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Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia in 2006, just hit his first major road bump in the campaign. Taylor’s son Fletcher was charged with a DUI after crashing his car on Aug. 18 in Charleston, S.C., killing his passenger. This situation presents a serious problem for Taylor who, as lieutenant governor, has continually fought for tougher DUI laws.

Now Taylor’s son is sitting in a Charleston jail just as the race to garner the democratic nomination kicks off. Taylor says he will not resign his post nor will he quit the race because of the incident. He added that he will give his full support to his son during his difficult time.

Taylor’s first challenge is to defeat former Secretary of State Cathy Cox, a formidable opponent who says she has the endorsement of 51 members, or two-thirds of the Democrats, of the state House, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The race between the two of them should be fairly clean.

Should Taylor win the nomination, then he will have to face Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue in the general election. We all know how Republicans conduct warfare in Georgia politics. Remember in 2002 when Republican Saxby Chambliss defeated Democrat Max Cleland for his seat in the U.S. Senate by running television advertisements with a picture of Cleland next to pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden in an attempt to make Cleland look weak in the war on terror?

Cleland is a triple amputee Vietnam veteran while Chambliss never went to Vietnam. National observers described that campaign as one of the dirtiest in recent memory.

Republicans must be licking their chops in anticipation of all the television advertisements they can come up with. I can just hear it now: (narrator speaking in a dark voice) “Mark Taylor says he is for tougher DUI laws. Mark Taylor says he wants to crack down on drunk drivers. But Taylor’s own son was involved in a fatal drunk driving accident last year. Is Taylor’s disingenuous rhetoric really right for Georgia? Re-elect Sonny Perdue!” This may not be exactly how it is but will probably sound similar.

If Taylor thinks the Republicans will not use this incident against him, then he only needs to take a look at recent history to see that he is sadly mistaken. Readers might say to themselves, “Boy, Jonathan, you sure are pessimistic. No way will the Republicans stoop so low.”

I do not believe that the issue is “stooping to a new low” so much as it is an issue of doing or saying anything to win. Gov. Perdue is a weak governor who unnecessarily opened new wounds over the state flag, is responsible for the egregious Voter ID Bill, and, with fellow Republicans in the State Assembly, partially succeeded in fighting open government (although they did not succeed in taking closed government to the extent they wanted). I do not believe the governor has a leg to stand on in the general election and will have to resort to telling half-truths about and use distortions of his opponent to win.

The Republicans are just now coming back to power and after being out for so long, the incentive to do anything to win is even more enticing. I just hope I’m wrong.

BRAC has recommended closing Fort McPherson.  That you knew.  As one comment here has noted,  Her Honor has appointed Felker Ward to examine how the property should be used.  What’s news is that the City of Atlanta has already been planning for this and one central vision involves moving the Atlanta Zoo onto that property.
According to folks in the know, this plan has been under examination for some time.  There are difficulties and it would take a number of years.  First, the base has to close and everything has to be moved out.  This is at least a six year process.  Even if the Zoo were to start building, it would take close to 5 years to have everything ready and there would be substantial moving costs.  These costs are so high that it is unlikely the Zoo could make the move without government support.  Right now the Zoo does not receive any general support from the City. 
So is the move worth it?  Presumably, if you move the Zoo, you move the Cyclorama too.  Both could use access to a MARTA station.  The Cyclorama deserves to be part of a larger Civil War Museum (in whose aftermath the fort was built) and everyone would like a larger zoo. 
Still, the Zoo is pretty snazzy right now.   Moving it would be a gamble and it seems to be reasonably self sustaining (though a little more corporate and cultural support would not hurt). 
One solution might be to just move the Cyclorama and give that additional space to the Zoo to use as an event facility.  The event facilities in the zoo could then be converted to more space.  Another use of that space would be to create an air conditioned habitat for bears.  We like bears and they deserve to be kept comfortable. 

The Base Closing Commission has recommended closing Fort McPherson! 
Now, assuming this happens, what will become of the land?  Clearly, Fort Mac could be one hot property. 
It’s right next to the hot suburb of the moment, East Point, and having a tract of land that large could be incredibly attractive to developers and to the state. 
One direction it could go it that for Fort McClellen in Alabama .  There, the national guard was to take over half the space and the other half was to go to civilian use.   Large parts were also slated to be a wildlife conservation area. 
Another direction this could go is to make an intense effort to make the area a manufacturing and headquarters facility.  Plants need serious infrastructure and a military base has it.  Rail access?  You got it.  Helo-pad?  You bet.  Housing for workers and visiting execs?  Already built.  Now that Hyundai has a plant in Alabama, perhaps we can court Kia to put a plant here and move it’s North American headquarters to Georgia.
Another option would be to make this a cultural park.  This is another location where you could put the NASCAR Hall of Fame and build a brand new racing track for people to use!  Add a true transportation museum, relocate Sci-trek, and build a true civil war museum, and bam!  You’ve got a great cultural campus with great access to a MARTA station.
Finally, if no one else can use it, make this affordable housing.  Hire Charles Brewer to do the development and build great homes and plans that people can afford.  Set a maximum salary range on it and you might even add incentives to sell to people who work for non-profits or people in public service.  Make it first time home owners or retirees only. 
Hopefully, the City of Atlanta, State, and Federal Government are already coordinating on how this is to be used.  Hopefully they will have public hearings, and hopefully they will not build another mall.

