Kasim Reed warns against ‘backseat quarterbacking’ on TSPLOST
Various number-crunchers tell us that the one place that treated the TSPLOST favorable in metro area was the city of Atlanta itself, which approved the transportation sales tax by a margin of 58 to 42 percent.
See a quick chart here. Other coverage can be found here. As a whole, Fulton County defeated the measure, 70,488 votes to 66,147. The sales tax also lost in DeKalb County, 61,792 to 57,915.
The city results are good news for Mayor Kasim Reed, who became the loudest voice for the referendum in the final weeks of the campaign – and who stands for re-election next year.
Below is a file from my AJC colleague Jeremiah McWilliams, on Reed and the final moments of last night’s doings:
Speaking at a subdued press conference late Tuesday night at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, Reed was stoic in defeat.
“I’m here to stick out my chin and take the loss, to accept the loss … but to ask in a respectful way that we really do sit down and not wait six or eight or 10 years but work on it right away. Because the future belongs to those who figure it out. … We’re going to have to have politics of cooperation if we’re going to meet these big challenges.”
The first-term mayor embraced Metro Atlanta Chamber president Sam Williams, shook a few hands and walked off stage.
Speaking to reporters moments later, Reed warned against “backseat quarterbacking.” He said early vote totals hurt the campaign, as did the July 31 date and the hemorrhaging of Republican votes in the closing weeks of the campaign.
“Everyone deserves a fair share of responsibility,” Reed said. “We caught a couple of tough breaks…This is not really a time to blame anyone.”
“I think we have to get everyone at the table. I don’t think failing to move forward is an option. Most regions require more than one bite at the apple to achieve this (referendum-based traffic solutions). I wanted us to achieve it on the first try.”
Reed tipped his cap at the opposition.
“I’ve been in this business a long time,” he said. “I respect elections, and I respect results….I congratulate the folks who prevailed. I respect them.”
Reed said another traffic-oriented referendum “has to happen in the future,” calling that approach “the only method to try to fund the traffic improvements you need.”
“(But) I don’t know if it will be tried by me and my colleagues,” he said.
Reed said he believed the campaign failed for deeper reasons than a project list that drew many critics.
“We lost the ‘confidence in government’ argument,” he said. “And the argument around whether our projects are transformational.”Reed said he felt the need to jump into the campaign in a dramatic way two weeks ago after internal polls showed support slipping. After the business community helped raise $8 million for the pro-tax campaign, backing away “would have sent a terrible national message” about the seriousness of Atlanta’s leadership, he said.
“People took real risks in the process,” Reed said, citing Gov. Nathan Deal and others.“I did everything I can,” Reed told a television reporter.
It was shortly before midnight. The party had already broken up.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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157 comments Add your comment
Look before I leap...
August 1st, 2012
9:07 pm
Quote from Nathan Deal today:
“I felt that it was my responsibility to embrace it,” Deal said. “It was not an approach that taxpayers embraced, but that doesn’t mean that many of the projects on the list didn’t have merit. The ones that have merit will still be considered and will hopefully have prioritization.”
Seems like tacit admission that there were indeed proposals without merit.
Which was my problem with TPSLOST to begin with.
Message to the gold dome: I would have supported a half cent tax on a pared down list that made sense or even a 1 cent tax for 5 years for projects that would actually help alleviate traffic congestion in key areas.
But I have elevated blood pressure and my doctor says pork laden gravy trains are bad for my health.
So now, we will do what needs to be done with less money because this was BUNGLED from the get go and Nathan will be the only one with his hand in the cookie jar.
TruthBe
August 1st, 2012
9:16 pm
Amen Brother DannyX, I totally agree with your statement.
DannyX
August 1st, 2012
12:03 pm
Of course TSPLOST had good support from the city of Atlanta. Atlanta won project list gold.
That gold turned out to be one of the biggest reasons TSPLOST lost. Mayor Reed got too greedy, the Beltline should never have been added to the project list.
Mayor Reed also hurt the cause when he botched the airport concessions bid. State and local politicians lack trust. The airport mess, Ga 400 toll, and lack of ethics were all major factors. Politicians have no one to blame but themselves. Reed is trying to deflect when he says now is not the time to place blame. He is deflecting because he is part of the problem, we don’t trust our politicians, Democrat or Republican, with 7 billion dollars.
