper tantrum and focus on soothing her tyrannical ego in other more mature and professional ways.
Being the Chief of the Columbus Police Department is not a promoted position; it is an appointed one. No one is entitled to it. Period. Hard stop.
Acting like a power-hungry toddler places you at the absolute bottom of the list.
Our city’s officers are entitled to outstanding leadership.
We look forward to having our city’s elected officials speak and act accordingly on this pressing matter in the week ahead.
A Look At Personal Safety
As the Columbus Police Department continues to unify under its new leadership model, violent crime is still likely to exist at higher levels than we would all like — even in what have previously been thought of as the “safer parts” of our city.
We at the Muckraker want to encourage our readers and their loved ones to remain hyper-vigilant as they go about their daily lives.
Based on lifetimes of experience and the combined professional careers of us at the Muckraker and our associates, here are what we consider to be the most important ways Columbusites can make themselves “hard targets” to avoid becoming a crime victim:
Back Our Blue
In closing, we at the Muckraker would like to thank the outstanding men and women of the Columbus Police Department who continue to shell out for the safety and well-being of our city each and every day, despite the abhorrent temporary conditions they are currently forced to work within.
“All police officers are entitled to outstanding leadership.”
Our city cannot thank you enough for what you do for us.
If you’re out and about throughout the week and see one of our city’s brave and valiant police officers, be sure to thank them. We’d bet it would mean an awful lot to them.
Residents are strongly encouraged to express their concerns and condolences for the brave men and women of the Columbus Police Department by emailing Mayor Skip Henderson directly at SkipHenderson@columbusga.org, while cc’ing their respective city council members on the email.
Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.
-30-
© 2023 Muscogee Muckraker. All rights reserved.
Be sure to follow Muscogee Muckraker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see all the muck that’s fit to print as it breaks throughout the coming week.
