In January, state lawmakers will convene in Atlanta to shake hands, eat at fancy restaurants, and maybe pass a law or two. Because it’s an election year, these men and women will introduce a bunch of ridiculous proposals and resolutions to earn some brownie points with voters. But they’ll also have to tackle such serious issues as water, transportation and tax reform.
On Nov. 11 and 12, state lawmakers who represent Fulton County under the Gold Dome will hold three public meetings at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building to discuss local issues. Among them: Grady Health Systems, MARTA and education.
At the annual citizens’ public hearing on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m., you’ll have a chance to tell lawmakers what you’d like to see them focus on during the session.
The meetings are free and open to the public. Meeting dates and details are after the jump.
High on the list for the the Hall County Republican who’s also running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination? He and some congressional colleagues will kindly ask President Barack Obama to show a copy of his birth certificate.
The AJC’s Christian Boone today brings us the story of Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgendered woman who three years ago was fired from her state Capitol editing job. Why exactly? Well, her higher-ups feared she might be “extremely harmful to work operations” and make state lawmakers uneasy and
Glenn, who was born Glenn Morrison, filed a federal suit against her former employers to get her old job back.
Here are some choice quotes from the deposition of Georgia Legislative Counsel Sewell Brumby, who was Glenn’s boss at the Capitol:
“It makes me think about things I don’t like to think about, particularly at work … I think it’s unsettling to think of someone dressed in women’s clothing with male sexual organs inside that clothing,” said Brumby, in a deposition taken May 11th in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. [...]
“I think some members of the legislature would view that taking place in our office as perhaps immoral, perhaps unnatural, and perhaps, if you will, liberal or ultra-liberal,” [Brumby] said.
Now on that last quote Brumby does have a point. The Georgia Capitol, after all, is a beacon of morality. No one’s ever raised flag about anything scandalous allegedly happening at the Gold Dome. Nope. Never. Check out Boone’s entire profile. UPDATE: Southern Voice has done an excellent job covering the story since it broke. Matt Schafer has a thorough article here.
Our federal overlords are currently mulling climate change legislation that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus reducing the impact of global warming. (They’re doing it for the children, ya skeptics.) Some carbon belchers — as well as some Republicans — aren’t thrilled about the bill.
According to a study reported by E&E, a subscription-based energy industry and policy publication, Atlanta-based Southern Co. would be hardest hit if the legislation passes. The article’s only available to subscribers, but here’s a snippet:
Atlanta-based Southern Co. will suffer most from a federal carbon cap-and-trade system, facing $393 million in costs to comply with legislation to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, according to a new study by Point Carbon, a carbon market information firm. Two other energy producers, American Electric Power and Duke Energy, round out the top three firms in the nation facing the most risk, with those two companies expecting to incur costs of $252 million and $125 million, respectively, Point Carbon analysts said.
In an attempt to flesh out the “winners and losers” of federal cap and trade, analysts zeroed in on 18 companies that are expected to represent 40 percent of any future U.S. market in emissions allowances. Southern Co. is characterized as the worst off, while Chicago-based Exelon Corp. is seen as the best off. Point Carbon believes Exelon, the nation’s biggest nuclear power producer, could actually see net revenues of $1.7 billion from the sale of its surplus allowances.
Last night, longtime community activist Liz Coyle was edged out of a Dec. 1 runoff against Alex Wan by darkhorse candidate Tad Christian in the Atlanta City Council District 6 race.
Or so we thought.
CL just spoke with Coyle. And the Atkins Park resident says she’s ready for a runoff.
“Huh?” we asked.
Coyle said the election results reported for the six-candidate race didn’t include three DeKalb County precincts that are considered part of the City of Atlanta. When you add those results, Coyle says, she leads Christian by 65 votes.
“So I’m ready for a runoff,” she said. Work begins today on her Dec. 1 showdown with Wan.
We’ve reached out to the Christian campaign. We’ll update when we hear word.
We asked him how he felt now that the election’s over.
A large part of a runoff is actually convincing voters to return to the polls. And Keyser’s proven he can rally people around a cause. No word yet if he plans to endorse Mary Norwood or Kasim Reed. His nod of approval wouldn’t be a deciding factor, but it surely wouldn’t hurt.