A good “Plan B” start would be to enact tough new enforceable ethics laws.
Attack Dog
August 1st, 2012
9:16 pm
1. Amen Mayor Reed. 2. Democrats may be irrelevant in the State of Georgia, but as each day goes by, Georgia are becoming more irrelevant…Period. 3. Someone recently mentioned that Atlanta may fall soon behind Birmingham, but they fail to reference that Atlanta was the only reason Georgia was ahead of Alabama and Mississippi in economic development.
Attack Dog
August 1st, 2012
9:19 pm
So if Mayor Reed is so bad, just think of Atlanta having a mayor like Sonny or Clarence, or even Karen. Tell us again who is the mayor of Lawrenceville?
Attack Dog
August 1st, 2012
9:24 pm
Now each day that I ride against the traffic and not be double taxed, I just smile at those Tea Party folks stuck in traffic. Choke on your smoke Dixiecrats because the less you pay in taxes, the more you pay BP and Exxon.
MikeB
August 1st, 2012
9:42 pm
Hammerhead, if state government simply returned its expense line to where it was pre-Perdue, we’d have three times the funds Tsplost aimed to raise. Cost containment and corruption are the issues here. We don’t need a new money pot.
td
August 1st, 2012
9:45 pm
I like Reed. If I lived in Atlanta I would vote for him as mayor. Best African American mayor Atlanta has ever had.
Look before I leap...
August 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
@td
“Best African American mayor Atlanta has ever had.”
Why?
td
August 1st, 2012
9:54 pm
Since raising taxes is out of the question now what is the answer? Our budget is made up of 70% Education (45%) and Medicaid (25%) and the other 30% pays for Transportation, law enforcement, Public health, Mental Health, social services, Labor, DNR, Justice system ect…
Where are the cuts going to come from? IMHO and a clue, why are we paying almost as much to pay for peoples health insurance as we are for the rest of state government?
td
August 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
Look before I leap…
August 1st, 2012
9:50 pm
@td
“Best African American mayor Atlanta has ever had.”
Why?
More physically conservative. I also have a history of working with him in the legislature. He was the only Democrat to co sponsor a bill the group I was working with wanted to pass.
td
August 1st, 2012
10:03 pm
td
August 1st, 2012
9:56 pm
” physically conservative” Long day. Should be fiscally conservative.
REALITY CHECK
August 1st, 2012
10:13 pm
@ GA Values
As I read your comments, you know what else dawned on me that Fulton, Dekalb & Clayton have in common – majority black residents & elected officials. You sound blatantly racist…not subtle at all & we wonder why GA is still backwards in 2012. Tax ourselves to improve quality of life for all people, even those that don’t look like me…what was this region thinking???
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:16 pm
@ look before I leap
Another Deal Quote about the Tsplost defeat:
” But metro Atlanta residents could also find themselves enduring pot holes and worse for the sake of better roads around the Port of Savannah, he added.”
I’m serious about Brother Deal and Savannah. After Sonny’s real estate boondoggles crashed and burned(Oakey Woods, etc.) he focused exclusively on setting up his personal export business, http://www.perduepartners.com After interrogating state employees at the port authority, he proceeded to load it up with relatives and cronies, and started making junkets overseas to drum up business for his company – all on Georgia’s citizens money.
Brother Deal is following Brother Sonny’s footsteps – he’s already appointed his junk car inspector partner, in Gainesville, to the port authority and there’s millions to be made exporting chicken feet to China for his Gainesville poultry farmer sugardaddies. Look for him to partner with Sonny, and continue the overseas junkets – just like Sonny – at the expense of Georgia’s citizens.
td
August 1st, 2012
10:19 pm
REALITY CHECK
August 1st, 2012
10:13 pm
“Fulton, Dekalb & Clayton have in common – majority black ”
This type of comment only comes from people that only want to see every issue in color and not reality.
You could also say these area are bastions of liberalism and that is the reason for their failures but you instead of looking at a philosophy that may be failing and only see racist reasons for failure.
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:20 pm
@td
Did you eat all three meals at chick-fil-a today? Lots of long lines?
td
August 1st, 2012
10:24 pm
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:16 pm
And? Do you really think these rich people run for office out of the goodness of their hearts or for the best interest of the people only? Get in the real world. The politicians run to help their friends, themselves while at the same time doing what is in the best interest of their state. (Both Democrat and Republican).
