GLADYS KNIGHT'S RESTAURANT SHUT DOWN; ATLANTA NEEDS A WHITE MAYOR

GLADYS KNIGHT'S RESTAURANT SHUT DOWN; ATLANTA NEEDS A WHITE MAYOR

GLADYS KNIGHT'S FAMOUS ATLANTA BASED CHICKEN & WAFFLES FRANCHISE OWES MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN TAXES.

Sources: AJC,  Page Six, NY Daily News, 

The Root, YouTube

Another BLACK-owned Atlanta business bites the dust due to substandard business practices.

This time it's the famous Gladys Knight Chicken & Waffles restaurant, which has long been a staple for Tourists.

Apparently the family-owned franchise was recently shut down because it owes the state of GEORGIA more than $1 Million dollars in back TAXES.

As I mentioned in previous videos about Atlanta, it's high time for this Hub of the Southeast to elect a WHITE Mayor and to attract more WHITE residents.

****** Gladys Knight’s restaurants shut down amid tax evasion allegations

Georgia authorities raided chicken-and-waffle restaurants owned by Gladys Knight‘s son, who is accused of tax evasion.

State Department of Revenue agents served search warrants on Tuesday on the three Atlanta-area locations of Gladys Knight’s Chicken & Waffles, in an unsuccessful bid to arrest Shanga Hankerson.

State agents said Hankerson stole more than $650,000 in sales and withholding taxes for his own use. With penalties and interest, the total would be more than $1 million, officials said.

By lunchtime on Wednesday, all three restaurants were closed.

“It is never The Department of Revenue’s primary goal to shut down a business,” said Josh Waites, investigations chief for the Department of Revenue. “We are working with Mr. Hankerson’s attorney to have the business up and running again as soon as possible.”

State officials hope to strike a deal with Hankerson to put the restaurants into receivership so it can open again.

Gladys Knight — best known for her hit “Midnight Train to Georgia” – is not suspected of any wrongdoing.

UBER & ERIC HOLDER versus KASIM REED & RACIST FINGERPRINTS (JOBS)

UBER & ERIC HOLDER vs KASIM REED & RACIST FINGERPRINTS

WHY IS KASIM REED (BLACK MAN) FIGHTING SO HARD TO STOP UBER FROM HIRING BLACK DRIVERS?

ERIC HOLDER PARTNERS WITH TRANSPORTATION GIANT UBER TO HELP EMPLOY QUALIFIED DRIVERS.

Sources: AJC, Sacbee, YouTube

***** Former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder backs Uber in letter to Atlanta mayor

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has written a letter to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in support of Uber, as the city considers regulations of Uber pickups at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The Atlanta airport earlier this year proposed to legalize airport ride-share pickups and require fingerprint-based background checks for Uber X and Lyft drivers to pick up at Hartsfield-Jackson. Taxi and limo drivers who have long been fingerprinted say they want a level playing field.

Uber and Lyft have objected to the proposed requirement, saying they do their own background checks, which do not require fingerprints. The city of Atlanta is revising the airport proposal but has not said how it will change.

Holder, who was the nation’s first black attorney general, argues in the letter to Reed: “Requiring fingerprint-based background checks for non-law enforcement purposes can have a discriminatory impact on communities of color.”

Holder’s reasoning, also voiced by Uber: FBI records may lack information about the final outcome of some cases, and may not indicate if someone arrested was charged or convicted, so a fingerprint-based check “can prevent people from getting a job even if they were never found guilty of a crime.” That “disproportionately disadvantages people who have been arrested,” which “can have a discriminatory impact on communities of color,” Holder wrote.

Reed’s office and the airport acknowledged receiving the letter but declined to comment on it.

Holder, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 and left office in April 2015, works for law firm Covington & Burling LLP. The firm has a relationship with Uber that is also connected to Holder. Holder’s former chief of staff Margaret Richardson also now works at Covington & Burling and is a member of Uber’s U.S. Safety Advisory Board, providing “critical recommendations and counsel” to Uber.

Holder has written recent similar letters to officials in New Jersey and Chicago amid ride-share debates there.

And former U.S. Secret Service director Mark Sullivan also wrote a letter in support of Uber to Reed. Sullivan is also on Uber’s safety advisory board.

“In my opinion the City’s proposal to require a fingerprint-based background check for drivers doing pick-ups with Uber and Lyft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlatna International Airport will neither increase nor improve airport security,” Sullivan wrote in his letter. He also wrote: “

Because there is a significant lack of information about the final outcome of cases, an individual may be prevented from a work opportunity even if he or she was never convicted or even charged with a crime.”

However, the state’s requirements for a “for-hire endorsement” on a driver license specify that in order to be eligible, applicants shall not have been convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude.

“The standards for the state level are a conviction,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation director of privacy and compliance Dawn Diedrich. A plea of nolo contendere is also considered a conviction.

