It’s been a day to make one’s head spin.

Let’s see: two senators; three members of the House; and half a dozen staffers, lobbyists and assorted power people.

Some observations.

Just as Fitzgerald famously said, “The very rich are different from you and I,” powerful people in Washington are different from powerful people elsewhere. For one thing, there are a very large number of them crammed into a very small area.

One hundred senators, 435 representatives and hundreds of cabinet secretaries, presidential advisers and chiefs of staff. Then you have lobbyists, ambassadors and a whole dazzling panoply of substantial power centers - museums, memorials, associations, performing arts centers … in sum, thousands of folks who can legitimately claim to be big shots, all jostling one another for space.

That’s why in the nation’s capital, now supposedly so devoted to the new sustainable/renewable economy, the vehicles of choice are giant black Chevy Suburbans or giant black Cadillac Escalades.

I’ve yet to see a Prius - but the streets are crowded with these sullen urban tanks. You’d think there was a convention of Mafia capos in town - but it’s just the ambassador from Argentina or the deputy assistant undersecretary of state for protocol.

And, alas, there’s not enough room on the streets for all these monsters to double-park, or park illegally, and demonstrate thereby the power of their occupants.

Conclusion: Imagine Colorado Springs with 2,000 Lionel Riveras, 2,000 Doug Bruces, 5,000 Douglas MacArthurs and 10,000 Spencer Penroses … that’s Washington!

Mark Udall appears to have found religion as regards Pinon Canon.

He told us that, although he had initially been unconvinced that the Army needed more “maneuver space,” he now realizes that modern warfare isn’t about roaring around in tanks, but about small units being able to command very large areas - so the Army needs larger areas to train in.

Makes sense, just as it made sense when the Army originally floated the idea of expansion, citing that very reason.

Continuing with Pinon, Rep. Mike Coffman, who, with our own Doug Lamborn, comprises our state’s Republican delegation, opined that the Army will come back with a new proposal for Pinon Canon “when things have cooled down.”

Coffman knows a little bit about the military, having served in both the Army and the Marine Corps. Wonder who he roots for during the Army-Navy game?

And speaking of Lamborn, he could not have been more obliging, more helpful or less pretentious. He answered questions for nearly an hour, introduced his colleagues in amiable terms and made himself available to the press (i.e., yours truly). His wife, Jeanie, was there as well, and was as gracious and good-tempered as her fortunate husband.

I had a question that, I thought, would stump even the most intrepid of public servants.

Why, I asked Lamborn, are there still six pay phone booths in the lobby of the Longworth Office Building, where our congressman has his office?

“Oh, I don’t think people actually use the phones,” he said. “They just go into the booths, close the door, and use their cell phones. It’s quiet and private.”

I checked - and he was right.

And then we heard Rep. Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman who has become, according to your ideological preference, either your favorite lawmaker or the latest handmaiden of the forces of darkness.

I was waiting outside the door of the hearing room, chatting with Tim Leigh, when I saw her. She’s a slight, attractive and dark-haired woman, wearing little makeup, dressed simply in pants and a top (no power pants suit) who looked like … well, a completely regular person, someone you’d see at the mall or in line at Starbucks.

Leigh said, “I thought we’d see some celebrities, but I don’t see any.”

I pointed out Bachmann. “Tim, there’s one, and she’s from Minnesota.”

Tim thought I was joking, so he walked over and asked her whether she was, in fact, from Minnesota.

“You betcha!” she replied, in an exaggerated Minnesota accent, and they kidded around for a few minutes.

Then she spoke. Her speech was just fine. It was full of right-wing cliches and dire warnings about the future, but it wasn’t crazy, nasty, vicious or threatening.

Conclusion: We demonize folks we disagree with on the basis of a few video clips, some unguarded remarks and an out-of-context quotation or two.

Sorry, but I’m now a Michele Bachmann fan. I went to the House gift shop and tried to buy a Michele Bachmann T-shirt, but they didn’t have any.

Attention Nancy Pelosi: You’re missing a great revenue opportunity. Sell Bachmann T-shirts at $20 a pop and you could collect some serious dough … just ask the NFL.

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 30th, 2009 :: Filed under Uncategorized
Tags :: Chamber of Commerce, D.C., Hazlehurst

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It’s 7:30 a.m. Do you know where your community leaders are?

Having breakfast at the Pew Charitable Trust and waiting for Sen. Michael Bennet to show - and suddenly he’s there.

