Monthly Archives: February 2009

In a hastily-called, open-ended press briefing, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin Thursday was particularly reflective.

She answered numerous questions about public safety — police and fire — as well as possible future budget cuts. But in between the questions, she sprinkled some of her views of politics as well as her life lessons.

Here are a few:

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Transportation politics was all the buzz at Thursday night’s annual meeting of the Civic League for Regional Atlanta.

The news that the board of the Georgia Department of Transportation had fired Commissioner Gena Evans had come out only a couple of hours before the dinner at the Twelve hotel in Atlantic Station.

First person I talked to was Sam Olens, chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission and chairman of the Cobb County Commission.

“The working relationship between the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, GDOT and MARTA was Continue reading →

Up until now, proponents for new transportation funding were taking a neutral stand on which version of two bills they preferred.

There’s the Senate version, which would provide a regional two-step approach. First, voters would be asked whether they would favor changing the state constitution to permit a regional one-cent sales tax. Then the region would come up with list of transportation projects that would then be presented to the voters so they could decide whether to support that sales tax.

Then there’s the House version, which calls for a statewide one-cent sales tax with a list of projects already identified by the House.
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The current economic and political climate is giving rise to extremists, according to Bill Nigut, the Southeast regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

“In times like these, hatred and bigotry flourish,” said Nigut, whose organization fights prejudice in society. “We have even seen a backlash to the (President Barack) Obama election in the white extremist community.”

Nigut, a longtime political reporter for WSB-TV, joined the ADL in January, 2007 after serving as executive director of the Metro Atlanta Arts & Culture Coalition for three years.

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After 30 years at the Georgia World Congress Center, Khalil Johnson announced today that he will retire as chief operating officer on Aug. 1.

Johnson has been an integral part of GWCC’s operations for decades.

Before he was named COO in 2002, Johnson was general manager of the Georgia Dome. In that role, he was involved in the 1996 Summer Olympics, two Super Bowls, SEC football championships and several basketball tournaments including one Final Four and several NCAA regional matches.

Dan Graveline, GWCC’s executive director, broke the news at the monthly meeting of his authority. Continue reading →

Our own Sam Olens is receiving national recognition.

The past weekend, Olens was presented the Tom Bradley Leadership Award from the National Association of Regional Councils at its national conference.

Olens is chairman of both the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Cobb County Board of Commissioners.
The award is given to leaders who excell in advocating for regional concepts, approaches and programs at all levels of government.

Chick Krautler, ARC’s director, said that Olens was Continue reading →

Don Nicholaisen, former chief accountant of the Securities & Exchange Commission, started off his talk at Atlanta Rotary today by addressing students in the audience.

He told them they should feel excited about the future because they can help model the new economy.

And then he spoke to the other people in the room.

“Those of you who have been around a while should be scared to death,” he said. “We are seeing something we’ve never seen Continue reading →

Atlanta lost two of its great ones this past week — Margaret Munroe Thrower and Don Elliot Heald.

I was lucky to have known both of them in different contexts, but mainly I admired both from afar.

Margaret Munroe Thrower was a warm, striking woman who celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary with Randolph Thrower, a legend in his own right.

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