Atlanta mayoral race: Poll shows Mary Norwood with early lead (Decatur: apartments, rent)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Much of what I read about her in this thread about her seems to be borne of ignorance, demagoguery, and an inability to see far enough past her age, sex, color and level of affluence to actually investigate her record as a City Councilwoman. But oh well, business as well.
NO ONE has worked harder than she has to earn the privilege of leading this city for the next eight years. Nobody.

No doubt about it. Norwood is a true "roll up your sleeves and get the job done" person. She's smart, modest, honest, and a consensus builder. I can't think of anyone who has done a better job of engaging people all over the city.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Please cite specific examples of this, as there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. She has been a consistent critic of irresponsible development, gentrification and the ensuing displacement of established residents in affected communities.

https://marynorwood.com/solutions/ge...erty-taxation/

Has Mary Norwood got a deal for you

A Legal Backlash Against Oversized 'McMansions' : NPR

Atlanta City Council passes resolution to delay tax assessment adoption - Reporter Newspapers

Much of what I read about her in this thread about her seems to be borne of ignorance, demagoguery, and an inability to see far enough past her age, sex, color and level of affluence to actually investigate her record as a City Councilwoman. But oh well, business as well.
NO ONE has worked harder than she has to earn the privilege of leading this city for the next eight years. Nobody.

Did you even bother to read those links? They are all basically NIMBY / anti-development including this gem direct from her policy page you linked to:

"[Mary Norwood will] Prohibit large-scale development in at-risk neighborhoods."

Really? You think cutting off the new housing supply in "at-risk neighborhoods" is the solution?

And of course she also was a backer of keeping bike lanes off Peachtree in Buckhead.

I have talked to her in person at a couple different public meetings. Not impressed. She is not offering any new solutions that Mayoral candidates weren't talking about in the 70s. You don't deserve to be mayor just because you have waiting in line the longest.

And if you notice, her transportation page notable leaves out transit on the Beltline as something she supports. If she is elected expect to see good minds in our city like Ryan Gravel and Tim Keane pushed out.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Did you even bother to read those links? They are all basically NIMBY / anti-development including this gem direct from her policy page you linked to:

"[Mary Norwood will] Prohibit large-scale development in at-risk neighborhoods."

Really? You think cutting off the new housing supply in "at-risk neighborhoods" is the solution?

Well aren't we the disingenuous one? Editing the quote to suit your ends. In it's entirety:

City Hall will respond to the demands of development by evaluating and if appropriate enacting the following initiatives:

With emphasis on protecting Senior Homeowners.

Reduce, freeze or delay property taxes in impacted areas.

Prohibit large-scale development in at-risk neighborhoods.

Work with HUD, AHA and Invest Atlanta to create “stabilization vouchers”.(*)

Aggressively fund middle-income housing and aggressively promote the building of affordable middle income housing.

*Already happening on her watch, BTW.

https://www.investatlanta.com/intown...er-incentives/

Originally Posted by jsvh

And of course she also was a backer of keeping bike lanes off Peachtree in Buckhead.

An inaccurate statement. Her actual position:

At-Large Councilmember Mary Norwood said she believed there needed to be more focus on wider pedestrian sidewalks than bike lanes.

The idea was clearly controversial with her constituents anyway. Can't blame them; I find it a rather dubious proposition myself.

Originally Posted by jsvh

I have talked to her in person at a couple different public meetings. Not impressed. She is not offering any new solutions that Mayoral candidates weren't talking about in the 70s. You don't deserve to be mayor just because you have waiting in line the longest.

Whatever.

Originally Posted by jsvh

And if you notice, her transportation page notable leaves out transit on the Beltline as something she supports. If she is elected expect to see good minds in our city like Ryan Gravel and Tim Keane pushed out.

You must have skipped over this.

If the BeltLine is to be successful it must solve the problem [of] last mile connectivity,” Norwood said. “Everyone should be able to connect with the BeltLine from all parts of the city of Atlanta, whether or not it is by MARTA, the Atlanta Streetcar, or some other hybrid form of public transportation.”

Atlanta Mayoral Candidates Optimistic About BeltLine

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Her actual position:

At-Large Councilmember Mary Norwood said she believed there needed to be more focus on wider pedestrian sidewalks than bike lanes.

The idea was clearly controversial with her constituents anyway. Can't blame them; I find it a rather dubious proposition myself.

The locals wanted more walkability in the area and some supported bike lanes.

However, bike lanes in that particular stretch are problematical. Cyclists would be a lot safer if they took the route one block over, which could also be easily connected to the Beltline.

Another issue with putting them on that section of Peachtree is that cyclists would run into a brick wall when they got to Midtown, which has no bike lanes on Peachtree.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Well aren't we the disingenuous one? Editing the quote to suit your ends.

I fail to see what that additional context provides. Do you not think Mary Norwood is planning to prohibit large-scale development in at-risk neighborhoods? What am I missing?

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

An inaccurate statement. Her actual position:

At-Large Councilmember Mary Norwood said she believed there needed to be more focus on wider pedestrian sidewalks than bike lanes.

The idea was clearly controversial with her constituents anyway. Can't blame them; I find it a rather dubious proposition myself.

Like I said, she is in with the Buckhead NIMBYs. If a large group of mouthy residents shows up to a meeting she will side with them instead of making the tough choices that are in the best interest of the city as a whole.

Cyclists will not go blocks out of their way to take these proposed hilly trails. They will stick to the direct route that follows the ridgeline (Peachtree). That route should provide them with safe options. There is no functional benefit to keeping Peachtree as large as it is. GDOT is the one that wanted to downsize it and add bike lanes to improve traffic flow.

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

You must have skipped over this.

