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INSI ER INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM
Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.
Why Buy the Cow…
A colorful parade of characters came before the commission the other day, all of them looking for handouts. First up was the Easter Bunny. Apparently, hopping around Augusta each spring hiding eggs caused him to develop carpal tunnel syndrome in his paws. So he addressed the commission seeking reimbursement from the city for all past, present and future medical bills. Next came the Sandman, who had complaints about working in Cherry Tree Crossing and the Apple Valley subdivision. “I’ve been shot at and my sand has been stolen more times than I can count,” he said. “I feel there are some OSHA issues here. I know my rights.” Then came Mack Nelson, the insurance titan from Macon who purchased the Augusta GreenJackets. What did he want? He went before the Richmond County Commission requesting that the city donate land along the Savannah River — and invest $15 million in taxpayer money — to build his minor league baseball team a new stadium. Oddly enough, he didn’t even play his ace in the hole by threatening to move the franchise if his wishes weren’t met. Instead, he just said he wanted the city to step up to the plate, so to speak, and help him construct his new stadium. Even before this bad dream, area Insiders have been wondering if the Richmond County Commission would be considering a downtown ballpark if it
were Mack Nelson or anyone not tied to Cal Ripken Jr. Yes, Ripken is an American hero in the truest sense. His back-to-back games breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record, where he hit home runs in both, were voted the most memorable moment in Major League Baseball history by fans and it’s certainly hard not to love the guy. After all, he stands for hard work, commitment, accountability — all those things a good hero should stand for. But the city doesn’t need a hero, it needs a plan. In this economy, with these stakes, it needs to think with its head, not its heart. If we want to revitalize downtown Augusta by spending millions in taxpayer money, how about spending a million dollars per block on Broad Street? New sidewalks. Knock down the vacant buildings to create street-level parking. Lighting. Remove the parking bays. Police. Infradamnstructure. If we have the money to help baseball’s IronMan build a new ballpark, couldn’t we just spend it on ourselves? After all, Mom always said you can’t buy friendship.
Get This One Right... If you ask someone from Dubuque, Iowa, what they know about Augusta, Ga., the first thing they think of is our courtly southern gentility, right? Uh... they probably really think of golf, and specifically the Masters Tournament. Undeniably “The Toonamint” is Augusta’s greatest claim to golf fame, but we’re getting great contributions in Augusta golf from other quarters as well, notably the two-time NCAA Division I champion Augusta State University V. 22 | NO. 48
Men’s Golf Team, the top-flight First Tee program and junior and youth programs throughout our area. Private and public courses throughout the area provide wonderful venues for participation in the sport. Given all this, Augusta-Richmond County should have an outstanding, popular and financially viable publiclyowned course. Instead we have “The Patch.” The conditions on this course have deteriorated drastically in the last few
years — to the point that erosion seems to be a real and serious threat to course design. If present conditions persist, planes won’t be able to land at Daniel Field for the dust storms. The course that so many Augustans have enjoyed for so many years deserves better. The Commission is presently reviewing options for management of our public links in the form of proposals submitted by two private management companies. Private management seems to be the best
way to manage this asset. While the local government should own a course for the recreation of local citizens, it doesn’t seem that we can trust it to water the grass.
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