Maria’s Metro

Residents of the City of Atlanta soon will be asked to pass a penny sales tax to improve the its infrastructure.

Unlike the publicity surrounding the regional transportation sales tax referendum to be held in July, a referendum to continue investing in the city’s water and sewer infrastructure only now is getting limited attention — and the vote is only days away — on March 6.

But don’t interpret the low-key campaign effort as a lack of enthusiasm for MOST — the Municipal Option Sales Tax.
Continue reading →

The inscription couldn’t be more appropriate.

On the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., the message is: “I LOVE EVERYONE. STILL IN BUSINESS. JUST MOVED UPSTAIRS.

The legacy of “Daddy King” — as he was known to close friends and family — will live on through the M.L. King Sr. Community Resource Complex, which is under construction next to Ebenezer Baptist Church. King Sr. was a pastor at Ebenezer — a role he shared with his son — Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Continue reading →

Georgia remains a divided state — with wide disparities in income, health and education depending on location and demography.

Although much has been said over the years about the two Georgias or the multitude of Georgias, an innovative website now exists that illustrates the differences that exist all over the state.
Continue reading →

How disappointing.

After months and months of study, the Transit Governance Task Force has come up with recommendations that are unacceptable — especially for residents in Fulton and DeKalb counties who have been investing in MARTA for the past four decades.
Continue reading →

From all outward signs, it appears as though there is a détente between the Atlanta Mayor City Kasim Reed and the Atlanta City Council.

“I want to acknowledge Ceasar Mitchell, president of the Atlanta City Council. Working with the Council, everything we accomplished in that video, we accomplished together,” Reed said at the breakfast. “They push back and they debate, and they are an essential part of the city.”
Continue reading →

What a wonderful way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday — the Sunday Supper.

The Atlanta-based Points of Light Institute has launched “America’s Sunday Supper” — to be held throughout the nation on the Sunday before the King birthday holiday — as a way to exchange meaningful dialogue among a diverse group of citizens.
Continue reading →

MARTA General Manager Beverly Scott, who has been heading the agency since October of 2007, recently told her board that she will leave her post after her five-year contract ends on Dec. 31, 2012.

But Scott said much still needs to get done between now and when she leaves to catapult transit in the Atlanta region.
Continue reading →

Growing up, our family’s favorite holiday celebration was New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Because of our Jewish heritage, we didn’t really celebrate Christmas (even though we almost always had a tree in our home, and some years we’d go to the Catholic church on Christmas Eve to hear Christmas carols).

And because we were non-practicing Jews, we really didn’t celebrate
Continue reading →

So much is on hold as the Atlanta region looks forward to the vote on the passage of the one penny regional transportation sales tax.

As currently envisioned, the transportation sales tax will be on the July 31, 2012 ballot — and community leaders are working as hard as they can to help make sure it will pass.

But one popular concept — a fractional sales tax that would be dedicated funding for counties to invest in the arts, economic development and quality of life initiatives — is being tabled until after the transportation sales tax vote.
Continue reading →

Dear Readers,

What a year it has been for SaportaReport.

Spending this past week in Mexico has given me an opportunity to reflect on all the developments that have taken place this past year. It also has given me a fresh perspective on where we’re headed as we enter a new year.

SaportaReport.com actually was launched in February, 2009 — about six months after I had accepted a buyout
Continue reading →