Bennet devoted much of his time to Washington’s current obsession, health care. He made it clear that the administration is committed to moving forward with legislation that will dramatically alter the way health care is delivered and funded, and he expects the bill that eventually emerges from Congress will be an improvement compared to the present system.

Bennet said that his constituents have made two things very clear.

“You’re deeply unhappy with the present health care system,” he said, “and you’re afraid that we’re going to make it worse.”

Then, like any nerdy, fact-driven graduate of a certain small liberal arts college nestled in the hills above the Connecticut River, he listed the factors that, he believes, make it imperative to enact health care reform.

“Median family incomes have declined by $800 since 2000,” Bennet said, “while health care costs have increased by 97 percent. Small businesses spend 18 percent more per employee on health care than do big businesses. Health care now takes 18 percent of our national income, and it’s on its way to 20 percent. We spend twice as much on health care as any other developed nation. I don’t have to tell you that if there are two businesses, and one spends 10 percent of its income to light and heat the building, and the other spends 20 percent, the one will find it easier to grow the business, put money back in and prosper.”

Bennet linked job creation directly to health care costs, saying that less GDP in health care means more jobs.

“We can’t solve the fiscal quagmire that we’re in without dealing with health care,” he said.

Bennet was asked about a bill sponsored by Sen. John Kerrey that would establish “veteran’s courts” to deal with the often-traumatized service members who, returning from deployment, often get embroiled in the legal system.

As Dave Philipps documented in his series in The Gazette, minor crimes might lead to more serious offenses. It seems clear that tweaking the legal system to facilitate appropriate intervention would be a good idea - and Bennet agrees.

“That sounds like something I should support, and probably co-sponsor,” he said, noting the bill number.

Bennet also spoke about proposed “cap and trade” bills, which are intended to curb carbon emissions. Such legislation, said Bruce McCormick of Colorado Springs Utilities, would be extremely costly for CSU and its customers (that means you), because it’s not technically feasible for the utility, which generates most of its power by burning coal, to make the significant emissions reductions that the bill would require.

Bennet was sympathetic, saying that he has “fundamental concerns with the cap and trade bills.”

“It’s a long process,” he said, “we’ll approach it with care.”

But he stressed that the country needs to take meaningful steps to encourage new renewables technology (”If we cede that to China and Europe, that will not benefit us”) and to reduce dependence upon oil from the Persian Gulf.

Listening to Bennet, it was easy to understand why Gov. Bill Ritter chose him to fill Ken Salazar’s seat. He’s formidably smart, well-prepared, knows how to communicate complex issues, knows how to disgree politely and how to evade without seeming to evade.

Next stop: the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where we filed into a splendid hearing room to listen to U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donahue.

Donahue’s a guy from Brooklyn, direct, plain-spoken and a fierce advocate for businesses large and small. Donahue talked about health care (”we need a bill that actually works, not one that kills jobs”), and dismissed the recent controversy about the departure of a few members, including two major utilities, because they disagreed with the chamber’s position on climate change.

“We’ve got 300, 000 members,” Donahue said, “and three of ‘em left. And one of ‘em is gonna make a billion and a half out of the (cap and trade) bill. We’re in favor of dealing with climate change - but we have to do it right.”

Donahue really got going when the subject of illegal immigration came up, sparked by a question from Buddy Gilmore.

“If we just go ahead and send 15 million people back to where they came from, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen,” he said. “You’re gonna get a call from the nursing home, and they’re gonna say, ‘Hey, buddy, come get your mother-in-law,’cause she’s gonna come live with you, ’cause we can’t take care of her any more’ - and that ain’t good!

“And let me tell you something, when you say the health care bill shouldn’t cover undocumented workers, what do you think? Somebody comes to the hospital with a broken leg, we’re not gonna treat him, we’re gonna put him out in the street and let him die? It’s a lot cheaper to cover ‘em, instead of sending everybody to the emergency room. That’s just third-grade math.”

This afternoon: Michele Bachmann.

And by the way: Larry Liston owes me five bucks. He lost a bet. Explanation in next blog.

Irrelevant observation: The ceiling of the hearing room was decorated with the signs of the zodiac. Are the august senators who so often deliberate in that beautiful space somehow influenced by astrology? And if so, does that violate the separation of church and state?

Just asking …

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 30th, 2009 :: Filed under Uncategorized

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If ever you wondered why Ken Salazar gave up the power and perks of the U.S. Senate to serve the Obama administration as secretary of the interior, I suggest that you wangle an opportunity to visit our distinguished native son in his Washington office.

