So the big thing in terms of politics local here recently in the home city has to do w/ ghost tours & cemeteries, manufactured indignation, gadflies, an opportunistic politician, as well as a long-running vendetta said politician has had for a particular Square merchant for several years.
The initiation of this current chain of events began a week ago Saturday last when the aforementioned gadfly surreptitiously filmed a group of people (including children) who were taking one of the ghost tours as offered by Covington Ghost Tours as they were walking towards the privately-owned portion of the Covington cemetery.
Quick aside. These tours have been going on for 11 years now.
But back to situation at hand.
This video was put on social media w/ the caption of "wAkE uP cOvINgtOn!!1!" (okay, so maybe I took some artistic license w/ the capitalization & punctuation).
It got shared by several of the usual suspects & then it became indignation time w/ the comments made on the original post & also on some of the shares.
It became quite obvious that this was a concerted, coordinated & manufactured happening as the first reading of a new ordinance prohibiting ghost tours of the city-owned portion of the cemetery happened just two nights later at the City of Covington's general meeting.
But then, Madam Mayor Fleeta Baggett really cranked it up when she (or one of her fervent disciples) reached out to WSB TV for them to do a story on it.
And my word, it must've been a really slow news day that day as they actually sent out a van & crew to do a piece.
The irony was not lost on some.
Way to really respect the dead by having a news crew traipsing all over the cemetery, filming video in this sacred spot & just generally making a spectacle.
Sad.
So, to recap.
The original video hits social media.
Two days later - the council vote.
And then two days after that - WSB.
Astroturfing at its finest, I'd say.
*****
Ghost tours happen all over America & Georgia. Several go through cemeteries. The majority of them are done in a very respectful manner & I know that this one is because I've been on it before. They make a point to tell everyone to stay on the road, not to walk on any of the graves & remain respectful.
So, again, this is in my opinion simply A Tempest in a Teapot, to use the old idiom.
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Madam Mayor & Conduct Unbecoming
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| Mayor Fleeta Baggett |
Apparently Fleeta should've had a TPO issued against her some time back related to her concerning & bizarre behavior directed towards one of the Covington Square merchants, to the point where she was told by the CPD if she entered the premises of said business, that she would be arrested.
This has been confirmed to me by multiple direct sources.
Even now, she goes out of her way to create an adverse impact against various business owners here in the home city, w/ one (the aforementioned) very much in particular.
Let's take a step back here.
Think about it.
Covington's Mayor is doing that. That is just so messed up.
Fleeta's always had her band of followers, but apparently more & more are waking up. .
On top of all of that.
Madam Mayor has just had another official complaint lodged against her by a city employee (she's had a few over the past couple years).
This has been standard operating procedure for her entire tenure as Mayor.
To wit:
Verbally abusing city employees.
Harassing local business owners as well as elected & appointed city officials.
Just generally being an unpleasant & seemingly vindictive person.
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Well, it's looking as if her "Jumping the Shark," and overplaying her hand, may be about to catch up w/ her.
Maybe. Possibly.
And as this writer understands it, there could possibly be a vote of No Confidence in the offing.
Regardless, something's gotta give. This isn't working anymore.
We shall see.
You know we'll be keeping an eye on it.
Until next time,
- MBM
