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DEVANEY:
No budge on transit union
By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
- Mayor Charles A. DeVaney
-warned Augusta City Council
,members in this week’s meeting
that entertaining thoughts of
recognizing a labor union could
lead to trouble with the Georgia
"Supreme Court.
“ The warning came after labor
.organizer Moses Dunn, who has
-been denied time on council’s
ragenda for a month, stole the
floor toward the end of the meet
.ing to plead the case for transit
‘workers.
. According to Mr. DeVaney and
city aitorney Paul Dunbar, the
state Supreme Court prohibits
local governments from recog
nizing unions as collective bar
‘gaining agents.
~ “Ithink knowing that decision,
you're opening yourself up for
liability,” Mr. DeVaney told coun
cil.
But Mr. Dunn insisted that
the mayor is misleading council
about the legalities of union and
city officials’ relationship.
. “It kind of worries me when
someone tells me something is
.against the law when City Coun
“cil has the power and authority
to adjust and modify — to do
‘whatever it takes — to make the
_’city tick,” Mr. Dunn said.
_ Mr. Dunn named Savannah’s
transit department as an exam
ple of one being unionized. How
ever, Chatham Area Transit
“Authority Deputy Director Cin
dyMcGinnis said the transit sys
tem is independent of local gov
.ernment.
' Mr. DeVaney also argued that,
‘because a newly merged govern
‘ment will become effective Jan.
1, transit issues would become
‘tountywide concernsrather than
just those of the city.
* “After the Friday decision (by
the U.S. Justice Department), it
Hair trigger
Guns prove an explosive topic among local politicians
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
. Aside from copious hand-shak
ing and baby-kissing, politicians
are noted for their verbosity.
Somewhere in the folds of most
Americans’ brains is tucked a
mental image of the well-dressed
purveyor of public policy, one
finger raised, eyes flashing with
determination as declarations
are made to rid the world of evil
and expose the bare flesh of the
Truth ...
| But certain topics banish that
stereotype in favor of the un
practiced human being in our
ejected officials, complete with
sighs, “oh boys” and scratches of
the head. Sometimesthey’ll even
tell you — if not in so many
wiords — to mind your own busi
ness.
{“Guns” is one such touchy sub
ject.
{Though he does not own a gun,
Augusta City Councilmember
Gerald Woods was hesitant to
comment on his personal feel
ings about them, expressing con
cern about creating “controversy
and ill-will” about an issue that
is not before the council. He said
the topic “seems tostimulate such
visceral emotional reactions”
that people cannot think about it
rationally.
However, he considers his own
views about the issue at large,
“practical” rather than “emotion
al.”
“Hell, it may be too late to do
anything about it,” he says of the
risein gun-linked crime, and feels
that gun control laws havea“lim
ited effect.”
“It would be hard to say they
are sufficient,” he said aboutlaws
currently on the books, yet de
clares he doesn’t actually have a
“firm” opinion about their com
ponents.
“’m not terribly opposed to
them (guns),” he said, insisting
that he is for “whatever is good
is my recommendation, not only
to council but to you, that you
take it up with the new govern
ment in January,” Mr. DeVaney
said. “ It would not be for us to
make that decision at this late
date because that would now be
a countywide function.”
Mr. Dunn, however, said the
merger shouldn’t stall union ne
gotiations. g
“Consolidation doesn’t have
anything to do with this,” he said.
“We'’re organizing now, not Jan
uary '96.
“Mayor DeVaney is putting us
off because he feels like we're
taking away his power. He’s just
power struck.”
While the mayor protects his
power, transit workers continue
to suffer, Mr. Dunn said.
“The workers need help. There
are so many problems going on
over there attransit whethery’all
know it or not,” he said.
According to Mr. Dunn, one of
the biggest problems is the dis
parity in pay between full-time
and part-time employees, with
part-timers making as much as
$9 an hour.
City Councilman Gerald®
Woods said it is misleading to
say that full-time employees are
being paid less.
“Please remember that any
temporary employees are not
getting any of the city’s benefits,
so you have to be careful about
saying that someone who’s get
ting that hourly rate is making
more than the full-time employ
ee,” he said.
Still, Mr. Dunn said it’s an in
sult to full-time workers.
“It’s a slap in the face, and the
workers are disturbed and up
set,” he said.
Other problems include favor
itism in assigning routes and a
lack of rest for drivers, Mr. Dunn
said. 4
Although no official action was
taken, Councilwoman Kathleen
“It’s my basic philosophy, if you have a
gun ... in the heat of passion, you will do
things before you can think rationally.” If
you can’t get to a gun right away,
- Councilmember Margaret Armstrong
‘said, “you will stop and think twice.”
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for society.”
Individual freedom is good, he
said, but added that “people don’t
have the individual right to en
gage in any activity that may be
dangerous to others.”
The other two non-owners in
the survey, Councilmembers
Margaret Armstrong and
Carolyn Usry, were much more
open. “Adamant” might actually
be a better word for Ms.
