Category: Guest Column

By Guest Columnist SAM OLENS;
Chairman of the Cobb County Commission
Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission

President Barack Obama’s stimulus package is bad unless it helps balance the State budget; property tax reform is needed but not accomplished; trauma funds are essential but not approved; water conservation and supply was a non-issue; transportation funding and MARTA were left in the dark; a win for the Governor on Georgia Department of Transportation governance; and confirmation of last year’s homeowners tax relief grant with a huge property tax increase later this year.

Guest column by Doug Shipman,
Executive director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights

When Billy Payne stated during a speech in 2006 that the opportunity to build a civil and human rights oriented institution was bigger than the Olympics, more than a few heads turned.

Only recently has an understanding of the opportunity Atlanta and Georgia now possesses come into clear focus. Great places have a theme that binds their collective memory and current action together.

Guest Column by JIM JACOBY,
Developer of Atlantic Station

With the passage of time, it is easy to forget the economic insecurity and fear that followed Sept. 11, 2001. The appalling human tragedy of that awful moment in our nation’s history dwarfs the financial market shock of Sept. 15, 2008.

But one cannot avoid a sense that we have been here before. I am confident that we will rise to the occasion once again.

Guest Column by SAM WILLIAMS,
President of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Georgia desperately needs a voter-approved transportation sales tax to deal with congestion in metro Atlanta and provide more resources around the state.

That is the answer to a call that has both been set forth in many transportation reports and by frustrated motorists in the metro area.

However, we first need the legislature to give us the tools we need to take action

By Guest Columnist Kevin Green
Executive Director of the Clean Air Campaign

With the headlines piling on more bad news, sometimes it’s tough to notice the good things. The dialogue about our bleak economy, mounting job losses and state budget crises commands our attention like a bad car wreck on the side of the road. There are certainly tough times ahead, much of which is beyond our ability to influence in the short term.

But let’s stop rubbernecking for a moment and acknowledge some encouraging

By Guest Columnist JOE BANKOFF;
president of the Woodruff Arts Center

People sometimes politely wonder why I would leave the law practice to work in a large not-for-profit arts organization like the Woodruff Arts Center. Me included. If timing is everything – then (with apologies to Charles Dickens) it is both the worst of times and the best of times.

The events of September 2008 are having even greater impact on our society than those of September 2001. In 2001 we had an instantaneous shock and a common foreign enemy. Today we are living with a series of “after shocks” that are getting more – not less – intense.

By Guest Columnist LYNNETTE YOUNG
CEO of Damespoint Consulting, which manages Sustainable Atlanta

What does “sustainability” really mean? And how does it apply to what we do everyday? Can businesses working together accomplish sustainability for themselves as well as our city?

Good questions. And ones we get asked often at Sustainable Atlanta. So let me start by sharing what green business is all about, and then I’ll let you in on some really good news!

Stay tuned to this space to read commentaries and analysis from many of our region’s civic leaders and interested citizens. If you have ideas you would like to share, or if you know of someone who can contribute to improving our region and state; please let me know. Email me at: maria@saportareport.com. It would be great to have color photo of those contributing to this feature.