City-data poll - Mayor of Atlanta (Jackson, Martin: train, money, properties)

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Bullbear

Isnt that done all the time? Didnt blacks feel OJ was being unfairly targeted by whites because he is black? I remember watching the OJ verdict being read in a room full of work people. All the whites were dismayed at the result while the blacks Literally yelled with joy. But Im quite sure race had nothing to do with it.

Im saying NONE of the other contestants will endorse Norwood. NONE. But it will have nothing to do with race, right?

I don't know...and you don't know either. Unless we know someone personally there is no way of knowing why they do the things they do. But assuming all people are racially motivated is simply absurd.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

Another endorsement coming for Kasim Reed from Roy Barnes tomorrow:

Roy Barnes follows suit, will endorse Kasim Reed | Political Insider

That'll be a great one-two punch if both Reed and Barnes are elected. Barnes already had a plan for regional rail in place and Reed supports more mass transit funding and building.

I wonder why Roy Barnes didn't endorse Mary Norwood...since, according to some, all endorsements are about race? Interesting.

[Totthotspur]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

I wonder why Roy Barnes didn't endorse Mary Norwood...since, according to some, all endorsements are about race? Interesting.

That's because Roy Barnes is secretly black, and has been passing all these years. Look at his initials. R &B...just think about it...;o)

[RZaakir]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

There is a very interesting component of this race that isn't getting much attention that I'd like to point out...

Many of the poorest Atlantans are firmly behind Norwood’s candidacy, many of whom are African American and live without internet access, seem to support Mary Norwood. I wish that the Atlanta media would do a story about the curious way that class affiliations and resentments within the African-American community are working in this year’s mayoral election.

This race is about a class system (within the black community): the black elite versus the poorest of the poor. They don’t believe that Atlanta’s black political elite have served them well the past 35+ years. Seems like many poor blacks feel like they have not benefited from 30 years of black leadership which points to Mary Norwood garnering 28% of the black vote. Stay tuned...

If you read that "black mayor memo," some of the points that they made were:

...just having a black mayor doesn’t guarantee that African American issues and concerns would be effectively addressed either (as the current administration’s relationship to the African American community clearly demonstrates). In other words, are we simply providing votes without any expectations of the candidate that would enjoy our support?

To ignore the alienation that exists among black voters towards the [current black Mayor Shirley] Franklin Administration’s performance is naive at best and dishonest at worse

Which is why the conclusion of the memo was that the mentality that blacks need to vote along racial lines is a non-starter and the black community needs to evaluate all of the candidates objectively:

...in 2009 we have arrived at a place in time where we can no longer afford to just look at race in the Mayor’s race or individual council races.

Oh my bad, that memo was racist and anti-white.

[RZaakir]

Originally Posted by J2rescue

The point of the article was to illustrate that the budget and staff cuts had NOTHING to do with efficiency and everything to do with a huge deficit. Yes the mayor drastically cut the payroll AFTER the city ran out of money but don't expect any statues to be erected because of it.

I am delighted that Jim Glass is at city hall now but many of the changes he's made are very recent and he readily admits that fixing all of the city's "long-standing issues" will not be done by January. Its going to take years for the city to restore trust and it will be critical that the next mayor have a continued focus on city finances in their first year of office rather than their last.

Incidentally, that letter also cautioned to be skeptical of any claims that the city can significantly increase spending any time soon and argues against the idea of cutting the IT department both proposals by Reed.

Its interesting that you mention the Watershed Management audit which was not at all flattering of how the department is run.

Medicare?
You don't need obscure examples of why someone would be displeased with government. There are ample examples that actually involve this particular city government and BASIC city services.

My point is that by metrics used in the article (deficits, employees to citizen ratios) the city has improved remarkably. Many cities haven't been able to adjust as well as ours. Yes it took a tax increase, but those tax increases didn't come until after making cuts that put us from most inefficient (my the metrics I defined in my post) to second most efficient.