Armstrong.
“I don’t own a gun and I don’t
wanttoownagun,” shesaid. “It’s
my basic philosophy, if you have
a gun ... in the heat of passion,
you will do things before you can
think rationally.” If you can’t get
to a gun right away, she said,
“you will stop and think twice.”
Gun shows concern her. “You
don’t know what’slegal and what
is not, and there’s nothing you
candoifthe guns areregistered.”
She feels that many legal gun
Local News
Beasley said council should be
concerned if the workers were
displeased but weren’t willing to
approach them.
“As elected officials, we should at
leasthearthetransitemployeesand
let them voice their concerns about
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In his booth at Arts in the Heart, an artist demonstrates his
process as well as his wares as patrons watch over his shoul
der. Photo: Derick Wells
purchases are the result of peo
ple panicking at the news of a
high crimerate, But, she says, “if
you keep yourself out of certain
environments, 99 percent of the
time ... you won’t need a gun.”
Ms. Usry admits tobeing afraid
of guns herself, but feels that the
decision “ought to be left up to
the individual,” expressing a
great deal of faith in her fellow
human beings. Most killings in
volve illegal guns, she said. “I
think if you ask the average per
son like me, they don’t want a
gun.” She also feels that anyone
who wants one will get it, re
gardless of the law.
Councilmember Jim Tarver is
a gun owner and, like Ms. Usry,
feels that society has “nothing to
fear” from “good people.”
“Decent citizens are trying to
say ‘Hey, we're not going to mis
usethe guns,” hesaid. Hedoesn't
have a problem with anyone
certain issues,” she said.
Mr. DeVaney said he would as
sign Affirmative Action Director
Moses McCauley and Acting Tran
sit Director Heyward Johnson to
meet with transit workers and
report back to council.
owning a gun, “if they abide by
the law and go through the right
channels.”
He said current gun law “may
be too much.” When asked if he
thought the laws should be
amended, he thought for a mo
ment. “It probably has the
amount of coverage that it should
have.” He thinks that having a
waiting period is a good idea.
But he believes strongly in the
right of the individual to protect
himself, declaring that he would
“rather face a jury than a mob.”
Commissioners Lee Neel and
Jerry Brigham are both shctgun
owners. Mr. Neel feels that cur
rent gun law is sufficient “if it’s
enforced,” and that the issue of
assault weapons needs to be “ad
dressed.”
Mr. Brigham says his shotgun
is one he has owned since he was
a child, and thinks current gun
law is fine.
Neither man was about to give
away any information.
When asked if she owned a
gun, Councilmember Kathleen
Beasley replied “Well, I think we
alldo,” but would not clarify what
she meant.
“I think that our Constitution
allows us to bear firearms,” she
said, but “.. there should be
means to make sure someone is
not buying firearms just to com
mit a crime.”
Ms. Beasley agreed that crime
makes necessary a waiting period,
but did not warit to comment on
what about our gun laws she would
change. She said only that her opin
ionswerestrongand thattheywould
... ahem ... “blow your mind.”
Commissioner William H.
Mays didn’t mind discussing the
law, and expressed his support
for the waiting period. He admit
ted keeping a gun for protection
but, when asked to divulge what
type of gun, he laughed.
“It’s just a gun.”
Kind of makes you wonder,
don’t it?
AUGUSTA FOCUS September 21, 1995
Superintendent
From page one
new school superintendent, the
Chronicle ran an editorial de
signed to scuttle the appointment
of Dr. Hattie Washington.
“She’s the worst choice!” the
Chronicle piece shouted.
The objective evidence offered
tosupport that opinion consisted
oftwo clearlyirrelevant observa
tions and one blatantly racist
assertion. -
Irrelevancy Number One:
“Washington has only assisted
an assistant superintendent.” Be
sidesbeing an outright falsehood,
the implication is that one must
have been a superintendent of a
school system to be qualified for
the position. White racists love
to change the rules once blacks
getin the ballgame. John Strelec,
former superintendent, was not
a superintendent when he was
selected 12 years ago. He was not
even an assistant to an assis
tant, yet he was praised by racist
elements in the white media. In
fact, in the entire history of the
Richmond County School Board,
nosuperintendent candidate had
such prior experience.
Dr. Hattie Washington is an
Assistant Superintendent for the
Baltimore City Public School Sys
tem in Baltimore, Maryland. As
such she provides supervisory
leadership to 180 principals, six
area assistant superintendents.
The Baltimore school district has
over 112,000 students and a bud
get of some 600 million dollars. If
she were the number one candi
date of the newspaper, those cre
dentials would be touted as more
than sufficient for appointment.
