A View From A Pew Why We Can’t Afford Four More Years of Toyia Tucker
By Wane A. Hailes
It is time to “put it where the goats can get it” as my mother would say. Meaning allow me to “break it down” so even a first-time voter in District 4 can understand. Toyia Tucker the current District 4 city councilor is an example of the worst kind of Black politician. One who will say anything to get elected and then turn on the people once in office. One could say she is the only anti- Black, Black city councilor in the history of Columbus, Georgia.
Let me tell you why.
When Tucker took office in 2020, she vowed to “Carry on the legacy” of her predecessor, Evelyn Turner Pugh, who had served the constituents of District 4 respectfully for 31 years. A person’s legacy is the memory someone leaves behind in others. It’s the impact that remains long after you’re gone. To continue one’s legacy means the continuation of someone’s achievements, ideals, or beliefs. Since sitting in Evelyn Turner Pugh’s chair, Tucker’s voting record has clearly shown a blatant disregard for all she stood and fought for.
There was a time when black folk would not let you represent them in any kind of way. As a representative of the Black community, you couldn’t just say anything you wanted to say. You couldn’t wear just anything you wanted to wear. And you better not be caught in places you shouldn’t be. There was a time, Evelyn Turner Pugh’s time, and her predecessor, Dr. Robert “Bob” Wright’s time, when there was a standard of expected professionalism from our Black elected officials.
The 8 standards of professionalism that both Pugh and Wright possessed while serving on the city council include competence, knowledge, integrity, conscientiousness, respect, emotional intelligence, appropriateness and confidence. The current District 4 seat filler lacks all of these.
We all know and have seen how hard Pugh fought for the constituents of District 4 and the entire Black community. She would have never allowed the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) to stand before the city council and berate the Black Chief of Police, Freddie Blackmon. More importantly, she would have never been the deciding vote to terminate his employment. Her successor and current District 4 incumbent, Toyia Tucker, was the deciding vote.
In fact, we can’t be entirely sure if her recent endorsement from the Police Benevolent Association of Georgia is nothing more than a payoff for being the deciding vote to get rid of Chief Freddie Blackmon.
Even when or if she disagreed with City Manager Isaiah Hugley, she never publicly disrespected him verbally during city council meetings or requested that he not be allowed in executive sessions. Her successor and current District 4 incumbent, Toyia Tucker, continues to show her disrespect for the City Manager at every council meeting.
Pugh would have never sat quietly while councilor Charmaine Crabb maligned our sanitation workers using what many in the Black community construed as racist comments suggesting that they need to be out picking up trash instead of sitting at a council meeting. Her successor and current District 4 incumbent Toyia Tucker did just that: sat quietly.
Her voting record is evidence that Toyia Tucker has set us back instead of moving us forward. Her constant voting alignment with councilors Glenn Davis, Judy Thomas, Charmaine Crabb and Joanne Cogle has shown both the Black and white community that there are still some Black people who can be bought.
Most of us realize that you are only useful to them as long as you benefit them. I always say if you are easy to purchase, you can be easy to replace.
I do not doubt that Councilor Tucker truly believes that those four councilors are her friends and that they have her back. I am equally sure that when she posts her financial disclosure statement, most of her donors will be connected to the group once known as the “Fish House Gang,” a group of mainly conservative Caucasian Caucasian people who used to meet weekly at the 12th Street Deli.
One thing is abundantly clear: the constituents of District 4 need and deserve much more than a sneakers ball at Carver Park. The constituents of District 4 need and deserve much more than a hot dog and pizza party. The constituents of District 4 need and deserve much more than photo ops on Facebook. The constituents of District 4 need someone who will vote in the best interest of their constituents not four councilors.
The constituents of District 4 need and deserve a city councilor who possesses competence, knowledge, conscientiousness, integrity, respect, emotional intelligence, appropriateness, and confidence, at the bare minimum.
As many of you know after I learned Toyia Tucker was the deciding vote to oust Chief Freddie Blackmon I announced that I would run to replace her. I too live in District 4. In my discussions with those I trust it became obvious that although I would be a great asset to the city council I would be of greater service to the community as publisher of the Black newspaper by continuing to hold our elected officials accountable. They are right; everyone has a lane to fill and or a seat on the bus that is just for them. In a band everyone can’t be the lead singer, somebody has to play the tambourine.
With that understanding, I did my homework and believe there is a viable candidate that the constituents of District 4 need and deserve. He is Tyrone Thomas.
“Trust Tyrone”