A platform for Atlanta’s new mayor
It looks as though congratulations are in order for Kasim Reed, who will seemingly eke out a win over Mary Norwood in the contest to be the next mayor of Atlanta. They both waged decent campaigns, and they both deserve congratulations for sticking to the issues instead of sinking into the mud.
That said, Reed has his work cut out for him. The city of Atlanta has serious financial problem which pre-date the recession: Its pension obligations are super-costly and will haunt the city for decades to come if its lawyers can’t find a way to claw back some of those provisions. Indeed, the entire financial/accounting infrastructure needs an overhaul — a step that Mayor Franklin was unable or unwilling to make.
In addition, crime is rising — and nothing will stop the city’s rejuvenation faster than a soaring rate of violent crime. Reed has already named finding a new police chief as his top priority. He should look for someone who can communicate more effectively with the public than Pennington has.
Then, there’s finishing the sewer overhaul ably (and courageously) started by Mayor Franklin. It’s costly but absolutely necessary.
So Reed may have time for a short vacation to recover from a tough campaign, but he shouldn’t take too long.
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47 comments Add your comment
john
December 2nd, 2009
11:22 am
Hope he takes the big step that are needed. We cannot afford to pay pensions anymore. We need to cancel them completely and have the gov’t employees join the rest of us and have a 401k.
The water system need serious work and it will be costly. I am currently in search of a new home but fear buying in the city limits based on the fiscal mess that the city has put itself. Someone is going to have to pay for the 70k desk worker and the full pension plan they will retire with.
I wish him luck and really hope he puts fiscal concerns before social concerns.
DebbieDoRight
December 2nd, 2009
11:35 am
What Reed needs to do is go to the State Senate/Congress and see how he can pull Atlanta’s funds back into Atlanta’s coffers instead of sending every dime Atlanta makes to every little town in Georgia, (welfare), so that they can meet their budgets.
Reed should ask for at least TWO YEARS of all of Atlanta’s profits be held in Atlanta to pay off their debts, deficits, etc. Atlanta makes the money for the whole state to survive off of; but now it’s faltering itself — let Atlanta keep its OWN MONEY to pay off its debts and let those other little cities and municipalities strive on their own for a while. Not forever, but for at least two years — if they can’t make it two years without Atlanta based-state sanctioned welfare, then perhaps they need to become extinct.
Carter is a Fool
December 2nd, 2009
11:45 am
It was not entirely decided on race. It was also decided when Reed promised to give them jobs.
Now there is a big difference between promising to give them jobs and putting people to work.
As some folks define it – a job is where you go on a somewhat regular basis to collect a check. There is no real mention of work. Putting people to work is just that – work and not to be confused with a job. Work is work (requires effort) whereas a job is something to occupy your day while you collect a check.
What a out of focus world that we live in.
Turd Feguson
December 2nd, 2009
11:51 am
Im glad to state Atlantas best days are now behind it. This town is fraught with leaders who are losers, plain and simple. Incapable leaders, incompetent city workers, high taxes, waste etc.
Hopefully Kasim can have a positive impact and I wish him the best!
Common Sense
December 2nd, 2009
12:02 pm
Ms. Tucker:
It will be easier to find a head coach for Notre Dame than a police chief for Atlanta. No one in his/her right mind would want the job with all of the knuckleheads in Atlanta City government.
P.S. to all …………. I always have difficulty getting to Ms. Tucker’s threads as compared to all of the other AJC editorialists. Now, maybe she doesn’t want me here but does anyone else have this problem? Does she need to check with IT ?
Turd Feguson
December 2nd, 2009
12:07 pm
Links work fine here.
Jess
December 2nd, 2009
12:52 pm
DebbiedoRight,
Lets not stop with Atlanta keeping their own taxes. Let Buckhead keep their taxes in Buckhead, and North Fulton keep their taxes in North Fulton. Let’s let the rich keep their taxes as well. I have to agree with you on this one.
woodie
December 2nd, 2009
3:47 pm
It’s pretty obvious that racism played a key role in the outcome of this election. I’d very much like to hear Reed’s plan to work on this obvious problem. We need to get the civil rights leaders down here to ponder this. Meanwhile, congrats to Reed for pulling this upset and showing leadership in the areas he dominated. I like his approach to crime so far. I’d like him to focus on helping MARTA too.
john
December 2nd, 2009
3:51 pm
who cares what color he is honestly, race should not matter if he does what is best for the fiscal situation. the city of Atlanta should follow the model of Sandy Springs gov’t seeing that Sandy Springs ran a surplus last year with the contracted gov’t services.
