Monday, August 24, 2009, 3:37 PM
News, Opinion, Georgia, Politics
By Stephanie Ramage

WHY KASIM REED SHOULD BE ATLANTA’S NEXT MAYOR

My father once gave me some excellent advice about men: “Don’t listen to what he says he’s going to do for you. Tell him to show you what he’s done for you already.”

Sadly, I thoroughly ignored that advice in my personal relationships. But I’ve found during my 17 years of reporting on politics in Georgia that the same maxim should be applied to office-seekers.

They will promise you the moon. You have to look at their records to know what they’ve actually done. That alone would be enough to distinguish Kasim Reed as the best person to be Atlanta’s next mayor. Unlike Borders, he actually has a record. Unlike Norwood, that record is not a display of going along to get along and making excuses.  

But there are more reasons why I have decided to endorse Reed instead of Borders or Norwood.

WHY NOT BORDERS?

Borders' entire experience in government is comprised of less than five years in a position with no executive or legislative authority of its own. Her power rests in appointing committees and calling the council to action—and she has done precious little of the latter.

As City Council President, Borders does not vote, except in the case of a tie when she may be called upon to cast the tie-breaker vote. Having scrutinized the council votes since she took office in 2005, I can’t find a single tie, which makes sense, because on a 15-member council, considering that contentious votes attract full attendance by the council, a tie is unlikely. I invite readers to check for themselves. Go to www.atlantaga.gov, click on “City Council” and then on “Minutes” and look for a tie. Please let me know if I’m wrong.

Borders has stated public support for something here and there, but what she has supported makes one wonder about the business acumen she touts. Borders’ background is in marketing. She was a senior vice president of marketing for developer Cousins Properties. Marketing hinges on a consistent message, but the two votes upon which Borders has publicly stated her opinion are utterly inconsistent.

DOES BORDERS UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUDGET AND TAXES?

In 2008, with the city facing a massive budget shortfall of about $70 million, Borders opposed the mayor’s half-mill property tax increase, saying that it was unnecessary, that the city did not need any tax increase at all. The small increase was defeated. 

After that—and after the City Council, which Borders claims to marshal, had voted for tax rollbacks (for seven years)—the mayor called for public safety furloughs. The council passed a resolution in January of this year denouncing the furloughs.

In other words, they did nothing. 
 

Then, following a loud public outcry to stop the furloughs, Borders supported the mayor's 3-mill property tax increase in June to end them.

Let’s review: Atlanta, facing a $70 million shortfall in 2008 needed no tax increase, according to Borders, but facing a $56 million gap in the budget in 2009, it needed a 3-mill increase.

The difference is that Borders wasn’t running for mayor amid an outcry over too few cops in 2008. She was, instead, flirting with the idea of a run for mayor before the public safety outcry. In those circumstances, opposing a tax increase was the politically pragmatic thing to do. But in June 2009, after several months of anti-crime rallies featuring crowds chanting “End the furloughs!” verbally supporting the tax hike was, again, the politically pragmatic thing to do.

Will Borders, like her mentor Mayor Shirley Franklin, flutter from one city debacle to another, doing whatever looks like it will help her personally at that particular moment? You can bet your big silk flower on it.

WHAT DID KASIM REED DO?

While Borders, Norwood and the rest of the council were supporting and passing a toothless resolution opposing the police and fire furloughs last winter, State Sen. Kasim Reed, over at the Gold Dome, was actually doing something. He authored and sponsored legislation that would have dedicated a 1-mill revenue stream to public safety—it would reserve revenue for the police and fire fighters, money that couldn’t be touched by Atlanta’s mayor or council.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from many police officers is that they want the police budget separated from the city’s general fund, where it regularly gets plundered. Reed’s legislation would have provided them with exactly that, a separate, lock-boxed source of revenue, un-beholden to the squirrelly City Council or the ‘APD-is-my-ATM’ mayor.

Reed’s one-mill hike wouldn’t raise as much as the 3-mill increase, but it would have raised the $18 million necessary to end the public safety furloughs.

Reed’s legislation was opposed by the Fulton County Taxpayers Association, a group that opposes taxes because they don’t believe in paying taxes. They scuttled the bill on a technicality, but now his idea looks a lot more conservative than the 3-mill measure that was passed by the City Council in June.

WHAT HAS BORDERS DONE?

What did Borders do aside from oppose a half-mill increase in favor of a 3-mill increase? Given the strictures of her post, there are only two things she can do: appoint committees and call the council to action on issues.

Let’s look at one committee which has proven particularly pivotal this year: The Public Safety Committee. Who did Borders appoint to this important committee that oversees police policies and budget measures among other things? A veritable stable of do-nothings and anti-police people. It’s chaired by Councilwoman Cleta Winslow. Its members are Anne Fauver, Kwanza Hall, C.T. Martin, Joyce Sheperd, and H. Lamar Willis.

As for calling the council to action, Borders has been a resounding flop on that score.

You might say, “Didn’t Borders stand up for the police union president and his fellows back in 2007 when the union blew the whistle on Chief Richard Pennington’s arrest quota system?” Pennington’s requirement (he calls it a “performance standard”) that officers have a certain number of arrests and warrants lined up each day set the tone around the misinformed drug raid at Neal Street that claimed the life of Kathryn Johnston. The quotas devastated morale and reinforced a philosophy of cover-your-ass in the police department. So, when the union called Pennington out on it, Sgt. Scott Kreher, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, was transferred to the graveyard shift. His vice president suffered a similar transfer.

Borders said in a newspaper interview (with Creative Loafing’s John Sugg) at the time, “This situation reeks of retribution.” Well, good for Borders, except that it didn’t just “reek” of retribution, it was retribution, and she could have done much, much more than say it reeked. To paint Borders as a portrait in courage on this point shows just how low the bar for political courage is set in Atlanta.

As council president, Borders could have called for an investigation of those transfers. She does have the power to call for hearings on an issue. That would have been the very least she could have done. She could have called for the suspension of Pennington pending the outcome of an investigation. Had she done that, we might have been free of Pennington almost two years ago. But she did what she has always done—as little as possible to offend the fewest people that will allow her to still put some kind of marketing spin on herself. You might recall that at that particular time there was a good deal of public support for going after Pennington. Borders could have easily become a champion of the union and the rights of the citizens. But she did nothing but say it reeked of retribution.