Sounds like to me you are just either a little wet behind the ears unaware or a little jealous that you have not made friend in the right places.
td
August 1st, 2012
10:25 pm
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:20 pm
@td
Did you eat all three meals at chick-fil-a today? Lots of long lines?
Only Breakfast today to show my appreciation.
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:31 pm
@td
They’re not rich when they run for office – they get rich while they’re in office. It’s why you shouldn’t elect trailer trash.
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:33 pm
I ate at KFC to show my disdain.
Jason
August 1st, 2012
10:41 pm
When do we get to vote on the new stadium? Oh, wait, we don’t. Giving billionare Arthur Blank several hundred million dollars of tax money is too important to let the unwashed masses decide for themselves.
td
August 1st, 2012
10:42 pm
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:31 pm
Really? Are you trying to tell us all our governors were broke? Now that is a good laugh. Let us see Carter (poor or wealthy), Joe Frank Harris (Poor or Wealthy), Zell Miller (Poor or Wealthy), Barnes (poor or wealthy), Sonny (poor or wealthy)? Deal is a retired Congressman and retired Judge and an attorney and he was only in debt on paper and it was only because he wanted another office or he would have made his kids file bankruptcy.He could be charging $500 an hour to represent people in court.
Next thing you are going to tell us is that if the people would elect you they you would NEVER use your office to help any friends, family or yourself.
Look before I leap...
August 1st, 2012
10:43 pm
@td
Well I think Shirley Franklin is in much better physical shape than Reed.
The jury is out IMHO on Reed.
I don’t like how the airport concession contracts were handled.
I don’t like the weaselly way he came out in support of TSPLOST.
I really don’t like the 10 “discretionary” employees he has in his budget.
I have a gut feel (but no concrete proof) that he is racially biased towards blacks in the city
I liked Franklin’s pro-business approach. I liked her response to addressing Atlanta’s poor water quality. I liked her measured and balanced approach to addressing Atlanta’s pee poor finances. I liked that she recognized that the homeless and panhandling issues were detrimental to Atlanta’s growth and image.
I did not care much for the “The ATL” branding campaign and she could have been more aggressive in booting some of the City Hall deadbeats and incompetents.
I had the opportunity with work with Shirley and her administration to develop some cost/spending models and a revenue projection model. Shirley and her top advisers got the message. The finance folks did not. Municipal bureaucracy at its worst and while my model had a 97% accuracy rate, Reed discarded my model.
td
August 1st, 2012
10:44 pm
Jason
August 1st, 2012
10:41 pm
When do we get to vote on the new stadium? Oh, wait, we don’t. Giving billionare Arthur Blank several hundred million dollars of tax money is too important to let the unwashed masses decide for themselves.
Building that new stadium has a better chance in returning the INVESTMENT to the taxpayers then paying their medical insurance.
hiram
August 1st, 2012
10:46 pm
td,
Have you ever had a serious head injury?
Kris
August 1st, 2012
10:46 pm
@ hiram & td….holding out for the love in at chick-fil-a …Kinda reminds me of the 70’s, hugging a tree and all that fun stuff.
Watch dirty deal….he’s up to no good! Oh let recall DEAL..
Invictus
August 1st, 2012
10:48 pm
I commend the Mayor for sticking his neck out there on behalf of the city of Atlanta! He has and will continue to do GREAT things for the city of Atlanta. He took this punch to the kidneys from the TIA defeat and he will bounce back like a true warrior! The true test of a person is not during times of comfort and convenience but they are during conflict and controversy. The Mayor will bounce back from this and continue to lead the city into the future!
Bernie
August 1st, 2012
10:50 pm
td @ 9:45 pm – TD says many things here but his heart is with the Baggers. We all know who hangs out with them.
Bernie
August 1st, 2012
10:53 pm
Invictus@10:48 pm – Wishful thinking does not make it so. Mayor Reed is a good Legislator first and foremost. In The role of Mayor his Leadership is seriously lacking. One does not make the other automatic.
longbread
August 1st, 2012
10:54 pm
Get off the Mayor’s back! Wake upppl!