City resident and employee
December 2nd, 2009
3:57 pm
Um, I disagree that Reed has time for vacation. The annual game of dodge the bullet (the General Assembly session) starts in a few weeks. Our entire region is threatened with Detroitification thanks to Alabama’s and Florida’s water war against us and there are a long list of other pressing issues awaiting his leadership (crime, pensions, the Beltline, and so on and so on and so on …)
His chair and computer are waiting and ready.
(on second thought, maybe he asked Norwood to request a recount to give him that couple days of vacation he really doesn’t have time for)
Intown Lib
December 2nd, 2009
4:00 pm
john: in Sandy Springs logic, doesn’t that just mean that their government just took too much money from Sandy Springs residents in the first place? LOL.
OTP Lib
December 2nd, 2009
6:18 pm
Intown Lib, I love you….
El Jefe
December 2nd, 2009
7:25 pm
If he wants to keep folks in-town and not flee to the suburbs – like AT&T, ADP, IBM and a host of others – do everything to encourage business to come in-town.
High taxes and fees are not the way.
More business, means more workers downtown, means more tax revenue – that translates to more for everyone.
It is too simple of an idea for the lefty libs to understand.
There is no hope in socialism.
OTP Lib
December 2nd, 2009
8:24 pm
Bring back Club Anytime….
atlshirt.org
December 2nd, 2009
9:01 pm
“let Atlanta keep its OWN MONEY to pay off its debts
hmmm, sounds like a democrat doesnt want to support other peoples shortfall. Isn’t this exactly what Obama wants us to do? Doesnt he want to redistribute the wealth, or do you democrats just want to take from the people who do not see eye to eye with you and keep it for yourself ??
Kevin
December 2nd, 2009
9:21 pm
Just curious, Cynthia. For whom would you have voted if you were still a resident of our fine city? Go on. Surprise us.
atlshirt.org
December 2nd, 2009
9:34 pm
kevin,
its kind of obvious who she would have voted for, she thinks all white people are republican
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama
December 2nd, 2009
9:40 pm
hmmm, why is it when a black majority city elects a black it’s NOT about race? mmm, mmm, mmm.
Buckhead
December 2nd, 2009
10:18 pm
The Buckhead city movement should start in earnest. Why should rich folks in the best part of Atlanta stay beholden to a city government that does not work for them. For what it is worth, most people from Buckhead think anything south of I-20 is part of another planet, let alone part of their city.
DBCOOPER
December 2nd, 2009
10:34 pm
Atlanta missed a perfect opportunity to grow as a city. The 30 year old mentality that has lead to a once grand cities decline, could have been reversed. If Atlanta wants to get out of the Bham, Memphis, Jackson Ms mold it had the chance. Back to the bottom we go. Wise up y’all
Ponder
December 2nd, 2009
10:37 pm
One wonders about the correlation of Atlanta problems and the demographics of its Mayors???
In addition, seems Norwood would be Mayor if not because of an outdated 50 plus 1 percent rule !!!
Kevin
December 2nd, 2009
10:46 pm
This election was, quite literally, my last hope for this crumbling shell of a city.
The machine continues, and I’m getting out. I’m moving out of the city, and taking my spending power with me. The race is over. The rats have won.
fitzgerald
December 2nd, 2009
11:22 pm
With Atlanta only having approximately 450,000 people compared to the whole region having close to 5,000,000, no wonder the city itself is in bad shape. Heck, there are not enough people and taxes to support all of the basic programs that is required. People move outside the city limits because there is a better quality of life.
Burroughston Broch
December 2nd, 2009
11:24 pm
Ms. Tucker wrote something similar when Ms. Franklin was elected 8 years ago. Nothing changed under Ms. Franklin’s leadership. Nothing will change under Mr. Reed because he promises more city jobs, just like his predecessors. That is Atlanta’s main problem – city government is not focused on providing services to taxpayers; it is instead focused on being a jobs program and a well of political patronage. This will be the fourth verse of the same, sad song.
Ray
December 2nd, 2009
11:32 pm
I truely hope the new mayor follows through on one of his promises and finds a way to deal with the panderers who harass the conventioners and office workers downtown. It is probably hard for newcomers to believe that the area around Five Points was at one time the financial hub of the southeast and the blocks around the Russel Federal building a major retail area. This whole area started it’s steady decline in the late 70’s when the city did not deal with the panderers and let the whole area just go to pot. This failure hurts the city from an employment standpoint as companies move to the suburbs making access to jobs difficult for residents without vehicles. The city is also hurt by lower taxes from those depressed areas.
Other cities have figured out how to deal with this issue. It is time for Atlanta to take action to regain it’s tax base and create a healther climite downtown where people from the surrounding area want to come.
