By Maria Saporta
Thanks, but no thanks (I think).
So says former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin in response to an effort to recruit her to run as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. The petition drive says: “We believe that SHIRLEY FRANKLIN is by far the best candidate to chair our Party.”
Actually, Franklin said she believes she is too liberal to represent the Democratic Party statewide. She also believes that she has been a controversial figure, especially in her last couple of years as
By Maria Saporta
It was an interesting juxtaposition.
As President Obama’s bipartisan debt reduction commission was presenting its ideas on how to reduce the nation’s staggering deficit on Wednesday, Georgia’s Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness was meeting to talk about the proliferation of tax incentives for businesses.
In both cases, one thing has become painfully clear. It sure is easy to spend and give away money, but it’s a lot harder to take away government incentives or duct back programs once they’ve been established.
That’s why the President’s commission
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership did not want the 22-mile development ring to lead to unintended consequences.
That began to hit home for Valarie Wilson, the partnership’s executive director, when she began making Beltline presentations in neighborhoods in the corridor.
By Maria Saporta
After giving a speech to the Atlanta Rotary Club on Monday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston said he appreciates the role that MARTA plays in the region and the rest of the state.
“MARTA is an important part of our transportation future,” Ralston said in response to a question about how the state’s largest transit agency will be impacted by House Bill 277.
Ralston said MARTA ended up faring better in the bill than some earlier versions.
“We had to strike a very delicate balance between all the people,” the speaker
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Atlanta region now has one more way to sell itself — as the nation’s capital for health-care information technology.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) have all seized on the state’s
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 19, 2010
Despite the tough economy, Camp Twin Lakes has completed its “Ever Higher” $5.3 million capital campaign in record time.
Camp Twin Lakes is a nonprofit organization that offers year-round recreational, therapeutic and educational programs for children and young adults facing serious illnesses, disabilities and challenges.
By Maria Saporta
In 2007, Atlanta launched the Americas Competitiveness Forum as a way to increase trade between North, Central and South Americas.
As a testament to continuity, Atlanta hosted the fourth annual Competitiveness Forum last Sunday to Tuesday attracting more than 500 dignitaries from countries throughout the Americas.
The forum has been able to survive from President George W. Bush’s administration through President Barack Obama’s administration; from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration through Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 19, 2010
After seven years serving as Georgia Power Co.’s president and CEO, Michael Garrett offered the following advice to his successor, Paul Bowers.
“The people in this city and this state embrace whoever sits in this chair because of the impact that this company has on this city, state and region,” Garrett said. “You are only going to be here a short period of
By Maria Saporta
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Delta Air Lines Inc. will resume non-stop flights between Atlanta and Shanghai — an aviation link considered critical in growing business relationships between Georgia and China.
Delta (NYSE: DAL) announced Tuesday the Atlanta-Shanghai flights as part of a larger announcement of its summer 2011 international air service.
By Maria Saporta
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
In another significant leadership change, Georgia Power Co.’s board on Wednesday accepted the retirement of President and CEO Michael Garrett and named W. Paul Bowers as his successor starting Jan. 1.
Bowers became Atlanta-based Georgia Power’s chief operating officer since Aug. 13, a move that signaled that it was only a matter of when, not if, he would step into Garrett’s shoes.
By Maria Saporta
Closer cooperation between the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is in the works.
At today’s Metro Atlanta Chamber board meeting, Georgia Chamber’s new president and CEO — Chris Clark — was in attendance.
“Chris is joining our board,” said an enthusiastic Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
“I’m excited about it,” Clark said. “There’s strength in numbers, and we want to work closely with all the local chambers in the state of Georgia.”
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 12, 2010
The work of the Regional Commission on Homelessness has been validated through a $6 million, two-year gift from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation.
The Whitehead Foundation, which is part of the family of the Robert W. Woodruff family of foundations, focuses much of its giving on the poor in the community.
By Maria Saporta
Georgia is at a crossroads.
That’s how A.D. Frazier, chairman of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians, began a short recap of his group’s work at Monday’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Atlanta.
Georgia has suffered through the recession proportionally more than other states. That has led to declining state revenues during much of the administration of Gov. Sonny Perdue.
He described it as “the seven lean years after the seven fat years.”
Frazier commended the governor and the
By Maria Saporta and Lisa Schoolcraft
Friday, November 12, 2010
The College Football Hall of Fame appears to have selected its preferred site in Atlanta — a parking lot owned by the Georgia World Congress Center along Marietta Street.
The “Green Lot” is located across from Centennial Olympic Park and is one of the prime locations in the area.
By Maria Saporta
If it were up to former President Jimmy Carter, he would let all the Bush tax cuts expire — including for those making less than $250,000.
President Barack Obama has been pushing to extend the Bush tax cuts for middle-class Americans, but have them expire for wealthier individuals making $250,000 or more.
“I would do away with the tax reductions that were put in place by President Bush, both for rich people and those making less than $250,000,” Carter said during a talk Monday to the Rotary Club of
By Maria Saporta
A design has been selected for the new playground in Woodruff Park.
The winner of the international design competition was Jeff Santos of Coquitiam, British Columbia in Canada, which is near Vancouver.
His design is a wooden playscape that spells out ATL in a stylistic letters.
The winning design was selected from more than 40 designs that had been submitted from around the world.
The idea for a playground in Woodruff Park was brought to Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) by the Atlanta Taskforce
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 12, 2010
Eight years ago, even before he opened the Georgia Aquarium, Bernie Marcus envisioned Atlanta having its own version of the London Eye.
The London Eye, now 11 years old, has become one of Europe’s top destinations, attracting 3.7 million riders a year, turning a profit at every rotation along the way.
By Maria Saporta
The message was clear Thursday night.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear that if Atlanta ever wants to host another Super Bowl, it needs to build a new football stadium.
Goodell shared those sentiments during a pre-game reception on the roof-top of the Metro Atlanta Chamber — in front of both Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Gov.-elect Nathan Deal.
Asked about Atlanta’s chances of getting a future Super Bowl, Goodell quickly brought up the possibility of a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 5, 2010
Georgia Tech — with a relatively new president and a new strategic plan — now has an ambitious fundraising campaign goal to match.
On Nov. 12, the university will launch the public phase of a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign that is being chaired by John Brock, CEO of Atlanta-based Coca-Cola
By Maria Saporta
Pedestrians and transit are interdependent modes of transportation.
That point hit home Wednesday evening during PEDS 11th annual Golden Shoe Awards.
PEDS, the group that advocates for pedestrians in metro Atlanta, highlighted the relationship between pedestrians and transit in several of its awards presented in the Dahlberg Alumni Hall at Georgia State University.
The Atlanta Regional Commission won two Golden Shoe awards for “pedestrian-friendly research.” One survey, conducted by Claudette Dillard, showed how most transit riders begin and end their trips on foot.