UPDATE 11:45 p.m. Um, we’re pretty positive Norwood and Reed will be duking it out on Dec. 2 Dec. 1. I for one am going to bed. Thomas and Scott will continue partying. (Thomas just showed up at Kyle Keyser’s gathering at Noni’s.) You’ll hear more from them soon, I’m sure. Nightie night!
UPDATE 11:33 p.m. Kasim Reed tells the crowd gathered at the Hyatt that in the “darkest days” of his campaign, Andrew Young was there to help by assuring him, “If you’re not sleeping, I don’t want to sleep.” Reed also says, “Several weeks ago, not many people thought we would be here with 37 percent, did they? … I’m ready to go for this city. I will fight for you. I will stand up for you. And I will make Atlanta the city on the hill again.”
UPDATE 11:22 p.m. Reed’s about to take the podium at the Hyatt Regency, the TV people say. With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting, we’ve got Norwood at 45 percent, Reed at 37 percent, Borders (who has conceded the race) at 14 percent.
UPDATE 11:15 p.m. Text message from Thomas Wheatley: “Norwood announces she anticipates a runoff.”
UPDATE 11:11 p.m. Via Scott Henry, as he leaves the Varsity (Norwood’s party) for the Hyatt Regency (Reed’s shindig): “I just had to get a few pictures of Eldrin Bell and his wife in the Varsity. He’s dressed to the nines. Mary just walked back in, and the crowd is chanting, ‘Mare-EE, Mare-EE.’ I just bumped into Rodney Cook, the Buckhead millionaire. Anne Fauver is sitting right next to me in her white Prius as she leaves.”
UPDATE 10:54 p.m. Thomas here. Reporting from the Varsity, which honest to God has some of the best ice in the country. There’s a lull in activity as Norwood supporters watch votes continue to line up in the councilwoman’s favor. She’s expected to return at 10:45. While we wait, it’s worth taking a look at the other races.
Perhaps most surprising: We might see a runoff in the City Council President race between Ceasar Mitchell and Clair Muller. City Hall gadfly Dave Walker has managed to pull nearly 10 percent of the votes counted thus far. That’s surprising, considering that Walker’s reported zero funds raised in this race. (CL’s profiled Walker before. Here’s a video interview shot.) Where’d he get the support? It’s worth considering that some of those are protest votes. You should also remember that Walker attends nearly every single council meeting (literally). He’s a fixture on Channel 23, usually found badgering councilmembers.
Post 3 At-Large: Embattled incumbent H. Lamar Willis faces a tough contest from challenger Shelitha Roberston. 52-48. WIllis could very well lose his seat.
District 3: Incumbent Ivory Young appears headed for re-election, with 80 percent of the vote. 63 percent of the precincts reporting.
District 4: Incumbent Cleta Winslow leads closest challenger LaShawn Hoffman by 20 points. 46 percent of precincts reported.
District 6: Alex Wan leads Liz Coyle in the crowded race that’s almost certainly headed for a runoff. Looks like it will be Wan v. Coyle or Tad Christian. Too close to call.
District 8: Yolanda Adrean commands a strong lead over Rick Coleman in the race to fill Clair Muller’s seat.
District 11: The race to fill longtime Councilman Jim Maddox’s seat quickly filled up after he announced his retirement. A runoff seemed virtually guaranteed — but Keisha Lance Bottoms currently leads the pack of nine with little over 50 percent of the vote.
District 12: It appears Joyce Sheperd has a solid lead, with 57 percent of votes. 85 percent of precincts reporting.
UPDATE 10:47 p.m. It’s now up to 60 percent of precincts reporting, folks — Norwood: 45 percent. Reed: 37 percent. Borders: 14 percent. But it ain’t over yet. Can Norwood close in on the 6 precious points that will give her an outright win? Or will it be a Norwood-Reed runoff in December???
UPDATE 10:29 p.m. In other city races (with 52 percent of precincts reporting) … City Council Prez: Ceasar Mitchell, 48 percent; Clair Muller, 42 percent. City Council Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond, 55 percent; Adam Brackman, 22 percent. City Council Post 2 At-Large: Aaron Watson, 43 percent; Amir Farokhi, 41 percent.
