Comment Archives: Stories: News & Views
Re: “U.S. Rep. Gingrey: Kids need to 'have a class' reinforcing traditional gender roles”
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Now please excuse me while I bring home the bacon.
Re: “U.S. Rep. Gingrey: Kids need to 'have a class' reinforcing traditional gender roles”
"Kids: U.S. Rep. Gingrey needs to 'have class', rather than reinforce traditional negative stereotypes of role of georgia politicians"
Re: “U.S. Rep. Gingrey: Kids need to 'have a class' reinforcing traditional gender roles”
So the right wing freaks like this yahoo only like indoctrination when they are doing it... good to know. This man is the perfect example of why the GOP is dying off faster than the dinosaurs they so resemble.
Re: “DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis indicted, accused of pressuring contractors for campaign donations (Update)”
is "the Man" black or white? lol
Re: “DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis indicted, accused of pressuring contractors for campaign donations (Update)”
Regarding the poor quality of our elected officials, let's remember what H.L. Mencken once said:
"Democracy is the theory that the American people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."
Re: “New Falcons stadium design gets approved, here's what it might look like”
We are spending 200 million dollars on a new football stadium (that we DON'T NEED) because Arthur Blank has bought city council. The greedy bastard threatened to move the Falcons to another city and they caved in to his demands.
Instead of investing in infrastructure, schools, housing, healthcare, or any other number of things this city DESPERATELY needs, they decided to clear 200 million dollars (plus, I believe another 20 million dollars every year for the next 2 decades?) for this filthy rich plutocrat to increase his already immense wealth.
Meanwhile the citizens of Atlanta are going to take a HUGE hit. We're shutting down schools in the area and you can't even drive downtown without smashing your car in a pothole. Our healthcare system is so overworked that our biggest hospitals (and the only 2 trauma centers for hundreds of miles) get filled to maximum capacity almost EVERY DAY.
Yup, this is our city government working 'for the people.' (But only the extremely wealthy.)
#endplutocracy
Re: “Atlanta's streetcar (allegedly) captured on video, making noises and looking alive”
What? This is beyond stupid....sure the max wait is 15 minutes, but the assumption that the average person will need to go the full 1.3 miles is also not a given, nor are you factoring in drive time....
Say you have a 10 minute wait, a 5 minute ride, but will need to walk .3 miles back....it still does not make sense, not at freakin $2.50 one way..
And as for not having to walk through space under the downtown connector, is it really worth tacking on $5 to your lunch to not have to walk past a homeless encampment? Really, is a perceived value? Being whisked past poor people through the safety of the trolly?
All that said, I don't know about the economic development angle, that might be valid, but not if it is dysfunctional....I would have rather seen this money put into he beltline, assuming the money went to actual beltline construction, not he hiring of more people.
Re: “72 Marietta Street gallery gets OK from City Council”
Mark,
1. Do artists ever question whether their stuff is really any good and whether they really deserve to get paid for it? I do appreciate the arts by the way.
2. So make the public pay for the art that their betters deem they need? Let them eat cake too huh?
3. Everyone needs to stop acting like Bill Campbell is the pinnacle of corruption. He was just a cog in the machine. The players have been in place since the 70s with a few new faces brought in as administrations change. And with the crew at the helm now, corruption is guaranteed. Try to guess the number of companies set up specifically to get contracts that don't have to go before council.
4. Van Gogh = Johns = Calder = Vomet It's all subjective, so all artists should have an equal shot if public funds must be given.
5. No argument there.
And because I know understand the intricacies and how the game is played, I know that shouting from the sideline is the only thing I can do. :-)
Re: “Marie Cowser Memorial Park preserves the spirit of its namesake”
What is the status / fate of the triangular plot of land at the other end of the block, with the lovely water tower -?
Re: “72 Marietta Street gallery gets OK from City Council”
Brecko,
1. In a stagnant economy, the first thing to go are creative outlets. Advertising design and arts and culture are the first to get cuts. People consider it a luxury. There is money out there, but like I said, it's a limited amount so it's very competitive on finding it. It has nothing to with how someone is asking. Imagine you have 1 large pizza, and 12 kids at the party. Everyone gets a smaller slice, or none at all because the rich fat kid has to have a big slice or he'll go bananas.
2. Cox has bigger fish to fry. They recently got approval to build the tallest office tower in Dunwoody, not to mention they are just now completing the 2 new towers at their HQ campus. Plus, they're donating a building...and that's not enough? Blank also has some big project coming up, not to mention the new stadium deal? Yes, maybe just maybe they can afford another million, but what I don't think you understand is that a million to you is still a million to them. It may just impact our respective lives differently. And tax issues are no big deal. When you get that large and part of the 1%, charitable donations are ineffectual to what you pay in tax, because you have a wealth of other write-off options available.
