Newspaper Page Text
| Return of the Space Cowhoy
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See Artßgat, page 12 Sl
eavy is the head that wears the
crown. Prince Charles DeVaney,
heir apparent to the bigger bet
ter consolidated government, musg %e pon
dering where to acquire a royal fortune teller
with the ability to accurately read the swirl
ing of the tea leaves. From his Bth floor perch
Interpretation
& Analysis
by Frederick Benjamin Sr.
tracted campaign, but his mind is concen
trating on a more immediate threat. The
natives down the hall are getting restless in
a way they never have before.
Rebellion is breaking out within the palace
walls. The thirteen dwarves on the city coun
cil, who had up to now always been under the
mayor’s thumb, have suddenly grown more
and more insolent. Even the palace legal
expert, Sire Paul Dunbar, has begun issuing
statements contradicting Mr. DeVaney's royal
edicts.
How different things were just eighteen
months earlier. Then, DeVaney enjoyed the
constitutional neutralization of his most se
rious mayoral challenger in the 1993 mayor
al campaign. Former mayor Ed Mclntyre
could not sidestep the legal booby traps set at
his doorstep almost a decade ago and had to
sit by and watch Mr. DeVaney swat aside a
spirited campaign by perennial campaigner
AK. Hasan.
Then, the royal soothsayers were earning
their money. Not only did DeVaney negotiate
a working relationship with a majority-black
city council but, through skillful distribution
of committee chairmanships, and the timely
call-in of a few favors, the mayor was able to
shore up his political battlements and actual
ly tighten his grip on the city council.
But, even back then it was apparent that
DeVaney’s political savvy would be sorely
tested. With his arch enemy Jim Tarver ever
ready to lend support to the latest insurrec
tion, the mayor had to perfect his tap dancing
and rely more on finesse than the rough stuff.
And though it was a tough act, he only had to
pull it off for another two or three years. It
was clear, even then, that the 1993 mayoral
race would likely be the last one ever. The
drumbeat for consolidation was muted for
most of that period, but the forces were gath
ering steadily. .
See DeVANEY, page 9
INSIDE
“ 2
Confessions of
Rosalee” on PBS
See Artßeat, page 19
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hecould seethe
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DOVER, Del.
Two Georgia residents are su
ing Delaware State Police, al
leging that officers detained
them and searched their car for
drugs because they are black.
No drugs were found.
Gary and Joann Ervin of Sa
vannah said the Jan. 5 traffic
stop caused them “a great deal
of inconvenience, humiliation,
and emotional distress.”
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday
in U.S. District Court in
Wilmington, seeks unspecified
punitive and compensatory
damages. It alleges the Ervins
were unlawfully detained with
out probable cause and were
not read their rights.
Their attorney, Richard L.
Abbott, was not in his office
Friday and could not be reached
for comment.
Cpl. David Thomas, state po
lice spokesman, said officials
were aware of the suit but had
no comment.
In the suit, the Ervins con-
Your local newspaper sponsored by your local grocer.
May 18-24, 1995 VOL. XIV NO. 700
I Qc‘us ;
RACE MATTERS
(Georgia couple sue Delaware
police over drug search
By Theresa Humphrey
Associated Press Writer
tend state police use race as a
factor in determining which mo
torists will be detained during
traffic stops as part of drug inter
diction efforts on Interstate 95.
Thomas denied state police
have such a policy for possible
drug suspects.
The lawsuit is the second civil
suit against state police drug in
terdiction tactics that did not
result in an arrest. The first was
an unsuccessful challenge that
claimed state police looked for
cars driven by Hispanic males
and used the pretext of a traffic
violation to stop and search the
cars. '
The Ervins, who own several
small businesses in Savannah,
were heading to New York to
explore business opportunities
and visit family and friends, ac
cording to their suit.
Mrs. Ervin was driving north
on [-95 and had just passed
through a toll booth near the
Maryland line when she saw a
trooper make a U-turn from the
southbound lanes, the suit says.
Sgt. Albert Homiak pulled her
over for speeding, but did not
issue her a ticket at the scene.
