Monthly Archives: December 2009

Women come up short in latest city elections; Mayor-elect Reed surrounded mostly by men

Date: December 14th, 2009, 5:19 am

The boys are back in charge.

While most of the focus in the recent city election focused on the dynamics of race and Atlanta’s changing demographics, gender played an equal if not more significant role.

Think about it.

We’ve gone from electing our first woman mayor in 2001 — Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin — to now having another man as mayor — Kasim Reed.

We’ve gone from having two women city council presidents back to back — Cathy Woolard followed by Lisa Borders — to now having another man in that chair — Ceasar Mitchell.

In each of those races, there were strong women contenders. In the mayor’s race, at-large City Councilwoman Mary Norwood and Borders came in second and third respectively. Continue reading →

Posted in Maria's Metro | 3 Comments

Atlanta City Council misses opportunity to pass sustainable building ordinance

Date: December 13th, 2009, 11:42 pm

By Guest Columnist LYNNETTE YOUNG, CEO and executive director of Sustainable Atlanta

For the last 18 months, Sustainable Atlanta has engaged leaders and experts from Atlanta’s academic, business, governmental sectors and non-profits to work on updating Atlanta’s current building code to make the city a better place to live, work and play.

Unfortunately, the Atlanta City Council missed a tremendous opportunity by shelving the Atlanta Sustainable Building Ordinance (ASBO) during their last meeting as a Council on December 7, 2009.

By making the decision to not pass this piece of legislation that protects the health and welfare of all Atlantans, they have marred their legacy. Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Columns | 9 Comments

Tech exec to lead city schools group

Date: , 9:50 am

By Maria Saporta
Friday, December 11, 2009

The Atlanta Education Fund, or AEF, a private-sector group established to support reform of Atlanta’s public schools, has named a new president and CEO.

Bill McCargo spent a 31-year career with Scientific Atlanta and its parent, Cisco Systems Inc., running community relations and serving as vice president of the Scientific Atlanta Foundation, which focused on Continue reading →

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Environmentalists cautiously optimistic on water plan

Date: December 11th, 2009, 4:07 pm

By Maria Saporta

Environmentalists feared Gov. Sonny Perdue’s Water Contingency Planning Task Force would end up recommending sprawling reservoirs and inter-basin water transfers.

But at the task force’s meeting today, inter-basin water transfers did not fare well, according to a survey of its members. And developing water reservoirs was viewed as a long term solution at best.

Instead, conserving water bubbled to the top as the most popular solution, especially in the short-term.

“From what I’m able to tell at the
Continue reading →

Posted in Latest Reports | 3 Comments

Column: Linginfelter ready to tackle big metro issues at Metro Atlanta Chamber

Date: December 10th, 2009, 2:32 pm

By Maria Saporta
Friday, December 4, 2009

Just a couple of weeks ago, Bill Linginfelter realized that he would become chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber at its 150th annual meeting Dec. 3.

It was a humbling moment for the “history buff,” who recognizes the pivotal role that the Metro Chamber has played in Atlanta since 1859.
Continue reading →

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Encouraging words from Mayor-elect Kasim Reed

Date: , 2:25 pm

By Maria Saporta

In light of my Maria’s Metro column this week, I thought it would be good to run the full statement that Atlanta Mayor-elect Kasim Reed sent out on Wednesday following the recount of votes cast in the run-off election.

This statement was made after City Councilwoman Mary Norwood conceded to Reed that she had lost the election.

It sounds as though our next mayor is saying all the right things. What do you think?

Kasim Reed’s statement:

“Earlier this afternoon, I received a call Continue reading →

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Atlanta Committee for Progress to continue in Kasim Reed’s administration

Date: December 7th, 2009, 11:37 am

By Maria Saporta

Mayor-elect Kasim Reed reached out to the Atlanta business community Monday morning at the quarterly meeting of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, a blue-ribbon advisory group set up six years ago by outgoing Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Reed, accompanied by City Council President Lisa Borders, had to leave directly after the meeting at SunTrust Plaza and wasn’t available to answer questions.

But ACP Chairman Jim Wells, CEO of SunTrust Banks, said the meeting between the business leaders and the Continue reading →

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Hoping Mayor-elect Kasim Reed will join the ranks of Atlanta’s greatest mayors

Date: , 7:30 am

The morning after of the city of Atlanta’s run-off election, I received an email from a veteran player in local government — George Berry.

Berry served under four different Atlanta mayors — Ivan Allen Jr., Sam Massell, Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young. As the city’s aviation commissioner, he oversaw the building of Atlanta’s new airport. Berry also served as commissioner of what is now the Georgia Department of Economic Development. More recently, he served as an executive of Cousins Properties until he retired a few years ago.

In short, Berry has a long memory, great insight combined with decades of exemplary public service.

So after the run-off on Dec. 1 showing that former state Sen. Continue reading →

Posted in Maria's Metro | 2 Comments

Brain drain awaits Reed at City Hall

Date: December 6th, 2009, 11:34 pm

By Maria Saporta and Dave Williams
Friday, December 4, 2009

Many empty chairs at City Hall will face Atlanta’s new mayor, who will have the daunting task of putting together a new leadership team for the city.

As of press time Dec. 2, former state Sen. Kasim Reed appeared to have won the Dec. 1 runoff, but the results were so close that City Councilwoman Mary Norwood was asking for a recount and the final results had not Continue reading →

Posted in ABC Articles | 1 Comment

New Urbanism congress to link livable cities with healthier people

Date: , 6:03 pm

By Guest Columnist LAURA HEERY PROZES, AIA, executive co-chair of the Congress for the New Urbanism 18

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tracked a virulent virus, spreading since the 1950’s, crossing borders and oceans, with host bodies adapting remarkably to this disease.

Americans have adapted to the imbedded foreign bacteria, unaware of the extent that lives and health are compromised. In fact, we have been living remarkably well with the virus, perhaps similar to how we integrate cancer, diabetes, asthma, hypertension into daily lives.

Symptoms from the virus are mundane, such as obesity, and other symptoms have new names, such as Nature Deficit Disorder. We have prostheses to offset the health and lifestyle limitations, elevators to avoid stairs, cars to our doorsteps.
Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Columns | 6 Comments