re: Will America’s "Black Mecca" [Atlanta] Elect a White Mayor?

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Personally, I thought Reed was fairly reasonable as mayor.

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Reed was good at a couple of things. He wasn't openly hostile to the business community, and he did a fair job keeping racial frustrations in check. He stood up to the far left elements of the black community a few times, and I applaud that.

But, he was openly hostile to police officers, while facilitating raises for far more worthless segments of Atlanta government. He oversaw continued inexplicable incompetence at Watershed and other Atlanta agencies. He abandoned mostly white neighborhoods during several years of isolated crime increases (every summer in Buckhead, basically). He fights with members of City Council and stonewalls their projects, only to eventually try and take credit for the projects when they move through despite his longstanding objections.

He's probably the most petty politician I've ever met IRL. And, of course, this doesn't account for the folks who think he is very likely on the take.