Shirley snaps back at cop union head
January 14, 2009 at 1:42 pm by Scott Henry in NewsMayor Franklin continues to remind everyone that she has a thin skin. This time, it comes in the form of open letter released minutes ago and addressed to Sgt. Scott Kreher, president of the Atlanta police union, who had publicly scoffed at her proposal to raise taxes to hire more cops.
“Can the mayor be any more full of hot air on that one?” Kreher was quoted as saying in today’s AJC.
Kreher dismissed Franklin’s proposal to add 400 officers to the APD by the end of the year as so much empty political rhetoric. Even if the city had the money, Kreher told the newspaper, the mayor knows it would take longer than that to recruit, train and certify so many new officers.
Here are some excerpts from Shirley’s fairly lengthy reply:
I have your public comments and I faithfully appreciate the frustration you must feel as you advocate for the officers and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers members in recent weeks. In spite of the divisive comments you have made about me I believe we share a common goal, which is a safe city. I think we both recognize the essential role our police officers contribute to achieving this goal.
Yesterday I spoke at the Atlanta Press Club and in answering a question I mused that perhaps in my last year in office that I should push harder to reach the city’s longstanding goal of 2,000 officers. To my surprise you chose to make fun of the idea and not give serious consideration to the changes we’ve implemented in the last seven years. Your comments may lead the public to believe you don’t think the goal is laudable whether it is achieved partially this year or next year.
She ends, however, on a conciliatory note:
I am writing this letter to request your full support for a tax increase to fund 200 additional police officers in the FY 2010 General Fund budget. Working together I am certain we can be successful.
I’m guessing the full letter will be posted soon on the city’s website. That seems to be the way Shirley rolls.
To be fair, I understand where the mayor is coming from. Last year, she proposed a $40 million property tax increase with the stated goal of avoiding man-hour cuts to the police and fire departments. The Council rejected the plan and sent her back to the drawing board to make more cuts to city programs and payroll, which she did. Only in December, in the fourth round of an ongoing series of personnel cuts, did she announce that employee furloughs would also apply to police and firefighters.
Scarcely a month later, following the murder of Standard bartender John Henderson, Council member and mayoral hopeful Mary Norwood publicly implied that the killing was somehow a consequence of Franklin’s cuts to the police department. So I’m not surprised that Shirley, in reaction to community-wide criticism, is again pushing the idea of a tax hike to beef up the APD.
If the Council and the mayor agree that the reduction to police patrols is not acceptable, they need to work together to find — and fund — a solution. It can’t be much fun to be the one who always gets passed the buck.
(CL file photo by Joeff Davis)
January 14th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Scott,
Thanks for a pretty balanced entry on this. I think the Mayor has been shown to be thin skinned at time, but in this case, I think she has a right to get her back up. As you correctly said, she tried to avoid this and the council rebuffed her. And now, the same council members are blaming her.
Kasim Reed — if he is truly interested in being mayor — could step in here and broker some sort of agreement between the mayor at the council. Get it done, Sen. Reed!
January 14th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Kreher is still correct to question the seriousness of any proposal to add 400 officers to a 1,700-person force in just one year.
If the Mayor/City Council couldn’t find the cash or political will to significantly grow the police force between 2002-2007, when city revenue was growing, it’s difficult to imagine it happening in 2009.
January 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
perhaps the city could use the money earmarked for the public art that was not purchased
January 14th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Sellout, this isn’t directed at you, but what the hell has Kasim Reed EVER done that he deserves to be mayor? Is it because he is the next ‘annointed one’ by the corrupt kingmakers in this town who have been appointing mayors for the past 30+ years? Forget that.
At present, all of the declared mayoral candidates are a joke.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Cynthia Tucker actually wrote a good piece about this issue last summer before the council decided to roll back taxes and de-fund public safety.
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/tucker/stories/2008/07/15/tucked_0716.html
If the facts mentioned in this article are correct, the current administration should be congratulated.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Shirley Girl,
More police are fine and they need a raise also, but please set 3 or 4 dollars aside from the city budget to purchase a Bic Razor for Councilwoman Cleta Winslow to shave off that horrible mostauche.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Wake UP Call! Lisa, Mary, and Kasim let the voters decide who will be the next Mayor of Atlanta and stop these amateurism antics and advise your staff that they are playing a dangerous game. I find it hilarious that you would each have the same slime-ball on payroll. You may also want to review you staffing plans EACH of you have a mole operating in your campaigns. Politics 101
Furthermore, Lisa and Kasim you both will NEVER be Mayor of Atlanta, because you are disingenuous and have delusions of grandeur. Mary will also get 20% of the African-American vote. Not because she is a great candidate, but largely due to the fact that Blacks are sick of elitist, pompous, arrogant, self-serving black leadership, which has further disenfranchised our communities! No jobs, exorbant foreclosures, and HIGH CRIME.
Shirley Franklin did not make any of us proud. She made us weep.
Glen and Jessie, I applaud your efforts and campaign to take these monsters! Remember the reason they fear you and Jessie Spikes is because they realize the two of you will stripe away too many black votes, thus eliminating the potential for a Run-off which they will also lose by large margins. Mary will get 70% of the white vote and 20% of the black vote. Thus, keep up the good work. Mayor Norwood for Mayor! Kudo’s we get a 2-for-1 with Clair Muller for President.
The Dream Team