If the BeltLine is to be successful it must solve the problem [of] last mile connectivity,” Norwood said. “Everyone should be able to connect with the BeltLine from all parts of the city of Atlanta, whether or not it is by MARTA, the Atlanta Streetcar, or some other hybrid form of public transportation.”

Atlanta Mayoral Candidates Optimistic About BeltLine

I see no evidence of support for transit on the Beltline in those statements. Nor any support for Ryan Gravel or Tim Keane.


And look, I don't blame you for getting your hopes up on a politician that doesn't take any hard stances and bends to the will of the loudest people in the room, but that is not what makes a good mayor.

[cqholt]

This is what a REAL mayor looks like

Dear Amazon,

Atlanta is so glad to hear you are courting a new partner to grow with into the future and would love to be that one.There’s so much we could do to make your company grow while starting your new life in another place. While many cities will put up a hefty dowry to gain your nod, Atlanta is a more modern suitor looking for an equal partner in success.
If you were to choose us, there’s a golden opportunity to address some of the issues that have held the tech industry back from being truly revolutionary. We all know that you struggle to hire a workforce that is as diverse as our country, that housing prices go through the roof wherever you go, and that while every company with a conscience wants to lead on sustainability, achieving this goal has been a struggle.

Here’s why Atlanta is your perfect partner to work together for a more perfect union. We have an incredible workforce ready to spring into action.The colleges and universities in our region will prepare the most racially diverse workforce you’ll be able to find anywhere in the world. Spelman and Agnes Scott colleges prepare women leaders for your executive ranks, and when we introduce you to the Morehouse Men, well, the match is made. Georgia State University is a school with a minority majority student population that’s growing so fast you’ll not have to worry about that big workforce you need.Georgia Tech is training your engineers now – why not let them stay home and work for you here rather than pay all those relocation expenses. Emory University, one of the best business schools in the country, is right around the corner making its mark in campus sustainability and health care. Atlanta Metropolitan State College is helping kids in high school graduate with two-year college degrees; they’ll fill your ranks with young people ready to code and bring new ideas to your campus. Diversity is Atlanta’s special sauce and our talented young men and women are ready when you are.

Now we are excited about your 50,000 high paying jobs coming here, but we’ve got concerns about housing affordability.In most cities where the tech industry booms, housing costs skyrocket. In comparison to most large cities, housing in Atlanta is greatly affordable for your employees, but tens of thousands of our current residents face difficulty just hanging on.We are getting ready to address that by building more affordable housing, so if you come, let’s work together to be on the cusp of innovation for growing strong communities so that everyone benefits. As we prepare the infrastructure and get started on the supply side, we look forward to working closely with you to make sure that the all workers are getting paid a living wage with benefits so they can afford to be near, or on, your campus at Amazon.
Our Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the best around. Our motto is Go Big or Go Home. Fortunately, if you move here you can Go Big and Be Home! You bring the business and we’ll be ready when you are.

Our transit system is not what it will be by the time you get here. We’ll build five new transit lines that connect neighborhoods all around the city to MARTA. And wherever you set up shop, we’ll extend a transit line right to your doorstep. It’s worth it to us to keep your 50,000 workers off our crowded roads! Here’s where the partnership comes in. When you are over at the state government and they start offering gifts for your hand, tell them you aren’t coming until the General Assembly approves use of some part of the state gas tax for transit operations. Atlanta can build you the rail connections, but every other city that is competing for you gets funding for transit operations from their state government. More money for operations plus more lines from us is a match made in heaven. And the rest of the state will love you too.

We know you are into film and television and music, and we’ve got it all. Tax credits, sound stages galore and all the creative talent you could dream of are right here and ready for you, but you could help us grow this even more. And while you are speaking with the folks at the gold dome, please emphasize the importance of preventing those religious exemption bills.

Atlanta doesn’t tolerate discrimination, thanks to the comprehensive civil rights protection I got passed while on the City Council, and we aren’t about to change now. We know the state politicians will follow our lead on this issue.

We hope you’ll accept our proposal. We can’t wait to start our future together.

Cathy Woolard

Candidate, Mayor of Atlanta

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...d-pitches.html

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by cqholt

This is what a REAL mayor looks like

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...d-pitches.html

Lot of pandering and buzz words in that letter.

Also, Amazon does not have a diverse workforce in fact it is one of the least diverse in the tech industry. Coming to Atlanta isn't going to change that. Read up on how long it took Bezos to release the workforce diversity numbers for Amazon compared to his contemporaries. There is some interesting reading out there about Amazon and it's workforce. It isn't pretty.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by cqholt

This is what a REAL mayor looks like

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...d-pitches.html

Ms. Woolard is indeed impressing me as this election clicks along. Attention must be paid.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I fail to see what that additional context provides. Do you not think Mary Norwood is planning to prohibit large-scale development in at-risk neighborhoods? What am I missing?



Like I said, she is in with the Buckhead NIMBYs. If a large group of mouthy residents shows up to a meeting she will side with them instead of making the tough choices that are in the best interest of the city as a whole.

Cyclists will not go blocks out of their way to take these proposed hilly trails. They will stick to the direct route that follows the ridgeline (Peachtree). That route should provide them with safe options. There is no functional benefit to keeping Peachtree as large as it is. GDOT is the one that wanted to downsize it and add bike lanes to improve traffic flow.



I see no evidence of support for transit on the Beltline in those statements. Nor any support for Ryan Gravel or Tim Keane.


And look, I don't blame you for getting your hopes up on a politician that doesn't take any hard stances and bends to the will of the loudest people in the room, but that is not what makes a good mayor.

When you have something more substantive to offer than conjecture regarding Councilwoman Norwood, then I'll take you seriously.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Lot of pandering and buzz words in that letter.

It's basically a Letter of Introduction. What more would you desire from it?
I think Ms. Woolard hit all the right points in it and did a fine job.