REALITY CHECK
August 1st, 2012
10:55 pm
@ td
Yea, liberalism is another way to describe what those 3 counties have in common & I am a fool. I call it like I see it. Hide behind this blog, nice terms & whatever else to cover up the ugly underlying tones of many of these posted comments if you want to…
Jim
August 1st, 2012
10:57 pm
I’d like to try this experiment…shut down all MARTA train service for one week and then reevaluate how worthwhile mass transit is to the casual rider from North Fulton or Gwinnett or Forsyth county who can no longer park and ride to the airport…or to the non-riders who now have to contend with thousands of more cars on the road to add to his/her existing commute.
Look before I leap...
August 1st, 2012
11:01 pm
@Invictus
Please name 5 things that Reed has done as mayor that are a plus in your book?
Facts and citations are a plus.
That you seem to have a woody because he is the first black male mayor in 20 years who has not been indicted does not count.
Look before I leap...
August 1st, 2012
11:13 pm
“…and he was only in debt on paper and it was only because he wanted another office or he would have made his kids file bankruptcy.”
Wow.
So had Deal NOT been running for office, he would have done the right thing and filed for bankruptcy?
When you co-sign a loan and the person you co-signed for falls on their face, you are morally and legally responsible for the loan. That is pretty much sums up what co-signing for a loan means.
And while I don’t expect an honest answer, ask yourself, would you be so forgiving to Mr Deal and his lousy financial acumen if his name was Obama?
td
August 1st, 2012
11:14 pm
REALITY CHECK
August 1st, 2012
10:55 pm
Yes, you have convinced me that racism is the only reason African Americans have all the problems in their community. If we could get rid of those nasty white racist then everything in the African American community would turn around and be perfect overnight. Keep believing that if it is the only way you can get through the day and you are afraid of taking a real hard inner look at real problems
Invictus
August 1st, 2012
11:26 pm
@Look Before I Leap: Port Dea!l done. International Termina!l done. Police and Fire Officers pay raise ,done. Pension deal, done. Balanced Budgets .done. City Hall East Sale, done. 100 million in cash reserves ,done. Consent decree extension for water/ sewer ,done. Fully funded arts ,done. Re-Opened all community centers, done. Senior Ball reinstituted ,done. And the list goes on and on and on. All done under the Reed administration with the help of Council. I rather have a person fight for what they believe in and learn from a failure than get defeated without fighting!
td
August 1st, 2012
11:32 pm
Look before I leap…
August 1st, 2012
11:13 pm
He would have either filed for Bankruptcy or would have used some legal moves to get a plan that was favorable to himself to pay the money back.
The real question is what did Deal really do. He cashed out his retirement, sold his houses, sold the default property and paid off the debt. Where is the credit for doing the right thing?
Hamilton
August 1st, 2012
11:50 pm
…as Georgia slides backwards, I am reminded of the Lesters- that cruel, savage and debilitatingly poor family created by Esrskine Caldwell. Eighty years come and gone. Progress? Or no progress? While there may not be so much tobacco lining our roads going forward, 20 years of unenlightened transportation policy may return them to their native condition.
hiram
August 1st, 2012
11:56 pm
@td
Brother Deal sold the building to a porn distributor with a chain of peep shows in Southern California, and claimed the wasn’t aware of what the man’s profession was. So, you sell building to someone without knowing anything about them? How stupid does he think people are?
td
August 2nd, 2012
12:02 am
hiram
August 1st, 2012
11:56 pm
@td
Brother Deal sold the building to a porn distributor with a chain of peep shows in Southern California, and claimed the wasn’t aware of what the man’s profession was. So, you sell building to someone without knowing anything about them? How stupid does he think people are?
So you know who you sold your last house too? If you have ever owned a home then you would know that most of the time you do not even meet the purchaser until you go to closing and I have never heard of anyone checking the back ground of a person before selling to them.
First you show how unaware you are about how politicians do business and now you show you know nothing about selling property. You must be really young and that explains a great deal about your post.
hiram
August 2nd, 2012
12:56 am
On property of that value, I usually ran a background check on the person making the offer, before signing a contract, so that I didn’t waste my time. It is ludicrous to assume that Deal would have signed a buy/sale agreement without checking out the buyers ability to produce the funds.
Beverly Fraud
August 2nd, 2012
1:14 am
“The first-term mayor embraced Metro Atlanta Chamber president Sam Williams, shook a few hands and walked off stage.”