Diedrich said if there is an arrest on record without information about whether there was a conviction, “you can ask the applicant” if the charges were dismissed.

NBA 2017 ALL STAR GAMES: CHARLOTTE vs ATLANTA

NBA ENTERS 2016 POLITICAL FRAY; LGBT v RACISM; ATLANTA v CHARLOTTE

CHARLOTTE IS A MUCH BETTER VENUE.

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME JUST TRY LIVING IN ATLANTA FOR THREE MONTHS.

WHAT YOU SEE ON THE "REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA" SHOW IS NOT ATLANTA.

Sources: The State, Newsmax, ABC 11Alive, AJC, Charlotte Observer, YouTube, 

Story Highlights:

April 2014 - Donald Sterling is banned by new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for mentioning Racist remarks secretly recorded by his girlfriend.

June 2015 - Charlotte, NC wins bid to host the 2017 NBA All-Star games.

February 2016 - Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed (Democrat) announces his endorsement for Hillary Clinton as President.

Charlotte City Council (Democrats) passes LGBT Bathroom Sharing Ordinance February 2016 despite widespread local voter opposition.

Gov McCrory repeals Charlotte's LGBT Bathroom Sharing Ordinance in March 22, 2016

Gov Nathan Deal vetoes the Georgia Religious Liberty legislation March 28, 2016 (the day after Easter Sunday)

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed calls on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to change its 2017 All-Star Game venue from Charlotte to Atlanta

Obama visits Atlanta, Ga March 29, 2016 to speak a symposium to combat Prescription Drug Abuse

NBA Spokesperson said they are trying to keep the 2017 All-Star in Charlotte.

**** NBA responds to Atlanta’s call to move All-Star Game from Charlotte

Atlanta City Council invites NBA to move All-Star weekend

Resolution points to passage of North Carolina’s House Bill 2 as reason to move

NBA still hopeful N.C. can work through ‘differences’

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/nation-world/national/article68968147.html#storylink=cpy

The Atlanta City Council is asking the NBA to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to Atlanta after the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 2, repealing portions of Charlotte’s nondiscrimination ordinance.

During a committee hearing Tuesday, the resolution was introduced in Atlanta. It invites the NBA to consider relocating the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend “due to the passage of House Bill 2, a measure that discriminates against members of the LGBT community.”

The NBA says they are still hopeful Charlotte and North Carolina come to an agreement.

“We appreciate the invitation but are hopeful that the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina can work through their differences far in advance of the 2017 All-Star Game,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said about the proposal.

The day after the bill was signed, the National Basketball Association speculated that the bill might affect the Queen City’s hosting the 2017 All-Star Game. It’s scheduled for Feb. 17. 

“The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events,” the organization said in a release via Twitter after House Bill 2 was passed.

“We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte,” the statement continued.

Charlotte won the bid to host the All-Star Game in June 2015. One month later, the city formally committed to spending $600,000 in general tax dollars to host the event. The total incentive package for the All-Star Game is about $5.9 million, according to WBTV’s news partner The Charlotte Observer.

“The City of Atlanta draws strength from our diverse community,” said Atlanta Council President Ceasar Mitchell. “This unity creates our city’s embracing spirit, a quality that has made Atlanta the destination of choice for numerous international business conventions, professional and college sporting events, as well as one of the largest concentrations

“Atlanta is a vibrant, energetic city that would be an outstanding host to the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend,” chairman Andre Dickens said. “As the home to the civil and human rights movement, our diverse set of people and businesses welcome this global event with open arms.”

Charlotte’s nondiscrimination ordinance passed in February by a 7-4 vote from the Charlotte City Council. It broadly defined how businesses should treat gay, lesbian and transgender customers. The debate, as in other cities recently, focused on bathrooms.

After its passage, several high ranking North Carolina Republicans, including McCrory, voiced concerns about people having the ability to choose public restrooms corresponding to their gender identity.

McCrory signed the state bill repealing parts of the ordinance into law Wednesday night. Lawmakers passed the bill in a special session and the governor signed it within one day.

ATLANTA WITHHELD FED HIV PREVENTION FUNDING (CITY DROPS TO #61)

ATLANTA WITHHELD FEDERAL HIV PREVENTION FUNDING:

STATE OF GEORGIA TAKES OVER ATL HEALTH DEPT.

ATLANTA DROPS TO NO. 61 ON "BEST PLACES TO LIVE".

Sources: AJC, CDC, WABE, WSB-TV,  Youtube

**** Fulton County health department to be run by the state

The top leadership of Fulton County’s health department will be absorbed into the state’s department by next summer, following the passage of a bill that removes the option for counties to have their own boards of health.

