Monthly Archives: December 2012

Rep. Long May Challenge Councilwoman Sheperd in 2013

(APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Ralph Long (D-Atlanta), who lost his seat to State Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) after being paired against her in last year’s redistricting process, is considering running for the City Council of Atlanta during the Municipal Elections being held next year in 2013. As previously reported by Atlanta Progressive News, Long is one of at least […]

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Occupy Atlanta Trial Recap

By Scott Brown, Staff Writer (APN) ATLANTA — Over fourteen months after Occupy Atlanta protesters set up camp in downtown Woodruff Park, the fifty-two people who were arrested the night of October 25, 2011, for refusing to leave the park, finally had their day in court. The defense team of ten volunteer lawyers, headed by attorney Mawuli Davis, have spent […]

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Mandamus Against Mitchell, Johnson Sought in Secret Vote Case

(APN) ATLANTA — Yesterday, December 27, 2012, the News Editor of Atlanta Progressive News, the present writer, filed further litigation in the secret vote lawsuit seeking for the Fulton County Superior Court to grant a writ of mandamus, ordering two specific City of Atlanta public officers–Council President Ceasar Mitchell and Municipal Clerk Rhonda Dauphin Johnson, both in their official capacities–to […]

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MARTA Promotes Safety with New Music Video

(APN) ATLANTA — For the last four weeks, the music video for a new dance called the MARTA Slide has been going viral on Youtube.  The MARTA Slide is now showing on the MARTA  website as well as, without sound, on MARTA trains. The video is available on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9cFVdWQiaw The video shows as Star, the mascot for the […]

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New Stadium Plan Sparks Gentrification, Neighborhood Concerns

With additional reporting by Marko Robinson, Staff Writer (APN) ATLANTA — Arthur Blank, a billionaire and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, a football team, wants a new, better stadium, in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood, just down the street from where the Georgia Dome currently sits. The current Dome is operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), an entity […]

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Occupy Atlanta Claims City Deceived Court, Spied on Protesters

(APN) ATLANTA — At a press conference at City Hall today, Friday, December 21, 2012, activists with Occupy Atlanta alleged that the City of Atlanta deceived them and the Atlanta Municipal Court with respect to eight hundred pages of documents that the activists say they subpoenaed months ago. In addition, recent court proceedings have revealed a significant spying operation by […]

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(IPS) Obama’s Victory a Boon for Clear Air, Water Acts

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/12/obamas-victory-a-boon-for-clear-air-water-acts/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec 19 2012 (IPS) – With Barack Obama’s re-election last month as U.S. president, key environmental protections escaped a likely Republican chopping block, and new regulations are expected when his second term begins in January.  Environmentalists say the situation would be much different had former governor Mitt Romney […]

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APN Issues Atlanta Council Scorecard for End of 2012

(APN) ATLANTA — With Municipal Elections in the City of Atlanta scheduled to take place next year, Atlanta Progressive News has added six more recent votes to the APN Atlanta City Council Scorecard. To APN’s knowledge, the Scorecard is the most comprehensive, data-driven, and transparent source of information available about the current incumbents on the City Council of Atlanta. The […]

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(IPS) Still Learning Katrina’s Lessons, Seven Years Later

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/12/seven-years-after-katrina-preparing-for-the-next-disaster/ ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec 14 2012 (IPS) – Many residents are still rebuilding their lives seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Those who are able are looking ahead and organising so that they will be better prepared […]

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Move to Amend Visits Atlanta, Seeks End to Corporate Personhood

(APN) ATLANTA — On Saturday, December 08, 2012, the Georgia chapter of Move to Amend hosted a community forum on Creating Democracy and Challenging Corporate Rule, at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta. The focus of the event was the need for an amendment to the Constitution of the US in response to the controversial Citizens United v. FEC ruling of the […]

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Fulton Taxpayers Foundation Struggling, Future Uncertain

(APN) ATLANTA — The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation has let go of its Executive Director and other office staff and is no longer accepting new property tax appeals, Atlanta Progressive News has learned, as sources familiar with the matter say the Foundation is struggling with financial issues and that its future is quite uncertain at this point. “We hope to […]

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Jack Jersawitz, 1934-2012, !Presente!

(APN) ATLANTA — Jack Jersawitz, a radical leftist activist and commentator with over thirty years of significant contributions to Atlanta and Georgia politics, has passed away, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. Jersawitz was 78. He died of esophageal cancer after spending several weeks in the hospital and then in hospice care. Jersawitz was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lived […]

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Atlanta Council Raises Own Pay, Supports Same-sex Marriage

(APN) ATLANTA — The City Council of Atlanta approved a fifty percent pay raise for Council Members and a substantial increase for the Mayor of Atlanta, during its Full Council Meeting on Monday, December 03, 2012. In addition, the Council approved a resolution introduced by Councilman Alex Wan (District 6) to express the opinion of the City of Atlanta as […]

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Israeli Peace Activist Visits Atlanta

An earlier version of this article was edited by Bob Goodman and circulated via the Human Rights Atlanta email group. (APN) DECATUR — With Palestine having been recognized as a state by the United Nations on Thursday, November 29, 2012, it is clear that there is more than one side to the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  One unique voice […]

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People TV May Get Two More Years (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — People TV, the non-profit organization which has managed the City of Atlanta’s public access channel for community news since at least the 1980’s, might get two more years of funding from the City, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. Last week, legislation to fund People TV for two years in the amount of 350,000 dollars, and legislation to […]

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