UPDATE 10:23 p.m. With 48 percent (yes, I double-checked this time) of precincts reporting — Norwood: 46 percent. Reed: 36 percent. Borders: 14 percent. Could the magic be ever-so-slightly slipping away from Norwood? Well … even if she can’t avoid a runoff, it’s been an impressive showing. Who knows? She could still pull it off.
UPDATE 10:03 p.m. With 48 30 percent (oops) of precincts now reporting — Norwood: 47 percent. Reed: 35 percent. Borders: 14 percent. According to the AJC, “Norwood flirting with magic majority.” Ooh la la.
UPDATE 9:55 p.m. Text message via Thomas Wheatley: “That’s Norwood entering the Varsity. Talking now.”
UPDATE 9:51 p.m. So says Scott Henry: “There’s quite a crowd down here at the Varsity. I walked in and [Norwood's] press person tells us that the early returns put Mary at 51 percent. There are a lot of people with Mary T-shirts. Glenn Thomas just walked in. It’s a very mixed crowd, older African-American folks and Buckhead Betties — two groups you never see together. Ralph Long is here. Lee Morris is here. Ahh, here we have Anne Fauver. She just walked by. A lot of people with families. A very different crowd than at the W. For one, they are giving away free food. Pretty nutty. I got a chicken salad sandwich on rye. But I can’t do their onion rings. Those will kill ya. After I finish my sandwich I’m going to walk around some more and talk to some people.”
UPDATE: 9:35 p.m. This is what I’m hearing from Scott Henry, who was en route from Lisa Borders’ party (at the W) to Mary Norwood’s (at the Varsity): “Not a lot of people there [at the W], maybe 100, maybe 80. Not a lot of energy. Please put in there that I had to suffer through someone singing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’ Yeah, I would not say it’s downbeat, but no one was totally psyched or anything like that. I couldn’t tell if it was because they thought that they were gonna lose or what. I’m pulling into the Varsity parking lot now. It is difficult to find a parking space at the Varsity. Is that unusual?”
UPDATE: 9:16 p.m. In case I left anyone wondering, that last update was left by me, Mara. Carry on.
UPDATE: 9:11 p.m. Greetings! I’m stuck on the couch at home while the esteemed Scott Henry and Thomas Wheatley get to party-hop, so let’s make the most of this, shall we? Starting now, I’ll be keeping a close watch on the election returns while Scott and Thomas deliver dispatches from the field. With 11 percent of precincts reporting, here’s what Fulton County’s vote-o-meter is spouting — Norwood: 44 percent; Reed: 39 percent; Borders: 13 percent. Thoughts, y’all? Predictions? Hopes? Dreams?
UPDATE: 9:03 p.m. Results now rolling in. Kasim Reed at 49 percent, Mary Norwood at 31 percent, Lisa Borders at 15 percent, Jesse Spikes, Kyle Keyser and Peter Brownlowe at 3 percent, 1 percent and 1 percent, respectively. One percent of precincts reporting.
UPDATE8:39 p.m. Ahoy, Atlantans. Thomas here, writing from my car outside Manuel’s. For an election night, the Poncey-Highland pub is surprisingly empty. Granted, polls closed roughly 30 minutes ago. If you’re looking for a place to watch the election results in peace, it’s an option.
Political gadfly Tom Houck was holding court with a table of somewhat familiar faces. His itinerary for the night includes Atkins Park to see Atlanta City Council District 6 candidate Liz Coyle and Shout in Midtown to see Post 2 At-Large hopeful Amir Farokhi. He also plants to drop by the Hyatt Regency to hobnob at mayoral candidate Kasim Reed’s soiree. Emory Morsberger was also in attendance at Manuel’s, but he’s high-stepping to several parties as well. When I asked how he was doing, he greeted me with his trademark “incredible!”
Atlanta City Council President candidate Clair Muller might owe Norwood a thank you card tomorrow morning, one political observer said. Muller, a longtime councilwoman who represents the affluent area, might see a boost in support thanks to Norwood’s solid grip on Buckhead. If Muller’s successful in her race against Ceasar Mitchell — and Norwood in her own contest — the city could have a white mayor and a white city council president.
