Mary Norwood: Atlanta has enough money
June 12, 2009 at 7:06 pm by Scott Henry in News
Mayor candidate and Councilwoman Mary Norwood has responded to Kasim Reed’s call for a 1-mill tax increase to end police furloughs — as well as criticism directed at her for not suggesting an alternative funding source.
Here’s her statement:
I issued a 12-point public safety platform early in March in which I made my position very clear: end the furloughs now and pay for the public safety personnel our citizens need and deserve from existing revenues. That will mean that the Administration will have to prioritize its use of money, but that’s what we expect our city to do: prioritize resources in the public’s interest.
In her 12-point plan, Norwood also calls for the city to:
- Expand the police force by at least an additional 10 percent over the 2,000 officers that Mayor Franklin has said are necessary. The city now has about 1,700 cops.
- Raise police and firefighter salaries and benefits to be more competitive with other cities.
- Boost annual raises to induce police officers to stay with the department.
- Help public safety personnel buy homes inside the city limits.
- Put more police on the beat.
- Keep repeat offenders in jail until bond is set.
- Upgrade the city’s communication technology.
- Invest additional resources in city code enforcement.
Now, I’m no budget expert, but my guess is that each and every one of the those items would cost money — and all together, they’d add up to a medium-sized fortune.
Norwood has made it clear she opposes any kind of tax increase. Fair enough. But I have yet to hear her suggest where the money is going to come from to pay for her costly proposals. According to her, the city has enough money already; it’s just being spent on the wrong things. So, where would she cut? She’s never said. Unless you count statements like this:
“We have to prioritize. We have to make choices. Good management counts.”
My bet is that Norwood is going to have to come up with some real proposals — soon — if she wants to be the next mayor.
(CL file photo)
June 12th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Well said, Scott. Mary’s failure to name one cost saving to pay for her proposed huge increase in public safety looks like irresponsible pandering.
Why doesn’t she pledge to stop the tax giveaways to developers that have crippled the city, such that even in good times it can’t balance the budget?
June 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Mary’s going to talk herself right out of that so-call lead she’s got. I honestly think she believes what she says.
June 13th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Mary is living in a dream world. I too want more polcie and firefighters, better parks, more effective city services, AND no tax increase. If Mary can make that happen…fantastic. But how is she going to do it? Mary, give us the details, not just rhetoric and platitudes. If Mary becomes Mayor, she will be in a whale of trouble if she tries to claim surprise when her grand promises cannot be achieved.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:53 am
If Mary Norwood frosted her hair and made it poofier she could really rawk that Power-80s look she’s so fond of.
June 13th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Mary likes to tell people what they want to hear without putting any thought into the potential side effects. This also means she doesn’t think the voters are smart enough to think about the side effects either.
When people complained about new construction blocking views, she came up with a plan to forbid building anything that would block anyone’s view. The net result would have been that the World of Coca-Cola wouldn’t have been built (it blocks my view of Centennial Olympic Park) and neither would the aquarium (it blocks my view of Philips Arena). But it was what the people she was pandering to wanted to hear so it didn’t matter that it didn’t make a lick of sense.
June 13th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Jason, I’m afraid you’re on to something. Mary doesn’t think voters are smart enough to figure out that her proposals make no sense. Lisa doesn’t think we’re smart enough to notice she has no proposals and is just assuming business as usual – giving her old employer (Cousins Development) and friends what they want – is good enough for everyone. Kasim doesn’t think we’re smart enough to figure out that 1 mill and no other changes will neither balance the budget nor bring the cops and firefighters back to strength.
Worse: on past showing, all three of them are right. We aren’t smart enough, which is why we are stuck with these no-hopers.
June 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I don’t get it, I thought all of this redevelopment was going to expand the tax base and fund the treasury. Did the city provide so many tax breaks to developers that there’s a net decrease in revenue?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Developer tax breaks have broken the city’s piggybank. That’s the story that the numbers tell, Rule 303.
Property tax revenue is down and sales tax has barely budged between 2002 and last year – before the recession hit. Six years of hot construction and population growth in the city have left Atlanta with no extra money to provide the needed extra cops, fire protection etc.
Enjoy your tax increases!
June 13th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Leave Mary Norwood alone! (Just kidding!)
No really- I think you’re on to something, although I think the question is not, how will she pay for these proposals, but what else is she willing to cut?
She has said the budget is so untransparent right now that she can’t answer that question. But you are right to point out that that means, we are being asked to trust on faith that Mary Norwood will be able to make the right decisions once the real city expenditures are revealed to her.