Jim Glass has gotten the fundamentals in shape and put the city on the right track. So now the city is able to provide timely and accurate information to the City Council and the citizens of Atlanta. That's why he took Norwood's demagoguery personally. He actually wrote a letter addressed directly to her after the Public Safety debate to rebut her claims about the city's accounting. But of course it doesn't help Ms. Norwoord's case to talk about how the "current administration" has made huge progress is cleaning up the finances.

And speaking of the Public Safety debate, I was there and I remember wanting to jump out of a window because EVERY candidate on stage was talking about cutting the IT budget. And they used the Oracle implementation - which Mr. Glass credits with allowing him to better manage the city's money - as justification for it because it went well over budget. Norwood was more like a "me too" on that one but I've seen her in person at 2 debates and that seems to be her MO. She doesn't say no to much which makes me question her discipline.

I never said that Watershed Management was well run, I'm aware that the audit was critical, the point is that Norwood's argument has been that there is no data to make a decision with, not that the data is unflattering.

And on Medicare, it's hardly an obscure problem but it underscores how disconnected people's views of government service can be with the realities that come with providing these services. As far as basic services go, if the city is providing service as badly as it did 5 years ago with 25% less budget, I would call that pretty efficient.

[RZaakir]

Oh and finally, on the spending front. If you can find it, you should listen to the V-103 interview that Reed and Norwood did after the election. Reed asked about the disconnect between the CFOs comments and his proposals and he was very specific in how he would hire 700 police officers and pay to reopen the rec centers (his two spending proposals) without increasing the budget.

From what I remember, the math wasn't spectacular, but it was a complete answer.

To be clear I'm not terribly impressed by Reed. Everyone I know that has worked with him speaks highly of him but based on what I've read and the few minutes that I've talked to him I can't say that I'm excited about him - I just think he's a more logical choice than Norwood who I'm sure is a well-intentioned woman and should she win will have my full support..

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

My sense is that her endorsement has nothing to do with race, but rather old alliances that developed over time...and when I say 'time', I mean in conjunction with a political fraternity that had its' inception in the Maynard Jackson era.
Please understand that there is no judgment in this assessment; however, my take is that Mary Norwood seems to be very much cast as the outsider here...which may be the basis for a great deal of her support.

I agree that was my reasoning for initially and strongly considering her in the first place.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Bullbear

Isnt that done all the time? Didnt blacks feel OJ was being unfairly targeted by whites because he is black? I remember watching the OJ verdict being read in a room full of work people. All the whites were dismayed at the result while the blacks Literally yelled with joy. But Im quite sure race had nothing to do with it.

Im saying NONE of the other contestants will endorse Norwood. NONE. But it will have nothing to do with race, right?

Ive seen several photos of black people being lynched and burned alive while still hanging for a rope on a tree.This in a picture with a huge crowd of white people with their children smiling and laughing.Would I be ignorant,stupid,or racist to assume that all white people are still like this today?I think you know the answer.

Fact is not to get off subject that you cannot take one incident without taking into the consideration of the times it took place.Police brutality against blacks nationwide was at its highest point.The Rodney King incident was still fresh in people mind also.Particularly how the police got off.To see another man go down for something he did not do seem to be de rigueur.No black person would condone anyone for murder.Most blacks reacted due to a seemingly unfair justice system.The L.A.Police Dept.had a TERRIBLE record against minorities.

Anyway I'm sure its much easier for you to believe want you want to.Be my guest.But instead of insulting the integrity of ALL black people,why don't you give compelling reasons that YOU are voting for her or why you would?I suppose that would actually be more helpful instead of postulating.

[Atlantasfinest]

Norwood endorsed by Community Actorvist "Able" Mable Thomas!

“Able” Mable pockets $1,500 from Norwood | Fresh Loaf

WTF? ‘Able’ Mable Thomas endorses Mary Norwood | Fresh Loaf (http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/10/22/wtf-able-mable-thomas-endorses-mary-norwood/ - broken link)

[ATLHRLGUY]

^ Yeah we know Mary Norwood paid for endorsements. This should be shocking, but in today's world this is the norm. I'm not saying that Lisa's hands were or Kasim's hands are clean, but Mary just got caught in the act. "Come on "Able" Mable, you're not fooling anybody."