Marshal a man of principle

There is no finer marshal in Georgia than Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman. No marshal in the whole state will disagree on that. By a very large margin voters have previously shown their appreciation for the job Marshal Greg Countryman and his deputies do as certified peace officers dedicated to keeping citizens safe.

Our marshal stands tall, despite the malicious propaganda and gross misrepresentations spread by detractors within city government who desperately want Greg Countryman out ASAP.

Columbus citizens have undeniably validated the Marshal's Office in three separate votes beginning with government consolidation. Nonetheless, the Ledger-Enquirer has been opposed to the Marshal's Office for approximately 25 years. Interestingly, Marshal Countryman has served 12 of those 25 years. Furthermore, it is no secret Councilor Jerry "Pops" Barnes is the leading point man for abolishing the Marshal's Office. The Public Safety consolidation argument that's frequently tossed around is a fat red herring. That's just a clever attempt at playing citizens for complete fools. What it is really all about is getting rid of a man in elective office because he dares to be the leader the voters elected him to be.

With crime being what it is, why are city officials more concerned about what agency makes arrests and issues traffic citations than they are lawful arrests of criminals being made and traffic law violators being ticketed? Ask yourselves that question, then question our mayor and councilors. Their lame rants against the marshal won't even come close to passing the smell test. Marshal Greg Countryman proudly serves with honor. He has never abused his power or betrayed our trust. He leads by example and has been as true to the job as he has been loyal to the citizens. You can count on Countryman to never let you down. That's for sure.

Indefensible

Among all the political jabbering we here today, the quote obtained by Chuck Williams from retired hero Col. Ralph Puckett that must echo loudly in the free world is “You may not have six months to get ready. It costs a lot of lives trying to hold off the enemy while we try to get ready. You must be ready today — every day. ... You must be prepared to fight today.”

Quotes like "What difference does it make?" are asinine. As bad as the quote "We're going to bomb the s--- out of them."

Military preparedness and the sense to act cohesively and effectively when the situation presents itself is paramount to survival. Those characteristics speak for themselves, not blustering like barking Chihuahuas behind a door. The best victory is the war that is averted by real power, the kind that uses appropriate intelligence both for our sakes and for the sake of an enemy who needs to know constantly what they are up against should they dare.

The Boy Scout's motto is "Be Prepared." So what is this cutting to smithereens of our defense forces in preparation for … a homemade doomsday?

Gridlock musings

It is nice to see all the infrastructure improvements being made in Phenix City and Columbus. In five or so years it will be very nice and will increase the likelihood of attracting businesses to our area.

Of course, if they come to the area between now and then they will see numerous traffic jams because our area doesn't make the paving companies work during off-peak traffic times. They usually start just in time for the morning traffic and call it a day just past the evening traffic. All other places I've lived or visited required roadwork to be done at night.

Just a thought, while sitting in traffic day in and day out!

Laying blame

With regards to the closing of St. Patrick’s School and the subsequent "piling on" Fr. Paillacho, further clarification is needed.

The new or current school should never have been built. The Convent was/is more than sufficient to serve the Catholic elementary population of Phenix City. Individuals not being cognizant of current and prevailing economic factors pushed for the construction of the new school. Those having the audacity to spew forth venomous criticism at Fr. Jose should assume a position of genuine apology in a most expeditious manner.

As to those unjustified critics, I might offer a plausible solution. Increase the tuition in an amount commensurate to what would be needed to keep the school open while offering salaries competitive with the public schools. Another and most important consideration would be that increased tuition rates would have to be sufficient to address the amortization schedule currently facing the school.

In all likelihood these are not feasible alternatives; we know that. However, let us please refrain from "finger pointing" at Fr. Jose; he has nothing to do with the school’s current fiscal problems. My thoughts I submit as a former chairman of the St. Patrick’s School Board.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Marshal a man of principle."