Economist.com Cities Guide: Atlanta Briefing - June 2006

News this month

Bin the ban?

Georgia's State Supreme Court will hear arguments on June 27th on a ban on gay marriage that was added to the state constitution by referendum in 2004. Constance Russell, a judge in Fulton County’s Superior Court, struck down the constitutional amendment on May 16th, on the grounds that the ban packed too many issues into a single vote: the amendment includes not only a ban on gay marriage, but also one on civil unions and recognition of gay marriages authorised by other states. Sonny Perdue, Georgia’s Republican governor, has threatened to call a special session of the state legislature to reinstate the ban if the Supreme Court upholds Judge Russell’s decision.

The May 16th ruling has made gay marriage a key issue in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, scheduled for July 18th. One candidate, Mark Taylor, the lieutenant governor, has backed the ban; his rival, Cathy Cox, the secretary of state, first opposed it, but now—to the dismay of her gay supporters—favours a special legislative session to resolve the issue. The debate in Georgia coincides with a renewed, election-year effort in Washington, led by Republican congressmen and bolstered by President George Bush in June, to pass a national ban on gay marriage. But while the US Senate turned down the call for a constitutional amendment, in Georgia the ban has bipartisan support. Seventy-six per cent of the state’s voters passed the amendment in 2004; even in areas that otherwise tilted towards the Democrats, such as Clayton and DeKalb Counties, the ban passed with strong majorities.

Unethical behaviour

Atlanta’s city council met strong criticism in May for trying to ease local ethics laws. On May 16th the council voted by a margin of 11-2 in favour of a bill to allow council members and city staff to accept free meals and tickets to local events; two days later, the measure was vetoed by Shirley Franklin, Atlanta’s mayor. The bill would have relaxed rules passed in 2002, part of Ms Franklin’s first-term effort to clean up local government.

The modifications were denounced by constituents and editorial pages alike, hardly surprising in a city recently tainted by corruption—Ms Franklin’s predecessor was the subject of a federal probe. Some council members defended the bill, arguing that constituents need not question the council’s ethics. But by the time it returned to the council on June 5th, not one council member moved to override Ms Franklin’s veto.

Welcome to _____, founded c. 2006

Atlanta proper has a population of about 426,000, but greater Atlanta is home to more than 4.5m people. As the city continues in its sprawl, some communities with no official boundaries are trying to become cities themselves. Last year residents of a northern suburb voted to create the new city of Sandy Springs; next month two more northern communities, Johns Creek and Milton, will vote on whether to become cities.

Meanwhile, the mayor is trying to bolster Atlanta’s tax base by convincing communities in southern Fulton County to join the city of Atlanta, rather than form new cities of South Fulton and Chattahoochee Hill Country. Voters will decide whether to approve the proposed city boundaries in July 2007. Ms Franklin argues that residents should join Atlanta, rather than other municipalities or the new cities, pointing to the city's burgeoning economy, dropping crime rates and improving infrastructure. If the southern Fulton communities agree, they would add 55,000 residents to the city of Atlanta, a 13% increase. The last time Atlanta annexed a community was in 1952.

Taking off

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, America’s busiest passenger airport, looks set to become even busier, thanks to a host of improvements. On May 6th the airport began using its $44m control tower, the tallest in America, and on May 27th inaugurated its new, $1.28 billion runway. The airport's fifth runway, it is expected to increase peak capacity from 100 to 135 planes per hour, and thus reduce delays, which now average 17 minutes per flight. Last year the airport served 86m travellers; with these changes, the airport’s maximum capacity will rise to 150m a year, estimates Benjamin DeCosta, Hartsfield’s manager.

The airport still has several construction projects in progress. A $451m rental-car complex and accompanying rail link to the airport are set to open in 2008, and on the site of the old control tower the airport will build a new international terminal, though the latter’s opening date has been delayed until at least 2010. Last year the airport dismissed Leo A. Daly, an architectural firm charged with designing the terminal, for running over budget and behind schedule. The firm sued, and the airport is still mired in litigation. Nonetheless, Mr DeCosta said the project was moving forward, and the redesigning of the terminal is expected to begin in June.

Fly away

Locals were surprised to learn on May 17th that the Flying Biscuit Café, a local breakfast favourite, had been bought by Raving Brands, an Atlanta-based restaurant company that owns several rapidly expanding franchises, including Moe’s Southwest Grill and Planet Smoothie. At present there are only two Flying Biscuits, in Candler Park and Midtown; Raving Brands plans to open 100 such restaurants across America over the next two years.

Delia Champion, who founded Flying Biscuit in 1993, insists that the original two stores will remain unaffected and that she will be involved in running both. But the purchase has been greeted with cries of despair from many of the Flying Biscuit’s devotees. Perhaps the most sombre (and dramatic) response came from a reporter for Creative Loafing, Atlanta’s main alternative newspaper, who mused that the takeover inspired “the fear that the homogenised, corporate landscape is gobbling up our city and robbing our neighbourhoods of their personalities, their character and their independently run cafés.”

Catch if you can

June 2006

Atlanta Film Festival

June 9th-17th 2006

The Atlanta Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with screenings of more than 150 films, both short and feature-length. As usual, the festival's highlight this year is its wide array of documentaries, which include films about the war in Iraq, Japanese gigolos, Yiddish theatre, electric cars, border patrols in Arizona and a man who shares his Manhattan apartment with 1,200 turtles.

There is also a full line-up of narrative films and some panel discussions. After the last screening each evening, staff will give information about nightly parties and invite anyone still holding a ticket stub.

Various locations. Admission: $5-9; some free events. For more information and to order tickets, visit the festival’s website.

More from the Atlanta cultural calendar