Disgusted but not surprised
December 3rd, 2009
12:35 am
The racists of Atlanta stole this election. For that, I will never recognize Kasim Reed as mayor. This whole thing is a joke. Reeds endorsements were likewise a total joke. A black “leader” in Atlanta endorsing a white candidate? LMAO!! Aint never gonna happen folks. It’s truly disgusting that big media and the ignorant libral left continue to tolerate this filth.
Toad
December 3rd, 2009
12:48 am
Atlanta is one of the most RACIST cities in the country and it’s been proven, yet again, on a national stage. How embarrassing. Where else can you find two near-illiterate and bigot-loving “teachers” (Boone and Jennings at Clark Atlanta), a pro-racism “academic institution” (Clark Atlanta) and an entire city full of elected officials (Shirley Frankin, Hank Johnson, etc.) who thrive on their supporters’ ignorance and a guilt-ridden leftist media to promote their racist views. These people are completely out of control.
Riddle Me This
December 3rd, 2009
1:12 am
White folks have such a problem with the Black community voting for the Black candidate, yet the electoral map proves that Whites overwhemingly voted for the White candidate in the same fashion??
What’s that Bible verse? Before you pluck the splinter from my eye, rip the PLANK from yours?? Hypocrites.
EVIL REPUBLICANS TIME IS UP
December 3rd, 2009
6:26 am
WHEN YOU STUPID REDNECKS. VOTED FOR BUSH JR FOR 2 TERMS,THEN YOU REDNECKS TURNED AROUND AND VOTED FOR MCCAIN,SO YOU HICKS NEED TO SHUT-UP AND KEEP IT MOVING GEORGIA RACISTS.
EVIL REPUBLICANS TIME IS UP
December 3rd, 2009
6:35 am
WHO DID ALL THE RACISTS WHITES IN THE NORTHSIDE OF TOWN VOTE FOR? MARY NORWOOD! WHO DID ALL THE RACISTS VOTE FOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION(MCCAIN) WHAT ABOUT 2000-2004 YOU RACISTS HICKS VOTED FOR BUSH,ALSO SONNY PERDUE! NOTICE WHEN RACISTS WHITES VOTE,THEY VOTE FOR DUMB PEOPLE TO BANKRUPT AMERICA,LOOK AT WHAT THE EVIL REPUBLICANS DID TO THE COUNTRY 2000-2008.
ck hall
December 3rd, 2009
6:36 am
I knew it! Another race story from Cynthia! It appears “Hotlanta” is a city still not to busy to hate! Obama won with white votes–Reed won with black votes…Hmmm..Anyone surprised?
Grob Hahn
December 3rd, 2009
7:04 am
The nation and the world are not fooled by this obvious display of racial politics. We all got to see the lead up where Black Atlanta went into a sheer panic because a white woman beat a black man. Kinda handy how that 51% thing works out. The rest of the planet is scratching their heads over it, but the cronies in Atlanta know all to well this 51% thing is the ONLY reason Reed is sitting in the city’s top seat. Norwood beat him fair and square but the racist cronies had an ace with the runoff rule. Even black college “professors” circulated racist rants about how terrible Atlanta would be with a white mayor. Some even suggested fire hoses and police dogs would be used on black citizens. Such amazingly stupid scare tactics seem to work like a charm on black people. Why? Do people REALLY think we have made NO racial progress since the 60s? White Americans sure have.
Grobbbbbbbbbbbb
HRPufnstuf
December 3rd, 2009
7:06 am
RACE. Obviously, Cynthia RACE Tucker has a stand in, a guest columnist in this RACE week for her column RACE. There is no mention of RACE in the article RACE. I have never, ever RACE seen an article by Tucker where she didn’t play the RACE card early and often throughout. I look forward RACE to her return after the RACE holidays.
Mike
December 3rd, 2009
7:43 am
“He should look for someone who can communicate more effectively with the public than Pennington has.”
I didn’t realize that Pennington communicated at all.
Anyone else remember the Piedmont Center shooter (I think it was fall of 1999), when the press conferences were run by Bill Campbell? There no mention of Beverly Harvard, where she was, or what she was doing, but Campbell did assure us that Vice President Gore had pledged his full support. I guess if the shooter got to Clinton, or there was a tie vote to be decided, having the VP on your side might be helpful, but I’d rather have an effective police chief.
Tall
December 3rd, 2009
7:49 am
In town lib: You do have a point with Sandy Springs taxes being too high. However, it is nice to have money for a rainy day…if our elected officials can be responsible about it.
BOB
December 3rd, 2009
7:52 am
EVIL REPUBLICANS – i wanted to vote for the black gov. candidate that ran against perdue – who was that again?
