November 3 Atlanta City Election: The Aftermath

By Charles Jackson | 11/04/09

  Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed will face a run off December 1 to decide Atlanta's next mayor. Tuesday's results: - Norwood 45 percent; - Reed 37 percent; - Lisa Borders 14 percent; - Jesse Spikes 3 percent. However, many voters weren't enthused about the election or with any of the candidates. As we observed here last week, “Generally, voters are gloomy about the future, deeply unsettled by the economy and distrustful of... read more »

November 3 Atlanta City Election

By Charles Jackson | 10/28/09

  Atlanta voters go to the polls November 3 to choose a new mayor, new city council president, city council members, board of education and municipal court judges. The race to succeed two term Mayor Shirley Franklin has, of course, has drawn most of the scant attention voters are paying to the election. Franklin, once named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report and ranked by Time magazine... read more »

Afghanistan and the War on Drugs

By Charles Jackson | 10/26/09

  14 Americans killed in 2 Afghan helicopter crashes This is a result of the ill-fated War on Drugs - an absolutely criminal use of U.S. Troops in another deadly and losing effort. Bring them home.   read more »

Conservative vs. Liberal

By Charles Jackson | 10/22/09

  NOTE: The following was emailed to me by a friend. We have yet to ascertain attribution so the author or source remain anonymous. “If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's 'offended'." "If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed. If a conservative is a... read more »

Fulton County's Got Some Budget Cutting To Do

By Charles Jackson | 10/19/09

  Like other metro counties, Fulton is now facing the hard facts of declining revenues in a recession and the tough choices to be made as a result.   Fulton County's been living off a budget surplus but by the end of the year, it will be gone leaving the county with a $27.1 million gap. The county started the year with a $59.7 million surplus. The county's 2009 projected expenditures is $665.8 million. So far, Fulton... read more »

Political Memos for Georgia Democrats and Republicans

By Charles Jackson | 10/12/09

  Next year's gubernatorial election will be the first since 1998 without an incumbent on the ballot. And in 1998, one of those non incumbent candidates - Roy Barnes - was elected and then defeated in his bid for a second term for by Sonny Perdue. Recently, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured an op-ed piece, “Political Memo for Georgia Democrats.” The author, Howard Franklin - a self-described “Red Clay... read more »

The Georgia Follies: A Satirical Look at Georgia Politics & News

By Charles Jackson | 10/06/09

  Here's an update on five items from last month's First Edition of “The Georgia Follies:” > With Governor Sonny Perdue term limited from seeking re-election next year, there's already talk about what he plans to do. Insiders now say the governor's first priority is signing a book deal about his accomplishments after he leaves office next year. Reportedly, the governor has already sent his publisher a draft copy of... read more »

Shots Across the Bow

By Charles Jackson | 09/30/09

  Squabbling King siblings to meet. >The children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are in court with their ongoing legal battle about money .These greedy, tasteless siblings, of little accomplishment, are an ongoing embarrassment to their father's legacy. The “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” And speaking of embarrassing! Fulton County cities dominate crime list. > Of the ten metro Atlanta cities with the highest... read more »

Afghanistan

By Charles Jackson | 09/26/09

 Seventy-two hours after my post, “Bring Them Home,” another headline: 5 Troops Killed in Afghanistan Violence Mr. President: How many more troops for Afghanistan, for how long, to what end?     read more »

Bring Them Home

By Charles Jackson | 09/22/09

  I started this series of posts* as the death toll began to rise in Afghanistan. July was the first “Deadliest Month.” 43 Americans were killed. Then 45 more in August. I chronicled the continuing loss of U.S. troops with special attention to Georgians while noting my growing unease with the war. “So with each passing day, with more of our troops being killed, I'll honor their service and sacrifice - as my heart... read more »