I cannot help but notice that Borders, who describes herself as having “a sweet face and a velvet hammer,” has presided over the City Council during the worst chapter of the history of rank and file Atlanta police officers. They have been denied step pay increases every year that Borders has been in office except one. If, in fact, she did have a velvet hammer, she has never put it to use for them.

BORDERS WILL BE ANOTHER MAYOR SHIRLEY FRANKLIN

In the past few months, Borders has regressed into being Franklin’s right hand. 

At the Leadership Atlanta forum last month, when candidates were asked to grade Franklin, Borders gave the mayor the highest score and the only A.

Borders spent a substantial portion of her time at the Campaign for Atlanta forum, also in July, making excuses for the Franklin administration. She said, regarding the water system, “This mayor, this city council and this administration, inherited the sins of the former administration. So when we look at the [water] rates, we have to be very clear that we started behind the eight ball,” and continued, “This mayor [Franklin] has stepped forward and put us on a platform for growth for the next generation, so we don’t have these difficulties in the future.”

During the public safety segment of that same forum, she characterized Atlanta’s crime problem as one of a “feeling of being unsafe” and said people “do not feel safe.” She used the term “feeling” or “feel” four times. This is very much like saying the city’s crime problem is a matter of perception.

She never once cited the reality of crime, although the break-ins of her two homes were apparently real. We already have had a mayor who had no empathy for the plight of others while showcasing her own suffering. We don’t need another one. That is, unless you want another term for Shirley Franklin. That is what you’ll get with Borders.

Throughout Atlanta’s power structure, Borders is cited as the candidate most likely to carry on Franklin’s policies. “We need someone in there who can pick up where Shirley left off, and I think Lisa can do that,” business owner and motivational speaker Lily Winsaft told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this month.

WHY NOT NORWOOD?

Watching Councilwoman Mary Norwood in City Council meetings is disconcerting; she rarely speaks out on the record. That’s disconcerting because Norwood is a very talkative woman. I can only assume that almost eight years of saying nothing in council meetings has left her with a lot of pent-up verbosity.

These days, Norwood likes to cite her pre-council days for examples of her ability to get things done. Ask about anything connected with water, and she will launch into a story about her battle over the Nancy Creek sewer project in the late 1990s. Ask her what she’s done since taking office in 2002, however, and she complains that she’s never been appointed as a committee chair and that Atlanta’s “strong mayor” form of government has hindered her from getting anything done as a council member.

Baloney.

The council overruled the mayor for seven years straight as it voted for tax rollback after tax rollback, and Norwood was right there with the rest of council on those votes.

When I asked her how she intended to end the police furloughs without some kind of tax increase, given the shape the budget was in, she said she didn’t know, but she would know if she were mayor. I asked her how long she intended the police and firefighters to wait while she tried to figure out how to pay them without a tax hike, seeing as how they’d already been furloughed for six months, and she said she didn’t know.

“Until you’re elected?” I asked. She said of course not, but she didn’t have any answers. She reiterated that she’d have that information if she were mayor. The council, she said, has no power. 

Power is never given. It is taken.

Cleta Winslow chairs the public safety committee. Winslow is not a powerful woman. A position can be given, but power cannot be bestowed upon someone. A person has to fight for it. Norwood is incapable of doing so. She will be mowed down by the council, the contractors, the special interests, and anyone else. Norwood likes to characterize herself as “feisty.” But “feisty” may as well be “cute” when “feisty” gets nothing done.

I have covered politics a long time. I have seen state legislators, city council members, county commission members and school board members who held no committee chairs who managed to become leaders despite that. Someone else may have been the chair, but these folks held the edge of the rug under that chair.

How can anyone expect a powerless council person to be able to wield power as a mayor? Councilwoman Felicia Moore will still be around after November. Having seen how she turned her back on Norwood during a Committee on Council meeting in July and held forth on Norwood’s “weak council” excuses, I can tell you that Norwood will not have more power as mayor than she has now.

Norwood is a very nice person. She’s the kind of woman I hope my son has as a mother-in-law one day. That’s a huge compliment. She’s really that nice. But I do not have any confidence in her ability to lead.

By contrast, state Sen. Kasim Reed is the vice chair of the minority caucus at the Capitol.

SO WHAT HAS KASIM REED DONE FOR ATLANTA, ASIDE FROM INTRODUCING THE DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM LEGISLATION?

Sen. Reed, a Democrat, has served in the state legislature for 11 years, and for almost eight of those years he has served under a Republican governor, in a General Assembly where the GOP generally calls the shots. To make matters even more complicated, much of the legislature’s power resides in suburban and rural Georgia, in white hands. Gov. Perdue is from Perry; Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle is from Gainesville; Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson is from Paulding County; Sen. Eric Johnson, president pro tempore of the state Senate, is from Savannah. They are all Republicans.

Yet, Reed has gotten a lot more done for the City of Atlanta than either Borders or Norwood—although those two were actually sitting right in City Hall. Even more surprising, Reed accomplished much of his pro-Atlanta legislation through partnering with those white, rural and suburban Republicans. This says much about him as a leader: First, he doesn’t let politics get in the way of getting things done. Second, he can work productively with those who are different from himself. Third, he is personally humble enough to know the limits of his power and smart enough to work exceptionally well within those limits.

Considering the antagonistic relationship between Atlanta’s City Hall and the Georgia General Assembly, it would take a lot of brass for a state legislator from Atlanta to go to his fellow lawmakers and ask them for help financing Atlanta’s water system, which at the time was in peril of being taken over by the feds, but Reed mustered the courage to speak out and ask for that help. He also had the relationships at the Capitol to get it done. The legislature came through for him. Now, more than ever, the City of Atlanta needs to mend its relationship with the Capitol. Reed already has those friendships and his track record proves it.

While Borders was doing nothing but looking ahead to a mayor’s race and Norwood was complaining about how she didn’t have the power to do anything to help Atlantans, Kasim Reed did the following:

--As mentioned above, he went to his fellow legislators to acquire $500 million in low interest loans using the State’s AAA bond rating for the City of Atlanta’s water system. That saved the city millions in interest payments.

--He co-authored and passed legislation aimed at code enforcement and cracking down on crime caused by irresponsible bars that function as magnets for crime, increasing penalties for violations, in order to clean up neighborhoods and make the community safer.