Still no results to speak of in the Atlanta races. Lisa Borders tweeted earlier that election results are set to come in first from Buckhead, then Midtown, and finally South Atlanta. If that’s the case, don’t be surprised if you first see Norwood way ahead in the polls. But we’ll see.
It’s getting cold and I need to drive somewhere else. More to come.
Looking for an entertaining take on Atlanta’s elections? Good news! CL’s crack team of scribes will be out and about this evening in the City Too Busy to Vote. Scott Henry, Joeff Davis and myself will pile into the CL Mobile Meth Lab and risk life and limb to attend campaign parties, talk to people in suits, and keep you updated about results, rumors and skullduggery. CL News Editor Mara Shalhoup will hold down the fort and use the banhammer on people who post links to anonymous Web sites. It shall be a sight to behold, my friends.
Come back to Fresh Loaf around 8:30 and chime in. We’ll update the post throughout the night and pass along photos, videos and reports from campaign soirees. If you have photos or tips you’d like to share, shoot me an email.
The news networks will have regular election result updates. (C’mon, give Fox 5 another chance.) But if you want to watch polling precinct results from the comfort of your couch or barstool, check out the Fulton County Board of Elections’ website. They’ve got several online options you can use to monitor results. The Web site says it will only update every 15 minutes, but it has a nice scrolling feature that you can keep open on your browser.
If you’re looking for a drinking game … hmm … well, we really haven’t thought too much about that. Maybe take a shot every time a candidate says something vague like “move forward” or “change Atlanta?” You’ll be soused by 8:33 p.m. If Mayor Shirley Franklin grabs a mic and starts singing Rammstein’s “Du hast,” just turn that bottle upright and cut loose.
And if you haven’t already voted, there’s still time. Atlanta polls close at 8 p.m. Check out our earlier post if you need help finding out candidate info or where you can vote. Godspeed.
In a very long interview yesterday with Atlanta Progressive News, Atlanta mayoral front-runner Mary Norwood explained why she’s voted in Republican primaries and attended state GOP conventions.
[Norwood] said she was disgusted with the Republican Convention and decided never to return. “There seemed to be two agendas. Evidentally in all these party politics, there’s stuff that goes on on the floor and there’s stuff that goes on in the back room,” Norwood said.
“Just because you go on a date with someone doesn’t mean you’re gonna marry them,” Norwood said, making an analogy. “Just because you did cocaine once doesn’t make you an addict.”
Emphasis added, because hot damn that’s a great quote! And the image of Republicans conspiring in the “back room” followed up with a unrelated reference to the devil’s dandruff? Excellent!
Granted, Norwood’s technically correct. But this is by far the best analogy we’ll read before noon. And it made us think of other excellent analogies. “Just because you once choked a man with your bare hands doesn’t make you a bloodthirsty maniac.” There are many others out there, we’re sure.
After countless candidate forums, weird commercials with ACTUAL CRIMES and even some debate about race and closetedRepublicans, Election Day has finally arrived. And if you haven’t already cast your ballot for the city’s next mayor and other elected posts, be sure to get out and do so.
Polls are already open and will close at 8 p.m. You can find your polling place here. Here’s a PDF that lists all polling precincts and locations. Here are sample City of Atlanta ballots. (If you encounter any monkey business at the polls, let us know.)
CL Staff Event Planner Scott Henry has a list of the campaign parties where you can eat free food, hobnob with politicos, and tell the next mayor to shut down the crack house on your street. Or you can just go to Manuel’s.
We’ll be providing election results coverage tonight. Look for fireworks, flame wars and sock puppets posting links to anonymous websites. Just kidding, we’ll moderate those fools out of existence.
Low turnout is expected, which means your decision could help make or break many of these contests. So get out there and help determine who’ll lead Atlanta out of its mess. We’ll have more throughout the day.
“I have enjoyed working with Shirley and her administration. I have learned from both her achievements and her mistakes. I will take both of those lessons into office.”
Borders said Franklin’s low-key endorsement of Reed was not unexpected. Franklin has been working in the shadows of his campaign for a number of weeks, primarily by attacking Mary Norwood. Franklin has a history of endorsing candidates the day before an election.