Your argument is like giving a homeless guy a dollar, and him going "that's it? How about another? I know you have another dollar!"
3. I'm sorry if you have had city corruption experiences. We're you close to Bill Campbell? :)
Yes, corruption is always a possibility, but its the nature of the game isn't it? Just because it happened before doesn't mean it will happen every time. Find your silver lining, Bradley Cooper.
4. Money that goes directly to artists? That is what will happen through grants. Which artists? How much? For what? And do ALL artists deserve something? Like the spray paint kids who scrawl their name rather than enrich a community with a mural? Define artist.
5. Probably not a coincidence. But perhaps you should go to the same agencies that exposed the contracting of businesses at the new international terminal.
When there's only five seats at the table, it's hard for anyone new to jump in the game. Life.
For some reason, I am reminded of the Edgewood development just south of little five, and all the anti-establishment kids protesting. But I go there now and see lil hipsters with their skinny jeans shopping at target and Kroger for groceries. Essentially the end result will hopefully be a positive one for you and everyone to enjoy. And if you or anyone, personally has a better way of doing it, then actually do something about it, rather than shout from the sidelines, especially when you don't fully understand the intricacies of the game and how it is played.
Re: “DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis indicted, accused of pressuring contractors for campaign donations (Update)”
It does seem like bullshit, jacking contractors is politics 101. However, ya gotta be smart about it. Because it is not "the man" who is behind it, it is the contractors who refuse to be shaken down who make the claims, and come up with the evidence. One the evidence is there, the DA has to do his job, if they ignore it, the shit just grows.
Bottom line, if there is evidence, it is on Burrell, not because he is corrupt, but sloppy.
Re: “First Slice 6/19/13: Scooter thieves strike in southeast Atlanta”
Hmm, ok. What I meant was, delete everything in the URL after "investigation". Disappointment part is still the same.
Re: “72 Marietta Street gallery gets OK from City Council”
Mark,
Why are there no private funds for art? It would seem that with all the money floating around this town, a nice portion of it should be going toward arts. Maybe arts organizations aren't asking the right people the right way.
Again, Cox donated the building, why can't they throw another million in for this project. It's just as tax deductible as the building donation. Blank is about to get a boatload of public money, couldn't he toss a few million into the arts?
My problem with this is that when the City becomes involved, corruption runs rampant.
I'd be willing to bet that the construction portion of this could have been done for substantially less, but because of cronyism, money that could have gone directly to artists is now going to politically connected firms.
You think it's a coincidence that the same firm that got this contract also in a MWBE partner on the new stadium? I think not.
Re: “First Slice 6/19/13: Scooter thieves strike in southeast Atlanta”
Wes - delete the "" from the end of the URL and prepare to be disappointed: "The council is remaining tight-lipped about what those questionable actions are."
Re: “First Slice 6/19/13: Scooter thieves strike in southeast Atlanta”
anyone else getting a "potentially dangerous Request.Path value was detected from the client (<)." message when following the "questionable actions" link?
i was really looking forward to finding out what are considered "questionable actions" by the john's creek city council.
Re: “First Slice 6/19/13: Scooter thieves strike in southeast Atlanta”
Only two weeks to pour the foundation and assemble?
Seems reasonable.
Re: “72 Marietta Street gallery gets OK from City Council”
Brecko,
I've worked in the arts in Atlanta since 1999. No, I'm not an artist. I can tell you personally that there are no private funds for arts. It's a very limited amount across the board. Also, any private funds available certainly are not going to spend that money in that area of downtown. Atlanta is not seen as an "arts" city on the national stage. We are seen as a bunch of rednecks and wannabe rappers. I don't like the real housewives and honey boo boo representing our city and state. I think if anywhere could use a little "culture", it would be downtown. Funding-wise, it's a drop in the bucket when compared to other discretionary funding.
Galleries are dropping like flies, mainly because the financial model of a private gallery is not economically viable today. This, however is a public gallery. Different beast.
Also, no offense to Eyedrum, I love them, they're great, but they've had to move twice in the last couple years. Castle berry was very excited to have them move into the neighborhood but was not as impact full as expected. Eyedrum is awesome, but you can't place the expectation on them to be the saving grace on this issue.
Re: “New Falcons stadium design gets approved, here's what it might look like”
"Just think of the economic impact!"
seriously, you KNOW this exact expression was used more than once during the early sales pitches.
Re: “U.S. Rep. Gingrey: Kids need to 'have a class' reinforcing traditional gender roles”
Womin geet back in da keetchin and fry me sum chikin!!!!
Imma be inna den smokin muh tubacca.