--He secured a property tax freeze for low income seniors, cutting seniors’ property taxes and increasing the homestead exemption to $40,000.

--He successfully worked to pass a measure doubling the homestead exemption for all Atlanta homeowners to encourage more home ownership and to help prevent longtime homeowners from being forced out of their homes due to higher property assessments as their neighborhoods improved.

--He sponsored the bill that provided a 1 percent sales tax for transportation projects in special transportation districts within the state, benefiting MARTA.

 --While serving in the state House in 1999, he was the chief House sponsor of Georgia's Hate Crimes Law.

--He was chief sponsor of legislation to require local governments (including Atlanta) to establish strong ethics policies and independent review boards.

REED’S ONGOING EFFORTS FROM THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION:

--Sponsored legislation to dedicate 1 mill of property taxes for police/fire salaries & prevent future furloughs, subject to a referendum.

---Sponsored legislation to waive property taxes for Atlanta police and fire officers and teachers who live in Atlanta.

--Sponsored legislation to exempt surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty from property taxes.

WHY ELSE?

--Reed has publically stated that he will ask the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI to help make sure the Atlanta Police Department is accurately reporting crime. He has acknowledged that the crime reporting process, with an emphasis on numbers and quotas, could potentially be distorted and needs a reality check.

--I will be able to hold Reed’s feet to the fire because, unlike the other two candidates, he is accessible and accountable. He doesn’t duck and hide. He doesn’t run away from hard questions. He takes the tough criticism and keeps the lines of communication open.

For all of these reasons and more, I endorse state Sen. Kasim Reed for mayor of Atlanta. 

[Editor's Note: I apologize for the length of this post, but I've given it a lot of thought and I wanted to be thorough.--SR]

This is shameful. The amount of words that you offered trying to diminish Borders and Norwood just goes to highlight how that your support of Reed is without merit.

I am happy to see that you got is right this time that Borders doesn't actually vote in her role as City Council President but is it logically sound to claim that her role is ineffective and, at the same time, that she is responsible for putting officers on furlough?

The comparisons to Franklin have little to do with anything besides them both being Black women with short hair. Again, you should be ashamed of yourself. Look more to how could the man that you support could run both of Franklin's successful campaigns. Conveniently, he also helped pick Chief Pennington as Chief of Police. But I guess you didn't pick that up with due diligence or your writing's lack thereof.

To be sure, Borders said that people note that she has a sweet face but a velvet hammer. You wrote that article. You should know.

Flint
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 6:05 PM

As much as I would love to invoke the Internet shorthand "tl;dr", I'm just really left with one question. (And yes, I read the whole thing.)

One of the earlier pieces you wrote in June or July concerning the mayoral race made it more than obvious that your support was for Kasim. As you put it, "an election season is a bit like courtship". Either Kasim has wooed you with his charm, or you just gave it up on the first night. Which is it?

Edwina
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 6:23 PM

I applaud you for your taking a stand to support a true son of Georgia like Kasim Reed. Very few officials would have the gumption to support Senate Resolution 632 which frees our state from from being under the boot of the Federal govt.

Give em' hell, Kasim and Stephanie! They take our guns, we'lll take Georgia back.

Bill
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 6:38 PM

I think you mean a true son of New Jersey, Bill.

Edwina
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 6:41 PM

So does this mean the Sunday Paper endorses Kasim Reed, or is this just one editor making her endorsement? Please clarify.

Fred
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 7:37 PM

as a writer, i can't help but wonder how this endorsement will shape your future articles along the campaign trail.
like what if it surfaces that norwood is made of candy, borders has been working on the cure for cancer or reed beat his girlfriendS in college. not that any of those things are true. but if they were, would you resend your endorsement?

Marley
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 8:21 PM

Where has journalism gone? Stephanie, you have undoubtedly proven to the entire city, again, your lack of talent, lack of journalistic ability and your utter incompetence.

As a Norwood supporter, I contend your points about Mary's inefficiency. Your patronizing of a hard worker and community organizer puts you in the worst of journalistic light. Her connections in diverse neighborhoods give her the ability to connect with all constituencies when she is mayor. The errors in the this entire article prove that you are nothing but a street paper quality journalist!

Street
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 11:10 PM

I enjoy your column, SR, and I think you have been right on the money with your criticism of Franklin and Pennington. That's why I can never support Kasim Reed, he helped bring the chief from NOLA to ATL, (http://www.atlantaga.gov/media/policechief_053002.aspx) despite Pennington's history there of tweaking statistics and reports to spin the crime facts, and lack of success with NOLA gangs. Also, Kasim ran Franklin's re-election campaign, seems he has been groomed for this transition. Too many slick politicians that aren't working on everyday issues and giving good service to taxpayers, that has been Atlanta's problem since Campbell.

Borders and Norwood? City Council members in Atlanta don't want to rock the boat...the furloughs should never have happened, the point is, it shouldn't have come down to needing a tax increase to support public safety, and Shirley Franklin forced Council into a corner on that issue...

Honestly at this point, none of them look good to me. We need someone to set the tone for the city government, (accountability, transparency) and figure out the budget mess. How the heck does the city spend $35 million to pay for water-meter covers that don't fit? $8 million for Brand (FAIL) Atlanta, when we have some of the best advertising minds in the country right here in Atlanta? In comparison, $18 million was deemed necessary to end the public safety furloughs. An 8th grader would be able to see something is wrong here, but everyone in ATL government seems to be more worried about covering their own A** than getting things resolved, or seeing return on investment.

I am paying over $5k in City/County taxes, I have no kids in the school system, and I can't get 911 to respond to my calls. Those are the types of nitty gritty basic issues that I want to see resolved, and I think Kasim is too much of a career politician and sees himself as a mover and shaker to worry about what my neighborhood needs.

~undecided voter, but I know I don't like Kasim....

sara
Monday, August 24, 2009 at 11:43 PM

Sara,

I understand your concerns, and I had them, too, but in covering mayoral forum after mayoral forum and interviewing each of the candidates, I was struck by how much more critical of the Franklin administration Kasim is than either of the other two. He has taken more tough jabs at Franklin and Pennington than has Borders or Norwood.

He has said on the record, in front of a room full of people, that the fact that private security patrols have proliferated in Atlanta is a knock against the mayor.

