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City/ Region
Citizens voice opposition to changes on commission
From page one
fendinghisbill, theministersand
community members still insist
that the local government struc
ture remain the same.
“It don’t matter what type
of document is put together,
“you cannot legislate how folk
get along. You can’t do that.
"The federal government has
“tried, state has tried it and
now we are going to try it. It
"doesn’t work that way,” said
‘Rev. J. R. Hatney, pastor of
‘Good Hope Missionary Bap
‘tist Church. “Whether we got
the right person (in office) or
‘not, wedon’t know. Onething
‘lam certain of is that persons
who say they need power
‘haven’t presented a plan. I'm
‘really afraid of that type of
activity. Causeifthey haven’t
_presented a plan, maybe they
don’t have one. Get power,
still don’t have one.”
' Rev. Hatney further ex
-plained that one of the prob
‘lems in Augusta is the Metro
'Chamber of Commerce send
‘ing businesses and people to
‘surrounding counties and
leaving Richmond County in
the dust to recover. The pas
tor blames the negative local
media coverage of blacks for
lack of people and good busi
nesses.
“Nobody wants to look at
the real reason Augusta is
messed up like it is. People
who are looking to relocate
look at the paper and how
they bash everybody that is
particulary black, you
wouldn’t want to come here
either,” he said to the audi
enceagreeing with ‘uh-huhs,’
‘yeps,” and rounds of applause.
“Just because things are not
working the way certain indi
viduals want it to, now they
want to change, and if it
doesn’t work next week, they
‘wanna change that one.”
* Particular members of the
-audience whoidentified them
selves as concerned citizens
were reluctant to accept any
<hange made to the local gov
ernment and did not hesitate
to let Rep. Allen know as such.
« Frankie Ramsey of Augusta
avas adamant about her deci
‘sionagainst mayor veto power,
sspecifically for current mayor
:Bob Young.
: “Do any of you remember
‘when he was running for
‘mayor? His whole thing was I
‘don’t need any more power.
‘So, why give a man what he
‘don’t want and he can’t use?”
‘F‘ Chairman of the Trust Fund
‘of Commissioners of Georgia,
iMarguerite Armstrong,
t;vanted to know the rationale
ibehind changing the votes
:from six to seven to constitute
:a majority.
é Despite obvious disapproval
sos his proposed bill, Rep. Allen
istood firm and held ground.
: “You don’t craft forms of
igovernment to fit personali
ities. You craft them to make
igovernment do better for the
icode of immunity,” he said.
“After we gather all of the
‘information we are going to
‘do what’s best for this com
Georgla
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munity. Make no mistake
about it. We are going to do
what’s best for the total com
munity of Augusta.”
Evenafterthe‘campaign’mini
speech,audiencemembersrefused
tobudge. Their minds seemed to
be made up. The murmurs of
disapproval, shaking heads and
openmouthsprettymuchsummed
it up.
The big issue for the night
was abstentions and the com
missioners right to use it. Rev.
Larry Hudson, pastor of Bethel
A M.E. Church, wasconcerned
about why the legislators feel
as though there is a problem
with abstentions when the
records show that “less than
onepercent of our commission
ers have abstained when there
wasanissuealongraciallines.”
Mr. Millender ceased theconfu
sion with the facts.
“We hear all of this about
abstentionsand the people who
are raising the issues know
that Robert’s Rules of Order
gives you the right to abstain.
An abstention is a vote,” he
said. “They will lead you to
believe that these peopledon’t
vote. An abstention isa vote,”
he repeated, with commis
sioner Richard Coloclough
noddinghisheadin agreement
and saying the words along
like a familiar song chorus.
The forum could not end
without commissioner Willie
Mays sharing a comment and
to commend Rep. Allen for
choosing to represent himself
“in his decision to bring forth a
bill.
“The question is tonight:
where are we goingand where
does the bill take us? “Why
don’t ya’ll just go and change
that bill to the Willie Mays
bill?” addressing the penaliz
ing of those who choose to
abstain. “Let’s be real bright
about whereya’ll want to take
that. If you are gonna do it,
then at least allow the people
the opportunity to vote and
consent what they want
done.” He continued, “I
wanted to make a point in
terms of addressing not only
Ben’s bill but his colleagues
that have left him on this
battlefield all by himself.”
Sen. Don Cheeks, Sen.
Charles Walker, Rep. Sue
Burmeister, and Rep. Jack
Connell did not attend the fo
rum or send a representative.
Commissioner Marion Will
iams did not get the opportu
nity to voice opinion during
theforumbecause of time limit
but shared with the Focus.
“Now, 98 percent of every
thing we do on our agenda get
passed and I would like to
know why wasn’t the bill in
troduced by other representa
tives before Sue Burmeister
introduced one? Everybody
came behind her. Why after
she comes up with something,
do they,want to come up with
something?”
Rev. Martin accused legisla
tors of “trying to dilute the
power of the governed.”
“What we have arrived at, at
thisjunctionisthesonsofformer
slave owners have decided not
to be governed by the sons of
former slaves,” he said. “We
have got to learn to live to
gether to respect each other.
Communication, negotiation,
and compromise will allow our
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dJ.R.Maben, president of the
AugustachapteroftheNAACP;
Mrs. Clovis Ivey, community
D \‘\‘6
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Baptist Ministers Conference,
were among the panelists for
the forum.
If one of the bills pass, legal
recourse will be considered.
3A