The bill, HB 885, is intended to increase cooperation between Fulton and the state following a series of health-related missteps. Two years ago, there was a tuberculosis outbreak in the county, and last year, the county revealed it had not been spending all the grant money it had received to combat HIV. Fulton’s HIV rate is among the worst in the country.

The bill passed the Senate Thursday by a 35-15 vote. Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said the point was to move the county department closer to the state. A handful of high-ranking workers will become state employees, though the rest will remain with the county.

Later, the updated version was approved by the House, 161-0.

The bill goes to the governor’s desk to be signed.

In objecting to the bill, Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, said the change was “another in a long line of anti-Fulton County legislation.”

He said the problems Fulton was having were related to personnel issues, and that the department’s leadership had changed. Kathleen E. Toomey, a former country director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, started with the department this month.

“This kind of structural change is not needed,” Fort said. “I don’t know what the ulterior is, but I think this is the wrong way to go.”

HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 VP PICK IS KASIM REED?? BIG MISTAKE (RUMORS)

HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 VP PICK IS KASIM REED?? BIG MISTAKE (RUMORS)

BETTER CHOICES:  JULIAN CASTRO OR ELIZABETH WARREN

Sources: AJC, 11Alive, WSB, YouTube

There are political rumors floating that 2016 Democrat presidential Frontrunner HILLARY CLINTON has added Atlanta Mayor KASIM REED to her VP pick shortlist.

If this rumor has legs or any credibility, I want to scream from the top of my lungs to Hillary's campaign staff, "NO!"

Before anyone takes this rumor seriously, I would encourage you to visit the city of Atlanta and risk driving over a death-defying Pothole.

Visit Atlanta and stuff your mouth with some Greasy, Ghetto fare.

By the way where are Atlanta's FARMERS MARKETS in the BLACK communities??

Finally I want to encourage you to travel through Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport and experienced being treated like Dirt by Atlanta's arrogant, extremely rude TSA agents who are arrogant & rude by choice.

Atlanta needs more Diversity as in WHITE voters and a WHITE Mayor to cancel out years of Complacent leadership practiced by BLACK leaders who have neglected their constituents.

Hillary Clinton choosing Kasim Reed as her VP is a long shot at this stage in the game.

A better choice would be someone like JULIAN CASTRO or ELIZABETH WARREN.

Kasim Reed would be a good fit for Congress one day but as a VP, let's just say he is not ready yet for politics on such a grand scale national level.

Kasim Reed is a skilled politician but he is NOT on Obama's level......yet.

**** Is Kasim Reed in the running to be vice president?

Hillary Clinton hasn’t locked up the Democratic nomination yet, but rumors are swirling already about her possible vice presidential pick. And one of the names that’s floating out there, at least among some in the local punditry class, is that of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

A local television crew on Wednesday asked the two-term Atlanta mayor, who appeared with Clinton at a campaign event last week, whether he’s been approached. He answered it the way virtually any politician would:

I don’t have any comment on that. I don’t know anything about it. The only thing I’m focused on is being the mayor of the city of Atlanta and going out and doing a great job for Secretary Clinton and making sure she’s the next president. I feel about this campaign the way I felt in 2012 when President Obama was running.

I don’t think any American can sit and watch what is going on in our national discourse and not want to get involved on one side or the other. We will hash it out and pick a president. I haven’t been asked to be considered for the vice presidency. I don’t know anything about that. The only thing I’m focused on is being mayor.

Recall, too, that Sen. David Perdue has answered similar questions about the possibility of being a running mate.

Reed also told our AJC colleague Scott Trubey that Democrats should count on Donald Trump to be the GOP nominee.

“I expect Mr. Trump to be the nominee unless they engineer a way to take the nomination from him. He’s either going to be the nominee or there are going to be a lot of people who voted for him that are going to have a lot of frustration because to avoid him being the nominee they are going to have to engineer a way to prevent him from getting it.”

HILLARY CLINTON IS PROMISED GEORGIA'S BLACK VOTE BY MAYOR KASIM REED

HILLARY CLINTON IS PROMISED GEORGIA'S BLACK VOTE BY MAYOR KASIM REED:

CAN YOU SAY "REED WANTS A JOB IN THE WHITE HOUSE OR IN CONGRESS"??

EXPECT MORE OF REED'S DIRTY, INTIMIDATION STYLE POLITRICKS.

Sources: AJC, Fox Atlanta, YouTube

**** Kasim Reed tells Hillary Clinton: ‘Don’t worry about Georgia’

I do not think President Obama gets the credit he deserves for digging us out of this horrible economy,” she said to a crowd of more than 400 at Atlanta City Hall, earning the loudest applause of the rally.

The frontrunner hopes a strong showing at Saturday’s South Carolina primary and the votes that follow in Georgia and 10 other states on Tuesday will stymie Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ advances. And she’s long seen the diverse Southern states that cast ballots over the next week as a bastion of support.

