GOVERNANCE
Numbers show city is living within its means
The city of Atlanta’s payroll is not larger than necessary, contrary to “Motown offers sobering lessons for U.S., Atlanta” (Opinion, July 25).
In 2007, the city had 9,654 approved employee positions. By 2010, it was 7,896. Today, it is 8,458 — largely due to my decision to hire more than 800 police officers and 75 firefighters. Our non-public safety headcount has decreased 23.5 percent from its 2007 peak, while public safety positions are 13.5 percent higher than 2010 due to our investments.
We can afford to hire employees, even though the city’s 2014 general fund budget of $540 million is $100 million dollars less than in 2008, because we have streamlined expenses and reduced waste and inefficiency. At the same time, we have increased the city’s cash reserves from $7.4 million in 2010 to more than $127 million today.
The column also mentioned Detroit’s pension crisis without referencing my administration’s successful effort to address Atlanta’s $1.5 billion unfunded pension liability. We developed a plan in which employees contribute more to their retirement plan now — saving the city $250 million over 10 years, and $500 million over the next 30 years.
The key question about the right size of government is the cost to taxpayers. My administration has achieved everything noted above without raising property taxes. We’re living within our means, and enhancing services with the right level of staffing.
KASIM REED, MAYOR OF ATLANTA
IMMIGRATION
Making people ‘legal’ doesn’t solve problem
Jay Bookman’s “Condemnation won’t fix this stubborn problem” (Opinion, July 31) follows his usual diatribe on the problems with illegal immigration. All he ever does is to claim that our immigration problems can be solved by simply declaring illegal aliens to now be legal.
Not once in this epistle did he give any indication that our country has the right to enforce our immigration laws — nor did Bookman express any thought as to how we could stop future mass illegal immigration. He left little doubt that he believes in open borders and the elimination of all immigration laws.
ERNEST WADE, LOGANVILLE
ZIMMERMAN TRIAL
‘Stand your ground’ not used by defense
There seems to be considerable confusion concerning the “stand your ground” law in Florida as it applied to the George Zimmerman case (“‘Not guilty’ shouldn’t be taken as ‘innocent’,” Readers write, Opinion, July 31).
That law did not apply to this case — despite what many are saying or implying. Zimmerman’s defense was based on self-defense, not “stand your ground.” Are some arguing that self-defense should not be a defense in certain cases?
EDWARD A. WATKINS, LILBURN
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