AJC Conversation

This is Bill Torpy and Jim Tharpe of the AJC. We’re here online to discuss our story Sunday about how Atlanta is losing jobs just as it is gaining population. Atlanta has long been a business capital. But many feel it is losing its edge. Any thoughts about how the city can turn this around?

Continue reading What Can Atlanta Do to Attract Jobs and Business? »

This is AJC reporter Margaret Newkirk, ready to discuss the latest installment of our series on Atlanta. The story appeared Sunday and examined the troubled relationship between the city and the rest of Georgia. Post comments and questions here for the next four hours.

Continue reading Can Atlanta improve its relationship with the state? »

This is AJC Reporter Ernie Suggs, ready to discuss the latest installment of our “Atlanta Project” series. The story, which appeared Sunday, focused on how to address the lingering and growing problem of homelessness and panhandling in Atlanta. Post comments and questions here for the next four hours.

Continue reading How does Atlanta’s homelessness and panhandling problems impact your quality of life? »

Atlantans by now surely get the water as scarce, valuable resource argument. The city’s rates have doubled since 2003 and will triple (from that number) over the next three years).
Over a decade rates will go up about $1200 a year for the average user.
The city’s recent 3-mill property tax hike, by comparison raised the taxes on a $250,000 home about $240.
And, a new tax/fee for storm water’s coming soon.
Let me know what you think.

Continue reading Sewers are only part of the story »

After some kind comments, Tim of Atlanta wrote me: “On this issue in particular, it looks like Borders had the best response in figuring out a plan to get out of this mess.  But I’d like to better understand how responsible are Borders and Norwood for getting us into this mess as council president and council member… after re-reading the article I’m left wondering who is ‘most to blame’ for the pension increases without proper funding etc?  It seems to be the city council, but I’m wondering if someone in particular brought these increases to council for a vote.   And as council president was Borders a central figure in passing these increases in 2001 and 2005 or is council president just as powerful/powerless as any other council member such as Norwood?”

Continue reading Who is at fault? »

Several people have sent me private emails regarding the current mayoral candidates and their views on the pension crisis. What do you think?

Continue reading Pensions and the candidates »

This is AJC Reporter Cameron McWhirter, ready to discuss the second installment of our “Atlanta Project” series. The story, which appeared Sunday, focused on the enormous pension liabilities now facing the city. Post comments and questions here for the next four hours.

Continue reading Atlanta City Pensions discussion starts »

For much of 2009, a debate has raged in much of Atlanta over crime and public safety. The city’s top officials insist crime is down and that, as Mayor Shirley Franklin put it, Atlanta is the safest it has been in decades. Many citizens, though, complain that crime has become more brutal, more threatening, and they point to a series of high-profile crimes to suggest the city is becoming a more dangerous place to work and live.

To some degree, both sides are right.

Crime rates are down; violent crime is at an historic low.

But the brutality of crimes that have attracted attention lately is also very real. From the murder of John Henderson at the Standard bar in January to the death of Jasmine Lynn in September in the Atlanta University Center, 2009 in Atlanta has been punctuated by particularly horrific crime.

The AJC spent several weeks examining crime in Atlanta and the performance of the city’s police force. You can read what we found here.

The article is part of the AJC …

Continue reading Crime and law enforcement in Atlanta »

A promising young student is slain by a stray bullet as she walks near campus. A beloved grandmother is robbed of $2 and killed just after she unlocks the laundromat her family has operated for 15 years. A homeowner mowing his lawn in the afternoon is accosted and shot.

There is little that is scarier than random, unpredictable crime committed by a stranger in broad daylight.

As much as we try to stay safe, the high-profile crimes we’ve seen lately shatter the illusion that we can protect ourselves.

Atlanta police continue to stress that violent crime is down. It’s not surprising that residents are angry and mistrustful. They don’t find the assurances particularly reassuring.

The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution is helping readers arm themselves with information about the latest crime reports in their area.

The new crime data collection is a work in progress but you can see the page at www.ajc.com/go/crimereports.

The page includes recent crime reports from several local …

Continue reading Connecting communities with crime information »

Shawn McIntosh, Public editor

The health care debate isn’t just filling up the airwaves with pundits and the town hall meetings with concerned citizens.

It’s also filling up my inbox.

Communication to the public editor ebbs and flows from week to week. It jumps when editors make changes to the newspaper. And it spikes whenever proofreaders miss a stupid mistake, like one recent article that said a Civil War battle occurred in 1983.

Lately there’s been a steady increase in the number of calls and e-mails that include questions about various health care proposals, concern and criticism about media coverage, and suggestions for stories the newspaper should tackle.

The comments include a wide range of opinion, from both supporters and opponents of the current health care proposals. They also include a few consistent themes I’ve shared with newsroom editors:

Readers on all sides of the debate resent being painted with a broad brush. They say they are not racists, …

Continue reading Health care debate spurs coverage »