The South Carolina vote is not only the first in the South, it’s also the first contest with a large chunk of black voters. More than half of the Democratic electorate in 2008 was black, mirroring the voting blocs in Georgia, Alabama and other Deep South states.

She stuck to her stump speech, promising new investment in education for low-income districts, a vigorous defense of Obama’s healthcare overhaul and a promise to tackle unequal wages for women.

“We need to tear down the economic barriers,” she said. “They are still too many and too high for folks who want to get ahead. We need to be sure we’re making investments here in Georgia and across America that will make us more prosperous and stronger.”

She assailed Sanders’ plan for free tuition for public college students, saying that Republican billionaire Donald Trump’s kids shouldn’t attend school on the taxpayers’ dime.

“I want to focus on middle class families, working families, and poor kids who need the help,” she said.

And she targeted Sanders for a 2005 vote that gave gun manufacturers immunity from prosecution.

“I’m going to take them on every single chance I get,” she said of the gun lobby.

Several Georgia polls show she has a commanding edge over Sanders. A poll commissioned by WSB-TV this week showed her with 72 percent of voter support, while another poll by WABE 90.1 gave her a 2-1 advantage over her rival.

Clinton’s event in Atlanta was initially supposed to be at Georgia State University’s bustling student center, but it was shifted late Thursday night to a smaller and more tightly controlled venue at City Hall. Campus student leaders were peeved by the move.

The campaign said last-minute changes are typical, but it also suggested the Clinton camp was worried about interruptions to the event.

Clinton’s last public visit to Georgia was hijacked by Black Lives Matter demonstrators who interrupted her speech at Clark Atlanta University for about 10 minutes. And a protester in Charleston made headlines this week by questioning a remark she made in a 1996 speech.

It also meant she would campaign on Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s home turf. The mayor is one of Clinton’s fiercest advocates in Georgia, and he’s repeatedly promised that Sanders “was not going to be the nominee.”

“There was never a doubt in my mind about who I was going to stand shoulder and shoulder with,” said Reed. “We know that all she has to do is win this election and she’s going to be an amazing president.”

As the rally finished, Reed stood beside Clinton and assured her: “Don’t worry about Georgia.”

ATLANTA AIRPORT POLITICS (PRIVATIZE TSA)

ATLANTA AIRPORT POLITICS (PRIVATIZE TSA):

Sources: AJC, Youtube

**** Is there REVERSE DISCRIMINATION being practiced by BLACK citizens against WHITE citizens who live in and visit Atlanta?

Is it time for Atlanta to elect a WHITE Mayor?

Was a packed Flight scheduled to depart Wednesday night Feb 24, from the Atlanta Airport to HOUSTON, repeatedly delayed and finally cancelled due to Partisan 2016 Politics?

Was a Thursday morning re-book Flight from Atlanta to HOUSTON repeatedly delayed in ORLANDO also due to Partisan 2016 Politics? 

Is it time to Privatize TSA at the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport?

**** Airport security lines getting worse, Hartsfield-Jackson officials consider privatizing security

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport officials are frustrated with understaffing at security checkpoints, and are “dreading the outcome of summer 2016,” according to a letter to the Transportation Security Administration.

Wait times during peak periods often exceed 35 minutes. Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Miguel Southwell wrote to the TSA that wait times were as long as 52 minutes last Friday morning, for example.

And, with big increases in passenger traffic, “things appear to be only getting worse, he wrote. “We fear an even busier summer this year.

In the Feb. 12 letter, Southwell wrote to TSA administrator Peter Neffenger that the airport is “giving serious consideration” to privatizing the security screening at the world’s busiest airport. Commercial airports like Hartsfield-Jackson can privatize screening by applying for the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program.

“We have been conducting exhaustive research” with other airports that have privatized screening, “weighing the pros and cons,” Southwell wrote. Airports that use privatized screening include San Francisco International, Orlando Sanford and Sarasota-Bradenton.

Southwell wrote that unless there is a “dramatic shift” in staffing or new technology in the next 60 days, the airport will take steps to launch privatized screening at the airport.

TSA in a written statement responded that it is evaluating Southwell’s letter.

Hartsfield-Jackson “remains a focus airport” for Neffenger, according to the TSA. “We recognize that the issues raised in the letter are a concern, not just in Atlanta.”

“While we are working on better solutions, we believe the public will support our vital mission of ensuring safe air transportation,” TSA said in its written statement.

According to TSA, screeners in Atlanta are screening about 15 percent more passengers a day than last year, or 8,000 extra passengers a day. Yet TSA says its staffing in its current budget allocated by Congress caps screener staffing at the same level as the previous year — the lowest level in five years.

When long security lines were causing concerns at Hartsfield-Jackson last year, Neffenger said lines could get longer, not shorter, amid a TSA initiative to close gaps in security screening.