Forget the extraordinary responsibilities of the position - the national parks, the public lands, the 67,000 employees, the 180,000 volunteers and the opportunities for real and lasting accomplishment that go with the job. Instead, let’s look at the office!

It’s easily one of the most beautiful spaces imaginable, including a broad balcony with panoramic views of the city and transcendent art on the walls.

There is, for example, a Thomas Moran painting from about 1880, titled “Green River Cliffs by Moonlight.” How good is it? As good or better than any Moran you’ll see at the Fine Arts Center, the Denver Art Museum or in any private collection.

And why is it in the secretary’s office?

Because a generous soul willed it to the Department of the Interior during 1938, probably thinking that it would brighten up somebody’s drab Washington office, and remind him/her about our greatest national treasure - the land itself.

I’d guess that none of the participants in the chamber’s “Washington Legislative Action Mission” have a painting so wonderful or an office so grand. To Salazar’s credit, he seems like the same guy who worked for Romer, served as Colorado’s attorney general and became a cautious, centrist senator.

Salazar spoke to us about the challenges facing the Interior. Many are in Colorado, including forest death from pine bark beetle infestation, diminishing flows on the river systems that give life to our state and region, and the multiple challenges of accommodating the needs of business, the military, the environment and the people who live and will live in Colorado.

Salazar introduced Tom Strickland, a former law partner who is now one of his senior aides. Strickland reminded us that Salazar was responsible for conceiving and creating the Great Outdoors Colorado initiative, which was passed by Colorado voters during 1992. That initiative established the state lottery and dedicated much of its proceeds to the preservation of open space and threatened landscapes throughout Colorado.

Now, Strickland said, Salazar hopes to create a national program modeled on GOCO, to be called “Great Outdoors America.” Strickland gave no further details, but it’s clear that Salazar would like to create a less political, less interruptible source of funding for the “crown jewels” of America - our national parks, monuments and public lands, stressed by overuse and threatened by climate change.

After his remarks, Bruce McCormick of Colorado Springs Utilities asked him to comment about the interlocking issues of Pueblo, Colorado Springs, the lower Arkansas Valley and water.

Salazar was surprisingly blunt.

He noted that Colorado Springs and Pueblo have been political antagonists for more than a century, and that background has made it difficult for the cities to work together. He said that CSU and the Colorado Springs business community have sometimes been less than responsive to the needs of their southern neighbors, but that he was hopeful that a new era of regional cooperation was dawning.

Speaking a little later about Pinon Canon, he said that, “People down there (in southeastern Colorado) felt that a golden curtain had dropped down at the El Paso County line.” Any new deal, he implied, would have to benefit the entire region.

He paid tribute to the influence of the business community, and to its ability to move debates away from ideology and toward problem solving. We need, he said, “a new conservation agenda.”

Responding, the chamber’s Dave Csintyan said, “We’ve gone to school on your comments,” noting that regional integration had moved beyond theory and into practice, particularly regarding the Pueblo-Colorado Springs cooperation on the Southern Delivery System, Fountain Creek and potentially many more issues.

“And,” he finished, “we have the Pueblo chamber with us today, and Woodland Park as well.”

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 30th, 2009 :: Filed under Uncategorized
Tags :: Chamber of Commerce, Hazlehurst, Ken Salazar, Washington D.C.

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Yesterday, the opening day of the chamber’s annual Washington Legislative Action Mission, chamber president Dave Csintyan welcomed the participants who had gathered in the offices of the Pew Charitable Trust.

The gathering was a ‘Who’s Who’ of not only the Colorado Springs business community, but of almost every community of interest in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Utilities is represented, as is County government, as is the non-profit sector, and there are five active-duty folks from our various military installations who have joined us as interested observers.

The purpose of the trip: to interact with elected and appointed officials, to build relationships with other participants and to make our concerns known to that vague, inchoate and excessively powerful entity that we identify generically as “Washington.”

Our host, The Pew Charitable Trusts, were once a sleepy, grant-making foundation with a staff of 20.

During the last few years, it has evolved into something different, an organization dedicated to researching policy and offering the public and policy makers informed, hopefully non-partisan solution to the dilemmas of our times. We met, we chatted and then broke up into smaller groups for no-host dinners.

I joined three stalwarts of the business community-and County Commissioner Jim Bensberg-for a convivial dinner.

