Transit

 The MTRA was getting recognized around the country for our successful work in getting better bus service for the Columbia area.  There was a national advocacy group, based in Washington, that got local groups together for training and community work.  The meeting was going to be in Atlanta, and we were invited to attend.  We could only take three people to the conference, so I was nominated to go, since I was the president of the MTRA.  Two women from our Board of Directors said they could go.  One of them, I got along with very well.  The other?  Not so much.

 The Progressive Network said they would pay for our rental car and hotel rooms.  I went with the head of the Progressive Network to rent a car at Enterprise.  We got an SUV.  I had never driven a car like that before.  It proved to be very easy.  On Sunday morning, I picked up the two women at their respective apartments, and we headed toward Atlanta.  We stopped at a Golden Corral outside Atlanta for lunch.  We had each been given cash for our trip to pay for food and the hotel rooms.  One of the ladies lost her envelope of cash.  We looked all around the car but found nothing.  The other lady and me would pay for her stuff for the rest of the trip.  When we got to the hotel in downtown Atlanta, it was pretty swanky.  We went up to the front desk to register.  We told the clerk that we had reservations.  He didn't see our names.  Maybe under the Progressive Network?  Yes.  Okay, we pulled out our cash and were told that we could only pay if we were the Progressive Network.  We told the clerk that we had been sent by the Progressive Network and had been given cash for the rooms.  The clerk wasn't budging.  I asked the clerk if I could call the head of the Network to smooth over the confusion?  He said I could, so I called the head of the Network to see if he could explain to the clerk what was going on.  After a few attempts, I finally got hold of him and told him of our predicament.  He spoke to the clerk and gave his credit card over the phone for our rooms.  I was ready to sleep in our car.  

 That night, our meetings started in the hotel's ballroom. After the meeting, we went to get supper at a nice place near the hotel.  I saw the neighborhood we were in, and found it was near the place I had been back in college, where I got stoned on marijuana.  A blast from the past.  I confessed to the two women that I used to have terrible road rage, but I was taking medication for it.  They were surprised and said they had not noticed any anger.  The drugs worked. On Monday, we continued meeting in small groups.  I really liked the work that the folks in Tampa and Pittsburgh were doing.  We promised to stay in touch.  We never did.  Nor did they.  As we were going to leave to come home, I went to the desk and asked them how to get on I-285 to get back to I-20?  Nobody knew.  Great!  Hotel workers who don't know how to get around town.  It turned out that I-75 was near the hotel, and their suggestion was to get on that, and eventually we would find 285.  

 As we got back in the car, the woman found her lost money.  It was under the seat.  That was a blessing.  She could pay for the gas going back.  They asked me if I knew where I was going?  I lied and said yes.  We were going to get back on 285.  I just didn't know where.  We came upon some road construction two miles ahead.  There was a sign that said to merge right.  The traffic was kind of heavy, but everyone began to merge right.  All except one fool in the left lane.  He wanted to get ahead of everyone and merge at the end of the lane.  Nobody would let him do it.  After all, it had been a pain for everyone else to merge during the two-mile warning.  He was mad.  We just laughed.  We finally got to 285.  It had been 20 minutes out of our way from how we could have gone, but I pretended it was the right way.  I don't think they knew the difference.

 We got back to Columbia late into the evening, and I took the car back the next day to Enterprise.  We had to settle up with the Network, but we ended up keeping most of the money.  It was a good trip, and we learned a lot what others were doing with their transit systems.  I would like to think we taught them something, too.  At least, the MTRA was on the national map.  Being recognized for your work outside your community is a good thing.  And, we got to go to Atlanta, however briefly.

Huck

  I was in seminary with Mike Huckabee at Southwestern in Ft. Worth.  He was a year ahead of me.  Mike was a pastor for many years, before he decided to run for Governor of Arkansas and later President.  In 2015, Mike came to Columbia to file with the state Republican Party to have his name on the ballot for our primary. 

 When I heard he was coming, I wanted to reconnect with him.  I went down to the Republican headquarters to say hi.  Those of us who wanted to do so were ushered into a little room to wait for him.  Among those were my pastor, Wendell Estep, who was a good friend of Mike's, and our new Senior Adult minister whose name was Richard Humphries.  We would later become good friends, but that's another story for later.

