Council Sends Bill Back to Committee.

The ordinance proposed by the Public Safety Committee to begin billing insurance companies when fire personnel are called out was tabled by the City Council during their regular meeting Tuesday evening. When a Council bill is tabled, it takes seven votes to bring it back for consideration.

With little formal discussion, Council member Diane Sharits moved to table the ordinance and send it back to the Public Safety Committee for more study. The Council voted 10-0 for the motion seconded by member Charlie Bastin. There was no defensive arguments presented, even by Public Safety Committee Chair Bill Welch.

After the meeting, Fire Chief Chris Thompson told the Mornin’ Mail that he wasn’t discouraged and wanted everyone to be satisfied with the language of the bill before it passed.

There was no discussion on the first reading of a bill that would put the question of extending the half-cent capital improvement sales tax on the ballot.

City Administrator Tom Short reported that sales tax receipts were down 48% from a year ago. Late filings are suspected.

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Johnson Expects Chase to Go Down to Wire

Supposedly, NASCAR officials are contemplating an offseason change in the Chase for the Sprint Cup that would provide some sort of elimination process.

Based on the current Chase, it sort of takes care of itself.

Seven races into the 10-race Chase, the crowd at the top is noteworthy. Never have three drivers been locked in such a tight battle, with 38 points separating Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

But, with the great "wild card" (Talladega) behind them, the race has been effectively limited to those three. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon is fourth but trails Johnson by 207 points. Clint Bowyer, the winner of the Amp Energy Juice 500 -- and only driver to win twice during the Chase to date -- brings up the rear, 367 points behind Johnson. Gordon, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and Bowyer all are far off the pace entering the remaining races in Fort Worth, Texas; Avondale, Ariz.; and Homestead, Fla.

Johnson has won the past four Sprint Cup championships, an unprecedented achievement, but in each of his past titles, Johnson took a decent cushion into the final race. He doesn’t expect that to be the case this time.

"The way it’s gone, I better be prepared for (winning) the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway," said Johnson. "If I’m not, then we aren’t doing our jobs. The last couple years down there, we’ve made sure that we had pace in our car and speed. Last year we won the pole, finishing sixth [actually fifth]. Ran good, had a strong night being conservative.

"I feel like coming to Homestead this time, we need to race for this thing, which I’m pretty confident we’re going to have to do."

At Talladega, Harvick finished second, Johnson seventh and Hamlin ninth. Harvick has the most top-10 finishes (23). Johnson and Harvick each have 15 top-five finishes. Hamlin has the most victories (7), one more than Johnson.

I haven’t been on a carnival ride for some years now. Prob’ly best.

There used ta be a real eagerness on my part to be hurled into all directions for a couple a minutes. This was especially fun if you were riddin’ with a buddy who wasn’t that eager.

A couple a friends a mine decided to ignore the warning’s of a co-rider in one a those roll over cages on a class trip.

‘Course upchuckin’ in a closed cage with three teenagers on board is a little embarrassin’, but the two who weren’t sick at first weren’t feelin’ too good when the ride stopped either. Those of us who rode home on the bus with ‘em didn’t appreciate the joke much either. Another friend said he had the same experience. When the sickling was through he said, "man, that’s the third time today." Be careful out there.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have an etiquette question. Consider the case of three families, all friends. Family A gets a new Escalade with all the bells and whistles. It is Daddy A’s baby! Family B has a teenager with a history of motion sickness. Sure enough, Teenager B vomits in the Escalade. Daddy A is irate. The B Family feels terrible, and is about to offer to pay for complete detailing/cleaning services, etc., when it learns that Daddy A - while cleaning up teenager B’s vomit - proceeded to vomit in the Escalade himself. We are Family C, attempting to remain neutral. But we secretly think Daddy A is kind of a jerk. Any suggestions, other than Dramamine? - Jim

Tom: Well, Jim, this certainly gets the prize as the most disgusting letter we received this week.

Ray: Daddy A may indeed be a jerk, Jim. And getting irate at the poor kid for having motion sickness doesn’t help his case. But he still deserves to have his car cleaned by Family B.

Tom: Right. Daddy A’s loss of lunch was directly precipitated by Teenager B’s blowing of chunks. He was trying to clean the pre-chewed cookies off the floor mats, and he suddenly realized what he was picking up, and blew a grocery geyser himself.

Ray: Right. So, since Teenager B was responsible for both his own cookie yodel AND Daddy A’s jazzing up of the carpet, then Family B is indeed responsible for having the Escalade cleaned and detailed. And before anyone else rides in the car and goes for the second chew.

Tom: I hope that clears everything up, Jim. But if not, under no circumstances should you write to us again.