"We need to talk, we need to communicate, and then come together and sign something of this nature and present it to our public that we represent,"

Said Councilwoman Leona Plaugh, who did not sign the Mayor's "Civility Pledge".

The whole idea of this "civility pledge" seems very middle-school student government to me. I can't believe that grown-ups we put in charge of the City of Columbia are doing civility pledges. It's not that I'm anti-civility. I just don't think a pledge is how you achieve civility.

You're either going to have rational, constructive debate - which at times can be pointed - or you're not. Signing a little pledge isn't going to make someone "civil".

To me,  it all seems like theater. I want to see City Council debate issues, have the public weigh in, and then make decisions. All this nonsense about civility pledges is a waste of time.

Break's Over; Back to Work

Ok, y'all, everyone back to work. Break's over. So what's going on in the world today?

1. Did healthcare.gov get fixed over the weekend? Well, sort of. If you define "fixed" as a website that still doesn't really work all the time. It's kind of like Sex Panther Cologne. But hey, for the people who don't have to use the website because they're either exempt or already have insurance, the site works perfectly.

2. Abandoned Sites That Would Make Great Super Villain Lairs. In other news, if you have that hard to shop for person on your Christmas list, here are a list of six abandoned sites that would make great super-villain lairs.

3. Speaking of Super Villains, our "strong mayor" referendum is going to be on Tuesday. Here's everything you need to know, courtesy of The State. Funny, I don't see anything about the mayor getting a cool lair. That seems like a requirement, right?

In all seriousness, I don't have too strong of a position on the "strong mayor" thing. If you elect good people to office, they'll mostly do a good job. If you elect corrupt goobers to office, you'll have a poorly run city. Maybe it's easier to find one good person than it is to find a whole council of them. Who knows? All I know is that I doubt this will solve any of Columbia's problems.

4. Global Cooling Returns! The arctic ice cap grew 29% from 2012. Here's a picture:

Al Gore, call your office.

Columbia Mayor Wants Minor League Baseball

The Columbia Mayor (Steve Benjamin) wants to bring a minor league baseball team to Columbia and spend millions on a stadium. Where do these idiots get the idea that this kind of stuff helps the economy of a city?

Study after study shows that it does nothing but saddle the cities and local areas with debt. But it gives the pols a good shot at crony corruption so they continue to be built. If a team doesn't want to pay for it's own stadium, they can go elsewhere. This is such an epically bad idea.

Robert A. Baade of the Heartland Institute, a research group in Chicago that promotes free markets, examined 48 cities over a 30-year period and found “no factual basis” for the argument that professional-sports stadiums and teams have a significant impact on economic growth. A study by Judith Grant Long, an associate professor of urban planning at Harvard University, found that public subsidies for stadiums are typically 40 percent more expensive for taxpayers than initially advertised.

Do you know anyone in Columbia that desperately wants to attend a minor league baseball game? Building a minor league stadium with public money is a massive boondoggle that can only be a giveaway. Ask Detroit how all those big downtown stadiums are doing for the economy.

I love sports more than the average guy, but this is a really bad idea. Unfortunately, the City of Columbia excels at doing stupid things, so I'm sure that it will happen.

Columbia Police Switching to FN Pistols

The City of Columbia Police Department will be switching their regular sidearm. The're dropping the.45 caliber Sig Sauer and picking up a 9mm FN.

First of all, I'm not going to get into the 9mm vs. .45 debate. They're both fine. With modern ammunition, both are highly lethal when shot accurately. With proper training, both can be shot accurately. So just stop.

“FN provides not only a superior weapon but a superior price and, I’m happy to say, a superior work force,” Benjamin said. “I am hoping this turns into a real opportunity for FN to break into other law enforcement markets in the United States.”

That's the real reason the deal was done, and I agree with Mayor Benjamin. FN has a production facility here in Richland County, and maybe they'll grow and expand. that only helps Columbia and South Carolina. Maybe another police department will see this and make a similar move.

Also, I think the Columbia Police Department is getting a good deal. I did some quick math and it seems like the City is getting each pistol, holster and belt for a little over $300.00. I applaud the Mayor and the City of Columbia on this move.

Full disclosure, I own an FN 9mm myself, and it's spectacular.