Worth noting: One could argue that Franklin’s criticism of Norwood the last few weeks could have also helped Borders.
Seems the Atlanta mayor’s race isn’t the only political contest with mysterious operatives trying to brand a candidate as a “closeted Republican.”
A li’l birdie landed on our windowsill earlier today and informed us that District 6 voters have received similar calls about Tad Christian, one of the six candidates running to represent the Midtown, Morningside and Candler Park neighborhoods. (Incumbent Anne Fauver isn’t seeking re-election.)
On Oct. 28, Gov. Sonny Perdue named King & Spalding partner Allen Barnes the new state Environmental Protection Division director. Environmental advocates cried foul over Perdue’s decision, as Barnes’ former employer represents two proposed coal plants, as well as the state of Georgia in the ongoing “water wars” debacle with Alabama and Florida.
“Generally, if you get a partner coming over from a big firm when there is activity going on between the firm’s clients and that agency, there is a lot of potential for conflict.”
— Environmental lawyer Gil Rogers, in an Oct. 27 Fulton Daily Report article
“[Proposed coal plants Longleaf and Washington] are both being handled by a team at King & Spalding, and now a member of that team is going to be making the decisions [as to whether those plants will be built]. How is the public going to have any faith that the decisions made about the two biggest new pollution sources ever to come into Georgia have been made impartially?”
— Environmental lawyer Justine Thompson, in the same Fulton Daily Report story
“A single law firm that represents a large number of polluters is suddenly moving personnel into state government positions that directly affect its clients. It’s hard to put it in a happy light if you care about natural resources and the public interest in them.”
— Sierra Club lobbyist Neill Herring, in an Oct. 27 interview with the Savannah Morning News
“I need to sit down with the counsel and make a very thoughtful and deliberative decision as to what’s proper and what is required in that area. We’ll certainly make that decision.”
— Barnes on if he’d recuse himself from decisions involving King & Spalding, in an Oct. 28 interview with Capitol Impact’s Tom Crawford
Here’s the second of two Democratic Party of Georgia mailers that allege mayoral candidate Mary Norwood is actually a Republican. Jim Galloway’s got photos of the other. SpaceyG also provided a link to one.
Click to enlarge. More photos, including Norwood’s TV commercial response, are after the jump.
A new Insider Advantage poll shows Mary Norwood’s still the frontrunner in the Atlanta mayor’s race with 45 percent support. Kasim Reed trails with 25 percent. Lisa Borders, who until two weeks ago was second in the race, is third with 16 percent. Jesse Spikes is in the low single digits. Eleven percent of the poll respondents were undecided. (Here’s a link to a PDF of the poll’s crosstabs.)
“Based on this survey, if the election were held today, Norwood would likely be within one or two percent of winning the race without a runoff. Her barrage of ads and the apparent decline in Borders’ support suggests that white voters are moving to Norwood. That said, Reed now appears to be the African-American candidate with substantial support from the black community.
What’s interesting about the mayor’s race right now: It’s about image rather than platforms.
Borders, Reed and even the Georgia Democratic Party have accused Norwood of being a Republican. Norwood, who invited the criticism after she said earlier this week that she couldn’t remember if she ever voted for George W. Bush, responded with a TV ad. In it, she rattles off the names of Democrats and even Ross Perot, which, in my opinion, might’ve done her more harm than good.
The Reed campaign today issued a statement calling the Norwood spot a “slick and calculated denial of her well-documented Republican past” and a “scheme to trick Atlanta’s Democratic majority into making a false choice on the eve of this election.”
Political wonks take note: Campaign disclosure reports, which’ll tell us how much cash each candidate has to spend in the final days before Nov. 3, are due today at 5 p.m.
Get pumped, crunk and amped all up in this muthafucka, recycling fans!
City Hall yesterday officially launched ReCART, Atlanta’s new “incentive-based” recycling program. If your household is one of the lucky 10,000 randomly selected to receive the 96-gallon recycling bin pictured to the right, you can start earning restaurant discounts and pharmacy deals just for tossing out your beer cans! It’s brilliant, ya drunks!
The program, a partnership between the city’s department of public works, Coca-Cola and Rehrig Pacific, is aimed at improving Atlantans’ recycling habits, helping residents save money, and making the city more sustainable. RecycleBank, the private company that manages the reward program, says similar efforts in 21 states have increased recycling program participation rates.