“I believe that the traveling public is willing to accept that there may be a slightly longer wait to ensure that they’re secure getting on the plane,” Neffenger said last year.

KASIM REED SLAMS BERNIE SANDERS & OVERHAULS ATLANTA'S PUBLIC SAFETY

KASIM REED SLAMS BERNIE SANDERS & OVERHAULS ATLANTA'S PUBLIC SAFETY:

REED HAS ENDORSED HILLARY CLINTON; REACHES FOR U.S. SENATE.

Sources: AJC, CNN, Fox Atlanta, Youtube

**** Mayor Reed on BERNIE SANDERS:

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed stepped up his attacks on Sanders as Sanders' Atlanta visit neared. Our AJC colleague Katie Leslie reports that he predicted a Sanders thrashing in Georgia on March 1.

Our AJC colleague Katie Leslie reports that at a press conference on Tuesday, he predicted Sanders would be clobbered on Georgia’s March 1 primary.

“He’s never led anything in the U.S. Senate. What has he led? How many bills has he passed? He’s no Senator Kennedy,” Reed said of Sanders, comparing his rallies to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s raucous events.

“We are not going to put our party in the hands of someone who is not even a Democrat and watch him take this party over a cliff,” he said. “He is not going to get away with this foolishness in Georgia or South Carolina.”

He added: “Stop treating Bernie Sanders like he’s something special. He’s not going to be the nominee.”

**** Mayor Reed on PUBLIC SAFETY:

According to Mayor Reed, 461 individuals were responsible for 10,000 crimes last year and only 16 of them, or 4 percent, spent time in jail.

"Not only are we going to be tough on crime, but we are going to be smart on crime." 

Reed said repeat offenders are no longer getting a "free pass." Approximately 55 percent of repeat offenders are now receiving jail time, according to Reed.

At the briefing, Reed also said officials are working to improve safety on the city's Westside, which will consist of adding more than 1,000 cameras in the area.

"Today gives us an opportunity to keep our eyes focused on repeat offenders, and to let you know what we have planned to keep you and the city of Atlanta safe in 2016."

The briefing was held at the Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters. Reed was joined at the briefing by the city's Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Police, Fire Chief and the head of the city's Department of Corrections.

**** Mayor Reed on WINNING ON ANOTHER ELECTION:(Circa Tuesday, June 23, 2015)

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, long rumored to have his sights on higher political office, said he has “another election” in him before retiring from public life.

“I think I have another election in me, because I love public service,” Reed told WABE radio hosts Denis O’Hayer and Rose Scott on Tuesday.

Reed wouldn’t reveal just which office he’s eyeing, though he’s widely believed to desire a gubernatorial run, if not U.S. Senate. Reed has said he plans to return to the private sector after leaving Atlanta City Hall in 2018, but on Tuesday left open the possibility of another campaign.

He could face stiff competition if he runs in 2018. Former gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter and House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams could run on the Democratic ticket, and several Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Attorney General Sam Olens are said to be considering a bid.

Reed could also wait out until 2022, when shifting demographics could play more into the Democratic Party’s favor. An influx of minorities and newcomers has analysts predicting Georgia could become a purple state by the decade’s end.

WHITE MAYOR WANTED IN ATLANTA (KASIM REED'S ASCENSION)

WHITE MAYOR WANTED IN ATLANTA (KASIM REED'S ASCENSION):

On Nov 7, 2017 registered Atlanta voters will elect a new Mayor.

In the video above I explain why Atlanta is ready for a new more diverse image and why Atlanta's next Mayor should be WHITE.

Incumbent Atlanta Mayor KASIM REED's future reach for the office of U.S. Senator is also discussed.

**** Could One Of These Rumored Candidates Be Atlanta's Next Mayor?

Although the Atlanta mayoral contest is less than one year away, the rumor mill is busy speculating about candidates.

Mayor Kasim Reed is unable to run for a third consecutive term, so the field is wide open. These potential candidates are making moves that are creating a bit of buzz:

• Ceasar Mitchell: The current Atlanta council president hasn’t formally declared, but has long been seen as a front-runner in the 2017 race. A long-established political action committee for Mitchell shows no signs of slowing, either, with an upcoming fundraiser in his honor.

• Kwanza Hall: The Atlanta councilman hasn’t officially filed to run, but says he’s formed an exploratory committee to seriously consider a bid. Hall has also stepped up the number of public appearances with Mayor Kasim Reed in recent months.

• Margaret Kaiser: The state representative announced a desire to run earlier this year, following Woolard’s announcement, and repeated recently that she’s still interested in the seat. But for now, Kaiser said she’s focused on her state district.