He has said that he didn't know when he headed the steering committee looking for a new police chief that Pennington had the problems he had. He didn't. Who did? Go back and look at the coverage of Pennington in 2001 when Franklin won her mayor's seat. The whole country was raving about Pennington. He was winning awards.

You say that Borders and Norwood don't want to rock the boat--but that is exactly what is wrong with Atlanta: Someone desperately needs to rock the boat, and Borders and Norwood have proven they won't. Even Clark Howard, who knows Borders personally and went to school with her has said that he's not convinced she has the ability to shake up the city the way it needs to be shaken up.

Kasim has dealt the ultimate insult to Pennington, he has said he wants Atlanta's crime reporting verified by the feds and the GBI.

Borders, meanwhile, can't seem to climb far enough into Shirley Franklin's lap. Her answer when asked about getting a new police chief was to ackowledge that she'd "have to because he has said he is retiring."

No one in this race has made stronger statements against Franklin and Pennington than Kasim Reed. Consider this: As the guy who twice managed her campaign, Reed could probably have used Shirley's endorsement. I wouldn't want it, but let's face it, there are still people in town with whom it would carry weight and those people are connected and cash-heavy.

Why, then, would Reed make such critical statements? More to the point, the fact that the guy who helped Franklin win her seat is saying these things is a much more damning indictment of her and her policies than anything that the other two could say, if they ever mustered the fortitude to say anything.

As for a couple of other comments here (not yours, Sara), I've seen all three fielding questions over and over again. I was there when Borders had her embarrassing episode at the CFA forum and said "People say I have a sweet face but a velvet hammer" and I am still taken aback by the inappropriateness of it. Why on earth would any candidate say that to a room of about 70 strangers? (This was after she said "The boys at the state better have their house in order" if they wanted to take over the airport. The "boys"? Really?)

At first I thought to myself, "A male politician would never say that," about having a sweet face, but two seconds later I realized I've never heard a female politician say something like that. If anything, smart, serious female politicians don't allude to their looks at all, and they certainly don't use the old obvious device of saying "People say..."

Have you read "Pride and Prejudice"? There's a very foolish character, a woman who marries a minister, who peppers her conversation with "People say that I..." She says things like "People say that I have a sweet voice..." or "People say that I have a charming way with decor..." or "People say I have a flair for fashion..." and everytime she says this, everyone in the room is aware that no one has said anything of the sort, but that she would desperately like someone to say these things.

I have never heard anyone say that Borders has a sweet face aside from Borders herself. That is not to say that she doesn't, but I've always thought that if people are really saying something about you then you don't have to remind people what people are saying about you.

It reeked of a marketing ploy when Borders said it, a failed attempt at branding a slogan, and not a very good one at that. -- Stephanie Ramage

Stephanie
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:25 AM

Surely you don't believe that Kasim Reed will shake up city hall. He's endorsed by Andy Young, who was endorsed by Maynard Jackson, both of whom endorsed Bill Campbell, who won with the help of funds raised by Kasim Reed, who then managed Shirley Franklin's mayoral campaigns. Shirley Franklin, by the way, worked in the administrations of both Young and Jackson. Kasim is obviously the next link in the chain that has shackled Atlanta for the last 30+ years.

And, right now, attacking Franklin and Pennington is just good campaign rhetoric. Catch them at a cocktail party after the election and I'll bet they all have a good laugh.

robert
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 9:07 AM

Reed's big accomplishment is to sponsor legislation that would dedicate one mill to public safety? Is that a joke? Do you realize that the City already dedicates the equivelant of 14 mils to public safety? Let's say that the City was now required to dedicate one mill to public safety. What would stop it from cutting the other 13? Do you know anything about public finance?

Don
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 10:15 AM

The City of Atlanta levies a little more than 10 mills of property tax, total, thanks to the recent 3-millage-point hike. It gets about 20 percent of its revenue from sales tax.

A one-mill dedicated revenue stream safeguards the basic salaries of the public safety employees from being plundered by the mayor and council.

Did the city need the 3-mill increase? By June, there was little choice, but since City Hall's books are showing the city about $6 million in the black now, it's likely that Reed's SB 77, had it not been targeted by the no-tax-no-how crowd, would have gotten us out of the woods last January. It certainly would have stopped the furloughs.

Stephanie
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 11:22 AM

I'm sorry, I'm with Sara and Robert. No matter how personable Reed is (or how inarticulate Norwood seems), he is deeply implicated in the Jackson, Young, Campbell, Franklin messes in every way. Criticism of Franklin at this date is hardly courageous -- where was he when it mattered? With Campbell? Where was he when Franklin started down this path? He was benefitting from his connections with them. And Andy Young is a deeply corrupt person, shilling his reputation as a civil rights leader to whitewash Saudi violations of human rights (ie. fascist gender apartheid, abuse of laborers and immigrants) for cash. Nice behavior, that.

Robert is absolutely right. Reed has merely refined the Franklin/Reform message -- throw around a little vague criticism of the previous administration in the 11th hour while preserving their long line of fiscal interests in the city, and they'll snicker all the way to the bank.

The strongest point you make in his favor is his ties to the Republican state leadership. I think that's less significant than it seems. It's one thing to be on good terms with the state legislature -- he's one of them, and I've never heard anyone say he's anything other than congenial, but the identical (perhaps stronger, then) status of Franklin amounted to nothing whenever push came to shove. The legislation he's passed is safe for his district, and that doesn't represent any great skill either -- local issues are left to local folks. Also, the sum total of that legislation falls into the category of special interest group advocacy, with the one exception of toughening the laws on code enforcement. They're not paradigm-shifting, nor free-market stuff. What did he do on the hard crime issues like three-strikes? Minimum mandatory sentencing? Equal jury strikes for prosecutors? Take a look at the Georgia Prosecutor's legislative agendas and see how he voted. And believe me, the City Council is a much harder job in every way.

But mainly, it's just too early to endorse. The really tough questions haven't even been asked yet. I want to see every position and paycheck every candidate has received -- for politics, for politically-connect jobs they've gotten (this is important for Reed), for honorary posts, paid or not, for career-making appointments -- what has being a politician gotten them, in this nepotism-razed town? In my mind, Reed has two strikes against him on this count: the elite, insular legal world that thinks it can dictate to ordinary taxpayers, and the sleazy former mayoral administrations. I'd run screaming from that.