When my mom told me that the house she wanted me to buy was in Cabbagetown, my initial reaction was “Where is that?” She told me that it was downtown.

“Oh great,” I thought.
“Is this in the hood?” I asked.
“No.” She replied.

I had to see it for myself to believe it. I agreed to meet with my mom on a Thursday evening to see the house she craved. Upon first inspection, I was taken back. The entrance to the house was blocked by a metal walkway that reminded me of an Alabama work camp.

“I’m not sure, if I am going to keep that up or not” she said. I was starting to get freaked out!

“It is definitely going down, if I am buying this house,” I demanded.

We walked inside the house; saw some areas that we liked and others, which needed to be changed. We then went to the back yard and I was introduced to the tenants.

“I thought you said nobody lived here,” I said

“Nobody does live here, except for these 3 South American Frogs. They are some of the only South American Frogs in the United States!” she replied.

We then went around the front of the house and I said good-bye. I was not really sure what to think about the house. Is she going to be safe here? Is this house really worth the asking price? A million more questions kept popping up in my head. My mother kept telling me the history of Cabbagetown and that she met so many nice people all around her.

It was a given that my mother was in love with the area. I still had my reservations. So she took me out on a tour, we visited many restaurants in the area. All the places we went had a good wine selection and I think that she used that to her advantage. All of the restaurants were very good! Six Feet Under is a seafood restaurant that had great food and great service. Agave is also now a restaurant I recommend to all my friends. The Carroll Street Cafe is also very good. The café is open all day and late into the night, serving custom coffees, lox with bagels, and other goodies. The mood is very relaxed and the price is just right. I would highly recommend all three of these establishments.

I finally agreed on the house. I am really glad that I did. When we were moving stuff, the neighbors actually helped my friends and I haul around our huge antique furniture. All they asked for was some beer. Works for me! Cabbagetown is now a part of my life. I really enjoy going to the neighborhood.

If you want to go to an area in Atlanta, where time has forgot, then I suggest you explore Cabbagetown. It is closed to historic Oakland Park Cemetery, Georgia State University, & Downtown Atlanta. The location is great and the people are greater. This is one part of Atlanta that I hope will never change!

By now, unless you’re just a pure pop culture addict or living in an NPR free world, you’ve heard of Sufjan Stevens.  Moreover, you likely know that he’s on a quixotic mission to write an album about each of the 50 states.  He’s written of Michigan and his record about Illinois is masterful.  What if Sufjan Stevens decided to skip New Jersey and Oregon and instead focus on writing an Album about Georgia right now?  What would his titles be?
Here are some possibilities:
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The East Atlanta Village is running into some problems.  There is an awful lot of vacant space.  Two years ago, there was far less.  Spaces filled up more quickly.  What has happened?  Are land lords going CBGBs on the businesses that built the area into a desirable community?   It seems that it’s not just restaurants or just clubs, but all types of businesses.  What’s scary is that it forebodes poorly both for the neighborhood and also for the idea of  responsible business enterprise.   The neighborhood has been famous for trying to create a community atmosphere and taking a diverse set of residents into consideration.  Though there has been some backlash, this part of town is one where progress was made.  Hopefully, people will seize the opportunity to put in new cool spaces and keep the neighborhood moving forward. 
There are things you can do.  There are a lot of cool places there.  One, Joe’s Coffee Shop, is displaying some artworks which outline precisely how Atlanta is become less distinct at the hands of the big boxers.  It’s both fun and provocative, and the red velvet cake is delicious.  Check it out!  Additionally, The East Atlanta Village Strut will be September 17th and it will give those who have not been in a while a chance to see what’s new including a book store! 

Most readers here have no doubt at least heard of the latest panhandling proposal that passed the city council 12-3 this Monday.

If not, here’s a brief summary:

The ordinance, approved 12-3 Monday, makes it illegal to ask strangers for food or money near downtown museums and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The measure was pushed by business owners who say the area is awash in aggressive beggars, but it got spirited opposition from civil rights groups and advocates for the poor.

There are obviously multiple issues at play here…
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email sent to Marta on 8/16/05 by my best friend

I have been a Marta rider since November of 2003. I have been riding route 8 since about January of this year (2005). In all that time the route 8 buses (north and south bound) have had an abismally poor track record.

Today as I stood waiting on the south bound bus at the intersection on Executive parkway once again the scheduled time for the bus came and went with no bus in sight. I got to the stop at 5:25 which is right about when the bus should have been arriving according to your schedule, but it was 5:55 before the bus came around the corner. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened because it has happened more times than I can count and it seems to happen several times per week. I do allow some room for traffic to be a problem but that still shouldn’t delay the bus that much. There have been several days where I have been waiting for the bus and seen not one but TWO northbound buses pass by me before ONE southbound one came. That is truly unacceptable no matter what traffic looks like. This tardiness happens on the brightest and sunniest of days and I recall one week where this happened THREE DAYS IN A ROW. It never fails to occur at least twice a week. One of those days I WALKED 20 minutes to go and catch the route 6 at Lavista and Cheshire. I’ve had to do that two times just this month so far just to be able to get home at a decent time…and I have found that the 15 to 20 minute walk still gets me home a little sooner or at the same time taking route 8 does most days and that is NOT a good thing.

