Good luck with that, Mayor Steve

TweetJust read this in Steve Benjamin’s monthly newsletter: Mondays with the Mayor Ensuring the City of Columbia is open and accountable to all of the people has been a priority of mine from day one because, for me, government transparency is about living up to that most fundamental commitment: the people deserve the truth. From […]

Mayor Bob says city building “cushion fund”

TweetFirst, congrats to Mayor Bob on his big celebration yesterday! Now, to his latest e-mailed “City Update,” in which he continues to insist that we acknowledge before he leaves that he and the present council are getting the city’s fiscal house in order: I wanted to give you a budget update from this Wednesday’s meeting. […]

Mayor Bob’s post-election City Update

TweetHere’s the latest e-mail update from Mayor Bob: I wanted to give you an update on the budget and the City election. I have talked and met with Mayor-elect Steve Benjamin and newly elected Councilwoman Leona Plaugh. We will have an outstanding and smooth transition, and both will participate fully in all City Council deliberations […]

Mayor Bob defends Innovista

TweetColumbia Mayor Bob Coble has sent this op-ed submission to The State in response to a piece by Jeff Wilkinson today headlined, “Innovista still short on private money:” Innovista will create jobs and raise per capita income Dear Editor, I wanted to respond to Jeff Wilkinson’s Sunday article “Innovista still short on private money.” Despite […]

The shallowness of commentary on Sotomayor

TweetThe problem with the overwhelming majority of comments you will see on the subject of the Sotomayor nomination, or any other nomination to the court, is that it is shallow, and informed almost entirely by the commenters’ partisan leanings. All you will learn from it is which side the writer chooses in our never-ending party […]

Mayor Bob’s update on bus funding

TweetJust now getting to my weekend e-mails, and I see this one from Bob Coble: I wanted to give you an update from the City County RTA Committee that met at City Hall last Thursday. City Council members include me, EW Cromartie, and Kirkman Finlay. Belinda Gergel also joined us. County Council members include Damon […]

Mayor Bob’s response to today’s editorial

TweetMayor Bob Coble sent this at 7:55 a.m., but I just got to it: Safety and Security Ordinance is needed      I wanted to respond to your Friday editorial, “High-crime areas should draw more police protection.” Your editorial says “when crime escalates to the point it becomes ‘an unacceptable risk to public safety’ — […]

Mayor Bob’s call for a river summit

TweetStill making my way through the messages from last week, I run across this one from Mayor Bob that relates to my previous post about the Saluda Latrine, I mean, River: Based on the news reports of the last day about the sewer spill in Saluda River, I think it may be time to call […]