At the same time, what does Kasim Reed base his 1 mill on, or is that just a politically-motivated attempt to please everybody?
June 14th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
APN: Are you implying that Mary Norwood is saying “Because Atlanta’s budget is so untransparent, I will be surprised when I become Mayor, so don’t try to hold me to my finacial campaign promises?”
Mary: Say it ain’t so….
June 15th, 2009 at 3:30 am
If Mary can find the money in the current budget and avoid the tax increase then why the hell isn’t she suggesting how she plans to do that with the CURRENT budget she is working on as a council member?
Agreed as soon as she starts talking it’s over for her.
I say whoever promises to go kidnap Clark Howard’s ass back from New York to be the next CFO gets it.
That guy has no business in NYC. They know how to work with money.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Didn’t she just come out for marriage equality? I doubt she really believes that. Again, she is just saying what people want to hear.
Also, I heard she just starting pulling the democratic ticket 8 years ago when she ran for council. I guess she was planning on this mayor’s race a long time ago.
The question is, which one of the candidates will do the least damage while they learn on the job? I don’t know the answer.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Which one would do least damage as mayor? Well, Mary is the least beholden to the developers who have starved the city of tax revenue. Lisa is a 100%-owned sub of the developers. Kasim, as Shirley’s campaign manager, must be highly acquainted with the developers and McKenna Long.
So, if otherwise they are equally incompetent and dissembling, Mary is our best hope.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Norwood does not have the respect not a shared vision with anybody else on the Council from where I sit.
If we get a Mayor and Legislative that can’t agree on what our priorities are and the action needed we will have what we have now.
In that regard I would say Kasim would not so much do damage but allow the government to friggin move anywhere but here.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I think there is a possibility that Dave Walker will run. Any views on Dave v. Mary, Kasim, and Lisa?
June 15th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
I think if Dave Walker wants to run for any office he needs to speak to the constituents he gives his phone number to and find out why they might be interested in speaking with him.
He had the 2nd most votes in the last election, around 2,300 to the Mayor’s 50,000.
He got more votes than most council members who currently sit on the council needed, however, those votes were segregated by district.
I think it would be beneficial to have someone with his experience on the Council or in some Operations capacity.
Or if I had my pick I’d have him graduate to full time Lobbyist at the General Assembly.
I personally don’t think he’d win the Mayor’s spot, he has mentioned the Council President but I also don’t see that as likely not to mention he would go crazy in the position because he can’t debate the council members in full council meetings. Not to his strengths.
I think he’d do well in Archibong’s seat in District 5 on the Council and I think he could get the 2K votes it would take to win that spot.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Are you really advocating a Dave Walker run? You have got to be kidding.
That guy goes to the highest bidder. Everyone in politics knows that.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:17 am
@ s dekalb voter,
provide an example please.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
That’s a fact commonly known in Atl political circles.
I’m sure CL can get their political source, Tom Houck, to verify that one.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Well he probably wouldn’t need $300,000 to run a campaign if he just set his sights a little lower.
I’d be willing to pay a citizens tax to have, Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Howard and ESPECIALLY Mr. Duncan give shit to the council every day.
We got the TV now. It’s little brother and those guys educate you all day long on the process.
I think he could get a council seat but needs a little humility if he is about to join a team of people. In theory.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Do you honestly believe the City of Atlanta actually spends money wisely? Most all of these comments assume that revenue is insufficient and taxes must be raised – but why? Do you have any doubt after all of the revelations that the City can be a better buyer of goods and services – do you have any doubt?
The Mayor has been playing a shell game with the multi-thousand page budget and the revisions to the City’s Annual Financial Reports proove it. But how do you suggest that Council members figure this out – get a new Mayor!
Raising taxes on residents and businesses is not the key to Atlanta’s future. It will only drive more employers out of the City and this is not sustainable. City residents and businesses pay the highest tax and fee rates in the State and raising taxes will only make us less competitive.
Mary gets it – the next Mayor needs to be committed to making hard choices and figuring it out just like taxpayers have to do – live within your means.
Raising taxes is not the answer. If it is, Cobb County will be my answer.
October 24th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Oh my Lord. Atlanta has become such a draw the line b/w city it’s silly. Since the movement to blacks in power, Atlanta has become a joke….a complete joke, and I know the powers that want to be want to keep it that way. Mrs. Norwood has, by far, the most qualifications and the best ideas to improve a crumbling “Chocolate City.” Blacks of Atlanta, you have been shown by the memo of being so racist. Get out of your own way and support someone who wants to make a change for once!!