Norwood is the only candidate I see whose hands are clean on this stuff, and it matters because it lies at the crux of everything that goes wrong in Atlanta. Whenever a pension deal goes sour, or city workers are either getting more than they deserve or less, or taxpayers aren't getting value for what they pay, there is a nepotism trail right back to the mayor's office. That's reason enough, I think, not to vote for Reed.

I want to know what Reed thinks now of the political mistakes he's made, most especially what he knew about Shirley Franklin's husband's deal-making, airport included, Franklin's own involvement in airport contracts, the block grant thefts, and Bill Campbell's other crimes. He was right in there with them ever step of the way and should be given a pass on none of it. If he says he knew nothing, why on earth not?

Don't write Norwood off. Many of her economic positions sound more grounded in reality than Reed's promises. Borders is a corrupt hack, and she's certainly spent her time at the public "board" trough, on our dime.

Tina
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Great article! Unless you can dispute the facts in the article or magically make Borders and Norwood's records become substantive, you really have no basis for criticizing Sara's work.

Bottomline: Borders doesn't vote so she has no record. However, she's strongly tied to Cousin's which should draw some suspicion. Norwood is impotent and couldn't get anything passed while in the City Counsel, thus she has no record either. She also failed to show any kind of leadership throughout her tenure.

Sara
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Interesting:

"Even Clark Howard, who knows Borders personally and went to school with her has said that he's not convinced she has the ability to shake up the city the way it needs to be shaken up."

Karl
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:32 PM

No matter which candidate one favors, it's refreshing to read a FACT based report.

How unfortunate is it for Lisa to demonstrate her leadership acumen by picking an UNECESSARY fight with the "good ol boys" in the legislature, touting what she would do in a hypothetical fight over the airport. If (heaven forbid) she were to become mayor, her tough (unthinking and unecessary) talk will have already painted a larger bullseye on Atlanta's back.

I'm still trying to figure out why in the world Borders' comment about her "sweet face and velvet hammer" was ever introduced into a serious conversation. Like so much of what she says; It sounds CUTE, but says nothing.

Roz

Rogsbert
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:56 PM

Stephanie,

I too am elated that your report is researched and factual. Simply put, facts don't lie and this young man is appearantly the forward thinking individual Atlanta needs.

Carlton
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:14 PM

LBH, the next mayor will be the lesser of two (three?) evils. None of the top contenders are inspiring, or even solid. Each has considerable drawbacks. The best we can hope for is to end up with the cream of the crap.

Lewis
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:16 PM

Oh Steph.

What's clear from your comments is that you personally do not like Lisa Borders. Your transparent attempts at making this about policy are highly specious. This is an opinion column, after all, so make your opinion known and stop trying to fool us (and perhaps yourself) with this tripe your white knights are calling "reporting".

Edwina
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:32 PM

Ms. Ramage I thank you for the article. Though like most to all politicians, many have not lived up to their word on all issues. I do think that Mr. Reed is the best qualified for the position at hand. You have laid a great foundation for debate for all sides of the spectrum, though you have may have not put a lot of Mr. Reed’s on here, your beginning quote says enough. “Don’t listen to what he says he’s going to do for you. Tell him to show you what he’s done for you already.”

Neither lady has done much while they have been in positions of “authority or influence”.

Lisa speaks of her riding with the police and firemen every Friday, but come on what neighbors hoods are you riding in and how long have you been doing it. Long enough to have it on her to say it while she is running for office and it be truthful. And Norwood, all she does is reference things she has did in her pervious life and how she plans to do this and that. A bunch of Hoop-La as my grand parents say, I haven’t put in my vote complete for Mr. Reed yet but I think he is better then those two hands down. We don’t need eight more years of Shirley Franklin’s under the disguise of her “apprentice”.

Thanks for the article it was good reading.

Yusuf
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:32 PM

Thank you very much.

As for Edwina: I am perplexed as to how I could make my opinion more clear. Everyone else seems to have discerned, without much effort, that I am supporting Kasim. The headline alone might have spilled the beans a bit.

Stephanie
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:39 PM

I would like to start my comment off with a caveat....I recently moved back to Atlanta. After being gone for 10 years (not including vacations) I recently moved back to take care of my grandparents. Since I missed all of the Franklin years (although I tried to stay abreast of the issues) I feel as though I'll probably have one of the most unbiased opinions on this article.

When I think about any Mayor that I've known (DC/Baltimore, NJ, PA, GA, TX, and NC) in my lifetime I realize that they have all been "linked" to some sort of scandal dealing with favoritism. Although some instances may be true I normally chalk it up to any Mayor knowing a large amount of people or at least 1 degree of separation. So to say they didn't know the person who won any city contract is almost impossible. So I would prefer to not focus on any of the candidates' connections because to be Mayor you undoubtedly have to have them.

I prefer to focus on past performance and plans to move the city forward. So although my research doesn't come as close as Stephanie's; here is where my current observations/Mayoral choice lies:

Lisa Borders: I think she has a certain charisma but to the article's point I am not sure where she really stands on any issues. I have heard her talk about several issues where she has had the opportunity to vote (Brand Atlanta and the 3 mil tax increase) for solutions. Even though she can't vote I do know that meetings take place behind closed doors. As Council President she would have the power to sway enough votes her way on a decision. So I have to assume that even though she didn't "vote" she was in favor of the majority of the decisions.

Mary Norwood: I do have to agree with Stephanie. Mary does seem to be very nice. At a minimum she does seem to have the knack for surrounding herself with people who may have the right answers; but is that enough? I've read several articles/interviews where her answer was always "I don't know but when I become Mayor...." I don't profess to have all the answers but for someone who has been campaigning for 2 years (I think) she should have most of them.

Also, when I look at her solutions/platform she hasn't really rolled out any easy wins, 100 day plans, or solutions for anything other than public safety or taxes. I KNOW they are important but what about my grandparents (Atlanta doesn't even have a police division devoted to seniors), economic development, and education.

Kasim Reed: I think several of our major issues will require frequent liaisons with the State government. To Stephanie's point who better to help with that issue than a current State Senator (in a Republican ran state no less). He has discussed plans for everything from water to public safety and economic development. He's also the only person who has discussed a real way to pay for everything other than raising taxes.

Side bar: If taxes are raised again, I'm moving to the suburbs and taking my grandparents with me.