• Peter Aman: The former Reed deputy and Bain & Co. partner has been quietly making the rounds across the city to chat with insiders about a potential run. He also moved into city limits in recent years, a clear sign of intent. This week, Aman said he’s “seriously considering” a bid. His most public move yet? Joining Twitter.

• Robb Pitts: The former Fulton commissioner and Atlanta councilman may not be done with politics. A spokeswoman for Pitts, who narrowly lost his bid for Fulton chairman in 2014, said he’s considering a run for mayor in 2017. Pitts ran for mayor in 2001 and lost to Franklin.

Sources:  AJC, Youtube, Wikipedia 

ATLANTA POLICE LOSES ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTRACT

ATLANTA POLICE LOSES ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTRACT:

APS WANTS COPS WHO KNOW HOW TO TREAT CHILDREN.

~ School district votes to cut ties with Atlanta police force

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Public Schools' board of education has voted to terminate its contract with the Atlanta Police Department as it takes steps toward creating its own police force.

Media outlets report that the board voted Monday to end the contract and produce a plan to hire its own school resource officers.

Deputy Superintendent David Jernigan says the resource officers will be armed, sworn officers, who will be specifically trained to deal with children.

The district recently received a $7.5 million grant from the National Institute of Justice, some of which will go toward starting the force.

In a statement, the City of Atlanta's office says the move isn't a responsible decision for responding to threats on campuses.

Credits:  11Alive, WRAL, MyFoxAtlanta

ATLANTA'S DEADLY FOOD DESERTS: IT'S ALL ABOUT BLACK POPULATION CONTROL

ATLANTA'S DEADLY FOOD DESERTS:

IT'S ALL ABOUT BLACK POPULATION CONTROL

DOES MAYOR KASIM REED CARE??

ATLANTA'S WORST DESERTS & DIRTIEST WATER COMMUNITIES ARE SOUTHWEST, EAST POINT & BANKHEAD.

ATLANTA, Ga is the birthplace of Civil rights beacon Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a regional Mecca "too busy to hate", Hub for Southeastern Federal Govt offices and home of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

ATLANTA is also a city infamously known for its many FOOD DESERTS and Poor Quality, Bacteria-filled Drinking water.

How can such a Progressive, Wealthy city of six millions residents, mostly BLACK, with so much Business Commerce, allow the majority of its BLACK citizens to prematurely Die from preventable diseases I.e. Obesity, Cancer, Diabetes, Kidney Failure and HIV, all of which derive from Atlanta's Food Deserts, abundance of Greasy Food, and Bacteria-Filled drinking water?

Is this being done intentionally for the purpose of Killing off low income BLACK residents of Atlanta?

~ Starving for nutrition

Poor diets and inaccessibility to healthy foods are creating a crisis of chronic disease.


By Gracie Bonds Staples | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In many ways, Evie and Ricky Sanders are lucky, and they know it.

On a good day, if their used 2004 Honda Pilot isn’t on the blink, it takes them no more than 10 minutes to drive the 10 miles from their home in Cumming to the nearest Kroger.

Ricky, 57, is a former flower nursery worker who is HIV-positive and struggles with the side effects of his medications. His wife, Evie, 58, is a former nursing assistant who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. They live in a three-bedroom wood frame house atop a small hill in rural Forsyth County, where they eke out a living from $1,500 in monthly disability checks and $25 a month in food stamps.

What the Sanders have learned is that, for them at least, even good days have a bad side.

“Most of our shopping is done from the carts where the markdowns are,” Evie says. “We can’t afford name brands.”

To make ends meet, they rely on the monthly supply of staples they get from There’s Hope for the Hungry, a nonprofit organization that feeds 26,000 North Georgia families a year, many of whom, like the Sanders, live in what the USDA calls food deserts. Their homes are located in low-income areas more than one mile from a supermarket or other reliable source of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Nearly 2 million Georgia residents, including about 500,000 children, live in food deserts. The USDA has classified more than 35 food deserts inside the Perimeter. More border I-285 in the suburbs of Cobb, South Fulton and east DeKalb counties.

Some experts say there is a direct correlation between food deserts and the state’s high rates of obesity and chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancers. Stroke and heart disease are among the top three leading causes of death in Georgia, accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths in the state.

One day last January, the Sanders piled into their black Honda and headed to Kroger before the weekend rush. Ricky tuned the radio to 99.3 FM, his favorite country station.

Five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot and headed inside. Evie made a beeline to the restroom on the other side of the store while Ricky secured a shopping cart and waited near the store’s produce section.

He doesn’t make a move without her.

They are a team, and this day was no different.






Sources: AJC, YouTube

Atlanta Awarded $47M For Streetcar Project: Badly Needed But Not In Charlotte!

Rep. Lewis: U.S. DOT Will Fund Atlanta Streetcar Project


Sixty-one years after the last Streetcars rolled in Atlanta, they're coming back.