Early observations:

-Washington is, as it always has been, stuffed to the brim with decidedly mediocre neo-classical architecture.

-The Washington Monument, which features bright red aircraft warning lights (probably L.E.D.’s) on the top of its noble spire, looks a lot like the Dark Tower of Mordor at night. Anti-Obama cranks, take that image and run with it!

-For tall guys, a two-hour flight on a regional jet is not just uncomfortable, but painful and unendurable. And since such travel is unavoidable for any ambitious young person, tall males appear to be at an evolutionary disadvantage. Conclusion: Obama is our last tall guy President. Future presidents will be small enough to thrive on regional jets - so expect our next president to be less than 5′ 6″.

-The bar at the Willard Hotel, adorned with hundreds of autographed photographs of the once-powerful, neatly encapsulates American history. Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover (no, they weren’t a couple), Buffalo Bill Cody, Will Rogers, Harry Truman, Douglas MacArthur, FDR, and JFK all adorn the Willard’s walls. My favorites: a young Richard Nixon, photographed by Arnold Newman, his face alive with intelligence and ambition, and J. Edgar’s stony face, with an inscription in his crabbed, careful hand “To Fred Buchholz-a good friend and a fine host.”

-And to judge from the photographs, the history of the last century was created by guys in suits and uniforms, guys with hard, watchful eyes, guys who had power and knew how to exercise it. Not one, from Huey “Kingfish” Long, the legendary Louisiana pol, to a young John Kerry, head crowned by a vast mop of 60’s hair, looked like someone that you or I could hope to beat at a poker table.

-And finally, it occurred to me that the White House would be a fine place to live, if you weren’t burdened by the Presidency. Imagine living in a vast mansion in the middle of a great American city, blocks away from everything you need, from Starbucks in the morning to cool bars/restaurants at night … but you’re trapped!

This morning we’ll begin three days of intense networking & briefing, which will feature three of our six members of the House, both of our Senators, and even the often-controversial Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann … it should be interesting!

This morning: the Brookings Institute, a well-known think tank, where we’ll all be thinkin’ some appropriately deep thoughts.

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 29th, 2009 :: Filed under Blog
Tags :: Washington D.C., White House

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The Sports Business Journal reported yesterday that the United States Olympic Committee moved in to new office space yesterday-no, not into the still-unfinished building at 27 South Tejon, but into a cozy little suite at 521 5^th Avenue…in New York City.

And no, it’s not all of the USOC-just the marketing department.

From the SBJ:

“The 3,500-square-foot office, located at 521 Fifth Avenue, will be home to seven full-time employees. It also will be used by USA Track & Field, which will rent an office suite from the USOC large enough to accommodate three to four employees. The USOC marketing department plans to open it to corporate partners and other USOC departments when they visit New York.”

“New York real estate is challenging even in this environment,” said Lisa Baird, the USOC’s chief marketer. “We really wanted to find the right place with the right length of term and something really turnkey and ready for us to move into.”

The office space won’t require any construction. Consumer products head Peter Zeytoonjian is charged with decorating the office space and will establish an office that mirrors the style of the USOC’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., Baird said.

The USOC signed a multiyear lease for the office space.”

Just uninformed speculation, but I wonder whether USOC chief Stephanie Streeter met with Mayor Bloomberg and asked him for free space…just wondering.

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 22nd, 2009 :: Filed under Uncategorized
Tags :: New York City, USOC

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Here’s yet another twist in the convoluted saga of the bankruptcy filing of the Gazette’s parent, Freedom Communications.

In the palmy days of yore, JP Morgan Chase, Freedom’s largest secured creditor, apparently had an insatiable appetite for short-term debt issued by now-forlorn media titans.  The bank is also the lead secured creditor of two other media bankrupts, the Tribune Company and the Journal Register Company.  To add to Morgan’s woes, the bank is also the largest creditor of Citadel Communications, which describes itself as the “largest pure radio play” in the investment universe.

Citadel’s not feeling the love any more, as advertising revenue has plummeted during the recession, so the company is negotiating with Morgan and other secured lenders to convert $2 billion in debt to equity.

That creates a series of complex legal dilemmas for Morgan, particularly in the Colorado Springs market.

Rules enforced by the Federal Communications Commission generally prohibit cross-ownership of media in a market when such ownership would create, or be likely to create,  a monopoly.  Here in Colorado Springs, Citadel owns six radio stations (KATC, KCSF, KKFM, KKMG, KKPK, and KVOR), twice as many as does competitor Clear Channel, and has a substantial chunk of the local advertising market.