I really like his ideas about opening all the recreation centers as well. I didn't know about his proposed 1-mil tax bill until recently but that's the kind of thinking I want in a Mayor. It wasn't that he proposed a smaller tax increase. It was that the money could not be touched by the Mayor or City Council. What self-serving person creates a pool of money that they can't touch? I can't think of any!

It is early and I'm sure more platform details will come out later. Based on the information I have now it doesn't make sense for me to support anyone other Kasim Reed. If a better platform emerges sure I would change my mind. But the race is 2 months away. If it hasn't been disclosed by now will it ever?

Side Bar #2: My background is marketing and Brand Atlanta did use local marketing and advertising talent. It was added in the budget as in-kind (Coca-Cola's Jackson Kelly and locally based Grey Worldwide).

Sidebar #3: Stephanie...great article. I learned several new things that I don't think I would have known otherwise.

HomeGrown
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 2:06 PM

Stephanie,
My hat goes off to you for speaking out about what is obviously important to you. This mayoral race is extremely important. Your research on Reed in your article was thorough and I believe that you made the right decision to support Kasim. My hat goes off to you for stepping out in what seems to be from the comments on your blog from readers some deep water.

I have heard Lisa speak and have had the opportunity to speak with several people who know her. What I hear most is how disconnected of a leader she is. Never would I allow hear say to influence my choice of who I support, but after hearing it as often as I have and seeing it first hand at the Inman Park parade (her parading through in her Lexis while her staff marched through shaking hands and passing out her literature) I can say that the leadership she does exemplify is not the leadership I want to be apart of. However small that may seem to people the "choice" of her to move through the parade as she did speaks volumes to the type of leader she will be.

I am too concerned about her commitment to Atlanta and really understanding the level of commitment it will take to govern the city. The choice to "govern" period has to be well thought out and kinda "selfless", to say the least. Lisa's choice to back out of the race because of her mom's illness (supposed illness), again concerns me about her choice making skills (But she really has not had to make choices on anything really being in the position she is President of City Council because she does not vote on anything unless there was a tie). So probably when asked if she was running for mayor...without thought or any real merit she decided to run; Just another one of her questionable choices. Did she really think about it or did the executives at Cousins have a meeting and voice that it was the right time for her to make that move because the level of power they would inherit with her as mayor? My thoughts are if she is mayor and her mom gets sick again? Will she have the tenacity, drive and focus to not let Atlanta down again? From her lack of really thinking things through before they come out of her mouth and her past decision making skills I say "NO" she does not. Being mayor means that the whole city is depending on you. Obama did not back out of the race when his grandmother was sick. Choosing to govern a body of people as a politician takes a person who can champion through their own personal life challenges yet still continue to make the decisions that strength the people in whatever city or state they are governing. It’s a selfless and courageous job to have. One that given the opportunity and the challenges that come with being mayor I think that Lisa would probably just resign.

Also, her choice of words are bothersome. I was at a forum and she said that firemen were "crazy" and that they were "nuts". Then she went on to say that she "loved her nuts". What is that all about?

Stacii
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 2:09 PM

This article was written in excellent taste. Stephanie thoroughly compared the top three candidates and I too believe that Kasim's track record speaks for itself. Kasim has eleven years of politics under his belt where he has been successful in making changes and becoming the next mayor of Atlanta is exactly what this city needs!

Shantel
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 3:40 PM

If Kasim and his cronies win the race there will be an even greater white flight. He has the wool pulled over the eye's of every white lawyer in this town. If Kasim, by miracle, takes office, mark my words, he will continue the legacy of racism that pervades this city. If you are white, don't let him trick you into thinking that he will provide equal opportunity for us. His largest support comes from young blacks in Atlanta and if he wins, City Hall and all the veteran "freaknikers" will run this city into an even greater financial debacle.

Flight
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 4:05 PM

Good job Ms. Ramage! Given my local background - observing Atlanta's political machine since I was 7 (watching Andy Young supporters and Michael Lomax supporters vie for church goers attention- with their respective literatures-after services during election years) nearly 23 years later, I think I have the right to weigh in on this race. Never before have we had such a clear cut and fact based article that came out of COX's AJC online extension - so kudos to you for that Stephanie. Now, lets get down to business. I have gotten involved in the local races in recent years - and time after time I have observed special interests(corporate & the like) prop their candidates up with their weak and nearly non existent platforms relying on name recognition, timely mud slinging, and ambitious smiling faces touting future reforms professing to 'see the light at the end of the tunnel'. I cant endorse Lisa Borders - not because of her weak attempt at a campaign slogan. But because of her unrealistic corporate/federal outsourcing plans that will further alienate the communities that are the fabric of this city. I am referring specifically to her plans regarding the city's underfunded recreation centers. (more than half of which are closed) Ms. Borders wants to pass the responsibilities and everyday operations of these centers to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Please overstand I am not knocking this wonderful and useful organization. However, totally eliminating the local government's responsibility to these rec centers - and more importantly the families that reside in these communities is just plain short sighted and irresponsible. I was born and raised in Atlanta, used and worked at these community rec centers over the years and I can tell you that the people are not going to respond positively to local government leaders that outsource 'problem areas'. These places need the funding and personal touch that only people entrenched in these communities- that know the families, that know the community leaders and the challenges they face - can offer. Petty theft, drugs and other crime are often perpetrated by young people that could be busy applying themselves to positive activities building their future guided by strong leadership. After taking the time to review all the candidates platforms and plans for developing a citywide community inclusive program that realistically makes a difference in people's lives, I found state Senator Reed's program the most sound. It's not surprising given that he is actually from one of these communities and has a record of actually taking action benefiting the community at large. Ms. Borders - while scratching the surface, is still in her corporate Cousins mind set. Instead of tackling the problem head on with the city's resources that would be (God forbid!) @ her disposal - she'd rather forego all actions she could take with coming up with and executing a comprehensive plan that her administration could take the credit and be accountable for - vying instead to outsource the 'problem' to a federally funded institution! This not only further alienates the community members from their 'leaders' , but makes her would be office that much more impotent and overall ineffective in community issues. If you've read the article, you'll start to see a pattern developing. . . I dare say that Ms. Borders and her backers are interested in 1 thing and 1 thing only: THE FULTON COUNTY BELTLINE. Given the monumental failure of the current administration to see this thing through- whether it was Madame Franklin or superdeveloper Wayne Mason or his attorney former Gov. Roy Barnes that dropped the ball on this thing is now irrelevent. We are reaping the benefits of what happens when government endorses steady development pushing people out of their neighborhoods in an attempt to face lift and further gentrify 'problem' areas. The community lashes out! General public safety is sacrificed as unthinkable crimes are perpetrated. Then, everyone throws their hands in the air looking for who to point the finger. I am in no way justifying these horrible crimes and excusing the perpetrators. However, with a sound comprehensive program executed by strong leadership (I personally know scores of education certified would- be teachers out of work that would jump at such programs aimed at adult literacy that Senator Reed has proposed in his community "Centers of Hope" program that not only utilizes the aforementioned rec centers as places for physical activity, but also as learning centers- strengthening community ties in a inclusively) we could start to combat crime at its roots and prevent people from making those negative choices - instead of trying to create a budget for more police on the streets - which sounds good on the surface but is fundamentally flawed. Lets to the math. This is a city with roughly five million people with 1,701 police officers to patrol the streets. Thats a joke! That makes us the only major city in the country with such a disparity regarding the number of officers to citizens ratio. And we FEEL unsafe. If I was a criminal, odds are - as long as my activities are below the blatant public outcry radar- I'm not going to be apprehended! Think of it this way. Robbers and criminals dont wake up thinking they are going to get caught. But yet the number of brazen crimes committed are rising steadily. College students robbed and shot, sports figures and city councilmen carjacked and or assaulted. Take a look @ New York's police/citizen ratio and start there. I'll end with my opinion concurring with Step Ramage's endorsement of state Senator Kasim Reed for mayor. He is the only one that has a proven record of being effective when the odds are stacked against him. Add the fact that he has the relationships in the Gold Dome, knows who signs the checks there, knows the true mindset and pulse of the everyday Atlanta citizen and what's most important to us in the community, and the apparent ineffectiveness off the other 2 front runners- and the choice is clear... Again, I applaud you Stephanie for putting yourself out there and basing your article on facts instead of grandstanding in bold letters. PRECIATE CHA folk!
Atlanta's Thorobred Muscle