Irrelevancy Number Two: She
has“permissiveJoycelyn Elders
like views.” The effort to inject
socio-political ideology into the
discussion affords the white-rac
ist mentality of the Chronicle
editorial writers to use racist code
words to send veiled racist mes
sages to a jittery white public
already up in arms about affir
mative action, welfare cheats and
Jesse Jackson. If Dr. Hattie
Washington indeed held permis
sive Joycelyn Elders-like views.
So what! It underscores what
school board trustee Kingsley
Riley has been saying for years.
“Their ways are not our ways.”
When Riley saysit, she’s attacked
asbeing aracist. What the Chron
icle editorial writeris suggesting
by linking Joycelyn Elders, a re
spected and loved black woman,
with Dr. Washington’s impecca
ble educational administrative
credentials is that here is anoth
er uppity black woman. We must
stop this appointment! There is
no other reason.
Theblatant lie that the Chron
icle tosses out is that “the five
trustees who like Washington no
doubt think she’d be the easiest
candidate to roll over when they
cut deals or push pet projects.”
What the editorial writer is real
ly saying is that this candidate
will not be dictated to by white
Augusta Gollege presents
Harvard psychologist in
Lyceum Series, Sept. 26
Why do so many women read
romances? How are feminist
themes taken up in serial killer
novels and used against women?
What happens when Thelma and
Louise meet the male buddy film
genre? These questions and more
will be answered when Augusta
College presents Harvard psy
chologist and author Dr. Lynne
Dayton in the first program of
the college’s Lyceum Series. The
program on gender and popular
culture will be held Tuesday,
September 26, 1995 at 8:00 p.m.
in the Grover C. Maxwell Per
forming Arts Theatre on cam
pus. Admission is free.
A noted psychologist, Dr.
Layton is a frequent lecturer in
the Department of Psychiatry at
Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard
Medical School. At Harvard, she
also lectures on women’s studies
and teaches a course entitled
“Women and Popular Culture.”
She has written extensively in
the field of psychological narcis
sism and its application to liter
ature, and was co-editor of “Nar
folks. And as such, she is unac
ceptable.
As if the Chronicle’s attempts
to mislead the public were not
enough, the actions of school
board member Kenneth Echols
makes it clear that this woman
was seen more as a threat than
aninconvenience. This upstand
ing pillar of the community goes
on The Austin Rhodes Show, a
bastion of conservative rhetoric,
more than once in the days lead
ing up to the selection meeting
and launches into a despicable
denunciation of Dr. Washington’s
character, professional creden
tials and supervisory capabili
ties all without a shred of objec
tive evidence.
On another occasion, School
Board Member Jeff Annis stated
publicly that, if Dr. Washington
was selected, he would resign
and move to Columbia County.
It’'s a shame he isn’t gone al
ready.
The supreme irony in this en
tire discussion is that while the
white trustees are so concerned
about Dr. Washington’s profes
sional capabilities to handle the
job in Richmond County, they
should be concerned instead
about their own capabilities to
be making decisions that impact
the education of our youth. Au
gusta Focus haslearned that only
one of the five white trustees on
the school board has a college
degree. One in five!
On the other hand, the five
black school board members all
have college degrees, and some
have advanced degrees. Togeth
er, they have 116 years of teach
ing experience. It is no lie that
blacks have to be ten times more
qualified in this nation than
whites to receive equal treat
ment.
It is an insult to the entire
black community for Jeff Annis
to be making idiotic statements
which dare toimpugn the profes
sional reputation of a scholar like
Dr. Washington who likely com
pose an essay in Greek quicker
than Mr. Annis can scrawl a note
in his native tongue!
Who says it’s not a matter of
race and racism? In America, it’s
always a matter of race and rac
ism.
In this so-called color-blind
society touted by backward
thinking conservative Republi
cans and other white racists, it is
said that there is no need for
affirmative action. There certain
ly wouldn’t be if there were no
negativereactiondirected toward
independent-thinkingblackslike
Dr. Hattie Washington. What is
happening in Richmond County
is a prime example of why affir
mative action is still needed in
this country.
Hattie Washington has offered
to come to town and face her
competition onie-on-one. Not only
is it in the best interests of the
school board to arrange a formal
above-board forum, but it is in
the best interests of the children.
cissism and the Text: Essays in
Literature and the Psychology of
the Self.”
Her articles appear frequently
in The Boston Phoenix, and her
research on popular music icon
Madonna has appeared in The
Boston Globe and in a 1990 Brit
ish documentary. Answering the
question, “Who’s that Girl?,” Dr.
Laytonlooks at Madonna as both
an intriguing artist and a care
fully-constructed persona. In a
feminist look at Madonna’s life,
songs, videos, fashion statements
and interviews, she discusses the
singer’s concept of power and her
challenge to identity and
multiculturalism.
Dr. Layton holds a Ph. D. in
Comparative Literature from
Washington University and a
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from
Boston University.
The program kicks off the 28th
Lyceum Series at Augusta Col
lege, and is the first of six pro
grams to be presented in the se
ries. For more information, call
(706) 737-1609.
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