Category Archives: Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation-FCTF

EDITORIAL: Atlanta Must Pay APS Beltline Debt, with Interest, Immediately

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(APN) ATLANTA — It is time for the City of Atlanta to end the theft from Atlanta Public Schools, to end the “negotiations”–there is nothing to negotiate, unless the subject is how much to steal from school children–and to pay the approximately fifteen million dollars or more, when interest is included, to APS immediately.   Hypocrisy on Cheating Scandals   […]

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Issues for 2013

  Issues for 2013 1. Education Georgia public schools have a high school graduation rate of 67.5%, the third worst in the nation. Yet the cost per public school student, $10,587, is nearly $1,000 more than the national average. Charter schools can offer parents and children an alternative to a poorly performing traditional public school. Last summer, Georgians voted to […]

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Supreme Court Oral Arguments Held in Perry-Bolton TAD Case

(APN) ATLANTA — The Supreme Court of Georgia held oral arguments yesterday, Monday, January 07, 2013, in the appeal of the case challenging the bond validation for Atlanta’s Perry-Bolton Tax Allocation District (TAD). The case is John Sherman and Christopher Eichler v. City of Atlanta, et al. Irwin Stolz, Jr., a former Court of Appeals Judge in Georgia, argued for […]

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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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Beltline, TAD Bond Cases Return to Georgia Supreme Court

(APN) ATLANTA — Two companion cases related to the Atlanta Beltline and Atlanta Perry-Bolton Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) are headed to the Supreme Court of Georgia, where the TADs and the Atlanta Beltline are no new topic, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. The first case, John Sherman and Christopher Eichler v. City of Atlanta et al., concerns the bond validation […]

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APN, FCTF issue Joint Statement on MARTA CEO Selections Process

September 13, 2012 JOINT STATEMENT BY JOHN SHERMAN, PRESIDENT OF FULTON COUNTY TAXPAYERS FOUNDATION (FCTF); AND MATTHEW CHARLES CARDINALE, PRESIDENT OF ATLANTA PROGRESSIVE NEWS (APN) Out of our mutual concerns for transparency, accountability, and public input on behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of Fulton and DeKalb Counties, the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation and Atlanta Progressive News have issued the […]

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Thomas, Gardner, Bell, Waites Prevail; T-SPLOST Defeated

(APN) ATLANTA — During the July 31, 2012, Partisan Primary and Non-partisan General Election, progressive candidates for State House races in the Atlanta area–including former State Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas (D-Atlanta), and State Reps. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta), Simone Bell (D-Atlanta), and Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta)–fared well, while the T-SPLOST was defeated for the Metro Atlanta region. It was an unusually strong […]

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Lawsuits Challenge Beltline Inc.’s Existence, Beltline TAD, and Perry/Bolton TAD

(APN) ATLANTA — Three different lawsuits, where John Woodham serves as legal counsel, are pending in the courts that challenge various aspects of the Beltline, the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD), and the Perry/Bolton TAD, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. One lawsuit–John S. Sherman, on his own behalf and on behalf of all those similarly situated, and Christopher D. Eichler, […]

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PART ONE: Airport Concessions Protests Move Forward

(APN) ATLANTA — Four companies that bid for food and beverage concessions contracts at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are moving forward with their protests after the City of Atlanta denied their initial appeals, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. SSP, represented by Ken Hodges of Ashe, Rafuse, & Hill; Midfield Concession Enterprises (MCE), represented by Matt Maguire of Balch & Bingham; […]

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BREAKING: Atlanta Violated Charter with Closed Airport Bid Process

  (APN) ATLANTA — The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation is preparing to challenge the City of Atlanta’s bid selection process and the final bid selections–approved on Tuesday, January 03, 2011, by the City Council–in court, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. The Foundation seeks to overturn the bid selections on the basis that the City did not observe its own bidding […]

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