APN Issues Atlanta Council Scorecard for Summer 2013
(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta Progressive News has issued an updated Atlanta City Council Scorecard for Summer 2013, which may be the last updated scorecard before Municipal Elections this November.
The Scorecard–which APN believes is the most comprehensive, voting record-based Scorecard for this Council that is available to Atlanta voters–now includes a total of 43 items, dating from 2003 to the present.
The items include 41 votes; one score for positions on the Adrean pension proposal; and one score for disclosure or nondisclosure of the secret vote taken in February 2010.
Votes that have been added in recent months include:
– Two votes on whether to limit public comment at all Council Committee Meetings. Councilmembers received credit if they opposed limitations.
– Two votes involving the proposed new Falcons Stadium, including one motion to refer and one motion to approve. Councilmembers received credit if they opposed the motion to refer and if they opposed the stadium.
– Two votes on Cheshire Bridge Rezoning, including the vote on NC 4 and the vote on NC 5. Councilmembers received credit if they opposed sunsetting the grandfathered-in status of existing adult entertainment establishments on two non-contiguous sections of Cheshire Bridge Road.
– A vote on whether to approve spending reserve funds for undisclosed purposes in connection with the Atlanta Development Authority. Councilmembers received credit if they opposed the funding.
– A vote of whether to increase salaries across the board three percent for all City of Atlanta employees. Councilmembers received credit if they supported the increase.
Generally, the Scorecard rewards Councilmembers who–in their voting record, when it matters–support meaningful affordable housing, who oppose gentrification, who support later bar hours, who support public comment without time limitations, who support equal rights for same-sex couples, who support ethics and transparency, who support the right to solicit alms, who support workers rights, and who support animal rights.
The Scorecard is available as a public Google Spreadsheet here: bit.ly/OXGEVm
The current ranking of scores is as follows:
NATALYN ARCHIBONG (DISTRICT 5) – 88.89 B+
FELICIA MOORE (DISTRICT 9) – 76.74 C
MICHAEL JULIAN BOND (POST 1-AT-LARGE) – 63.33 D
KWANZA HALL (DISTRICT 2) – 60.61 D-
CT MARTIN (DISTRICT 10) – 53.66 F
YOLANDA ADREAN (DISTRICT 8) – 52.94 F
ALEX WAN (DISTRICT 6) – 42.42 F
HOWARD SHOOK (DISTRICT 7) – 41.86 F
CLETA WINSLOW (DISTRICT 4) – 40 F
IVORY YOUNG (DISTRICT 3) – 39.02 F
JOYCE SHEPERD (DISTRICT 12) – 38.24 F
CARLA SMITH (DISTRICT 1) – 38.1 F
LAMAR WILLIS (POST 3-AT-LARGE) – 35.13 F
AARON WATSON (POST 2-AT-LARGE) – 30 F
KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (DISTRICT 11) – 25 F
Of note, in recent months Councilman Hall surpassed Councilman Martin as the fourth progressive Councilmember. Hall continues to move up in the rankings since the Scorecard was first published in 2009, as Martin’s record continues to plummet since the beginning of the Kasim Reed administration in 2010.
Also, Councilman Shook, who was second from the bottom on the Winter 2013 Scorecard, has moved up to eighth place, after opposing the Falcons Stadium, opposing the ADA funding, and opposing the Cheshire Bridge rezonings.
Councilman Watson has moved down, from twelfth place to fourteenth place, that is, second from the bottom.
Councilman Willis, who was in tenth place, has moved down to thirteenth.
Councilman Young, who was in thirteenth place, has moved up to tenth place.
Meanwhile, Councilwoman Bottoms has steadily maintained her placement, as it were, at the bottom of the Scorecard.
(END/2013)