Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed wants the city to regain its dominance in the Southeast (Savannah: sales, violent crime)

[tonygeorgia]

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed wants the city to regain its dominance in the Southeast | SaportaReport

That was the message that Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed delivered Monday at a Commerce Club speech. The mayor thanked the audience of mostly Commerce Club members for their support of the city, but he clearly was trying to re-energize Atlantans to believe in the city once again.

Reed acknowledged that times have been tough for the city, the region and the state. But he said it was important to not overlook the real accomplishments that have occurred.

He went through a laundry list of his achievements:

1. The city’s audited cash reserves total about $70 million compared to $7 million when he took office. Reed said he anticipates that reserves will reach $90 million in the next 60 days, and he is optimistic that there will be $108 million in reserves — or 20 percent of the city’s budget — at the end of his first term.

2. The city was able to successfully enact pension reform. “City of Atlanta employees have really stepped up,” Reed said , adding that they are now covering 13 percent of the costs compared to 8 percent — which was placing a costly obligation on the city’s books.

3. During his term, the city has hired an additional 350 officers, and Reed said the city is on its way to adding 750 officers that would give it a total force of 2,000 officers — a goal that has eluded the city in the past.

4. Crime is down. For example, up to this moment, there have been fewer than 75 people killed in Atlanta so far this year. It is only the fifth time since Lyndon Baines Johnson was president that there have been fewer than 100 people murdered in one year.

5. The state and the city are working together on projects important to overall economy — including the deepening of the Port of Savannah and securing federal dollars for a major transportation project in Cobb and Cherokee counties.

6. The Atlanta region passed a $6.14 billion list of transportation projects — heralding a new day of regional cooperation. Now it is critical that voters go to the polls and pass a one-penny sales tax referendum on July 31, 2012.

[Lady's Man]

sounds good. time to reverse the trend that make atl into an ugly mess.

[brownhornet]

People are going to "bypass" this though...everytime someone brings up how dangerous the city is I point out the fact that violent crime here is way lower than it used to be. Now some clown will say it's because of people moving to the suburbs when there's no major increases there either.

[oldschoolChevy]

I'm not overlooking them, I really like and respect what Kasim has done and is currently trying to do. I read that article about the Savannah port in the ajc the other day and I was looking at the picture with Kasim Reed standing next to Nathan Deal and some other big wig from a state agency. And it dawned on me that I can't remember an Atlanta mayor in my lifetime who worked with the state gov't like that. People really overlook that IMO, Kasim really has reached out to the Gold Dome and tried to get things accomplished.

And only 75 murders, and here we are in the last month of the year? WOW! That is low, which is really good. People can say on here that crime is getting worse in Atlanta, but that stat alone kind of sums it up. I remember when the murder number was right below the 300 mark year in and year out. Those days are long gone, but to hear these Johnny Come Lately Atlanta citizens tell it, the city is a sh*t hole. Of course they would think that because they weren't living here in the 80's and early 90's when it was really like that.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by brownhornet

People are going to "bypass" this though...everytime someone brings up how dangerous the city is I point out the fact that violent crime here is way lower than it used to be. Now some clown will say it's because of people moving to the suburbs when there's no major increases there either.

I remember he said he would hire 750 officers. I didnt believe him. He is on his way with the 350 he has so far. Those homicide numbers will be down to less than 60 once the rest of the force is hired in the following years

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by oldschoolChevy

I'm not overlooking them, I really like and respect what Kasim has done and is currently trying to do. I read that article about the Savannah port in the ajc the other day and I was looking at the picture with Kasim Reed standing next to Nathan Deal and some other big wig from a state agency. And it dawned on me that I can't remember an Atlanta mayor in my lifetime who worked with the state gov't like that. People really overlook that IMO, Kasim really has reached out to the Gold Dome and tried to get things accomplished.

And only 75 murders, and here we are in the last month of the year? WOW! That is low, which is really good. People can say on here that crime is getting worse in Atlanta, but that stat alone kind of sums it up. I remember when the murder number was right below the 300 mark year in and year out. Those days are long gone, but to hear these Johnny Come Lately Atlanta citizens tell it, the city is a sh*t hole. Of course they would think that because they weren't living here in the 80's and early 90's when it was really like that.

I agree with you. I am not a huge fan of the mayor but think he is doing a decent job. Also it does seem like people forgot how horrible things were in the past. I only moved here in the 90s but I can tell how much better crime is now compared to then. I remember my neighborhood in particular, which is still considered a horrible neighborhood by many, and driving through here and it was literally a mall of drugs and prostitutes on the street. You don't see things like that around here anymore.

I do feel though that there needs to be a focus on APS. Without a lot of focus on the schools I just don't think Atlanta can compete. Public schools should be a priority. I don't know what if anything the mayor can do about this though.

[atltechdude]

2000 officers will be nice. Well done if we get that.

[sirrob]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I agree with you. I am not a huge fan of the mayor but think he is doing a decent job.

Why are you not a huge fan of Mayor Reed if he's doing a decent job? Just curious...

[Newsboy]

I'm pretty certain the city topped 400 homicides a couple of years in the 1980s. According to this Wikipedia article I found (unreliable I know), Atlanta was ranked the most violent city in America as recently as 1994 (two years shy of the Olympics? Don't remember that) but has been on a fast and steady decline ever since. Today it's safer than Orlando and Salt Lake City ... or so this piece says.

At any rate, Atlanta (and most all American cities) are far safer today than tney were 20 years ago at the height of the crack epidemic. But unfortunately, stereotypes die hard.

Crime in Atlanta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by sirrob

Why are you not a huge fan of Mayor Reed if he's doing a decent job? Just curious...

Because I do not see much happening in the area of code enforcement in the city which is a huge problem IMO. I also feel that he is much more focused on visitors to the city than on residents.