 Mike came in and greeted everybody.  I had brought something from our seminary days which was fondly called the "funny book".  It had pictures of all the students and faculty for that year.  Just before he was to step before the press, I showed him his picture and mine.  He quipped that was when we both had hair.  He was laughing, when he got before the cameras.  I know the press wondered why.

 After the event was over, we all adjourned to the parking lot.  Mike introduced me to his daughter Sarah.  He and I chatted about our seminary days, and he had remembered seeing some of my drama work at school.  He then asked me if I had been back since graduation.  I told him no, and he proceeded to tell me about all the changes in buildings and the like.  We had a good time remembering those days, but Sarah was antsy about getting her father in the van and onto a campaign stop.  We said our goodbyes.  

 Mike is a good guy.  I wish he would go back to the ministry, but in some ways his ministry has now taken the form of his TV show.  We all don't have to be on a staff of a local church to have a ministry.  It is whatever God has called you to do.  I pray that you will find what God wants you to do.  

Kemp

  You are probably tired of my saying this, but I am a political junkie.  I will go to see anyone I deem to be a political figure.  This was the case in January 2016.  The Jack Kemp Forum on Poverty was going to be at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.  It was billed as a time when all of the Republican candidates for President would be there.  I was a big fan of Jack Kemp.  He had an empathetic heart, and I was interested in what the candidates would do about poverty in America, so I had to go.

 When I got there, they had metal detectors in the lobby.  Apparently, the machine went off, as I walked through it, or else I had the "look".  A woman from the Secret Service pulled me aside and proceeded to wand me.  She was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed.  I was a little scared of her, which I guess was the point.  I passed the test and got to go inside the auditorium.

 The event was hosted by Senator Tim Scott and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.  They announced that candidates Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz would not be coming to the forum.  They said those three had "scheduling conflicts".  I guessed that Trump and Fiorina didn't want to be there, because both were rich and felt uncomfortable talking about Poverty.  With Cruz?  Who knows?  Maybe because very few people liked him.  Those candidates who did come were Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio.

 Each candidate came out and presented a short speech on Poverty.  They also allowed questions from the hosts and interactions between the candidates.  When Rubio came out, there was a group of protesters in the back that got vocal and tried to get him off of the stage.  They were complaining about some comments that Rubio had said days before about immigration.  The security people came in and got the protesters out.  He was the only one to be heckled that day.  

 Most of the candidates used their stump speeches, but I was impressed by Kasich and Christie.  Both of them had concrete solutions, as opposed to abstract ones.  We broke for lunch, and they had a catered boxed lunch for each of the forum goers.  That was better than going outside and then have to be wanded again by a Secret Service woman.

 The forum went past its allotted time.  Toward the end of the event, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski did a live MSNBC show from the forum and interviewed several of the participants.  I stayed for that.  I wanted to get my money's worth, even though the event was free.  I was sure one of those guys would be the Republican candidate for President of the United States.  Probably Jeb Bush.  It turned out that I was wrong.  

Trump

  As I wrote previously, I am a political junkie.  If there is a national candidate for something in town or around, I will try to see the person.  And, as I stated previously, please don't comment one way or another regarding a candidate or what I say in the story.  It just is how I perceived them at the time.

 Donald Trump had recently announced that he was running for President.  It was around June 2015.  Senator Tim Scott was holding a candidate forum at the Koger Center for the Performing Arts in Columbia.  Trump was the invited speaker.  

 I first learned about Donald Trump back in the late 1980's.  He had written a book called "The Art of the Deal" which was a best seller.  I was dating a girl at the time who loved that book and was enamored by Trump.  I really couldn't compete with him.  Later, when "The Apprentice" became popular, we sold Trump board games and Trump talking dolls.  They really didn't sell very well, and we had to put them on clearance.  I bought up a bunch of them and sold them to collectors online.

 When I arrived at the Koger Center, I found out that you needed to get tickets to the event.  The tickets didn't cost anything, but they had limited seating.  They put me with a group without tickets that would get standby seats.  Those with tickets got to stand in the shade.  My group had to stand in the sun.  I learned a valuable lesson, which was get a ticket.  They opened the doors, and my group had to wait patiently.  They finally sat the ticket holders, and then let us come inside to sit in the balcony.  We had to go through metal detectors.  That was the first time I had to do that to see a candidate.