In a coup for the city, the U.S. Department of Transportation has agreed to grant Atlanta$47 million for its proposed $72 million downtown east-west Streetcar project, according to U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta and Mayor Kasim Reed.

Lewis' office said he got confirmation of the award in a conversation with DOT Secretary Ray LaHood on Friday morning.

With the grant, which the Obama administration has not confirmed, the competing visions of American transportation held by the Obama and Bush administrations are playing out in stark contrast in metro Atlanta.

President George W. Bush's Transportation Department focused on roads and traffic. It used grant money to push electronic tolling as a key answer to intractable U.S. traffic congestion, and one of those seed projects is being installed on I-85 in Gwinnett County.

In contrast, the Obama administration, while continuing to fund road projects, has tried to make a mark in passenger rail. It has broadened the focus of transportation funding requirements toward sustainability and economic development, hoping mass transit projects will re-shape cities into denser development in a longer-term attack on congestion.

Each hoped their seed project would spur development of a metrowide network.

The Atlanta streetcar project will run between tourist stops from the Martin Luther King Jr. center on the east and Centennial Olympic Park, with its access to CNN Center and the Georgia Aquarium, on the west. But that doesn't mean it's just a tourism project, said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, a downtown self-taxing business group that will help fund the project. It's a transportation project important to local travelers, too, he said.

"It’s all of those. It is definitely economic development for sure," Robinson said, adding it will also serve employment centers downtown and Georgia State University students and staff, and link to current and future mass transit stops like MARTA and the Beltline.

Luz Borrero, the city's deputy chief operating officer, echoed those comments, adding that it would serve Grady Memorial Hospital and Peachtree Center, which is both an office complex and MARTA station.

Local residents had mixed reaction. Some along the project corridor were ecstatic.

On Auburn Avenue, Wellington Howard said he foresaw the federal approval. "I heard the (streetcar) bell this morning in my dreams," said Howard, who has owned Georgia Insurance Brokers for more than 40 years. “It will help the neighborhood on its upclimb.”

Some responding to the news on ajc.com and by Twitter called it frivolous, misguided and a waste of money. Kay Matthews of Chamblee said it was "ridiculous" to fund the streetcar while MARTA had just cut more than 10 percent of its service.

The grants come from a $600 million pool called TIGER II designed to upgrade transportation networks and create jobs. Georgia has several other applications in the ring, including road and mass transit work. The state has asked for $50 million for a $129 million project to build the Jimmy DeLoach Parkway serving the coastal ports area. It also asked for $37.5 million to serve as an interest payment toward $375 million federally assisted loan for the $1 billion project to add optional toll lanes along I-75 and I-575. Douglas County applied for $12.3 million for a $16 million extension of Lee Road.

On the mass transit side, the state asked for $1 million in planning grants for a downtown Atlanta passenger terminal.

A spokeswoman for the Georgia DOT said the state had not heard anything about the grants.

For those who read tea leaves, there was a good omen for the city of Macon. Macon and Georgians for Passenger Rail applied for about $1.9 million to help plan a commuter rail line between Atlanta and Macon, said Gordon Kenna, CEO of the passenger rail group. On Friday, LaHood is expected to address a mass transit conference there. A spokeswoman for the U.S. DOT said the winner announcements would come next week.

Macon is in the district of U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, a Democrat who is in a difficult re-election battle.

Federal, state and local officials are planning a press conference on Wednesday in Atlanta to formally announce the streetcar funding and give the latest details about the project, according to Lewis.

The grant rewards years of work by Atlanta officials to bring streetcars back, revive mass transit, and, they hope, provide an economic development engine to a downtown area that faltered with the rise of highways and suburban commutes.

Reed and former Mayor Shirley Franklin seemed to stake their claims to credit.

"What we changed is, I followed the plan to Washington," Reed said. “I don’t want to say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but the squeaky wheel gets grease." Franklin congratulated him and others in an e-mail she titled "EUREKA!" -- and noted that he "picked up the baton."

Reed said the project would transform downtown. His office has estimated the project would create 5,200 jobs over 20 years and would not only help ease downtown traffic problems but also help the city compete for more tourism and convention business.

“I see this as a marriage,” said Reed, who withdrew the Beltline's application for the grant program in order to focus on one project. “Because without something to pour into, where does the Beltline go? It’s a little choo-choo train going around and around and around. So there has to be something that brings it into the heart of the city.”

In the early 20th century, Atlantans owned fewer cars, with many instead getting around on a sprawling network of streetcars. Although the network's heart resided in a tangle of routes on Peachtree Street, this project does not include a significant Peachtree Street leg.

Without the Peachtree leg, it is far more modest than the $298 million application that failed in February.

