Kasim Reed: “I have another election in me.” (Atlanta: middle-class, homes)

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by jero23

With as many black Muslims there are in Atlanta, she knew not to do that because it would have been political suicide in a city with over 50% (54% to be exact) of its population being black to attempt to make an issue of the name "Mohammed". However, she still won't have enough traction to get over at the most 5% of the black vote because many of her staunch white supporters boldly makes notions like "Yeah, let's take back our city" on open social media forums like Facebook.

Many black Atlantans feel like she is a direct representation of an usurping by socially apathetic and socially unaware white Atlantans. They also recognize the black political and business structure that has given many black entrepreneurs, particularly black-owned construction companies and vendors, opportunities to equally compete for many major projects and thrive as a result; whereas, the rest of Georgia has been Good Ol' Boy business connects as usual shutting out many competent black-owned businesses from anything. Until the State of Georgia business practices moderate and dissolve its Good Ol' Boy practices, there will always be a major political pushback to any attempts to elect a white mayor from the Atlanta black establishment.

Great points.

It goes without saying that the Georgia Department of Transportation typically allows not much more than 2% of its overall contracts to black or hispanic-owned firms. And that's with federally funded projects.

One can only imagine the record that GDOT would have with state-funded only projects.

And with the track record that this state has for electing good ol' boy governors since 2002, I don't see that aspect letting up anytime soon.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by bu2

Obviously they were shut out for decades.

But all you have to do is look at the political connections of people doing business in Atlanta and DeKalb to know its just the same thing, different crew.

With Norwood's background who has worked with community activists in neighborhoods around the city, the "Take Back the City" could easily have been posted by a community activist in SW Atlanta. Again, I am not a fan of hers, but racism is the last thing she was about. It sounds more like the prejudice was the person saying those things about a white candidate. They were too hung up in their own prejudices to listen to what she was saying. From her, take back the city is far closer to a Bernie Sanders comment than a KKK comment.

This is the funny thing, nobody is being shut out at all as they are in other places. It's equal opportunity in Atlanta at the moment.

The divisive rhetoric used by any supporter should never be endorsed by any elected official. I live in SW Atlanta and it's extremely unlikely that would be posted. If anything many here already feel like the white establishment has already reclaimed Atlanta. Norwood is too NIMBY and off-puts many pragmatic individuals.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

Great points.

It goes without saying that the Georgia Department of Transportation typically allows not much more than 2% of its overall contracts to black or hispanic-owned firms. And that's with federally funded projects.

One can only imagine the record that GDOT would have with state-funded only projects.

And with the track record that this state has for electing good ol' boy governors since 2002, I don't see that aspect letting up anytime soon.

It was actually 9.7 percent.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by Gulch

It was actually 9.7 percent.

Hey did you actually read your own link on this before responding to some of my wording?

I will give you a hint: DBE.

I await your retraction.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

Hey did you actually read your own link on this before responding to some of my wording?

I will give you a hint: DBE.

I await your retraction.

How was I wrong?

Originally Posted by GDOT

The Department’s current DBE participation goal is 12 percent; for the past three years, DBE firms
received 9.7 percent of contract dollars.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by Gulch

How was I wrong?

Please read again the particular sentence of my comment that you bolded. Look at the particular words within that sentence. Then look at your link.

Then again, look at the term/acronym "DBE" and what it encompasses.

I'm trying to toss you life-line here, big guy.

Take the life-line, I beg of you. Don't drown!

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by Gulch

How was I wrong?

The 9.7% number includes all participants of the DBE program--(apparently) of which only about a fourth are African American--the rest are either Hispanic or women or some other socially or economically disadvantaged group. Your source only shows 2.4% of contracts go to African American firms from 2009-2011.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by jeoff

The 9.7% number includes all participants of the DBE program--(apparently) of which only about a fourth are African American--the rest are either Hispanic or some other socially or economically disadvantaged group. Your source only shows 2.4% of contracts go to African American firms from 2009-2011.

Sorry.

[AcidSnake]

The terms "minority", "affirmative action", and "disadvantage business" have been so successfully loaded up with negative connotations...that people in the dominant society automatically attribute those terms to black and hispanic people.

Even though in most cases, it's typically white women and white people with disabilties who benefit.

It's the ol' bait and switch/Jedi mindtrick stuff that's typical of politics in the U.S.A.

1) Create a program that gives off the impression of black people benefitting to win their votes

2) And all the while making the program all encompassing as possible so that ultimately, white people in the end take the king's ransom...

3) While at the same time, vilifying black people for needing affirmative action...even though in most cases they are not the majority beneficiaries.

Ingenious this strategy.

Only in America.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Ideally, if he were to run for governor, he could really make the campaign about his record and accomplishments , and not ideology. Who else that might consider running has managed anything approaching the scale of the City of Atlanta? He has also worked well with Deal for what was best the City and the State--no, he won't get an endorsement--but it should make it difficult to paint him has blindly partisan. If he were to just stay on message, and sell himself as a capable manager, and avoid left-right politics--it could make things interesting.

You are forgetting about his color, and party affiliation, which makes voting for him a non starter(regardless of record and accomplishments for most of the white conservatives in this State - which unfortunately and for now are a majority. Ten years from now maybe, but not in 2018.