 When Trump came onstage, he got a very long-standing ovation.  He spoke for about an hour.  My impression at the time was that he spoke without saying anything.  There was no substance in his speech.  It was mostly about poll numbers.  Senator Scott interviewed him after his speech.  When the senator would ask Trump a question about policy, Trump wouldn't answer the question.  For example, Trump was asked about what he would do about Isis.  Trump's response was that he had a plan for it, but he wasn't going to tell people what it was, because he didn't want Isis to hear about it.  When asked about the economy, Trump said he had a plan for that, but he didn't want his fellow candidates to hear about it.  It went on from there.  Education?  Health Care?  Poverty?  He had a plan for it, but he wasn't going to say what it was.

 He did get several standing ovations from the crowd, including me.  I didn't want to stay seated for fear of some of those folks in the crowd.  My thighs started to hurt from all of the standing and sitting.  When the program was over, the crowd filed out of the auditorium.  I headed over to where his motorcade would be and saw the cars pulling out.  I ran up the hill to Assembly Street and was the only one on the sidewalk.  Trump's SUV was passing by.  He was in the front passenger seat with the window down.  I was six feet away.  I waved at him, and he waved back at me.  He then put up the window, and they headed for the airport.  I was the last person he waved at in Columbia, I guess.  Little did I know that I waved at a future President, and he waved back at me.

Bernie

 The Progressive Network was having a luncheon in early April 2015, and the MTRA was invited to come and be recognized for our work in getting better bus routes and schedules for the riders.  Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was giving the keynote speech at the luncheon.  It was a cold day, but he probably thought it was warm.  Weather is relative, depending on what part of the country you are from.

 When it came time for our recognition, Bernie hadn't gotten there.  He was running late.  We stood up to the applause of those in the room.  Some gave us a standing ovation.  I kind of wished Bernie had been there.  Just after we sat down, Bernie and his wife walked into the room.  Maybe our standing ovation was really for him.  As you may know, I am a political junkie.  I love being around political figures, even if I may not agree with everything they say.  

 Bernie got up to speak.  He spoke on many things.  After each subject, he would ask the crowd if we thought he should run for President.  He hadn't announced yet.  Many of the folks in the audience would yell out yes.  It was more like a campaign rally than a speech honoring the folks in the room that had made a difference.  Even though he hadn't announced, it was obvious to me that he would soon.  A couple of weeks later, he announced that he would run for President.  He got a boost that day at the luncheon.  

 The MTRA bylaws state that we can't officially endorse a candidate for office.  It is one of those things in the regulations for non-profits.  If one does, they are at risk of losing their non-profit status.  The IRS doesn't allow it, if it is brought to their attention.  I went away that day liking some of his proposals, but not all.  One thing that you have to watch out about politicians is that they make promises that there is no way they can keep.  It may be too expensive to do, or it goes against the beliefs of the majority of voters.  It may sound good, but implementation is a whole other ballgame.  2015-16 would be my opportunity to see and hear a bunch of candidates.  I was in hog heaven.

Accomplishments

  There were many accomplishments that we had with the MTRA and working with The Comet.  I have noted a few previously, but some need to be repeated.  As I stated earlier, we had an advantage with our suggestions, because neither the executive director nor the planner were from Columbia.  The key to all of these things was that we saw a need and figured out a way to get it done.  Some were based on surveys of our riders.  There was one thing though that I had to filter out.  If one person wanted a change, it may have been because that person had a vested interest.  However, if more than one person wanted the same change, then we looked at that situation more fully.  You can't please everyone, but we tried to please as many as we could

 Sundays:  I have already mentioned this change, but it was very important to workers and church goers.

 Holidays:  I have already mentioned this change, as well, but we were surprised how many businesses were open on some holidays.

 Libraries:  We wanted to get a bus to every public library in Richland County.  There is now service to every one except Ballentine, which is too far out.

 The Zoo:  Riverbanks Zoo is in the top ten zoos in the country.  The nearest stop to the zoo is across a freeway bridge.  Walking to it would be dicey, especially for those with small children.  We got buses to go to the zoo.  It has since been amended to people calling an hour ahead of time to alert a route's driver to detour to it, but it is still doable.