Anonymous
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 4:56 PM

Dear God, I have been felled by a friendly hand.

Anonymous, I really appreciate your comment, but we are not, for the love of all that is holy, the online extension of the AJC.

Most of the time, I think the AJC is a sorry excuse for fishwrap. We are an independent weekly newspaper, or as some would have it, a "street paper." I'm very proud of that.

-- Very best, Stephanie Ramage

Stephanie
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 5:03 PM

Well it seems like the the Reed camp has finally been ordered to infiltrate this blog with their inarticulate and obvious attempts to thwart what the true Atlanta feels. Kasim please tell your rentboys to keep the integrity of this blog. You at least owe that to the talented but wrong (in this case) Stephanie Ramage.

RentBoy
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 5:26 PM

Why Kasim should NOT be mayor. Oh Stephanie, you blind yourself from time to time, especially when the cops are at issue. Just because Kasim appeared to favor the cops with his one mill idea, you give him a free pass!

Most important, you completely ignore Kasim's biggest recent action which shows him in his true light as a developer's stooge, just like Lisa. As soon as the state Supreme Court found that school taxes could not be diverted to developer projects such as the Beltline, Kasim leapt in to overturn the state constitution and let school money flow away from schools again. Wayne Mason says thank you very much. Then you pretend that a state loan to poor lil Atlanta for the water sewer behemoth is something to brag about, handily forgetting the Franklin promise that the state would pay a third of the $4bn cost of the program, not just lend us a few bucks. Atlanta totally failed to get state support for this exorbitantly costly program and residents are faced with huge water bills and record-high sales tax rates as a result. Most of the other legislation for which you praise Kasim eroded Atlanta's tax base, creating a chronic budget crisis that we have barely begun to address.

And one more strike against Kasim. In his remarks to CFA he actually brags that he helped keep APS superintendent Beverley Hall here, lauding her achievements. She has achieved great PR but done virtually nothing for student achievement in her sorry apology for a school system - and her excessive spending on overhead makes APS a terrible burden for Atlanta taxpayers to shoulder.

Julian
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 11:17 AM

Thank you so much for this article Stephanie! As a recent college graduate I find myself becoming engaged in Mayoral conversations more and more, because the Next Mayor will effect me and the numerous other young people in this city. From there I came to the realization that out of all of the Mayoral Candidates there is only one candidate who actually cares and diligently works in the best interest of young adults and our young people. From Crime, public safety, recreation centers, and even our Education systems Senator Kasim Reed actually cares. So in the beginning I knew that he was the best candidate for Mayor. And now with your article I have gained further insight as to why any other candidate (Borders or Norwood) will simply not help our city or the people in it.

We need change, our young people need change, and Reed is the person who will make such changes. We do not need someone who view's our crime problems as "feeling of being unsafe"-Borders, as you stated in your article and we do not need someone who stays off record to avoid any potential downfall (Norwood). "Some people" say that Norwood and Borders are great people, and this may be true. However there are a lot of great people in the world...this does not make them a great mayor. A great Mayor must embody leadership skills, people skills, and intellect, and not to mention a record of public service. With all that is going on within the city, at times people can easily lose sight of what is important. And what is important is the right person for Mayor of Atlanta.

Senator Kasim Reed has already proven what he will do as Mayor based upon his ability to get-it-done as State Senator. Our city needs change, and while all of the issues are of equal importance, Senator Reed actually cares about our young people and the crime within Atlanta. Reed wants change and I strongly believe that he is the only candidate that takes action, listens to the people, and is willing to work in the best interest of our city.
-Ashley

Ashley
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 2:32 PM

Stephanie,

I commend you for taking the time to review the candidates, their background and the plans. Some time ago, about 5 years ago, I met Kasim Reed. I did not like him at all. He was not the friendliest person, nor did he make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So I said, I would never support him. I work in City Hall, I won't say where,but let's just say I have been there for the majority of Lisa tenure and long enough to know Mary is really not all there. Really.

Lisa's style of politics is actually symbolic of the recent past. Do nothing, say nothing, smile and give em hell when you want to run again.

Mary...I just don't know what to say or how she even went from talk-a-too much chatty councilmember to holding her thumb in the dam?

She did and does no such thing. She does nothing but go to neighborhood meetings and tells residents what they want to hear and then sends the report on what she promises to do to the actual Councilmember or their staff to handle. She is at-large, but not in charge and never has been.