So two people who tried their hardest to prop up Beverly Hall AFTER it was apparent to anyone with even a SHRED of integrity that she was at the heart and soul of the largest cheating scandal in United States educational history are actually questioning why the voters didn’t trust them?
What’s next, Bernie Madoff wondering why he didn’t get the bookkeeper’s job in prison?
Reactions to TSPLOST Defeat
August 2nd, 2012
4:43 am
[...] Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [...]
jezel
August 2nd, 2012
7:05 am
Appears Georgia has a problem larger than than the traffic issue….it is called a TRUST ISSUE. Several things might be done to restore this trust. Take down the toll station on Ga. 400 now…Determine where the HOPE money went and who is responsible for diverting these funds years ago. And….help me fill in the rest of the blanks. Am quiet sure there are several things i am missing.
2DPoint
August 2nd, 2012
7:22 am
In these economic times, the people stood up (FINALLY) and cried with their votes, “We’ve had enough!” Those people floating with the cream at the top didn’t seem to understand that….perhaps they still don’t.
*The people were mostly misinformed about the layout of this plan (who it would affect, how many jobs would truly be created, what kind of jobs they would be, where they would be and long long they would last).
*Investors…..who were they and could it be some of them were the same benefactors of contracts at the airport?
*How would the money be handled? Many people don’t trust the state’s government to deal with money because we tend to misappropriate it.
*A promise is a promise: If you ran for office on a pledge that you won’t raise taxes, don’t go back on your word.
This measure did not sound or feel right. Georgia has a problem getting clearly stated information out to its citizens in a timely and truthful manner. I wish I had a solution for it – but that seems to be culture around here. The fact is – Georgia need better solutions for its transportation problems but it will take some time to devise a true plan that the citizens can comprehend and agree with. The government might want to get citizens involved next time rather than trying to cram another bitter pill like this down our throats.
Edmund Ruffin
August 2nd, 2012
8:10 am
I’m all for the powers to be figuring out how to resolve the traffic puzzle, just as long as they can eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and do it without raising taxes. The feds, the state and counties are awash with our money, they just have a serious problem spending it appropriately as you and I have to do.
hiram
August 2nd, 2012
8:16 am
jezel
August 2nd, 2012
7:05 am
“Appears Georgia has a problem larger than than the traffic issue….it is called a TRUST ISSUE…
And….help me fill in the rest of the blanks. Am quiet sure there are several things i am missing.”
td
August 1st, 2012
10:24 pm
“And? Do you really think these rich people run for office out of the goodness of their hearts or for the best interest of the people only? Get in the real world. The politicians run to help their friends, themselves while at the same time doing what is in the best interest of their state. (Both Democrat and Republican).”
You live in the most corrupt state in the country, because the majority of Georgia’s voters expect and accept the fact that all politicians are crooks, who’s only purpose for running for office is to rob the citizens blind. And, they weren’t disappointed with Sonny Boy, and Brother Deal is out to set the new standard.
Bob
August 2nd, 2012
8:34 am
They thought the idiots would vote to increase their taxes, but NO the plan backfired.
If you thought GDOT was dictatorial before, you ain’t see nothin yet!
td
August 2nd, 2012
8:56 am
hiram
August 2nd, 2012
8:16 am
“You live in the most corrupt state in the country”
Pure BS statement coming from a BS article.
“, because the majority of Georgia’s voters expect and accept the fact that all politicians are crooks, who’s only purpose for running for office is to rob the citizens blind. And, they weren’t disappointed with Sonny Boy, and Brother Deal is out to set the new standard.”
Crooks? Some of them are but not most of them. To sit there and deny that people run for office for their own best interest is to live in a fantasy world and goes against all logical and established studies into human nature.
Sonny was no more corrupt then Roy or Zell or any other governor we have had. They all appointed friends and contributors to boards and other positions of power and they all directed legislation that looked out for their own self interest. If you want to compare money value of such legislation then you would have to say that Roy is the most corrupt because the law reform allowing more suing in consumer matters and then the power to appoint all those judges has made him extremely wealthy after he left office.
double
August 2nd, 2012
9:10 am
I thought TD ate BQ 3times per day.As long as the vendor had vote Romney signs posted.
jezel
August 2nd, 2012
9:10 am
Makes the idea of one term…no incumbents…ever..anywhere….all the more appealing. And this is something we can all do. Vote for the new guy.