By Ashley Toland Editor

Well, I was close. Reggie said I was “right on target.”

Last issue, I predicted what would occur at the Tuesday, Oct. 23 council meeting, and some of it was eerily accurate. But there was no way all the stars in the sky, leaves in the tea or friends on the Psychic Network could have predicted just how utterly childish three of the councilors were going to act at this meeting.

But before I begin the rundown of what happened on the playground, I must take the time to welcome our newest concerned citizen/lunatic to our fun little Tuesday morning party.

Wearing pajama bottoms and a tie-dyed T-shirt, a gentleman addressed the council to support another concerned citizen’s request for an ordinance to require people to clearly display their street numbers on the front of their homes – at least I think that’s what he was speaking on. His rant included something about blood and guts being spilled all over the pavement and something to do with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California, so I’m really not sure.

He also made an appearance at the Oct. 30 meeting donning similarly bizarre attire. So I think it’s safe to say we will be seeing him on a regular basis, which, obviously, is fantastic. Welcome, Pajama-nator. Welcome!

Clearly, flashbacks and flannel guide the Pajama-nator, but it was John Williams who set off the council children – William Carroll (AKA: the council bully) and his sidekicks Clinton Johnson and Fred Richardson.

As predicted, Councilwoman Connie Hudson abstained from voting for the $61-million bond issue, which included monies for the city’s obligation to ThyssenKrupp, to complete projects promised in the newly annexed areas, an emergency radio system, the downtown Mardi Gras park and various drainage projects and road widenings.

The stars told me John Williams would also abstain, but it must have been a little cloudy that night because he voted against it entirely. It still passed with the five other councilors voting for it, but this really ticked the Bully off, particularly with Williams, whose district was receiving some of the money.

“Their issues should be taken out if they aren’t gong to vote for them,” Carroll contended.

And I will agree it is a bit annoying to get sanctimonious lectures with great regularity from these two councilors who know the items they are voting against on “principle” already have the votes to pass.

One has to wonder if these two knew their votes would have been deciding ones if they really would have been so “principled.” I can’t imagine they would have prevented ThyssenKrupp from getting its promised $33.5 million and the much-needed emergency radio system. It’s really easy to be so self-righteous about how things are getting done when you already know they are going to get done.

So I get the annoyance, but the way Bully handled it was completely ridiculous.

He treated Williams like a punching bag. CJ and Fred took a few shots, but Bully clearly led the attack. Several times during the meeting Reggie scolded Carroll for making personal attacks on the District Four councilman.

Reggie gave Williams the floor to “defend” himself, to which Williams said he was “discouraged” the council prez felt he needed to defend himself.

He declared, ” I am not a politician!” But that was about the extent of his “defense.”

Bully Carroll also beat up on Mrs. Hudson by reminding her of the money borrowed to build her senior center.

“There wasn’t any complaining about borrowing money when we voted to build the senior center,” Carroll taunted.

She fired back, saying she had tried her best to fund it through other sources but was forced by the administration to have to either borrow it or not see it come to fruition.

Carroll continued on his rampage later in the meeting when he along with Fred and CJ voted against funding traffic calming devices in Williams’ district, causing it to fail.

So unbelievably childish! I’m sending him and his cohorts to council “Time Out.”

The “non-politician” facetiously thanked his colleagues. Connie Hudson said, “It’s a sad day in the city of Mobile.” And after a unanimous vote in favor of funding a project in District Two (Carroll’s), Reggie pointed out to the councilor all of his colleagues voted for it.

The following week, when tempers had cooled, the defeated item was back on the agenda, and they unanimously approved it.

In the end, everyone got what they wanted.

Well, almost everyone. Fred still has 44 open ditches in Trinity Gardens.

But TK got its money. The mayor got his Mardi Gras park. The annexed area will get roads paved and a super firestation. Williams and Hudson got to look good for their constituents but still got all the fruits on the bond issue. And Carroll got to bully his fellow councilors.

There was no word at press time, if he also stole their lunch money, but I guess we should just be grateful no one’s blood and guts spilled on the pavement.

Ashley Toland is Lagniappe editor. Contact her at ashleytoland@lagniappemobile.com.

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