She has said a number of times that she will have information on how to run the city when she becomes mayor...I hope Mayor Franklin leaves her some cliff notes or a city hall manual because I don't think the current or previous Mayor had that priveledge.

Frankly, no pun intended, Mary scares me as a resident and just as much as an employee of the city. I know the water dept has poor customer service, taxes are high, sidewalks are broken, potholes are ruining cars, but does Mary know how to fix this problem or where to start?

No I can't do it and I can not take that residents are pretending to believe that Mary or Lisa can do a job as well as Mayor Franklin, regardless of her flaws.

I am no fan, but I do know experience when I see it and she had it coming in the door, not after it closed behind her.

I support Kasim Reed not because he has a glowing personality, He couldn't have charmed you Stephanie. He is as dry as corn meal.

I support Kasim Reed for Mayor because he can lead, he has been and residents need to wake up and smell the reality pill.

Yes he sat on a committee that brought in Pennington, but be real. The guy was a dream walking in, just as the rest of Council. I am surprised how well Kasim gets along with his colleagues given his personality flaw or should I say dullness. But I am pretty sure his logic, leadership and ability to leverage facts over smiles, makes the difference.

I don't want to offend, but you are definitely not the smartest if you think these two lovely ladies, who have been in City Hall for the the past 5 to 8 years will be able to stand the pressure of the leadership the Office of Mayor requires. They have done nothing and it shows in their record, their responses to current and very real problems and no plan of action.

Tell Mary to go plant some flowers at Nancy Creek and tell Lisa to just do as she has done, be quiet, drop out again to have a cool St. John " I love to hear myself speak" party.

Lana
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 12:58 AM

Stephanie,

I commend you for taking the time to review the candidates, their background and the plans. Some time ago, about 5 years ago, I met Kasim Reed. I did not like him at all. He was not the friendliest person, nor did he make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So I said, I would never support him. I work in City Hall, I won't say where,but let's just say I have been there for the majority of Lisa tenure and long enough to know Mary is really not all there. Really.

Lisa's style of politics is actually symbolic of the recent past. Do nothing, say nothing, smile and give em hell when you want to run again.

Mary...I just don't know what to say or how she even went from talk-a-too much chatty councilmember to holding her thumb in the dam?

She did and does no such thing. She does nothing but go to neighborhood meetings and tells residents what they want to hear and then sends the report on what she promises to do to the actual Councilmember or their staff to handle. She is at-large, but not in charge and never has been.

She has said a number of times that she will have information on how to run the city when she becomes mayor...I hope Mayor Franklin leaves her some cliff notes or a city hall manual because I don't think the current or previous Mayor had that priveledge.

Frankly, no pun intended, Mary scares me as a resident and just as much as an employee of the city. I know the water dept has poor customer service, taxes are high, sidewalks are broken, potholes are ruining cars, but does Mary know how to fix this problem or where to start?

No I can't do it and I can not take that residents are pretending to believe that Mary or Lisa can do a job as well as Mayor Franklin, regardless of her flaws.

I am no fan, but I do know experience when I see it and she had it coming in the door, not after it closed behind her.

I support Kasim Reed not because he has a glowing personality, He couldn't have charmed you Stephanie. He is as dry as corn meal.

I support Kasim Reed for Mayor because he can lead, he has been and residents need to wake up and smell the reality pill.

Yes he sat on a committee that brought in Pennington, but be real. The guy was a dream walking in, just as the rest of Council. I am surprised how well Kasim gets along with his colleagues given his personality flaw or should I say dullness. But I am pretty sure his logic, leadership and ability to leverage facts over smiles, makes the difference.

I don't want to offend, but you are definitely not the smartest if you think these two lovely ladies, who have been in City Hall for the the past 5 to 8 years will be able to stand the pressure of the leadership the Office of Mayor requires. They have done nothing and it shows in their record, their responses to current and very real problems and no plan of action.

Tell Mary to go plant some flowers at Nancy Creek and tell Lisa to just do as she has done, be quiet, drop out again to have a cool St. John " I love to hear myself speak" party.

Lana
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 12:58 AM

There is actually an interesting article on ajc.com today. It seems that the Jackson Machine is more worried about racial politics than fixing the city. WHO KNEW THAT ONE? Anyways, the memo states that blacks need to rally around only one black candidate(Borders) to defeat Norwood.

Ryan
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 3:13 PM

Yep. And Kasim Reed and Mary Norwood have both responded quite graciously to the Borders surrogate's racist comments. They each sent me their statements today.

From Kasim: "“Not only do I find these comments racially charged and vitriolic, I completely repudiate them because they are fundamentally wrong and do not belong in today’s society. I call on Ms. Borders to do the right thing and denounce such divisive, racist language immediately.
“These tactics divide the very community that has made Atlanta emerge as a leading city in the South and dishonors the legacies of Mayors Maynard Jackson, Andrew Young, Ivan Allen, Sam Massell, and William Hartsfield. This campaign should be waged on the merits of each candidate, not the color of their skin.”

From Mary: “As I have said since I first announced for Mayor, my candidacy is based on two simple and basic ideas and race does not play a role. First, the primary responsibility for any government is the safety of its citizens. We must stop the crime that is ravaging Atlanta. Residents, business owners and visitors must feel safe in their homes and safe on our streets. Second, we must restore sound, fiscal management to our City. The two go hand in hand. Only when we get control of our finances can we hire the police and fire fighters we need to protect all in Atlanta.”

Stephanie
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 3:54 PM

This is one of the most solid pieces I have seen out of your corner Stephanie. Certainly the most comprehensive piece I have seen on the merits of this election.

I doubt any candidate or campaign would have anything to add. Mary wants me to trust that she's gonna figure it out once she gets there. Lisa wants me to pick her because she's the best looking of the bunch and Kasim's resume is longer than the other two combined.

I think it's also important to note that Kasim's 1 Mil legislation would have reserved those funds specifically for Public Safety. ie: if we go broke we still have money in the coffers to keep the fire and police running. Currently our funds are still commingled with all the other shortfalls we are facing.

I still think that is a good idea. I've been watching the City Council Meetings for the past year and I haven't heard one good idea or stimulating debate out of Lisa or Mary. I have begged Felicia Moore to enter the race but absent that I continue to believe that come November Kasim is going to get my vote.

Turner

Turner
Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 5:35 AM