In a more prosperous yet deeply uneasy South Africa, the United States has a smaller footprint than it had in 1994, and other powers are ascendant.
Category: Columns
Posted inColumns
Protecting Atlanta’s icons: Two sites placed on Georgia Register of Historic Places
Two Atlanta architects whose imprints have shaped the city’s landscape – John Portman and Henri Jova – have been honored through the listing of signature developments on the Georgia Register of Historic Places. The placement makes the properties eligible for state tax incentives and grants.
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Committee for a Better Atlanta scores city candidates
A group of Atlanta’s and Georgia’s business and civic heavyweights have given out their scores on the dozens of folks running for city leadership this year. Five mayoral candidates got a rating of “excellent” from the Committee for a Better Atlanta.
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Photo Pick: East ATL Village – 9/23/17 by Kelly Jordan
Click each photo to enlarge:
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Atlanta City Council candidate Q and A: District 5
Voters in parts of Atlanta from Downtown to East Lake have a choice for their District 5 City Council seat this year: a veteran of City Hall or a first-time candidate. City services and the cost of housing top are top issues, the candidates say.
Posted inColumns
‘The Battle of Sexes’ explores Billie Jean King’s challenges – on and off the court
The so-called “battle of the sexes” tennis match, between women’s champ, Billie Jean King, and aging former men’s champ, Bobby Riggs, was an insulting stunt when it happened in 1973.
The movie “Battle of the Sexes.” starring Emma Stone as King and Steve Carell as Riggs, isn’t a stunt and it’s only mildly insulting. But it’s certainly a missed opportunity.
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Atlanta’s lack of affordable housing prompts call to revive Housing Commission
In 1993, the need for affordable housing was so great that the Atlanta City Council created a Housing Commission to recommend solutions; the commission evaporated. Now, a pending proposal would revive the commission and charge it with meeting the challenges of this era.
Posted inColumns
Atlanta’s housing policies must be well-funded, comprehensive, inclusive
By Guest Columnist DAN IMMERGLUCK, a professor in the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University
In the book, City on the Verge, author Mark Pendergrast points out some of the challenges that the Atlanta BeltLine and the rest of Atlanta face in terms of housing affordability. He argues, for example, that the City should adopt mandatory inclusionary zoning, with a sliding scale to address the truly impoverished, as soon as possible in order to address the problem of declining affordability.
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Most political candidates bypass Atlanta Streets Alive on Sunday
The crowd at this Sunday’s Atlanta Streets Alive won’t get to meet many political candidates. Just 21 of more than 100 candidates for Atlanta City Hall and Atlanta Board of Education have applied to participate, including just three of 13 mayoral candidates, according to the event’s website on Friday afternoon.
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Atlanta City Council candidate profiles: District 2
Parts of Atlanta from Downtown to Little Five Points are going to get a new City Council member in an election this year that’s attracted more than $200,000 in donations, and talk about affordability, homelessness, taxes and planning.
Posted inLatest News
Trees Atlanta hosts tree protection event as city embarks on redo of tree ordinance
As Atlanta city officials look to revamp the city’s tree ordinance, Trees Atlanta is hosting more than 100 folks at a conference where they are slated to hear practical advice on how to become effective advocates for the city’s tree canopy.
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Atlanta ethics board: not changing mind on tickets for development agency
Atlanta’s Board of Ethics has voted not to reconsider a 2013 opinion that says the city’s development agency can’t get free premium tickets to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Invest Atlanta board signals approval for bonds, breaks for Turner Field builds
The first phase of Turner Field redevelopment looks to be on track for city bonds and tax abatements after votes by the board of Atlanta’s development authority.
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At large Atlanta City Council race attracts high-profile support
The race for Atlanta City Council between incumbent Michael Julian Bond and challenger Courtney English has attracted thousands of dollars in donations and now some well-known supporters.
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Atlanta’s GM for road, transit projects appointed to board of newly retooled GRTA
Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed Atlanta’s chief of road and transportation construction projects to the board that oversees GRTA, which advises on Xpress bus service in metro Atlanta and authorizes state and federal spending on transportation in metro Atlanta.
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Atlanta mayoral hopefuls talk traffic, transit fixes
Last year, Atlanta voters approved new sales taxes to pay for transportation and transit builds. This year, mayoral candidates are talking about what they would do in a city that’s raising cash, is predicting a lot of new residents and that aims to attract big employers.
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Confederate monuments, white supremacy: Moral issues aired in Emory discussion
As a discussion of Confederate monuments drew to a close Sunday at Emory University, a moral aspect of the removal debate was voiced: “If we don’t deal with it, if we decide this isn’t worth our time to deal with it, we concede the field to white supremacists.”
Posted inColumns
Sun shines for 2017 Music Midtown; new city leaders will weigh in on future festivals
Music Midtown 2017 was a nearly fairy-tale event.
The weather was gorgeous (no rain or storms and not too hot) on both Saturday and Sunday. The music was fabulous (at least most of the acts I saw). And, as always, it provided some of the best people-watching in town.
But I kept thinking – what if Music Midtown had happened a week earlier when Hurricane Irma was making its way through Georgia.
Posted inColumns
In an African mirror, reflections of how we got to where we are
Suppose Donald Trump was president, and George Washington died four years ago. That’s South Africa — although Jacob Zuma might indignantly reply that he’s more like Vladimir Putin.