Depending on how much they recycle, selected households earn points which can be redeemed at local and national businesses. A department spokeswoman says local participating businesses include Radial, Zoo Atlanta, Rita’s Water Ice, Edgewood Avenue Pizza, and Six Feet Under locations.
Sounds great! One quick question: how much will it cost taxpayers?
Paul Donsky of the AJCreports that Wachovia Bank has filed a lawsuit against Wayne Mason, the Gwinnett County developer who in 2008 made a windfall off Beltline property in Northeast Atlanta. The lawsuit stems from a $7.5 million loan that Mason took out in 2004 to buy three units in Buckhead medical office building.
According to the lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Mason failed to pay $7.07 million remaining on the loan that came due in February. The lawsuit names both Mason and a company he controls, Lone Pine, as defendants.
In a statement issued through a spokeswoman, Mason said he received a copy of the complaint Wednesday afternoon.
“Our lawyers will be reviewing its allegations and we’ll respond accordingly,” he said.
Documents included in the lawsuit say Mason and Lone Pine borrowed the money to buy three units at the Palisades at West Paces, a medical office building near I-75 and Northside Parkway. The lawsuit did not say what Mason did with the property.
Tiffany Brown faces an uphill battle if she wants to live up to her Twitter handle and become Atlanta’s next mayor.
As a write-in candidate, the Spelman College grad — whose 2005 mayoral campaign was, you guessed it, unsuccessful — won’t have the benefit of having her name on the ballot. That poses a problem for voters who’d like to vote for Brown, but might not remember how to spell her name. “Is it Tiffany with an ‘i?’” “Brown with a ‘q?’” These are very real questions millions of Americans ask themselves each day.
So like other candidates, Brown’s produced a commercial to raise her profile among voters. The spot will be shown on such cable channels as Bravo, the Food Network and ESPN2 until Nov. 3.
The ad contains LIVE SHOCKING FOOTAGE of crimes in progress, including a German DJ from the 1990s snatching someone’s purse as they get into their car. I, for one, am shocked that a cameraman would sit in garages and at local ATMs and wait for crimes to occur. Ms. Brown, you must report these acts to the appropriate authorities at once!
Greenies rejoice! The City of Atlanta is finally rolling out a long-discussed pilot program that would offer “points” that recyclers could redeem at local and national businesses.
Details are vague at the moment. A press release last week contained some incorrect information, and the specifics are being kept under wraps until the initiative’s official launch on Thursday, Oct. 29.
What we do know: The incentive-based pilot program will be operated by RecycleBank, a private company that, according to its Web site, “partners with cities and haulers to reward households for recycling.” Here’s a graphic-tastic idea of how RecycleBank’s program works. The company says its program has been shown to more than double recycling rates in 21 states and the United Kingdom. Participating national businesses include CVS, IKEA, Whole Foods, The Home Depot and Target.
Videodrome, the Poncey-Highland movie rental store that’s been a go-to for film buffs since 1997, was robbed Friday night.
Owner Matt Booth tells CL that a male suspect entered the store at approximately 10:45 p.m. and browsed film selections. After purchasing a movie, the suspect allegedly displayed a gun to the clerk and demanded the contents of the register. (Booth declined to say how much cash the suspect took.)
No one was injured during the robbery. An Atlanta Police Department spokesman told CL he was working on providing more details about the case. We’ll update when we hear word.
Gov. Sonny Perdue has tapped Allen Barnes, a partner at King & Spalding, to head the state Environmental Protection Division. Director Carol Couch resigned last week to take a job at the University of Georgia.
Before joining Atlanta-based King & Spalding, Barnes served as chief of staff for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region Four, which has jurisdiction over eight Southeastern states, including Georgia. Prior to that, he taught natural resource policy and law as an associate professor at Mississippi State University. [...]
Barnes’ professional career also includes stints as a prosecutor in the Florida State Attorney’s office and as a special assistant U.S attorney handling criminal, tort and environmental litigation.
But Georgia Public Broadcasting’s John Sepulvado says some environmentalists aren’t happy with Perdue’s choice.
