Greeson: Shooting from the lip: Do we want to be 'Sew Hip!' magazine's best town ever?

Maybe we've reached the point where we should expect the worst financial decision possible from the good folks of Walker County, Ga., government.

Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell, the anti-Warren Buffett, is at it again.

This paper's Tyler Jett reported this week that Heiskell is taking out a loan to repay a loan that was to repay a loan.

Confused yet?

The only person involved in that many loans who is making money around these parts is Allan Jones.

The collateral for the most recent loan request of $15.2 million will be the county's civic center and the money pit boondoggle that is Mountain Cove Farms. Speaking of that travesty, Heiskell said there was an interested buyer for the taxpayer waste hole. Yep, apparently they offered $2 million for it; Walker County paid $2.5 million for it seven years ago.

Hey, maybe they could take out a loan to cover the loss?

Duck, duck, geese

Our Chattanooga airport is having trouble with geese from Canada.

Too many of our northern feathered friends are creating havoc in the air for pilots and planes.

I'll bet they're here illegally too, using some sneaky migration pattern to infiltrate and take jobs from American geese. If these Canadian birds nested here, would they lay anchor eggs?

No one should tell The Donald about this. He may skip the great wall and look to build a dome over the continental 48.

Seriously, if you want to put an end to the geese-at-the-airport conundrum, work a deal with the new Cabela's in town. Anyone who joins the buyer's club or whatever Shotgun Society they have gets an afternoon shooting geese at Lovell Field.

First come, first shoot of course.

That's why schools need iPads

Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio was in town this week, swinging by a couple of joints and pressing the flesh.

Rubio is a likable guy who we thought would be a bigger player in the primary process so far. Unfortunately for him, The Donald has turned this into a can-you-top-this parade in which attention comes as much for the outlandish as it does for the outstanding.

Maybe that's why when Rubio was making keen points about student loans, he made reference to the video game Minecraft helping educate kids.

Man, I wish I would have thought to try to convince my parents that video games were about education when I was a kid.

Pac-Man could help with childhood obesity and Angry Birds could make for a more tolerant view towardsanimals.

Well played, Marco.

Stop the voting

Can we please stop entering the "Best Town Ever, Ever, Ever" contests offered by every magazine or pamphlet with the word 'Outdoor' in the title?

Enough. Everyone gets it. We're cool. Yay us.

We as a city won a couple, then were KO'ed by Knoxville in an election by something called "Blue Ridge Outdoors."

What if "Popular Ceramics" has a contest? Or if the fishing magazine "Crappie" is looking for the best city ever? Goodness help us if we campaign to be the best in the eyes of "Sew Hip!" or "Meat Goat Monthly" or "Trailer Life." (And yes, each of those are real magazines.)

Are we interested in that publicity too?

(Although here's saying no one wants to be "Just Busted" best anything.)

Ted Two

Planning for another TedxChattanooga is underway.

This is a cool thing.

The Ted phenomenon was started by some bright folks who gave 18-minute speeches on anything. Personal experiences, areas of expertise, potential ideas, you name it.

But the talks can only be 18 minutes.

When they come back, here's a few chats we'd like to hear:

Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond on the "Muslim in all of us."

UTC football coach Russ Huesman on "The power of hugs."

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke on "The success of the VRI." (Although we're not sure what he'll spend the final 16 minutes and 30 seconds on.)

Until next week.

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