"ATL: y'all following this City of Atlanta/APS Beltline spat?"
Prologue: The City of Atlanta relies heavily on a process called tax increment financing to fund a number of large projects throughout the city. The Beltline TAD is one of the largest of these districts, in both size and scope. Essentially, we pay for improvements now using funds we assume we'll have in pocket once property values go up.
Considering Fulton County, the City, and Atlanta Public Schools all split the property tax pot (23%, 30%, and 47% respectively, if you're curious). For their part, the City and the County agreed to freeze their revenues from the properties within the TAD at the 2005 assessment (anything on top of that would go to the Beltline) until 2030. APS agreed to participate only if they received a fix payment annually. Good right?
Then the recession hit, and property values didn't appreciate the way they were initially forecasted, and now the City owes APS roughly $14M. And so it all came to a head this summer because APS wants the money they're owed.
It got so bad that Mayor Reed and outgoing APS Superintendent Errol Davis faced off in the media. Reed even likened APS to hostage-takers.
Flash forward a few months, and City Council President (and likely 2017 Mayoral candidate) Ceasar Mitchell posts an op-ed in the Saporta Report about the whole thing:
Yesterday, Mitchell, via Councilwoman Archibong (since the President can't introduce legislation) introduced an ordinance that would pay APS monies owed from the City reserves.
"And then he writes this long soliloquy where he’s talking about why people haven’t been able to decide. Well I’ve got something for him. That’s why he’s not mayor,” said Reed. “You do know he ran for mayor, right?”
"Q: Is Kasim Reed acting like a bully... A: Ceasar Mitchell: "What's the difference between acting like a bully & being one?"
2017 is going to be fun.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
9. "The issue isn't that clean cut" In response to Reply # 1
Sounds bad on Mayor Reed's part, but the devil is in the details. Nobody, on either side, is trying to steal food out of kids' mouths. It's hard to look at Reed's record and say he doesn't care about APS. It started with a contract that was unclear and terribly written during the Franklin Administration.
Apparently, Mayor Reed's been trying to settle this with the APS board for months and can't get the chair (who's campaign was run by Ceasar's brother) to negotiate in good faith. Ceasar's using it as a political chess piece for his run for Mayor.
12. "what's unclear about the contract?" In response to Reply # 9 Wed Jan-07-15 11:46 AM by Jay Doz
let's say i interview for a lucrative job. i think everything went well enough, so i say screw it, and go buy a nice luxury car. but i don't get the job. do i say to the bank, "my bad mr. banker, i'll pay you later than what i'd originally agreed. that job i thought i thought i was going to get didn't work out."? absolutely not, and that's what is essentially happening here. you're right, the original contract was a bad contract because it required fixed payments (vice a percentage), but nonetheless it's still a contract. pay them what they're owed now and work to renegotiate going forward.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
16. "where did you read that at?" In response to Reply # 14 Wed Jan-07-15 12:21 PM by Jay Doz
the bill for 2014 was already due, and since the spat, the 2015 bill is now due. $6.75M each bill. i've seen no mention of the COA having made payments with regards to those bills.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
29. "where did you read that at?" In response to Reply # 25
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
On the whole, last Wednesday's community benefits committee meeting ran smoothly. Mayor Kasim Reed, city officials, and community stakeholders patiently exchanged ideas for about two hours.
The lone exception occurred after a question about whether the final package would be a legally-binding "agreement," or a non-binding "plan."
“What is so frightening about the word 'agreement'?" asked Rev. Anthony Motley of the Lindsay Street Baptist Church, located in the English Avenue neighborhood. “We want an agreement, Mr. Mayor...We don’t want a plan.”
A heated exchange between Reed and Motley ensued.
“You don’t have to tell me who votes. I know who votes. That’s why I’m sitting in this chair and you’re not,” said Reed.
“You make cheap personal shots at people and that’s not becoming of a mayor,” said Motley.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
i like APN because i can't find any other media outlets that actually follow city council votes (or school board votes for that matter). but Cardinale, while well-intentioned, is a bit of a provocateur that currently doesn't even live in the city (he's in law school at Gonzaga). https://www.law.gonzaga.edu/centers-programs/thomas-more/profiles/class-of-2016/
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
He's not warm and fuzzy, but he's done a great job. Pension reform, 200 more police officers on the street, balanced budgets and secured a lot of federal money for infrastructure.
10. "So people are mad about Reed's attitude or his results? " In response to Reply # 0
Jesus. Is Reed effective or is he a dud? Does the man get the job done or is he stealing money? I really what to know because all I hear is complain about his attitude.
I live in Dekalb County, so I don't have to live in the ATL.
. . . "America, stop turning our Court Houses of Justice into Dens for Justified Murderers."
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
15. "depends on the issue" In response to Reply # 10 Wed Jan-07-15 12:19 PM by Jay Doz
you can makeshift a tight ship by packing all of your offices with Howard grads, but short term administrative victories don't mean much when your inability to nurture interpersonal relationships jeopardizes your goals (and your legacy) in the long term. he's had at least four different executive-level leaders jump ship and a number of ugly and public battles with APS, the city council, the press, and his constituents. it's not a good look, and that can affect the city's perception just as much as whether or not the checkbook is balanced.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
. he's had at least four different executive-level >leaders jump ship and a number of ugly and public battles with >APS, the city council, the press, and his constituents. it's >not a good look, and that can affect the city's perception >just as much as whether or not the checkbook is balanced.
This happens often.
. . . "America, stop turning our Court Houses of Justice into Dens for Justified Murderers."
23. "but if you have gubernatorial(or higher) aspirations, you might reconsid..." In response to Reply # 22
constantly having pissing contests with your BASE, the city council and APS stuff is par for the course, but he out here having shouting matches w/ preachers. That's not a good look.
27. "RE: but if you have gubernatorial(or higher) aspirations, you might reco..." In response to Reply # 23
True, but that base re-elected him with 84% of the vote. Some folks like a fighter in office. Read up on Theodore Roosevelt. Dude was as abrasive as they get.
30. "yeah but he mostly ran unopposed" In response to Reply # 27
no offense to Misters Bartell and Wrightson, but none of those guys were competitive candidates. that's like me trumpeting that "Barack Obama *obviously* has a ton of support because he won 88% of the vote in the Democratic 2012 primary!" *rapid hand jerk motion*
A+ sock puppetry though
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
32. "RE: yeah but he mostly ran unopposed" In response to Reply # 30
When you don't get a credible challenge in a major city, it's because no one has a real chance at beating you. He wasn't running for some obscure office, he's the executive over the most dominant city in the region. He would've had serious competition if anyone thought they had half a chance.
Let's just say you don't like him and leave it at that. Your attempts to discredit the job he's done fall flat.
the vindictiveness is petty and childish and it makes us all look bad.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
26. "RE: depends on the issue" In response to Reply # 15
That's just politics. He did well nurturing the relationships he has in the White House. We got more federal transportation funding than almost any other city and got support for the Savannah Port. He also nurtured relations with the state government and the all companies that have moved into the city.
Not to mention, he was at the table when APS was about to lose accreditation. All that other stuff is fluff and everyday politics.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
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