Tall
December 3rd, 2009
7:55 am
Every city in America has problems with the pensions due to municipal employees. However, virtually all of them are unionized and they are big block of votes for Democratic candidates. Even if the states – see California – go bankrupt, nothing will change.
YOU STUUPID
December 3rd, 2009
8:57 am
wow, I didnt know that black people could be so RACIST!
I Report/You Decide
December 3rd, 2009
9:09 am
Do you think our new mayor will consider any WHITE candidates for the chief of police position? LOL
Allyana Ziolko
December 3rd, 2009
9:24 am
You left off having the books from the last administration audited. We’re not in a financial crisis because none of us has been paying our taxes. It would be nice if the smoke were washed off the mirrors.
little o
December 3rd, 2009
10:52 am
Congratulations are in order? Unbelievable. This election was fixed by one of the most racist voting segments in the nation. Most of Reed’s supporters ARE NOT ALLOWED to vote for anyone but a black candidate. They are NOT ALLOWED to think for themselves. They are continually denied the freedom to express themselves without the consent of their self-elected “leaders.” What happens if they do? They get accused of turning their backs on their (decaying) community, they’re told they aren’t black enough; they’re called all the names they claim offend them. Funny thing is, the joke’s on them because nobody cares anymore.
CHARLES BARKLEY
December 3rd, 2009
1:29 pm
poor people been voting for democrats in this country for 60 yars and they’re still broke as hell.
A. Jones
December 5th, 2009
5:23 pm
I love it! You white people don’t like it when blacks use your own tactics against you. Maybe if Norwood wasn’t suspected of being a closet Republican, she would have won. Oh well. I see some people here saying they are leaving Atlanta: PLEASE DO! I am sick of you out-of-towners with your bad manners and complete lack of respect for our culture. PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT OR ANOTHER STATE ASAP. Get out! Atlanta before the influx was a much nicer place than after. Pre-influx Atlanta never had smog warning, amongst other things. Please leave, take your white racism with you, and take some illegals too to whatever piece of crap hellhole you are going to.
JOHN ODD OWL
December 6th, 2009
3:45 am
The facts of the matter are that Mayor Shirley Franklin is leaving the city of Atlanta with a budget surplus. The pension plan payouts can be solved by simply deferring some of the costs. Crime is a major problem in Atlanta. Something must be done immediately. The gangs must be eliminated. Mayor Reed should consult with NYC police Commissioner Ray kelly about reducing crime. NYC crime rate has been reduced by over 70% in the last 20 years. The The big house middle class Republican voters are stuck on stupid. They use selective amnesia to forget about the fact that Bush-Cheney and the braindead Republicans they voted for are the ones who screwed up our Country. Now they’re attempting to scape goat, blame and pro-ject their incompetence,errors, mistakes and other shortcomings onto Democrats and African-Americans. Many of these “influxers” are tea baggers attempting to dump their problems at the doorsteps of Atlantans. It will not be allowed. The Georgia state Republican party is spiraling down into the bottom of the crab barrel. The Democrats are poised to win majorities in both houses of the state Legislature next election. Mayor Kasim Reed will be a great mayor. Atlantans should pat themselves on the back.
Bette Vernos
December 15th, 2009
2:59 am
I see our last best hope of saving our great city is lost
Once again we have seen a Mayor elected solely because he is BLACK]
Not because he has knowledge or experience or can help our city… but because he is BLACK
SandySprings I salute your brave and forward looking action…. Atlanta is DOOMED
“He who sows the wind reaps the whilrwind” – He who elects the man solely because he is black,,, gets the incompetent crooked SOB they deserve
….. Anyone remember our LAST mayor
Bette Vernos
December 15th, 2009
3:10 am
QUOTE “You white people don’t like it when blacks use your own tactics against you.”
Hmm suppose the WHITE people used your BLACK tactic against YOU
Wow – I guess would me coming into YOUR neighborhoods and Destroying the Education system, driving around playing LOUD MUSIC with lots of MOFO lyrics and Killing Your Young People and calling your young ladies Bitches and HOs and generally driving down your property values…
OH WAIT
YOU are ALREADY doing that
Oh – as for for Leaving Atlanta – Your Tax Base would be non existsnet and the programs you suck on like a big ole teat would gone]
Remember – Dont Bite The Hand That Feeds Yiu
Bette Vernos
December 15th, 2009
3:16 am
QUOTE WHO DID ALL THE RACISTS WHITES IN THE NORTHSIDE OF TOWN VOTE FOR?
Just to clarify – WHO hates BLACKS in Atlanta Sooooo much that they KILL %99,9 of al BLACKS killed in Atlanta, a Clear Example of Racisim ……
It AIN’T “Evil Whitey” bro
Face they facts – BLACKS are THE MOST DANGEROUS GROUP to BLACKS