Shirley Franklin is shown the love
January 8, 2009 at 11:53 am by Scott Henry in News
Mayor Shirley Franklin (CL file photo)
Shirley Franklin didn’t need to say a word before finding out how Atlanta’s business/civic leadership feel about her tenure as mayor. Even as she stepped to the podium in an Omni Hotel ballroom to deliver her State of the City address this morning, she was greeted with a long, enthusiastic standing ovation by the near-overflow crowd.
It may have helped that the audience had been primed by a slick, 15-minute video produced by Coke extolling Franklin’s accomplishments: the sewer overhaul, the purchase of the King papers, the completion of the fifth runway. But even some of Shirley’s detractors later told me they were surprised by how warmly she was received by the business community. It was not polite applause heard this morning; it was genuine affection for a mayor who – whether or not you appreciate her style or the results of her efforts – hasn’t backed away from tackling some very formidable challenges since coming into office.
Thankfully, Franklin didn’t give the same speech she delivered to the City Council on Monday, which was simply a disjointed litany of statistics and trivia designed to tout her accomplishments as mayor, with little real acknowledgment of the city’s recent setbacks
In fact, she didn’t give a speech at all, but spoke off the cuff about Atlanta’s unique assets – visionary leadership by several (certainly not all) past mayors and business poobahs – and the city’s willingness to help others who are hurting – as evidenced by the grass-roots outpouring of community aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina – a tradition of empathy Franklin believes was forged in the ashes of the Civil War.
“We appreciate how difficult it is for those who are struggling,” she said.
Sure, the speech arguably was boosterish hokum, but it was upbeat and appropriately inspiring – just the right notes for someone closing out her final year in office at a time when budget constraints would have rendered hollow any grand promises or ambitious plans. Franklin was relaxed, in good spirits and obviously touched by the outpouring of support from the audience. There were none of the signs of defensiveness she has shown at recent press events.
The love fest wrapped up at 9:30 a.m. As the ballroom slowly cleared, everyone – Franklin included – went out to face the harsh realities of an uncertain future.
(Photo by Joeff Davis
January 8th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
You’ve got to be kidding me. I guess gutting the city’s public safety and code enforcement departments is good business in their eyes. They must be proponents of the Baghdad or New Orleans methods of city planing and development.
What’s more important to the city right now, a fifth runway and the King Papers, or a functioning government that tries to provide a modicum of safety for its taxpaying residents from roving gangs of thieves and murderers.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I wonder how loud and long the boos would be if she were speaking to regular folks.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
although we do not agree on everything, Shirley made me proud
January 8th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
You have to be joking. This jerk of a mayor acts as if she thinks she is a queen instead of an elected official. She should be run out of town. Lies about the crime stats and cuts public safety. She is total trash.