The $47 million award for the streetcar project is less than the $56 million Atlanta applied for in August. Making the project finance work will depend on the city council's approval of an extra $5.6 million toward the project, Borrero said, beyond the $10 million the city already pledged. In addition, $2.8 million will be shifted within the city budget to streetcar-related projects. Borrero said that the shifted money was originally budgeted for transportation-related projects within the same corridor, so no area would lose out on project money.

Robinson's group, the downtown self-taxing business district, will contribute $6 million toward the capital costs of the project, and will help fund the $1.7 million annual operating costs. Passenger fares from an estimated 2,600 weekday ridership and advertising revenues would also contribute to operations.

Borrero said the city pared its request in recent days in talks with federal officials. She said the city council, which approved funds for the original application, had not yet considered the request for additional money.

"We did not know what degree of success this proposed approach would have, but we knew that if we were successful as we have been that we would have an opportunity to demonstrate to the members of the the city council that leveraging a $45 million investment against a smaller increase in our local match would be definitely a worthwhile and absolutely outstanding opportunity," Borrero said.

City Council President Ceasar Mitchell said he was not sure what funding source the council would approve, but it was important to try to find the extra money.

City officials have been pursuing the funding for the streetcar line for months. Lewis, along with Reed, met with and had conference calls with DOT Secretary LaHood as recently as a few days ago.

How a Streetcar rolls:

- In the same lane with cars.

- Stops at stoplights.

- Has its own stops.

- Probably has one electric line overhead.




Is Now The Time To Launch A Streetcar In Charlotte, NC?


In Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the viewer must grapple with reoccurring themes of fantasy and reality, as seen by Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. Much of Blanche’s life is posturing to cover up reality. At one point she exclaims, “I don’t want realism, I want magic.” Like Blanche Dubois, our mayor, through his Democratic majority on council, is hoping to perform a magic trick on the voters.

In 2007 voters reaffirmed their support for the use of a half-cent sales tax to support and expand our bus and rail network. Citizens also affirmed their support of a regional body, the Metropolitan Transit Commission. The objective of the MTC is to promote a regional vision and a regional approach to transit.

On Nov. 15, 2006, the MTC adopted a 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan that ranked its priorities: complete the light rail to UNC Charlotte; build a commuter line to north Mecklenburg and then begin on the streetcar.

Soon after, a stark reality became known to the MTC and council: the sales tax revenue stream would not be able to support building and running the desired streetcar under the original timeline.

This was recently reaffirmed to The Observer by Carolyn Flowers, CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System.

The City Council commissioned a consultant to study the potential economic impact of the Streetcar. That April 2009 report showed that the economic impact to east and west Charlotte would be less than a third of what we’ve seen in the south corridor. The consultant delivered the most important dose of reality: The only way to pay for a streetcar would be through federal grants and additional City of Charlotte tax revenue.

The second part of this drama began with the prospect of an Obama presidency. Rumors of a federal Urban Circulator Grant gave Charlotte hopes it might be eligible for a streetcar grant. With this teaser opportunity, the majority on council pushed ahead without addressing the revenue dilemma. Then, on the night before the Charlotte city primary, Democrats by one vote overrode an appropriate veto by then-Mayor Pat McCrory to fund engineering studies for $4.5 million. Again, the fantasy continued, despite fiscal reality.

This leads to the next act: Charlotte has received a $25 million grant to build a $37 million, 1.5-mile segment, a corridor now serving 950 riders on two bus routes. Not exactly the area that needs the most help or has the best potential for new jobs and economic development. The vast majority of land along this leg is owned by the government or Central Piedmont Community College. Rather than using a streetcar that looks like cars on the light rail line, we’ll recycle our novelty trolley cars. The $12 million construction gap will be funded in part with a “reserves for economic development initiatives fund.” Translation: DEBT.

The approximate $1.5 million operating costs would come from the general fund. Clearly, this would use money we could spend on other priorities such as public safety and roads.

Like the voters of Charlotte, council members Warren Cooksey, Andy Dulin, and I support expanding mass transit, which includes the streetcar. However, we must do so within our half-cent sales tax revenue stream. We do not believe we should break our promise to the voters and leapfrog the MTC’s priorities. Doing so not only loses the voters’ trust but jeopardizes Charlotte’s ability to address core responsibilities. Further, a city-initiated streetcar risks creating a project that could compete with CATS for future federal funding.

We must continue to fight for our fair share of federal and state dollars to help us complete our regional transit system. However, we must do so with one regional voice.

The more reality sinks in, the more the voters will realize no magic is going to make the streetcar appear.

It’s time for an intermission, before this potentially tragic play squelches our city’s successes in mass transit . At the citizens’ forum at Monday’s City Council meeting, ask Mayor Anthony Foxx and your Democratic council members to reject this grant.



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Sources: Atlanta Journal Constitution, Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, The Meck Deck, U.S. Dept Of Transportation, WCNC, Google Maps