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If you have not heard Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has done it again.  She’s made a fool of herself.  During an interview with Channel 46 Ms. McKinney walked off and started blasting her Press Secretary Coz Carson as a fool,while still wearing her mic.  She then compounded her mistake by insisting that the news station has no right to broadcast the portion of the tape regarding Carson. 
For most people this is just another silly comment by Congresswoman McKinney, but it may make a much bigger difference than many realize.  Coz Carson is a noted media personality among her base in southwest Dekalb County and in calling him a fool, she may have dropped the straw that breaks the backbone of her support.
Before joining McKinney’s staff, Carson was known for his politically oriented talk show on WAOK 1380 radio.  His support among folks on the southside, many on whom are in McKinney’s district was strong. 
Folks from that neighborhood have now begun to turn.   One South Dekalb Resident remarked, “She’s stupid… it’s time to drag her ass out of there..”  Another South Dekalb resident remarked “She’s just an embarrassment and she’s not even getting anything done.  I wish she just quit”.  These folks will now join the chorus which has run through large parts of Dekalb County for a long time: A.B.C … Anybody But Cynthia. 
Virtually no matter who you are, Congresswoman McKinney’s tenure has been disappointing.  The issues about which she once cared, such as quality child care and elder care, have taken a back burner to her personal rhetoric.  The legacy of the work she tried to do as a state legislator has been completely covered over by her id’s need for media gratification. 
In her current term, she has not moved a single piece of major legislation nor can she claim any substantial credit for stopping some of the sillier pieces of legislation.  The inability to do her job along with the cost to the 4th district to keep her in office is just making it too expensive for the voters to keep her. 

As places in America lose their individuality and meaning, names too mutate into meaninglessness. The American corporate mind has a moronic genius for this kind of thing.

– James Howard Kunstler, 1993

In the beginning, there was Terminus. Five years later, there was Marthasville. Everybody except the governor and his daughter, Martha, hated that name. So, two years later J. Edgar Thomson, chief engineer of the Georgia Railroad gave our city a new name: Atlanta.

Apparently the feminine form of “Atlantic,” our city’s Name has since had an attractive mystique to it. When you think about it, the Name, especially when spoken in a native Atlantan tongue, carries the sound of optimism within it. Go ahead, say it out loud like you’re explaining your birthplace to a yankee. Who in their right mind would utter “aT-lan-Ta” in such a blasphemous tone?

Juan Antonio Samaranch.

That probably explains what really happened when Samaranch announced who would be hosting the 1996 Olympic Games. You remember that moment when the entire Atlanta delegation stood up. All they could do was look around the room and ask, “Who?”

It’s “a’-Lan-ah,” or in its two-syllable form: “Lan-ah.” You say the “a’” like you’re not really sure where you’re from, probably because you grew up in the suburbs. You say the “Lan” like you’re talking about a computer network. We’re a city always on the move, except when there’s traffic. You say “ah” like you’ve just taken a sip from a refreshing bottle of Coke on a steamy summer afternoon, but without making a big deal over such a little syllable. After all, with all that sugar and caffeine, Coke can’t really refresh you — it only creates that perception.

The Name is among the first corporate gifts bestowed to Atlanta, and it’s no doubt fitting for the city that inspired the regime theory of urban governance.

Embedded in our name, the strongest syllable, Lan, gives us our soul and sustenance. Driven by an insatiable appetite for pavement, our state pioneered the Department of Transportation as the fourth branch of government. With little fanfare or accountability measures, the State Constitution bypasses the legislature and appropriates money for building a system of roads and bridges. When the network is jammed, all we can say is, “so much for transportation.”

More to the point of our dominant syllable, Lan also gives us one of the world’s busiest airports. We are part of a wider, global network. In fact, we are a hub in that network. With a perception of gracious accommodation, we’ve built for ourselves a place where other people flock for jobs and mobility.

In the early ’80s, Atlanta was the “City Without Limits.” The branding campaign of those days reflected our geography. Landlocked with only political borders to split us apart, we used nearly unlimited cash funds to pave our way without regard to borders. The optimism following the 1970s era oil crisis led us to believe we would never face such a nightmare again. It’s all so 20th century.

Today, Atlanta is the place where “Every Day is an Opening Day.” With our limits defined by our own boredom from driving, there is a new spirit of optimism. There must be something better we can create for ourselves. And now, there’s plenty of room to do that. Every day, new land developments will open. It won’t happen because there is so much space to fill out in the nether-regions of our metro. It will happen because there is so much space to fill right here in the center. It’s all so 21st century.

For all times, Atlanta is a place defined by its own Name, history and geography. The Name retains its attractive mystique, no matter how the place is shaped. For the future, the network must be made more efficient. Lan is in our heart. Lan is in our Name.

Atlanta: The World Lands Here

Someone is finally trying to make use of our river.  Most Atlantans don’t think much about the Chattahoochee.  Except as a water source, many folks forget it’s even there.  When we do think about it, it’s in the context of drinking water or basic compacts.  Certainly, few are trying to harness its economic and natural potential. 
However, The Spirit of Roswell is finally letting people tour the river around here.  The Riverboat operates from the launch @ Azalea Park and travels down to Morgon Falls Dam.   People get a relaxing 90 minute to 2 hour cruise and hopefully learn about preserving the river as they go.
Right now, only two restaurants have really thought about the river.  Canoe and Rays on the River are really the only elegant places for people to enjoy the river and get a nice drink or food.  It remains a mystery that Atlanta has not moved help strengthen the west side of town by building a boardwalk with a boat ramp and shops, restaurants, and a band shell by the river.  Given what the Riverwalk has done for San Antonio and for Savannah, and given the current attention being paid to water in Atlanta with the new aquarium, it would seem a natural fit.

A square may have all equal sides, but in Decatur, some sides of the square are more equal than others.  The Decatur Square is undergoing changes, but some businesses are suffering disproportionately.  If you’re on the southeast side of the square, your business is in trouble.  Some businesses have already left the square. Others that have long anchored that part of the square, such as Sage, are faultering. 
Many of these businesses are complaining that the project is taking longer than promised and that no support is coming to offset the losses the construction has created.  Both MARTA and the City could help here.  MARTA could give them free advertising on the system to help strengthen these establishments.  Once construction is completed, they might also have new ad clients.  The City could relieve them of some of their sales tax burdens until the new plaza has been completed and life returns to normal. 
In the meantime, folks can support good places such as Sage & Raging Burrito to keep them going.  Nothing better than altruistic dining.