So what happens when/if Morgan emerges as the de facto owner of both the Gazette and of Citadel’s local stations?  The bank would have to clear its ownership with the FCC.  In theory, the FCC could require that the bank immediately divest itself of certain such overlapping properties, which occur in a number of markets served by both Citadel and one of the three bankrupt media companies. 

Colorado Springs may be a particularly egregious case, since it would be hard to argue that ownership of a monopoly daily newspaper and six local radio stations would not tend to create a local communications monopoly, to the detriment of both competitors and the public.   

It’s possible-even likely-that the clever lawyers and investment bankers that represent Morgan will figure out structures that will satisfy the FCC, at least in the short run.  But in the long run (and “long” means within a year or so), Morgan and its fellow creditors will have to bring their ownership positions into regulatory compliance.

If, after a year, Morgan owns/controls both Citadel and Freedom, the bank might solve its FCC problems by selling either the radio stations or the Gazette to local investors.  Morgan might find lots of potential buyers, particularly if they offered attractive terms-for example, no money down, no payments for 90 days, free checking, and a six-slice toaster!

 

  

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 21st, 2009 :: Filed under Uncategorized
Tags :: Citadel Communications, Clear Channel, FCC, Freedom Communications, Gazette, Journal Register Company, JP Morgan Chase, Tibune Company

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As I speculated, the Gazette’s bankrupt parent company, Freedom Communications, has begun the process of shedding assets.

The East Valley Tribune reported yesterday:

“Freedom Communications, parent company of the East Valley Tribune, has asked a bankruptcy court judge to allow the company to hire a broker in order to pursue the possible sale of the Tribune and several other Valley publications it owns.

The filing is part of the ongoing proceedings related to Freedom’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing earlier this month to allow a restructuring of the company’s debt.

Officials for Freedom, based in Irvine, Calif., would only confirm that the filing seeking a broker took place. A potential buyer was not specified.

In addition to the Tribune, Freedom publishes the Sun City Daily News-Sun, Ahwatukee Foothills News and the Clipper coupon booklet in the Phoenix area. The company also publishes the Yuma Sun.”

Our sister publication, the Arizona Capitol Times, had earlier revealed that negotiations concerning a possible sale were under way prior to the bankruptcy filing. Whether this possible deal signals the beginning of a fall fire sale, with dozens of Freedom’s marginal properties on the block, or whether it’s just the continuation of business as usual should be clear within a few weeks.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to buy a nice mid-market daily, just call Freedom Communications. They’re in the book…

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 18th, 2009 :: Filed under Blog
Tags :: Arizon Captol Reporter, East Valley Tribune, Freedom Communications, Gazette

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Our sister publication, the Arizona Capitol Times, reported yesterday that just prior to declaring bankruptcy, Freedom Communications made a last-ditch effort to sell most, or all, of their Arizona pubs to a group of local investors.

As Matt Bunk reported,

“It’s not clear whether any agreement is under consideration now - there was a deadline to act by Aug. 31 - but an industry source offered some details about how the deal was structured.

First, it would have been a two-phase deal that included the purchase of two commercial buildings, four newspapers, a marketing company and a web-design business. The four newspapers included in the deal are reported to have a total circulation of 100,000. They have about 265 employees.

The deal would have cost the buyers $2 million, with a first-phase payment of $200,000 due by noon on Aug. 31. Because the deal didn’t close at that time, it’s not clear whether any arrangement is still in the works…The industry insider I spoke with said two California businessmen were behind the deal to buy Freedom’s Arizona assets. One was David Ganezer, of the Santa Monica Observer, and the other was Steve Hadland, who runs the Culver City Observer and is CEO of the Santa Monica Media Company …it’s not clear which of the other Freedom papers in Arizona would have been part of the deal. The East Valley Tribune’s sister publications include the Ahwatukee Foothills News, the Daily News-Sun, Freedom Politics, Glendale Today, Peoria Today, Surprise Today and YourWestValley.com.”

What does this mean for the post-bankruptcy future of Freedom Communications and for the Gazette? It may be that Freedom was planning to divest itself of its Arizona properties in any case, and that this failed deal was just done in the normal course of business. Freedom’s Arizona papers have, like most Sun Belt pubs, been hit hard by the recession, so divestiture might make sense, bankruptcy or not.

