The Final Push. Atlanta Mayor's Election Dec 1! Go Mary!

Today is December 1st, arguably the most important day in many years for all of Atlanta.  Our city's mayoral race is being watched by the entire nation. Even the Wall Street Journal covered the race last week on page 3!

The choice is whether we will reform our City and make it great, or whether we will have more of the same.

Norwood will bring reform.  Norwood will bring ethics to the office. Norwood will get a handle on the accounting systems and our finances. Only then can we decide what we can afford and what we can't.

Mr. Reed will kick the can, maintain the machine, and ensure he has a fat private sector job after leaves the City in a shambles.

The mayor's race will come down to a 1-3 point race. So, your vote counts enormously. Your vote literally may be the one to put your candidate, Mary Norwood, over the line and into victory.

Please call at least five neighbors who are on the fence about either candidate, or about even voting.

If everyone who gets this message commits to calling just 5 people, sharing your thoughts about why Mary is the candidate who truly will bring positive changes to our abominable City Hall, if all of us reach out to just 5 people today and tomorrow morning, gently  reminding people to vote and why it is so important this time around, we can literally garner over 2000 votes for Mary.

These votes WILL  decide the election.

See you tomorrow at the polls, and at the Varsity!


Yours,

Bryan "Beau" Grant IV
Convivia Group, Commercial Real Estate Broker
American Fuel Vehicles, Business Development

Grant Park Conservancy, Board of Directors, Social Media
Friends of Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, Board of Directors, Social Media
Georgia Rugby Union, Executive Committee - Secretary
Atlantans for Affordable Water Services - Founder
Southeast Pet Rescue Rail Road - Founder

Over the weekend, I compiled the following talking points, that represent the fundamental differences between Norwood and Reed.

- Fundraising Sources
ajc.com Mayoral hopefuls play to strengths for money
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/05/story1.html
"Norwood raised more than three-fourths of her campaign cash from INSIDE the city limits during three reporting periods ending June 30. More than 72 percent of Borders’ money during that time came from the counties just outside of Atlanta."

"To a lesser extent, former state Sen. Kasim Reed and attorney Jesse Spikes are relying on contributors from a third geographic pool: outside of Georgia."

"Spikes and Reed raised 38.6 percent and 36.1 percent of their campaign funds, respectively, from out-of-state donors, dwarfing contributions to Norwood and Borders from outside of Georgia, according to the analysis."

 http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0533.html
"The 1051 donations came in small packages, with many ranging from $50 to $200. An impressive 143 donations are $25 or less." -

..implying that the residents, not the "machine", feel that she is best choice.

- Non-Partisan.
As of May 2009, Mr. Reed's website still had Democrat Party references on the home page. He has enrolled various and notorious affiliated politicians and supporters DNC. Roy Barnes, Jesse Jackson, David Plouffe.  I would have the same problem if Kasim were using RNC connections like Karl Rove.  Why? The mayors race is non-partisan.

Using partisan rhetoric and leveraging partisan resources is unethical.

Mary Norwood has served for the past 8 years in a non-partisan office, City Council At Large.   As for her vote for president, even if she voted for the Dubya/Shrub, who really cares? She publicaly claims she has voted for Perot, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, & Obama, in that order.

Focusing on who she voted for for President has absolutely no bearing on her ability to lead our city.

Mary's Statement on non-partisan status
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReJh4E81ig&feature=player_embedded

Experience

Mr. Reed is an outsider when it comes to personal knowledge and experience of the City of the Atlanta as an entity. He may be the youngest state senator at 39 years old, but that does not mean he knows where all the snakes in the grass lie when it is time to heal the woes of our City!

Ms Norwood has been in the trenches for the past 8 yrs. Prior to that, she won her office by heavy and active involvement  as a private citizen in various issues with the city as one of us private citizens who had also felt the sting of unfairness and waste by the City during Mayor Bill Campbell's shameful administration.

Straight shooter

Last week, Mr. Reed's henchman were filmed pulling up campaign signs, collecting bounty for the signs from a Reed Campaign operative, and then chased the state official, Robert Long, who was filming it, beating on Mr. Long's car. When Mr. Long broke the story to WXIA, he expressed strong concerns for his personal safety.
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=137927&catid=40

When asked to justify these allegations, Mr. Reed's spokesperson accused Mary Norwood of staging the entire affair, including the violent attack on a state official.

In short, this is an example of the sort of thuggery and lies we can expect from Mr. Reed when he is mayor. It will reek of the same smell that Mayor Campbell left behind.

As for Ms. Norwood, here is a person who will not even allow you buy her an $8 breakfast at Waffle House. She always pays her way, documents every single instance where money or lobbying may be in question, and makes herself transparent and available to anyone who bothers to inquire.

Race

Mr. Reed insists and bringing race into the the election. Prior to his office as State Senator, he defending companies like Cracker Barrel against discrimination and labor claims. http://bit.ly/86B0Sr

Meanwhile, political operatives like Turpau who Jackson and Franklin in years past, were allowed to run free, and then after the race card was played, put on a leash by Reed. Turpau would not have been acting independently of the Reed Campaign.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/08/27/the-mayoral-machine-goes-haywire-reed-fires-back/

Norwood has served City wide for 8 years and has proven for 8 years that race is never a factor when you contact her office in need of assistance with the City. Ask your neighbors who know her, and ask them if Mary has ever referenced race in your position as City Council woman.

Mary is the "post-racial" candidate that believes she can unify all Atlantans into coming together in a conversation about Atlanta's future that is not dependent upon racial bias or prejudice. Perhaps this position is naive, but it is far more visionary and positive than Kasim's strategy of seeding racial fears into his campaign. A post-racial Atlanta is a strong atlanta.

Time Magazine - http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1921686,00.html