 Downtown:  We proposed two downtown routes.  One would go North/South, and the other would go East/West.  They would serve Five Points, the State Museum, the Art Museum, Edventure, the Colonial Life Arena, the Convention Center, the State House, downtown shopping, and across the river into Cayce.  At first, it was free to ride.  Now, The Comet charges $1 to ride.  It was designed to help tourists explore downtown, as well as getting State workers to restaurants on their lunch hours.  Parking is at a premium downtown, so a bus was helpful to get around.  There is also a bus that goes to the baseball stadium at Bull Street during the season.

 Sandhills:  I have already mentioned this route and our recognition by Richland County Council.

 Hospitals:  As with libraries, we saw the need to get buses to go to all of the hospitals in Richland and Lexington counties.  One friend worked at Lexington County Hospital.  Her car broke down, and she had to walk 3 1/2 miles to work one morning.  She didn't have to do that anymore.  On average,  400 hospital workers ride the bus each day in Richland and Lexington counties.

 Crosstown:  One of the bus routes that was eliminated in 2010 was the Crosstown route.  It went from Dutch Square Mall to the Midlands Tech campus on Rosewood without coming into town.  One of my board members named Marsha fought hard to get that route put back.  It now goes from St. Andrews Road to Walmart on Garners Ferry.  It is a two-hour roundtrip, but well worth it.

 Midlands Tech:  We found that the several campuses of Midlands Technical College could be served by the buses.  The main campus on Rosewood was easy.  The one in Northeast Columbia required a short detour, but it worked.  The one out by the airport required us to also focus on Vocational Rehab to get that done.  We also worked to get that bus to go by the Columbia Metro Airport.  The Comet was reluctant at first, but we showed how it wouldn't cost much more money and gas to get it there.  It goes there now.  Also, the bus to the Airport campus only ran twice a day originally.  If someone had an early class, they couldn't go to work afterwards.  Now, it goes at least five times a day to accommodate the students.  The last campus is in Batesburg-Leesville in Lexington County.  There is a pilot program to get a bus out there at least once a week.

 Photo Id's:  The Comet wanted to give half-fare rides to those over 65 or having disabilities.  They needed to issue photo id's to the riders who qualified.  They wanted to charge $5 for the first id.  We pointed out that most of those riders live on fixed incomes, so we got those id's issued for free.

 Amazon:  There is an Amazon fulfillment center in Lexington County near Cayce.  We worked with The Comet to get a bus to go by there, because the nearest stop to that place was about 3 miles away with very few sidewalks.  

 We have had other accomplishments with the MTRA, but these are just some of them.  One we have proposed would be one to go down Lake Murray Boulevard, across the dam, and to Walmart on Hwy 378 in Lexington.  It would benefit a whole bunch of people, including recreation at the lake.  Maybe one day.

Holiday

  There was a woman on a bus one day complaining about not being able to get to work on Memorial Day.  There were six holidays that the buses didn't run:  New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I don't know if the woman recognized me from the numerous local TV interviews I had done, or maybe she just wanted to vent, but I asked her where she worked.  She said she worked for Richland School District One, and she couldn't get to work, because she rode the bus.  I had no clue that schools were open on Memorial Day.

 I went to the next Comet Board of Directors meeting and brought up the woman's complaint.  There were two Richland County Council members on the Board, and they said they didn't know schools were open on that holiday either.  News doesn't travel fast in Columbia.  I suggested to the Board that she couldn't be the only one to have that problem of not being able to get to work.  The proposal was sent to a committee for discussion.

 In the committee meeting, there was debate about which holidays that the buses should run.  The State workers might be off those days, but service and retail workers probably had to work.  So, I made a deal with the Comet on behalf of the riders.  If the bus would run on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day, I would let the drivers off on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I tried to sell it to the Comet by saying that those two holidays were the ones that drivers needed to be with their families.  I don't think the union representing the drivers were too keen working on Labor Day, but it meant more money in the pockets of the drivers, so they said yes.  I then went to the MTRA Board to tell them of the deal.  They agreed that it was a good idea.  Then, we presented it to our membership, and they seemed very happy.  It was a good deal.

 The only downside to the deal was something I discovered later.  Two churches in Columbia did a Thanksgiving Day meal at the Coliseum every year.  Those folks who needed that meal were those who had nowhere else to go.  Many people couldn't get downtown without the bus.  It was a need that couldn't be fulfilled, but I had made the deal with the Comet.  They weren't willing to go back on the deal just because of one event on that day, so I just hoped that folks could find their way to the site.