She was ordered into the state
police car, but refused to sign a
consent form so that her car
could be searched, the suit says.
Homiak then had her husband
get out of the passenger’s seat
and patted him down.
Homiak searched the car and
her purse. He then had Mrs.
Ervin follow him in her car to
the state police troop. Ervinrode
with Homiak. '
While they were detained,
their car was searched by police
and drug sniffing dogs, the suit
says.
The Ervins also had a large
briefcase that held cash, checks
and some business papers. The
suit says state police called
banks named in the papers and
asked aboutthe Ervins and their
businesses.
The Ervins never gave per
mission for the search, Mrs.
Ervin was issued a ticket for
driving 26 mph over the 55 mph
speed limit. She was found guilty
in March during a trial in Com
mon Pleas Court.
MR. 808 HENNEBERGER
GEQRGIA NEWSPAPFR
UNIVERSITY Of GA
ATHENS GA 30602 12/31/99
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Legislators
lobby for
consolidation
By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Consolidation
will give children
economic opportu
nities their par
ents were denied,
Sen. Charles
Walker, D-Augus
ta, told an audi
ence of about 50
people Monday
night at the Lucy,
C. Laney Museum]
of Black History.
With the poten
tial to attract ma-
jorindustries to a merged Augusta and Richmond Coun
ty government, which will give a dramatic boost to the
population, college graduates will enter a stronger, friend
lier job market, he said.
“I'm saddened by people who send their kids off to
college and they can’t come back home to get a job,” Mr.
Walker said. “I'm afraid that we will not be in the
position to offer to our children a better economic oppor
tunity than what we had.”
Despite this appeal to people’s concerns about the
future, members of the audience at the Delta Sigma
Theta-sponsored town hall meeting drilled Mr. Walker
and Sen. Don Cheeks, D-Augusta, on the bill’s fairness,
as opposed to past consolidation efforts.
“What is the difference today from five years ago?” Mr.
Walker asked. “It’s very simple. The difference is this
bill is a fair bill, and the bills in 1988 and 1990 were
unfair bills.”
He continued, “I am supporting this bill because I
simply believe it is in the best interest of the total
community.”
Mr. Cheeks said, in signing the bill, he stood by his
promise not to put his signature on a bill that was not fair
to everyone in Richmond County.
A major concern generated by the predominately black
audience was that newly elected officials would continue
the history of voting along racial lines. If this trend
persists, some blacks fear they will lose present equal
representation in the city and county and on the Board
See CONSOLIDATION, page 3
-
All city workers
#* w
hit with pay cut
B 10 percent slaéhed from municipal
workers in Phase I of belt tightening.
By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Augusta City Council bought some more time Wednes
day for solving the city’s financial crisis by voting for
across-the-board pay cuts instead of massive layoffs.
With a 10-3 vote, councilman J.R. Hatney’s proposal to
cut all city employees’ salaries by 12 percent for the next
30days passed. Thisis estimated tosave the city SIOO,OOO.
Worried city employees filled the crowded chambers,
and a spokesman for firefighters said even a 12 percent
cut would hurt their already insufficient pay.
“We're already struggling,” Pvt. Donald White said.
“Why should the burden be put on us? We didn’t do it.
We do everything we can to help Augusta.”
Councilwoman Margaret Armstrong agreed that work
ers should be spared from the city’s financial ills.
“I' have spent many restless, sleepless nights thinking
about what we’re going to do to our employees,” she said.
“I cannot vote today to take away money that will take
‘the bread and meat off the table of people who didn’t put
us in this situation.”
Councilman Gerald Woods stressed the importance
for council to decrease spending immediately.
“If we don’t take some action today to cut the budget,
wewon’t be able to meet payroll in a couple of weeks,” Mr.
Woods said.
Despite council’s avoiding the issue today, Mayor
See PAY CUTS, page 3
| |fy ooy ‘( y
B i ;.- ea
U . A
o AN
:SENATORS Don Cheeks (L) and
Charles W. Walker field questions
‘at the consolidation forum this
week. Photo by Jimmy Carter
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U.S. POSTAGE
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AUGUSTA, GA
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