We want politicians to both lead and listen
Mayor Kasim Reed is a good mayor and a good man, but his comments in the AJC article, “Voters reject transportation tax” (ajc.com, July 31) were a bit disturbing. Reed is quoted as saying, “... tomorrow I’m going to wake up and work just as hard to change their minds.” He was apparently referring to the voters. As a voter, I want politicians to lead — but I also want them to listen to us. Working together, we can solve our traffic problems. Not listening to voters is what caused the T-SPLOST to go down in flames.
RICHARD T. BUERKLE, ATLANTA
Good transportation plan would get support
Every time I hear a politician say he has heard the voice of the American people, I know that it will be interpreted to suit the purpose of the politician. Now Gov. Nathan Deal says the public has expressed its opinion on T-SPLOST, and he rules out a revote. Proponents of T-SPLOST raucously proclaimed that opponents wanted higher gas taxes and toll roads — but no one questioned whether this was true. My reason for voting against the T-SPLOST was that many of the projects didn’t help, and some were downright ridiculous. I am willing to pay a 1 percent tax, but I want a logical and well-thought-out plan, governed by a regional transportation commission that actually does something useful. The T-SPLOST did not meet that expectation. We are in this mess because politicians, like the federal government, sat on their hands and did nothing. Try coming up with a better mousetrap, and you will get the needed support.
KEELEY CARTER, PEACHTREE CORNERS
Historic preservation a necessary investment
Regarding “Ax falls on debt, not on nonprofit” (Metro, July 29), with the help of our partners, the Historic District Development Corp. has redeveloped and historically preserved more than 110 single-family homes, constructed nearly 500 units of multifamily housing and added over 40,000 square feet of commercial space in the Old Fourth Ward since 1980. This has resulted in surrounding property values and overall community tax base increasing significantly, while improving the quality of life for all who live here.
There are very few subsidies available to nonprofit community development corporations in Atlanta to help us with our work of revitalizing and historically preserving communities, while preventing the displacement of low- to moderate-income residents. However, those that do exist have proven to work (as seen from the transformation of the eastern portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic District). The continued support of our mission of revitalization, historic preservation and affordable housing is a prudent and necessary public investment to ensure that our community is thriving and inclusive going forward.
JESSE CLARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HISTORIC DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT CORP.