On the other hand, maybe this signals that a partial breakup of Freedom’s publishing empire is possible, even likely.

When the company emerges from bankruptcy, the new owners will have both a free hand and no attachment to the past. They’ll have three options.

-Keep the company intact, and hope for a “dead cat bounce.” Post recession, print newspaper revenues should recover somewhat, even if the long-term prognosis remains grim. If company-wide cash flows improve, the company might be able to further reduce debt, and perhaps sell selected properties at better prices than can now be realized.

-Shrink the company now, by selling unprofitable properties, reducing corporate staff, and concentrating on the company’s crown jewels-or, if there aren’t any, their ankle bracelet zircons.

-Sell everything! Owning a newspaper is like owning a pay phone company during 1993 - it may still be profitable, but it becomes less valuable every day. Get rid of it - remember the investment adviser who used to lead off his TV show with the words “It’s (insert day of the week) - and it’s a great day to sell your airline stocks!” He gave his viewers the same advice for years - and he was always right.

So maybe the venerable old G may be for sale after all - and maybe, as you read this, a group of cold-eyed investors are thinking about puttin’ up some cold cash to take over the dismal old building on Prospect Street.

Didn’t there used to be a pay phone right by the front door…?

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 16th, 2009 :: Filed under Blog
Tags :: Arizona Capitol Times, Freedom Communications, Gazette, Pay Phones

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The “great recession,” as pundits now refer to our ongoing economic woes, has had predictable consequences in our city.  We’ve seen businesses downsize or close, government revenues contract and neighbors pack up and move away.

But it was nevertheless surprising to hear Councilman Jerry Heimlicher announce that, five months after having been elected to a second full term, he’s resigning and returning to his Tennessee birthplace.

The reason?  He’s concerned that Ford might follow GM into bankruptcy.

Heimlicher worked for Ford for nearly 38 years, enjoyed substantial success and now receives a reasonably generous “executive pension.”  He anticipates that, should Ford file bankruptcy, his pension would be drastically slashed.

“I had a lot of friends at GM,” he told me, “and when I saw what was happening to them, Mary Margaret and I began to have conversations about our situation, and we decided to make changes before we might be forced to make them.”

That means selling their comfortable home, which is perched on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, and moving away. It means reducing expenses, and positioning themselves for an unknowable future.

“We’ll be going to our 50^th high school reunion in Tennessee, where we both went to the same school,” Heimlicher saidd, “and it just feels right to take this step.”

At the council meeting when Heimlicher formally announced his decision, Vice Mayor Larry Small, who was presiding over the meeting in the absence of Mayor Lionel Rivera, thanked him for his service. 

Visibly moved, his voice cracking at times, Small noted that they had followed similar paths in their lives, culminating in their present posts on City Council.

Heimlicher was a model councilmember.  He was diligent, informed and responsive to his constituents.  A few years ago, when a blocked sewer main led to flooded basements and backed-up sewers in every house on my west side block, Heimlicher was our champion. 

Sweeping aside Colorado Springs Utilities’ absurd contention that it was somehow our fault that the main had blocked up, and that utilities bore no liability for the mess, he convinced his colleagues on council to change official policy, compensate us and compensate any future victims of such accidents.  He was there the night of the spill, talking to homeowners and getting the facts, as well as communicating with utilities officials and other members of council.

I know from experience that it’s easy to pontificate, and easy to get your name in the paper.  It’s not so easy to spend an evening dealing with angry homeowners and harried utilities workers. And it’s even more difficult to solve such a problem.

Jerry’s experience in business served him well.  He was used to solving problems, used to difficult situations and unafraid to take a stand, and defend it.

There will, I’m sure, be a couple of dozen applicants for his seat.  As Sen. Michael Bennet knows, it’s a lot easier to get one vote, or five votes, than to raise money, walk the precincts, work Rotary, Kiwanis and the Lions, and win an actual election.

Whoever is selected will inevitably be compared to Jerry.

He or she should be prepared to be found lacking. There’s an old story, attributed to a now-obscure rhythm and blues performer who, during a concert, followed  Bo Diddley on stage.

“Man,” he said, “that Bo just goes out there, and digs a hole so deep on the stage, that you go out and just fall in it — and nobody even notices that you’re there.”

So long, Jerry — we’ll miss you.

 

 

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Posted by John Hazlehurst on September 10th, 2009 :: Filed under Blog
Tags :: bo diddley, City Council, Ford, GM, Jerry heimlicher, larry Small, tennessee

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