The worst case has been when on one occasion where the NortHbound bus passed by on time. 45 MINUTES LATER THE SAME BUS DRIVER CAME BY ON THE SOUTH BOUND LEG OF THE ROUTE FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY THE BUS THAT *SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE A HALF HOUR BEFORE*!!!! The driver of the bus himself actually pulled over to make a call and complain about the other driver. This does not speak well of Marta’s commitment to its customers nor does it seem to fit with your “Pulling together” ad slogan.

On good days I walk out of my office at 5:15pm and walk in the front door of my home at 6:20 or 6:30 but usually no later. I already consider that too long of a trip and a waste of an hour. But when I walk in the house at 6:45 or 7:00 that’s nearly two hours of my time that I consider to be very valuable as I am sure any rider of MARTA will likely tell you. STANDING AT A BUS STOP FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS NO MATTER WHAT ROUTE IT IS! The route 47 bus seems to be able to consistently run on schedule regardless of traffic conditions. What’s the problem with route 8? Think about it!

I can tell you right now that I plan on no longer being a rider or Marta after spring of next year. I had hoped to avoid having to purchase a car, but it’s not worth the TIME WASTED standing waiting on a bus that is late 60 to 70 percent of the time. I am a student. I have classwork that must be done and submitted ON TIME. As far as I am concerned every wasted moment spent waiting at a stop is cutting into my income. I would be better served spending the money you’re costing me by buying a car and paying for insurance and gas. (I’ve done the math. I know how much money in the form of TIME Marta is costing me).

I don’t want to hear any excuses about buses and traffic delays. I want to hear about your efforts to find bus drivers who give a good damn about their jobs and the service they provide. I want to hear about the fact that me and everyone else on that bus has somewhere we need to be ON TIME 99.9 PERCENT OF THE TIME and that service is not being provided. I want to hear about proposals for a solution to this ridiculousness. Otherwise I am going to have to assume that MARTA simply doesn’t give a damn and I will spend every opportunity relating my dissatisfaction with MARTA to anyone and everyone who will listen in as many forms of media as I can find. Consider it a critical customer review or your lackluster services.

I am offering you the opportunity here to convince me otherwise. What are you going to do to address the situation?
The ball is in your court people.

In 1973, a little radio station began broadcasting from Little Five Points at a mere 18 watts. Today, over 30 years later, Radio Free Georgia (RFG), located on the dial at 89.3 FM, broadcasts at a powerful 100,000 watts.

But now, RFG has to move its tower to a higher elevation to resolve a signal problem. According to wrfg.org, the station “has suffered from poor signal coverage due to terrain blockage and multipath interference since the inception of its broadcasting.”

The solution is to move the tower to a new, higher location, which will cost quite a bit of money. In fact, according to wrfg.org, the estimated figure is $205,500, a staggering amount of money for a community radio station. RFG is looking for donations from $50 to $5000 to meet their goal.

If you are not familiar with RFG, imagine a local version of National Public Radio with a wider variety of music and progressive news programs. My favorite program is “Peach State Festival,” a series of musical shows that run Monday through Friday 7 to 9 p.m. I especially enjoy “Sagebrush Boogie,” a mix of folk, country, and bluegrass that airs on Thursday. RFG offers a wide array of music that appeals to many, including world music, jazz, and R&B.

RFG also airs progressive news and discussion shows like “Democracy Now” and “Just Peace” that report and comment on the current events and other important issues facing our country. “WRFG provides a voice for those who have been traditionally denied access to the broadcast media and the involvement of a broad base of community elements to guarantee that access.” RFG’s news and discussion programs fulfill this mission statement, of sorts, stated on wrfg.org.

Tune in to 89.3 FM to hear eclectic music and listen to progressive and alternative news, if you have not before. Continue to listen if you do already. If you can, make a small donation to the station to help their “Tower of Power” campaign so that they can remain a powerful station and a force in the alternative media. It is important that stations like these survive. With so few mega-media conglomerates dominating a vast majority of news that Americans receive, alternative media like RFG is a haven for citizens looking for more in depth coverage and comment, fair reporting and progressive ideas.

Hey everyone, I have a dilemma… I do not know where to go for my birthday. Last year I went to Taverna Plaka on Cheshire Bridge Road. I had a great time, ate great food, and then was hoisted on top of a table to be made into a spectacle. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. This year I want to top that atmosphere. Do any of you great “Metro folk” know of a nice restaurant where me and a few (20)+ friends can go and have a great time for my birthday.

Requirements : Fun Atmosphere
Reasonably Priced
Good Drinks
Good Service
Something I Will Remember !!

I know that y’all will have some great suggestions. The more upbeat the better !!